BOOKS

15 Surprising Facts About Outlander

Starz’s hit historical-time-travel-romantic-drama is back for a third season.

Read a Newly Discovered Kurt Vonnegut Short Story

A previously unpublished story dating back to the 1950s was discovered recently in the author’s archives.

MAGNIFICENT CRINUM CRASSICAULE, THOMAS BAINES © THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW

6 Beautiful Botanical Sketches From History

Botanical Sketchbooks, a new book by Helen and William Bynum, collects some of the best drawings of the world's flora dating back to the 15th century.

The Fact and Fiction of Jack Kerouac's On the Road

If you are so much as a leisurely fan of American fiction, you likely already know the story of how Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' came into the world, but there are many stories about the book's history that might just surprise you.

The Crazy Story Behind the First Book Published in the (Future) United States

An escape from England, an indentured servant with a mysterious past, and an untimely death while crossing the Atlantic. While these might sound like plot points for the latest historical spy thriller, they’re actually real events related to <em>The Bay P

10 Facts About Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man'

The 1952 novel about race and bigotry took seven years to finish.

The Rocky Mountain Land Library, Kickstarter

A Colorado Ranch Is Being Transformed Into a 'Land Library'

Guests can read about the landscape outside their window.

Initially, no one wanted to publish William Golding's novel, which would go on to become a staple of English class reading lists.

11 Things You Might Not Know About Lord of the Flies

A fixture of English class syllabi, William Golding’s 1954 novel 'Lord of the Flies' keeps winning over new generations of readers.

Terry Pratchett's Unfinished Works Were Just Crushed By a Steam Roller

The author asked that his unfinished manuscripts be destroyed after he died, preferably by steamroller. His longtime assistant complied.

10 Pun-derful Facts About Puns

Puns can be divisive: Some find them irresistible, some find them groan-worthy. But for others, punning is a way of life. Here's what you should know about this ancient art.

10 Ways Artists Imagined Dinosaurs Before the 21st Century

Paleoart: Visions of the Prehistoric Past explores the first 160 years of illustrating extinct species.

9 Things You Should Know About Ray Bradbury

For such a visionary futurist, Bradbury—who was born on this day in 1920—was rather old-fashioned.

A Voice Recognition App Adds Sound Effects While You Read to Your Kids

Bedtime reading can get a boost from technology without screens.

Harry Potter's Childhood Home Can Be Yours for $1.3 Million

It's every muggle's dream house.

10 Amazing Crispy Rice Creations

Food artist Jessica Siskin gives us a peek into her new book, Treat Yourself!: How to Make 93 Ridiculously Fun No-Bake Crispy Rice Treats.

Audible Launches 'Audible for Dogs' to Help Pet Parents Calm Their Stressed Canines

Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' is among the titles that the experts have deemed suitable for doggy ears.

George R. R. Martin at Worldcon 75, Helsinki, before the Hugo Awards.

August 1996: A Game of Thrones Debuts

When the 704-page 'A Game of Thrones' hit shelves on August 1, 1996, it received positive notices and respectable sales, but there was little hint of the hysteria that would follow.

9 Strange and Surprising Woodcuts From Early Printing

Witches, demons, and wondrous creatures appear in a new book from the British Library, Graven Images: The Art of the Woodcut.

New PEN Archive Offers 1500 Hours of Audio/Video of Your Favorite Authors Online

You can hear and watch interviews with writers like Norman Mailer, Toni Morrison, and Maya Angelou.

26 Famous Authors' Favorite Books

One key to being a good writer is to always keep reading—and that doesn't change after you've been published.

13 Things You May Not Know About The Dark Tower Series

Before you see the big-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s world-traversing fantasy epic, pick up a few new nuggets and theories about the sweeping work.

6th-Century Writing Discovered Inside Medieval Bookbinding

Researchers at Northwestern University developed a new way to see inside old books.

Total eclipse of the sun, observed July 29, 1878, at Creston, Wyoming Territory, by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot.

The American Eclipse of 1878 and the Scientists Who Raced West to See It

In this excerpt from 'American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World,' science journalist David Baron writes about the morning and afternoon just before the eclipse, when national anticipation was at

Neil deGrasse Tyson Recruits George R.R. Martin to Work on His New Video Game

Bill Nye and Neil Gaiman are also involved in the project.

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