Cosmicomics
by Italo Calvino
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Book Reviews of Cosmicomics
Book Review: ingenuous creativity, but bland at times
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a collection of science-fiction short stories about the infinity of our universe, through the experience of Qfwfq, the main character. The infinity of space in our universe is also transposed into the infinity of time, and consequently Qfwfq is immortal and often shapeless. The beauty of the book emanates from the radical originality of Calvino's creative thought process. In these stories, he applies a scientific process to his humor, describing the vagaries of his characters, situations and the space of the universe in general, with scientific reasoning.
The first story, "Distance to the Moon", is my personal favorite. It starts with an era when the moon is so close to the earth that it is reachable with a ladder! The earth inhabitants harness this condition by raking in the cheese that is a natural resource on moon! The core of the story describes how this era comes to pass and blends into our current cosmo-geographic co-ordinates. The ending is most satisfying as it ties together many of our earthy myths, for example, cheese on the moon, and a maiden playing the harp on the moon, into this story, thus describing how these legends came into existence.
However, I cannot say the same of all the other stories. Calvino often dwells too much in his pseudo-scientific humor, which becomes a drag to even a scientist like me. The greater part of many of the stories are dedicated just to the concepts, characters and situations that are the creative genius of Calvino. As a consequence, the story itself goes nowhere, and is essentially a scientific meditation on these zany concepts. This is my opinion on stories like "A Sign in Space", "All at One Point" and "Game without end". Having said that there is still a lot of life and dynamism in many other stories like "The Dinosaurs", and "The Aquatic Uncle". All in all, a refreshingly original creation, although some stories are just that and not too much more.
Book Review: Voyages without end
Summary: 5 Stars
I have never read a book quite like this one. It is definitely not a novel, in as much as there is not a set beginning, middle, climax and denouement, nor one or more characters that we follow throughout the book in a series of adventures and incidents. While the book contains a dozen short stories with a common link that may be described as science fiction, I would not call it strictly a book of this genre."Cosmicomics" may instead be described as a series of beautifully and imaginatively written poetic fables that defy time and space. They take place prior to, during and after the galaxies and the universe were formed, throughout myriad evolutionary cycles, prior to the birth of mankind, and even ante-dating the beginning of what is commonly called life. These tales concern atoms, molecules and other worldly beings interacting, almost interacting, and even repelling one another while travelling between gravitational and anti-gravitational forces. They may be floating around in space, chasing each other or being chased at one and the same time. There is a story of betting on the chance occurrances of historical, pre-historical, and pre-planetary incidents, and of lovers living in a time before colors, when black, white and shades of gray were the natural order of things. There is a wondrous tale of a time during the formation of the universe, when the earth and the moon abutted one another and people utilized a ladder to climb from the earth to the moon to spoon out milk. One of the most beautiful of these parables concerns the last dinosaur to survive on earth and his relationship and near love affair with one of the new ones. This is truly a book to cherish.
Book Review: Another Reason Why Fiction Won't Ever Be Killed by Movies
Summary: 5 Stars
I forget how much writing can do sometimes until I come across a brilliant piece of experimental work. Even the category experimental falters under the brilliance of writers like Ondaatje (see the Collected Works of Billy the Kid) or, especially, the grand-Master himself, Calvino. This little book about the creation of the universe has it all. It's strange to find yourself relating to the moment that some fish took from sea to earth, sympathizing with the conservative elders and their praise for the old country (or sea I should say), yet wanting to run on the new land-generation's new legs and leave the elders behind; the story explores (although only metaphorically) the levels of immigration, emigration, natives versus foreigners back in the--what was it?--protozoan era. These stories function on a multitude of levels all at once. There are stories about the moon being just a jump from a boat at sea, and how the craters were filled with yogurt you could scoop out with your foot. The plots aren't the focus though, nothing is, and that's what's so spectacular about these stories: they work literally, metaphorically, primordially, biblically, mathematically, scientifically, philosophically, sociologically, linguistically, and any other -ally you can think of. This book has it all and does it all. Keep in mind it's told from the perspective of a character that existed before language did. Besides Calvino I can't imagine another author penning this work. This is a must for all fans of literature and those who like experimental work if you haven't read this stop everything and get your eyes on those pages.
Book Review: Thinking before our time
Summary: 5 Stars
Move over Franz Kafka, Calvino's Cosmicomics offers metamorphoses that transcend our earthbound existence. Twelve stories (meant to imitate the Zodiac perhaps?) take the read back in time, to cosmological pre-history. Yet there is a consciousness present, even before the Big Bang, where space is sparring.
Starting each story with a scientific observation, Calvino provided us with marvelous insights into the vanities of consciousness, along with accounts of the last dinosaur (which lives as a stranger among the new inhabitants), and the consciousness of the eyeless clam that wills his own shell and conceptualizes the eye, which all other beings now have, except the clam.
Most amusing is Calvino's story of the time when the Moon was so close to the earth that it was possible for earthlings to climb a ladder and walk on the Moon. But as the Moon moves away, a woman who had tried to attract a lover (who gets off before it is too late, leaving the woman stranded there. As we, today, look at the Moon, do we see a Man in the Moon or a pining woman?
Calvino is likely to prove a "find" for science fiction readers who are as interested in the past as in the future. Cosmicomics is also likely to be of interest in readers who wish to consider the evolution of literature, especially the short story. The stories are serious and amusing at the same time. This book is definitely worthy of reading, more than once. It will make the reader laugh and think at the same time.
Book Review: Essential Reading For All SciFi, Fantasy, & Literature Fans
Summary: 5 Stars
I resisted this book at first. Calvino wrote a series of 12 related short stories that work as a novel (but each story stands on its own), each playing with visual images. In his book, The Uses Of Literature, Calvino writes about Cosmicomics, saying, "My aim was to show that writing using images typical of myth can grow from any soil, even from language farthest away from any visual image." He does this with incredible agility, quickness, exactitude, visibility, and multiplicity.The first tale, for me, was the most mind- boggling. "The Distance Of The Moon" is surreal, absurd, fantastical, and utterly engaging. It is worth the price of the book itself. Four characters cavort on the earth and the moon--this was back in primordial days when the two planetary bodies were fighting to be separate--where they collect moon milk and throw it back to the earth with spoons. It is at once a tale of unrequited love, of absurd fantasy, of visual imagery, and humor that is from one of the best writers of this century.
Read it as a study of narrative; Calvino crafts his tales using symbolism, multiple meanings, all with precise, gifted language, it is worth the price of admission.
I think that any and all Sci Fi Lit classes should include "The Distance Of The Moon," or the entire book itself. I've dog-eared and scratched my copy already, and you're going to have to pry it from me. Now, I swear by it.