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Merlin #1
Merlin's Tour of the Universe: A Skywatcher's Guide to Everything from Mars and Quasars to Comets, Planets, Blue Moons, and Werewolves
Merlin, a fictional visitor from the Andromeda Galaxy, Planet Omniscia, has been friends with many of the most important scientific figures of the past including Kepler, da Vinci, Magellan, Doppler, Einstein and Hubble. In this delightful tour of the galaxies, Merlin often recounts his conversations with these historical figures in his responses to popular astronomy questions asked by adults and children alike. Merlin's well-informed answers combine a unique combination of wit and poetry along with serious science explained in refreshingly clear, reader-friendly language.
Dear Merlin: Can a person cross our galaxy in a spaceship during one human lifespan?
Merlin: In 1905, Merlin's good friend Albert Einstein introduced the "Special Theory of Relativity," which predicts that time will tick slower and slower the faster you travel. Were you to embark on such an adventure you could conceivably age as little as you wish, depending of course, on your exact speed. The problem arises when you return to Earth, which will have moved several hundred thousand years into the future and everyone will have forgotten about you.
A skywatcher's book for lovers of the universe by one of its greatest lights.
Dear Merlin: Can a person cross our galaxy in a spaceship during one human lifespan?
Merlin: In 1905, Merlin's good friend Albert Einstein introduced the "Special Theory of Relativity," which predicts that time will tick slower and slower the faster you travel. Were you to embark on such an adventure you could conceivably age as little as you wish, depending of course, on your exact speed. The problem arises when you return to Earth, which will have moved several hundred thousand years into the future and everyone will have forgotten about you.
A skywatcher's book for lovers of the universe by one of its greatest lights.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
928 people are currently reading
20860 people want to read
About the author
Neil deGrasse Tyson
97 books285k followersNeil deGrasse Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools clear through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science. Tyson went on to earn his BA in Physics from Harvard and his PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia.
In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a twelve-member commission that studied the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. The final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations (for Congress and for the major agencies of the government) that would promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.
In 2004, Tyson was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a nine-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the “Moon, Mars, and Beyond” commission. This group navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of the American agenda. And in 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Council, which guides NASA through its perennial need to fit ambitious visions into restricted budgets.
In addition to dozens of professional publications, Dr. Tyson has written, and continues to write for the public. From 1995 to 2005, Tyson was a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine under the title Universe. And among Tyson’s fifteen books is his memoir The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist; and Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, co-written with Donald Goldsmith. Origins is the companion book to the PBS NOVA four-part mini-series Origins, in which Tyson served as on-camera host. The program premiered in September 2004.
Two of Tyson’s other books are the playful and informative Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, which was a New York Times bestseller, and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, chronicling his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto’s planetary status. The PBS NOVA documentary The Pluto Files, based on the book, premiered in March 2010.
In February 2012, Tyson released his tenth book, containing every thought he has ever had on the past, present, and future of space exploration: Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier.
For five seasons, beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson appeared as the on-camera host of PBS NOVA’s spinoff program NOVA ScienceNOW, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe.
During the summer of 2009 Tyson identified a cadre of professional standup comedians to assist his effort in bringing science to commercial radio with the NSF-funded pilot program StarTalk. Now also a popular Podcast, for three years it enjoyed a limited-run Television Series on the National Geographic Channel. StarTalk combines celebrity guests with informative yet playful banter. The target audience is all those people who never thought they would, or could, like science. In its first year on television and in three successive seasons, it was nominated for a Best Informational Programming Emmy.
Tyson is the recipient of twenty-one honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest award given by NASA to a non-government citizen. His contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union in their official naming of asteroid “13123 Tyson.” And by zoologists, with the naming of Indirani Tysoni, a native species of leaping frog in India. On the lighter side, Tyson was voted “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive” by People Magazine in 2000.
More recently, Tyson published Astrophysics for People In A Hurry in 2017, which was a domestic and international bestseller. This adorably readable book is an introduction to all that you’ve read and heard about that’s making news in the universe—consummated, in one plac
In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a twelve-member commission that studied the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. The final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations (for Congress and for the major agencies of the government) that would promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.
