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45th out of 149 books
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18 voters
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Icarus at the Edge of Time
by
Brian Greene
From one of America's leading physicists—a moving and visually stunning futuristic reimagining of the Icarus fable written for kids and those journeying with them toward a deeper appreciation of the cosmos. With a minimum of words set on 34 full color boardbook pages, Icarus travels not to the sun, but to a black hole, and in so doing poignantly dramatizes one of Einstein'...more
Hardcover, 34 pages
Published
September 2nd 2008
by Knopf
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"Well, it looks like Einstein knew what he was talking about, after all," begins an article published just over a week ago on the popular tech blog Engadget. The subject of the article is the recently concluded Gravity Probe B mission, which was carried out by NASA for six years to test the general theory of relativity described by Albert Einstein. The blog post, although considerably simplified, is still redolent of astrophysical jargon. But it is unequivocal in reporting that the res...more
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For those who like their holes black and their legends updated.
Anika read it to us at the table one morning during breakfast, when we were at her house for Christmas. The art was amazing and stunning and beautiful. I think that just the art would have been enough to tell the story.
It's amazing how spiritual the book was, though. I don't know if it was meant to be, but Anika (as a seminary teacher and a good mother) kept referencing back to sin when Icarus' father told him that, no matter what, the black hole pulls you in. Don't get close. ...more
It's amazing how spiritual the book was, though. I don't know if it was meant to be, but Anika (as a seminary teacher and a good mother) kept referencing back to sin when Icarus' father told him that, no matter what, the black hole pulls you in. Don't get close. ...more
There's really only a few things separating this book from 3 and 4 stars. But first, why I liked it. It's a really really really fantastic idea:a children's book for those precocious little kids just waiting to grow up to be the all-powerful nerds. Seriously, this book is something I would have loved when I was younger. It's a children's book, but it's not too kiddy, it'll let your future nerd indulge his real-age and his brain-age at the same time. The story of Icarus, like the Greek (roman? i'...more
Bonnie
rated it
Shelves:
adventure,
childrens-literature,
fiction,
mythology,
picture-book,
science-fiction,
time-travel
This is a very cool mix of mythology, science fiction, and science, all in a board book for children. It's the story of Icarus, who doesn't fly too close to the sun in this version, but rather the edge of a black hole. He is a member of the Proxima's crew, and the families on this ship have left Earth to find other life in the galaxy, knowing that generations will be born and die on their ship before they reach their destination. Icarus is a few generations in and wants to be something more t...more
I hesitate to call this a kids book, although it is a short story that I think kids would like. It may be that rarest of rare picture books for adults. The pictures are lovely photographs of the universe. The story is a sci fi retelling of Icarus. I found reading it last week very appropriate because one of the books I am reading now talks about the place of storytelling now. And how storytelling in the past was used to impart important ideas that you wanted people to remember - a trait of story...more
. This book which is about the length and width of a magazine is a thick and chunky board book for adults. The photographs are from NASA and the Hubble Space Telescope. They are illustrious, red plumes of smoke across a blue and yellow sky, spiraling galaxies and the remains of a supernova. This is a brilliant retelling of the Icarus myth by an award winning mathematics and physics professor. It is structured around the Icarus character being drawn to a black hole (instead of the sun) and what h...more
While this book is very pretty to look at on some level, it's also very frustrating to have beautiful images covered with an black dot that increases in size with every turn of the page. Interesting concept for a book, but the execution could have been much better.
Also, this is a coffee table book, not a novel like The Elegant Universe, which is coming up soon on my to-read list, and I'm very much looking forward to. Stick to the physics, Brian, let the artists do the coffee table book...more
Also, this is a coffee table book, not a novel like The Elegant Universe, which is coming up soon on my to-read list, and I'm very much looking forward to. Stick to the physics, Brian, let the artists do the coffee table book...more
This lovely designed & oversized board book (every page being a full color bleed), takes the classic Greek story of the flight of Icarus and spins it outward into deep space. The Proxima is an interstellar, multi-generation starship happening upon a black hole. Icarus designs a new micro-warp drive for one of the Proxima's fleet of spaceships called a Runabout. The story follows Icarus' enthusiasm and determination to reach the edge of said black hole. Could there be consequences? This book will...more
quick read. board book for adults (i tried my best not to chew it). good story explaining the science behind black holes. i liked it!
Greene, best known as the theoretical physicist that wrote The Elegant Universe, wrote this board book for all ages as a cosmic retelling of the Icarus fable. Filled with stunning imagery of celestial phenomenon, it's also filled with some basic tenets of outer space physics as plot points.
I was drawn to the book as it sat several shelves away at the library tonight. It's visually very interesting. It took only a few minutes to read. The language is quite evocative (as Greene's l...more
I was drawn to the book as it sat several shelves away at the library tonight. It's visually very interesting. It took only a few minutes to read. The language is quite evocative (as Greene's l...more
Abigail
rated it
Recommends it for:
Mythology Lovers / Would-Be Space Travelers
Recommended to Abigail by:
CLM
Shelves:
picture-books,
fantasy-sf
A board-book for all ages, Briane Greene's Icarus at the Edge of Time is a futuristic reinvention of the Greek myth of Icarus, the boy who disregarded his father's advice, and flew too near the sun. Like his ancient counterpart, our Icarus is the son of innovative men, who finds himself trapped in a prison of his father's making. In his case, that prison is the Proxima, a starship dispatched from Earth on a multi-generational voyage to contact another sentient species. A brilliant young man, Ica...more
When I heard about this book I was intrigued - a science fiction story about black holes, written by a well-known science writer who is a professor of mathematics and physics. It turned out to be not quite what I expected. For one thing, it is a children's board book in large format (although my library cataloged it as adult science fiction - go figure). The story is simple in the extreme and really doesn't deviate from the Icarus fable except that it's in the future, not the past and deals with...more
Is this book for children? No, not really. Then again, you may end up giving a child this book and opening them up to vast and ever changing realm of physics and astronomy. Although the Hubble Space images with an ever enlarging black hole as the 'pictures' are a neat idea, I don't know if i would have rather appreciated just the Hubble deep space pictures or ordinary illustrations.
