B&N Community

For most of us, meteorites are simply ugly, misshapen rocks that have fallen from space. For geologists and other scientists, these dark objects conceal secrets to the origin of our solar system; for visionaries and poets, they are stony and metallic reminders of our primal connection with the universe. Christopher Cokinos' The Fallen Sky is not just a dull study of the composition of meteorites any more than his Hope Is A Thing with Feathers is a taxonomy of extinct birds. Instead, this intimate history approaches these celestial fragments through the eyes of the maverick scientists, meteorite collectors, and independent researchers who seek to discover their hidden meaning. Cokinos' own quest to track their story takes us from Polar Regions to the far expanses of space; from Iron Age ritual sites to post-modern laboratories. The Fallen Sky is a hybrid of science, poetry, adventure, and pure magic.