In 2004, Tyson was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a nine-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the “Moon, Mars, and Beyond” commission. This group navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of the American agenda. And in 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Council, which guides NASA through its perennial need to fit ambitious visions into restricted budgets.
In addition to dozens of professional publications, Dr. Tyson has written, and continues to write for the public. From 1995 to 2005, Tyson was a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine under the title Universe. And among Tyson’s fifteen books is his memoir The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist; and Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, co-written with Donald Goldsmith. Origins is the companion book to the PBS NOVA four-part mini-series Origins, in which Tyson served as on-camera host. The program premiered in September 2004.
Two of Tyson’s other books are the playful and informative Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, which was a New York Times bestseller, and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, chronicling his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto’s planetary status. The PBS NOVA documentary The Pluto Files, based on the book, premiered in March 2010.
In February 2012, Tyson released his tenth book, containing every thought he has ever had on the past, present, and future of space exploration: Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier.
For five seasons, beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson appeared as the on-camera host of PBS NOVA’s spinoff program NOVA ScienceNOW, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe.
During the summer of 2009 Tyson identified a cadre of professional standup comedians to assist his effort in bringing science to commercial radio with the NSF-funded pilot program StarTalk. Now also a popular Podcast, for three years it enjoyed a limited-run Television Series on the National Geographic Channel. StarTalk combines celebrity guests with informative yet playful banter. The target audience is all those people who never thought they would, or could, like science. In its first year on television and in three successive seasons, it was nominated for a Best Informational Programming Emmy.
Tyson is the recipient of twenty-one honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest award given by NASA to a non-government citizen. His contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union in their official naming of asteroid “13123 Tyson.” And by zoologists, with the naming of Indirani Tysoni, a native species of leaping frog in India. On the lighter side, Tyson was voted “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive” by People Magazine in 2000.
More recently, Tyson published Astrophysics for People In A Hurry in 2017, which was a domestic and international bestseller. This adorably readable book is an introduction to all that you’ve read and heard about that’s making news in the universe—consummated, in one plac
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 339 reviews
December 11, 2014
Random science stuff. Big ideas. Universe. Q&A. Huh? What? Run that by me again. Whoa. Okay. Wow.
May 15, 2013
What if you could ask a wizard questions about the universe? He would answer every question in language young and old could appreciate, complete with illustrations.
Neil de Grasse Tyson is " Merlin " for the purpose of this book and answers questions people have written to Merlin. The address is included in the book if there is still something you want to ask.
Why do stars twinkle, and planets don't? What would happen if the Earth suddenly stopped rotating? If the sun disappeared, how much time would we have to worry about it? (500 seconds incase you were wondering)
Merlin even addresses life on other planets. Every answer is intelligent and easy to understand. A light year is not a year with fewer calories, its a convenient yardstick for measuring cosmic distance. A humorous fast read by a scientist/astronomer who is entertaining in any form.
Neil de Grasse Tyson is " Merlin " for the purpose of this book and answers questions people have written to Merlin. The address is included in the book if there is still something you want to ask.
Why do stars twinkle, and planets don't? What would happen if the Earth suddenly stopped rotating? If the sun disappeared, how much time would we have to worry about it? (500 seconds incase you were wondering)
Merlin even addresses life on other planets. Every answer is intelligent and easy to understand. A light year is not a year with fewer calories, its a convenient yardstick for measuring cosmic distance. A humorous fast read by a scientist/astronomer who is entertaining in any form.
June 16, 2020
This was a short simple and cute book about the planets stars sun moon galaxies and time. I found myself going, oh that's how that happens, or aaahhh! Several times while reading this, and going hmmm interesting I need to do more research on that. A fun and quick book in an easy to read question and answer format. Well done!
January 20, 2025
3 stars but I enjoyed this book. I think if you read it you should do the audio book, I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed the physical version. It was cool to have several voices represent people’s questions. This book was a bit more introduction and astronomy 101 than I was expecting. But as someone who knows little to nothing on this subject since it was only taught to me in 5th grade it was still fun.