All in all, a neat, weird read with an interesting play on classic myth.
And Brian, y...more
All in all, a neat, weird read with an interesting play on classic myth.
And Brian, y...more
I read this in 'one standing' while I was supposed to be shelving books (sorry, co-workers, but it really took less than 5 minutes). I read a random page, then had to read at the start. Very fascinating retelling of Icarus. I could really feel the sense of loss when he realized what had happened and how much time had passed. Had to reread where the father was saying goodbye to his son, because it was slightly confusing, but equally heartbreaking.
Fun to have a board book for adults......more
Fun to have a board book for adults......more
Lisa Vegan
rated it
Recommends it for:
boys and girls with an interest in science fiction and science
Recommended to Lisa by:
Abigail
Shelves:
childrens,
fiction,
picture-books,
non-fiction,
science,
speculative-fiction,
short-stories,
reviewed
This book has the look and feel and heft of a very large board book. At first it felt and appeared rather strange to me, but it worked for these photos and story.
There is some real scientific information in this book, about black holes and actual impressive photos taken via NASA and the Hubble Space Telescope.
The story about this Icarus is that he gets, not too close to the sun, but too close to a black hole. I thought it started off kind of campy, but it won me over and ...more
There is some real scientific information in this book, about black holes and actual impressive photos taken via NASA and the Hubble Space Telescope.
The story about this Icarus is that he gets, not too close to the sun, but too close to a black hole. I thought it started off kind of campy, but it won me over and ...more
An amazing book, a board book actually, in which pictures sent back in lush swirling color by the Hubble Space Telescope are used to illustrate a story about a young man who experiences the distortions of time caused by what Albert Einstein postulated as a "black hole." I love the idea of story used to explain science. I want him to make books about quantum mechanics, chaos theory, string theory, and dark energy.
In Icarus I got to know how it felt for Icarus, how he never live or been on earth.Icarus has been living on a space ship for his whole entire life. I found it interesting that once Icarus saw the black whole right away he wanted to go, he did not give a lot of time to think about it. I liked Icarus as a character because he found his dream and did not let anyone in his way he just did what he wanted to do.
Baby's first heady sci-fi? Brian Greene does a science fiction/deep physics double-take on the classic Icarus myth. Beautiful images (though as my man Adam points out: frustratingly covered with a giant black hole on each page) and quite a story embedded therein.
But the story can be a bit much for a one-year-old. H. has managed to sit through it... once so far.
But the story can be a bit much for a one-year-old. H. has managed to sit through it... once so far.
I found this book in the adult section of the library, but it is definitely a children's book. My 6 year old was wide eyed in awe at the end. It's the ancient myth of Icarus set in space around the theme of getting too close to a black hole. It was a lot of fun to read and my son has been sleeping with books about outer space ever since!
michael seidl
added it
i loved this book it was so much fun to read i just wanted to know what was going to happen next. this book was about a very stuburn 14 year old boy. his great grandpah was going to lead this ship to another planet with life. but it will take 5 generaitions and there on the third so icarus wont make it....
The illustrations were beautiful (though would have been nicer without the superimposed "black hole"), but I can't see this working for children -- what child understands an infinite future, or would not be appalled to lose everything they had ever known, just to see the "Proxima superhighway."
Gorgeous photos. Story concept is engaging and shares good science (more at author's note). I found the language itself to be somehow awkward & flat. And I found the 'board' pages distracting. Nobody in my family can figure out why it isn't simply on good quality picture-book paper.
Lachelle
marked it as to-read
Columbia physicist Brian Greene believes science is the greatest adventure story in human history. Greene is author of “Icarus at the Edge of Time,” an illustrated re-telling of the ancient Greek myth of the boy who flew too close to the sun. (Here and Now 6/2/10)
Weird. But in a kind of boring way. Start with some of the most spectacular images man has ever seen, print them at very high production specs, but gradually obscure them with a big black dot, and string a ham-handed allegorical short story overtop. Bleh.
a very gripping book that i didn't want to stop reading and its almost exactly like the historic wax-winged boy that got to close to the sun except this book takes place in outer-space and time travel.
i recommend this book for people ages 8-17.
i recommend this book for people ages 8-17.
I read this to my 2 year old, and he loves it. It's a more relaxing and passive way to learn about some very, very basic things that Brian Greene writes about. It's certainly intended for all ages. It's a science fiction story about black holes.
A retelling of the story of Icarus but with a science/scifi twist. A well written and gorgeous introduction to the science of black holes for young adults (adult adults should then go pick up THE BLACK HOLE WAR for more details).
* Kids will love the pictures (Renderings of Space matter- nebulas, galaxies, Earth)
* Read aloud, but students would have trouble reading it alone because of the long, unusual names of some things
* It's a re-imagining of the Greek myth
* Read aloud, but students would have trouble reading it alone because of the long, unusual names of some things
* It's a re-imagining of the Greek myth
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Brian Greene is an American theoretical physicist and one of the best-known string theorists. He has been a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University since 1996. He has become known to a wider audience through his books for the general public and a related PBS television special.
More about Brian Greene...
![The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimessions, And Thw Quest For The Ultimate Theory [In Japanese Language]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185704813m/1600574.jpg "The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimessions, And Thw Quest For The Ultimate Theory [In Japanese Language]")
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