“I’m on my way back. I was one of the first they took away.” So begins Robert Kelly’s remarkable science fiction novel about a literally divided self. “I” is Billy, the book’s protagonist, a boy who is captured by a group of aliens who take him to a cave and meticulously, if seemingly by caprice, remove his “young pure smokeless lungs” and other internal organs to replace them with two gray squirrels, a live hawk, a shoe, and a variety of other bizarre objects. Billy’s body and mind are spun off into a curious twin, one whose adventures Billy is forced by his captors to watch and try to make sense of—not a simple task when he sees his doppelgänger stealing everything from him: body, name, family, his beloved Eileen. Complicating matters, and forcing Billy deeper into his ironic journey of self, is a mysterious pamphlet called “The Book from the Sky,” written by what may be yet another variation of Billy himself, Brother William. This stunningly imaginative work, echoing the late novels of Iris Murdoch and the fantasies of Robert Charles Wilson and Jonathan Stroud while remaining inimitably Kelly’s own, offers adventurous readers a “cabinet of wonders” not unlike the body of his beleaguered young hero.

Becoming a star that shines in the sky of this world is no easy task. We will need natural talent, determination. And almost everyone seeks to have this eternity expressed on a street sign or in a memorial in some museum. Having your name written and remembered in history is what most people want. After all, this is the glory of the world. Scientists, singers, actors, etc. shone in it. Not everyone gets this gift. But they try. I describe in a poetic and reflective way the human desire for immortality, for an indelible mark on history. Becoming a star that shines in the sky of this world is truly an ambition shared by many. The quest for recognition and legacy, to be remembered on a street sign or memorial, is an expression of the desire for transcendence and meaning. Worldly glory has been achieved by some who have excelled in their fields such as; scientists, singers, actors, writers, leaders, among others. However, it is true that not everyone gets this "gift". For many, the quest for achievement may not translate into fame or global recognition, but they can still achieve a different kind of brilliance through their actions and impact in their spheres of influence, however small. This reflection raises important questions about what it really means to shine and what is the value of seeking external recognition versus a life well lived in an authentic and meaningful way. There is a famous cemetery in Paris that is often visited by tourists from all over the world, Pere de La Chiese. There are buried many personalities who shone on the world stage, not only in France, but also in Europe and around the world. They became famous for their feats and achievements both in art and in other areas of existence. For some time they were shining in the sky of recognition and fame and today they are even being immortalized in the memorials of humanity. They became the names of streets, squares, places and more. The mysteries

How do we know that the earth travels around the sun, the universe is billions of years old, and stars are trillions of miles away? Rocky Kolb tells the fascinating story of the people and ideas that have brought us such knowledge of our planet and the universe, giving realistic portraits of astronomers like Tycho, Kepler, Galileo, Herschel and Hubble. Beginning in 1572 with Tycho's discovery that the heavens can change and ending with the Big Bang of the 20th Century, this is a hugely entertaining and witty account of the quest to discover the universe.

This volume offers a path-breaking reassessment of Xu Bing’s oeuvre by analyzing the diverse cultural environments in which his work has developed since the Book from the Sky. It contains three lecture transcripts and eight art historical essays; these explore themes such as Xu’s animal works, audience participation, new ink, prints, realism, socialist spectacle, and word play. A critical question addressed in this volume is what carries art to a global level beyond regional histories and cultural symbols. Absorbing critical essays on contemporary Chinese aesthetics addressing the social context and philosophical concerns that underlie Xu Bing’s key works. The authors analyze Xu’s art, shedding light on the tangled history of socialism and neoliberalism in the Post-Mao period. --Prof. Dr. Lothar Ledderose, Senior Professor, Institute of East Asian Art, Universität Heidelberg