Some highlights:
- Neil Degrasse Tyson complimenting someone’s question and saying it was observant. I bet whoever that was read this and was riding high.
- Two times Niel responds to two questions simply with one word answers “no”. It had me dying, but I wonder how the people who asked those questions felt [laughing emoji].
- The universe is expanding (scary how much unknown is out there) and there are about a trillion galaxies. Dark matter is one of these things that keeps expanding the limits.
- The sun and the moon cause the waves (only thought it was the moon), and full and new moon put the tides at its highest.
- The concept of time. I thought it was funny when several definitions were quoted including, “Time keeps things from happening all at once - bathroom wall”. It made the text feel like it really did want to resonate with folks who aren’t experts.
I do think I was wishing for something a bit more robust rather than a 101 book, as some questions did feel google-able, but it was fun and I enjoyed. It also made me realize I should look into learning more about astronomy and science since I’m so interested. So net win!
Some highlights:
- Neil Degrasse Tyson complimenting someone’s question and saying it was observant. I bet whoever that was read this and was riding high.
- Two times Niel responds to two questions simply with one word answers “no”. It had me dying, but I wonder how the people who asked those questions felt [laughing emoji].
- The universe is expanding (scary how much unknown is out there) and there are about a trillion galaxies. Dark matter is one of these things that keeps expanding the limits.
- The sun and the moon cause the waves (only thought it was the moon), and full and new moon put the tides at its highest.
- The concept of time. I thought it was funny when several definitions were quoted including, “Time keeps things from happening all at once - bathroom wall”. It made the text feel like it really did want to resonate with folks who aren’t experts.
I do think I was wishing for something a bit more robust rather than a 101 book, as some questions did feel google-able, but it was fun and I enjoyed. It also made me realize I should look into learning more about astronomy and science since I’m so interested. So net win!
May 31, 2025
Merlin’s Tour of the Universe is many things: it is a compendium of irrefutable, fascinating fact about all universe-related topics; it can be read linearly front to back, selectively from the 13 chapters, or by random dippings anywhere in the book; a useful index makes it a handy reference; and it makes a great coffee-table book.
The format of the book is question-and-answer: questions by the public, and answers by Merlin, a fictitious creation of DeGrasse Tyson’s, who provides these biographical details: “Merlin was born nearly five billion years ago on the planet Omniscia—one of a five-planet system in orbit around the star Draziw, two-and-a-half million light years away in the Andromeda galaxy.” Merlin is also multi-degreed in astrophysics, history, geophysics, chemistry, and philosophy, with a passion for acquiring and then sharing knowledge.
The establishment of a “Dear Merlin” column in an astronomy magazine provided a mechanism for the public to submit, and for Merlin to answer, astronomy questions without limits. Since each question and answer occupy a single page or less, this makes for quick reading. Merlin’s Tour of the Universe is a vast, updated (from 1989) collection of wide-ranging questions and answers. As well as sections covering Earth, Moon, Sun, and Stars, there are absorbing sections on Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors, Gravity, Light and Telescopes, and Black Holes, Quasars, and the Universe.
What adds pleasure for readers is DeGrasse Tyson’s infectious passion for—of all things—astrophysics, and his irrepressible and mischievous sense of humor aided by numerous, humorous, cartoon-like sketches to illustrate a particular astrophysical fact. For example, a question about the dark side of the moon drew this response from Merlin:
Contrary to popular musical literature and folklore, there is no “dark side” of the Moon. Ever since Pink Floyd released their hit album The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973, Merlin has been working round-the-clock to undo the damage it has caused.
Or, in debunking the myth of planet Venus being mistaken for a star, Merlin’s droll response is:
Otherwise, Venus is typically the first “star” to be seen at night, fooling many people into wishing upon it. But Venus is a planet, so that is one of the reasons why none of your wishes ever came true.
This is a light-hearted, informal way to learn serious and fun facts about our universe. DeGrasse Tyson’s highly entertaining and informative book is guaranteed to keep you in a sort of gravitational, periodic browsing orbit for a long time. Enjoy!
