In the 1950s, horror comic books – featuring at times gory depictions of violence – were rising in popularity. But these comics triggered a moral panic, ultimately leading to the Comics Code Authority's decision to outlaw werewolves, vampires and even the word "horror." Now, journalist Michael Dean is out with an anthology of these long-forgotten Marvel comics: Lost Marvels No. 1: Tower of Shadows, first published in 1969. In today's episode, Dean talks with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about the horror ban, the perceived relationship between comics and juvenile delinquency, and how Tower of Shadows compares to its superhero siblings.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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Folge vom 28.05.2025'Lost Marvels No. 1: Tower of Shadows' restores a lost chapter of comic book history
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Folge vom 27.05.2025Honor Jones' 'Sleep' explores how our childhoods influence who we are as parentsIn Honor Jones' new novel Sleep, the protagonist Margaret grows up in a verdant suburban world with her family and a best friend who follows her through life. But when something disorienting happens to her, Margaret isn't protected – and so she grows up learning to protect herself instead. As a mother, she becomes concerned with how to raise her children to be safe but unafraid. In today's episode, Jones joins NPR's Mary Louise Kelly for a conversation about the novel. Their discussion touches on what stays with us from childhood, parenting as a lowering of expectations, and how Jones achieves her distinctly spare prose.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Folge vom 26.05.2025Karen Hao's new book is a skeptical look at Sam Altman and Elon Musk's AI empireOpenAI was founded as a nonprofit meant to conduct artificial intelligence research that would benefit the general public. In the company's early days, reporter Karen Hao arranged to spend time in OpenAI's offices and noticed the culture there was incredibly secretive. That secrecy raised questions for Hao that ultimately resulted in her new book, Empire of AI. The book is an intimate look at the company behind ChatGPT, but also at the industry-wide race to control AI. In today's episode, she speaks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about early disagreements between founders Sam Altman and Elon Musk, Altman's talents for fundraising and storytelling, and how the AI race is reproducing elements of colonial empire.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Folge vom 23.05.2025With new novel, Ocean Vuong says he wants to reframe America as a place of salvageOcean Vuong's debut novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous placed him in an elite club of American writers. He teaches at NYU and is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, among many other honors. But before all this, the author was raised by working-class Vietnamese immigrant parents in Hartford, Connecticut. Vuong's new novel The Emperor of Gladness takes place in a similar environment and centers on an unlikely friendship between a 19 year-old college dropout named Hai and an 82-year-old with dementia named Grazina. In today's episode, Vuong joins NPR's Ari Shapiro for a conversation about reframing our view of the United States and the American dream, describing ugly things in a beautiful way, and Vuong's experience working in close quarters at a fast food restaurant.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy