May Day, 1871: The Day “Science Fiction” Was Invented
This Sunday is the 140th anniversary of May 1, 1871. On that date Lord Bulwer-Lytton’s The Coming Race and George Chesney’s “The Battle of Dorking” were both first published, and on that date Samuel Butler delivered to his publisher the manuscript of what would become Erewhon. (Erewhon was published in 1872). This is why critic…
Books & Comics
Jess Nevins
Rabbits with Horns: Meet the Human Papillomavirus
The stories about rabbits with horns circulated for centuries. Eventually they crystallized into the myth of the jackalope. If you go to Wyoming and twirl a rack of postcards, chances are you’ll find a picture of a jackalope bounding across the prairie. It looks like a rabbit sprouting a pair of antlers. You may even…
Books & Comics
Carl Zimmer