The format of the book is question-and-answer: questions by the public, and answers by Merlin, a fictitious creation of DeGrasse Tyson’s, who provides these biographical details: “Merlin was born nearly five billion years ago on the planet Omniscia—one of a five-planet system in orbit around the star Draziw, two-and-a-half million light years away in the Andromeda galaxy.” Merlin is also multi-degreed in astrophysics, history, geophysics, chemistry, and philosophy, with a passion for acquiring and then sharing knowledge.
The establishment of a “Dear Merlin” column in an astronomy magazine provided a mechanism for the public to submit, and for Merlin to answer, astronomy questions without limits. Since each question and answer occupy a single page or less, this makes for quick reading. Merlin’s Tour of the Universe is a vast, updated (from 1989) collection of wide-ranging questions and answers. As well as sections covering Earth, Moon, Sun, and Stars, there are absorbing sections on Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors, Gravity, Light and Telescopes, and Black Holes, Quasars, and the Universe.
What adds pleasure for readers is DeGrasse Tyson’s infectious passion for—of all things—astrophysics, and his irrepressible and mischievous sense of humor aided by numerous, humorous, cartoon-like sketches to illustrate a particular astrophysical fact. For example, a question about the dark side of the moon drew this response from Merlin:
Contrary to popular musical literature and folklore, there is no “dark side” of the Moon. Ever since Pink Floyd released their hit album The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973, Merlin has been working round-the-clock to undo the damage it has caused.
Or, in debunking the myth of planet Venus being mistaken for a star, Merlin’s droll response is:
Otherwise, Venus is typically the first “star” to be seen at night, fooling many people into wishing upon it. But Venus is a planet, so that is one of the reasons why none of your wishes ever came true.
This is a light-hearted, informal way to learn serious and fun facts about our universe. DeGrasse Tyson’s highly entertaining and informative book is guaranteed to keep you in a sort of gravitational, periodic browsing orbit for a long time. Enjoy!
February 23, 2014
Let me start off by saying that the question & answer format was really appealing to me. There is definitely need for that, not only in the field of astronomy. The questions are the type of questions you're "forced" to answer when you tell your friends 'that you know a thing or two about astronomy' late at night in a bar. As the introduction stated, the book isn't a primer or some sort of tutorial, so keep that in mind.
The answers are really well written and, most importantly for this book, in very plain language (although I didn't care for the occasional attempts at poetry - sorry Neil). Another good thing is that you can open the book at any page without missing out on much. Finally, the book includes a glossary of selected terms, which was was really indispensable in my opinion.
However, I can't give this book more than 3 stars for the following reasons:
1)It's hard to find out who exactly the target group is. Although aimed at lay people, the level of difficulty isn't very well balanced. There are question & answers that a first grader would understand, while on the other hand I'm myself struggling to comprehend certain phrases.
2)The illustrations are childish and the narrator Merlin (who comes from the Andromeda Galaxy and knew all the great scientists ever lived in person) doesn't add anything to the book. The fact that he speaks in the third person makes it even more bizarre. Maybe it did work better in its original format (a question & answer column in Star Date, an astronomy magazine).
3)It's a tad outdated, the book came out in the year 1989. The most obvious example is the change in Pluto's planetary status.
The answers are really well written and, most importantly for this book, in very plain language (although I didn't care for the occasional attempts at poetry - sorry Neil). Another good thing is that you can open the book at any page without missing out on much. Finally, the book includes a glossary of selected terms, which was was really indispensable in my opinion.
However, I can't give this book more than 3 stars for the following reasons:
1)It's hard to find out who exactly the target group is. Although aimed at lay people, the level of difficulty isn't very well balanced. There are question & answers that a first grader would understand, while on the other hand I'm myself struggling to comprehend certain phrases.
2)The illustrations are childish and the narrator Merlin (who comes from the Andromeda Galaxy and knew all the great scientists ever lived in person) doesn't add anything to the book. The fact that he speaks in the third person makes it even more bizarre. Maybe it did work better in its original format (a question & answer column in Star Date, an astronomy magazine).
3)It's a tad outdated, the book came out in the year 1989. The most obvious example is the change in Pluto's planetary status.
