While it's not as easy for authors to become famous at a young age as it is for pop singers, it's still not unheard of for barely legal authors to find fame, success, and even fortune. Here are 23 authors who manager to achieve fame—though not always posi

BOOKS
“A combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness” is how an international team of chemists describes the unique odor of old books in a study. Poetic, sure, but what causes it?Books are made up almost e
“Bladorthin the Grey” just doesn’t have the same ring to it as “Gandalf the Grey,” does it? Here are the stories of Gandalf and some other famous characters who experienced an identity change before publication.
In 1963, 16-year-old Bruce McAllister mailed a four-question survey to 150 novelists, asking if they intentionally planted symbolism in their work. Here’s what they had to say.
Some authors write books because they have a way with words. Others write books mostly to spite another author.
There’s actually a whole group of people who enjoy the theory that Sherlock Holmes – or at least sidekick John Watson -- was real. The truth? Well that's elementary, my dear Watson.
It’s hard to make that first trip to the college bookstore for required texts without leaving with a bit of sticker shock. Why are textbooks so astonishingly expensive? Let’s take a look.
These days, damp, rainy spells usually inspire us to curl up on the couch and watch an American Pickers marathon (tell me that's not just me). But back in 1816 - also known as "The Year Without a Summer" - the results were much different. The summer was r
Despite its status as a "dead" language, pretty much anything can be translated into Latin. Here are a few modern classics that might make Latin class more fun.
Take a look back at the tiny tomes with the gold foil spine that have helped generations of kids learn to appreciate reading.
BlöödHag is a death metal band from Seattle who perform, among other places, in libraries. Their songs are "Edu-Core," and focus on science fiction authors and literacy -- check out some lyrics here. In fact, what the heck, I'll just quote their classic
The labels for the Y axis run from G (Good Fortune) to I (Ill Fortune).
Do you remember the adventures of Luke Starkiller? What about the terror of Count Wampyr? Find out which famous characters those rejected names once belonged to.
In the same way Vonnegut repeats “so it goes” in ‘Slaughterhouse-Five,' he repeats “but not me” in this letter.
Vladimir Nabokov, the author of such masterpieces as 'Lolita' and 'Pale Fire,' was also an expert on butterflies who inadvertently helped give Luciano Pavarotti a career boost.
Here are a few facts that you may not have known about the gang in gold and red (and maybe a couple about the set in silver and green).
Long-lost artworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Ludwig van Beethoven, and more have resurfaced in some unexpected ways.
While it's better known for dead parrots and crossdressing lumberjacks, Monty Python has a surprisingly academic background.
I recently stumbled across an essay from 1946, by George Orwell. It describes his motives, and the motives he suspects are universal, in writing books. What's most interesting about the essay is his frank admission to the role of the writer's ego in the