📚APR 2026 Cosmicomics INTRODUCTION

Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino translated by William Weaver, collection first published 1965.

Discussion links:
Introduction (This page)
The Distance of the Moon
At Daybreak
A Sign in Space
All at One Point
Without Colors
Games Without End
The Aquatic Uncle
How Much Shall We Bet?
The Dinosaurs
The Form of Space
The Light-Years
The Spiral
Final Thoughts

If your edition has an Introduction, comment on that here. Mine doesn't and even if I did, I usually read Introductions last. They often contain spoilers.

Feel free to use this message topic for any introduction you want to make about the work, about yourself, or by way of preparation to read.

This isn't important but I'd love to know more about how you will be reading this book, @AnishaInkspill

That is an image of the same copy cover I'll be reading, published by Harcourt's Harvest paperback editions. Cover illustration by Shelton Watsmith and design by Steven Cooley. (In my next life I would love to be a book cover illustrator.)

I bought this used through Better World Books. I enjoy the surprises especially when I select to buy former library books. This one came by way of the Quest University Canada, Squamish, British Columbia when they decommissioned it and then however they donated it, ultimately landing with BWB for me to buy. Sometimes there are no used library books available, only regular used books possibly from their donation boxes they have in US cities, then in those cases there can sometimes be little fun bookmarkers in the books from the last reader, ephemera like receipts, old plane ticket stubs, and once when I bought an E B White book it had a old (well-worn) baseball card as a bookmarker. The whole time I read, I imagined a little boy that must have read that book before me.

When I'm done, if it's not a permanent keeper for me (only my very favorites are), I donate to a nearby Little Free Library, and always include a homemade bookmarker.

The ephemera and marginalia of used books are fun layers to appreciate, for sure!

I don't plan to read long with this but dropped in to learn about the title. I have other Calvino titles on my wishlist, but unfamiliar with this one.

>3 elenchus: Hey E! Sorry you won't be reading this with us. This will be my first Calvino! I've always been a tad intimidated. But this one seemed just too inviting.

From Wikipedia,

Cosmicomics is a collection of twelve short stories...Each story takes a scientific theory (some of which have since become deprecated) or phenomenon and builds an imaginative story around it. An always-extant being called Qfwfq explicitly narrates all of the stories save two. Every story is a memory of an event in the history of the universe.

I've read half the first story and am already falling completely under its spell.

This is a book that's been on my tbr for years, I have the complete version but wanted to start slowly by reading one part at a time as this is a new read for me, I'm ready to go.

>5 AnishaInkspill: Me too! I'm so glad to have your company and thoughts as we navigate this adventure.

My library has one copy cataloged, and it's been weeded! Fortunately Open Library has provided and I'll be able to join in.

>7 amanda4242: Yippee! I'm quite happy about your joining, Amanda.