July 27, 2018
This is an older book (Pluto was still a planet) but I found the information very enlightening. This book is a Q & A with Merlin (a fictional character) with questions that people have asked about the universe (true answers -at least at the time). I never realized how much I did not know about the universe - it made me wanting to learn more. Overall a 3.4 star book.
September 5, 2017
Really fun and entertaining book. It's extremely light in writing, but heavy with facts. It's wonderful that anyone of any age/education level can read this without becoming bored. I'd recommend this book to any Space Enthusiast.
January 3, 2015
Ok, possibly I'm not the targeted audience -- but I found this book to be boring, dry, and bland. I love you Tyson, but definitely expected more. Hoping your other books will be more of what I needed.
December 4, 2024
I enjoyed the format, and the author as narrator added a special touch. Some of the information and terminology was a little over my head, but it was interesting overall.
February 24, 2025
This book warmed by little nerdy heart.
Full of science and space knowledge in easily digested bits, the audiobook is narrated by deGrasse Tyson as Merlin and a host of other celebrities as Da Vinci, Galileo etc.
I learned so much space stuff. I'm going to be great at the science portion of Trivial Pursuit.
Full of science and space knowledge in easily digested bits, the audiobook is narrated by deGrasse Tyson as Merlin and a host of other celebrities as Da Vinci, Galileo etc.
I learned so much space stuff. I'm going to be great at the science portion of Trivial Pursuit.
November 21, 2024
Merlin's Tour of the Universe: A Skywatcher's Guide to Everything from Mars and Quasars to Comets, Planets, Blue Moons, and Werewolves
This is a fun book.
Tyson tackles a huge list of fun questions, with short, often funny and pointed quip answers.
I found the book was really interesting and organized well.
A great amount of answers that give the reader wonder and awe in our universe.
I didn't fully love the Merlin-side of things, I found the whole "asking Merlin" kinda kitschy. But still fun, sure.
The closest book I can think of to this book in terms of genre would be the excellent What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.
Definitely check this book out if you like fun scientific trivia.
4.4/5
This is a fun book.
Tyson tackles a huge list of fun questions, with short, often funny and pointed quip answers.
I found the book was really interesting and organized well.
A great amount of answers that give the reader wonder and awe in our universe.
I didn't fully love the Merlin-side of things, I found the whole "asking Merlin" kinda kitschy. But still fun, sure.
The closest book I can think of to this book in terms of genre would be the excellent What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.
Definitely check this book out if you like fun scientific trivia.
4.4/5
March 6, 2025
When I finished reading, I became introspective. It made me zoom out and take a look at what life really is. We are floating in space on a rock in the vast ever expanding infinite nothingness that is our universe and everything after knowing that makes you feel so miniscule.
We are just a tiny dot on a map; we do not mean anything. Our universe will either experience a rapid cooling heat death or rip apart from entropy, the vast expansion it is still doing. Our sun will become a red giant in 5 billion years, and we will never manage to travel at the speed of light. According to the information available:
* The speed of light is 670,616,629 miles per hour. *
In summation, enjoy every day like it is your last one and don't sweat the small stuff, and if you're looking for something to give you a reality check, this is the book for you!
We are just a tiny dot on a map; we do not mean anything. Our universe will either experience a rapid cooling heat death or rip apart from entropy, the vast expansion it is still doing. Our sun will become a red giant in 5 billion years, and we will never manage to travel at the speed of light. According to the information available:
* The speed of light is 670,616,629 miles per hour. *
In summation, enjoy every day like it is your last one and don't sweat the small stuff, and if you're looking for something to give you a reality check, this is the book for you!
February 2, 2025
NdGT’s brand new guide to the universe is a wonderful read! It is easy to read and understand, explaining the simplest of concepts to great big phenomenons with speckles of humour, clever analogies, and fictitious characters. It is great for all kinds of readers, from young adults to old folk, no matter how much you might know (or not know) about space, astronomy, and astrophysics!
November 27, 2024
A quick Q&A book. I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s not too familiar with astronomy/astrophysics. Many “basic” questions and plenty of more complex questions are asked and answered in the way that only NDT can answer.
December 27, 2024
Quite short and informative. But it seemed pretty basic and would've loved longer answers (like Randal Munroe's books). YMMV.
That being said, 2025 will still see me continue my journey of finishing Neil deGrasse Tyson's books.
That being said, 2025 will still see me continue my journey of finishing Neil deGrasse Tyson's books.
November 11, 2025
I always learn from and enjoy Dr. Tyson’s work. This was no exception. Excellent.
November 6, 2025
a light hearted look at the universe. gives good responses to the questions without getting too deep into the science.
February 16, 2025
This book is essentially a fun version of a Q&A session with the famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. He speaks through his character named Merlin to help make complicated theoretical astrophysics easier to understand for those reading or listening. The original book was published in 1989 and this is an updated version of it. I listened to the audiobook version, which the author Neil deGrasse Tyson narrates himself. I learned so much listening to this book and I absolutely loved it! NDT is an excellent and engaging narrator, and he is very good at explaining the complexities of the universe in a more palatable form. I did have to take occasional pauses or breaks from the audio because the book is incredibly factual and information-heavy, so much that it was hard at times to wrap my mind around some of the concepts discussed prior to him moving on to the next question. However, the information presented is absolutely fascinating and incredibly interesting! I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, but especially to those interested in learning more about astrophysics and the universe. Thank you to NetGalley, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Blackstone Publishing for the gifted ALC in an exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2025
What could be better than something different from our space guru than a question and answer session. I really enjoyed not only the questions but the answer by Merlin (even though it was actually Neil. This was very informative and for space enthusiasts entertaining as well.
October 31, 2024
Genre: science nonfiction
Narrated by: Jim Meskimen, André Santana, Bronson Pinchot, Pun Bandhu, Em Grosland, Lauren Fortgang, Luzma Ortiz, Kevin R. Free, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Neil deGrasse Tyson
First published in 1989, Neil deGrasse Tyson is back with an updated version of Merlin's Tour of the Universe, updated with new answers as astrophysics and discovery have evolved since 1989. Tyson invented a character named Merlin from a far away galaxy who ventures to earth to answer basic to complicated astrophysics questions that the everyday person may want to understand. It hearkens an era when Google wasn't around to answer questions, so to the listener in 2024 some of these feel like something you'd reach for your phone to look up today. But it demonstrates the range of curiosity with questions from people ranging from ages 5 to 90.
This works well as an audiobook, with different narrators reading the variety of questions and NDT responding to them. The tone stays light, because our narrator is meant to be extraterrestrial creature Merlin who has spent its life observing from afar. It references famous physicists, quotes philosophy, and elevates baseline knowledge of astrophysics. The updates to this new version include facts like Pluto's downgrade from planet to Kuiper Belt dwarf planet and that a probe launched in 2023 is the new fastest manmade object in the universe.
Merlin's Tour isn't an introduction to astrophysics, nor is it mean to be; it's a smattering of facts organized in an easy to digest manner. For a reader with ADHD like me, it's the sort of book I love to listen to, with bombardment of facts that I'll retain ~40% of, and then have a physical copy to refer to later when I want to know exactly how deep the craters are on the moon.
Thank you to Blackstone Audio for an eARC for review. Merlin's Tour of the Universe is out 10/29/24.
Narrated by: Jim Meskimen, André Santana, Bronson Pinchot, Pun Bandhu, Em Grosland, Lauren Fortgang, Luzma Ortiz, Kevin R. Free, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Neil deGrasse Tyson
First published in 1989, Neil deGrasse Tyson is back with an updated version of Merlin's Tour of the Universe, updated with new answers as astrophysics and discovery have evolved since 1989. Tyson invented a character named Merlin from a far away galaxy who ventures to earth to answer basic to complicated astrophysics questions that the everyday person may want to understand. It hearkens an era when Google wasn't around to answer questions, so to the listener in 2024 some of these feel like something you'd reach for your phone to look up today. But it demonstrates the range of curiosity with questions from people ranging from ages 5 to 90.
This works well as an audiobook, with different narrators reading the variety of questions and NDT responding to them. The tone stays light, because our narrator is meant to be extraterrestrial creature Merlin who has spent its life observing from afar. It references famous physicists, quotes philosophy, and elevates baseline knowledge of astrophysics. The updates to this new version include facts like Pluto's downgrade from planet to Kuiper Belt dwarf planet and that a probe launched in 2023 is the new fastest manmade object in the universe.
Merlin's Tour isn't an introduction to astrophysics, nor is it mean to be; it's a smattering of facts organized in an easy to digest manner. For a reader with ADHD like me, it's the sort of book I love to listen to, with bombardment of facts that I'll retain ~40% of, and then have a physical copy to refer to later when I want to know exactly how deep the craters are on the moon.
Thank you to Blackstone Audio for an eARC for review. Merlin's Tour of the Universe is out 10/29/24.
November 30, 2025
It was a semi-interesting listen, but I wasn't a fan of the format (Q&A, a compilation of write-in questions).
December 29, 2024
Absolutely delightful, even though this left me with a lot of homework, as I’m now desperate for more information on many of the topics Merlin discusses here.
I was a little skeptical of the Q & A structure in book form, but it works well (especially on audio), and hearing Neil deGrasse Tyson narrate of course only enhances the experience.
I sort of love pop science or things that follow the format of, essentially, “here are some cool space facts,” and this does an excellent job of keeping it light and simple and giving you those little factoids while still packing in a lot of really valuable and at times reasonable complex science.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I was a little skeptical of the Q & A structure in book form, but it works well (especially on audio), and hearing Neil deGrasse Tyson narrate of course only enhances the experience.
I sort of love pop science or things that follow the format of, essentially, “here are some cool space facts,” and this does an excellent job of keeping it light and simple and giving you those little factoids while still packing in a lot of really valuable and at times reasonable complex science.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
January 29, 2025
the Q&A format was easy to follow, though the flow could have been smoother if the questions maintained a more consistent level of complexity. some of the inquiries were rather elementary touching on topics like space pollution or literally laying out in order the planets furthest from the sun—while others delved into things like metaphysical theories or the twin paradox in einstein’s relativity. despite some of the unevenness, i still liked the book esp with “Merlin” and the doodles were cute.
the highlight for me was when he shaded Pink Floyd for the dark side of the moon
also the ending hello? why are you trying to make me cry rn
the highlight for me was when he shaded Pink Floyd for the dark side of the moon
also the ending hello? why are you trying to make me cry rn
March 2, 2025
A tiny little book that answers all the biggest queries one could ever have about our universe! I would strongly recommend finding the audiobook version narrated by Tyson himself. He takes on various personas such as the fictional character Merlin, a visitor from planet Ominiscia of the Andromeda galaxy, as well as beloved names from history including da Vinci, Hubble, and Issac Newton. So what would typically be a fairly dry book ends up far more engaging and interactive. Tyson does a phenomenonal job at taking grand concepts and deconstructing them into digestible fragments. Very entertaining.
February 10, 2025
Bite-sized info nuggets about space and such, wrapped in a charming package from wizard Merlin's point of view to answer real-life questions, informative and entertaining! It's like Dear Abby, but for space, compiled from NDT's newspaper column and updated for 2024. Packed with facts and humor. Easy to squeeze into small bits of time or enjoy a quick read/listen with a bit of dedicated time. Quite a delightful book to listen to as I turned the page on one year and began the next.
November 23, 2024
I absolutely love NDT. He has such a great way of explaining complex things. In this book he answered questions posed to “Merlin”. A fictional character for this book’s purpose. However everything was answered with facts but the Merlin character added a bit of fictional whimsy. I very much enjoyed this book!
NDT is always great for anyone trying to learn more about the cosmos.
NDT is always great for anyone trying to learn more about the cosmos.
May 7, 2025
3.25
witty, educational, & fascinating. not at all the format i was expecting - q&a entries. but once i got over that, i enjoyed it. the entires make it a relatively quick read. def something to check out if you're feeling curious about the universe w/o reading something textbook-like.
witty, educational, & fascinating. not at all the format i was expecting - q&a entries. but once i got over that, i enjoyed it. the entires make it a relatively quick read. def something to check out if you're feeling curious about the universe w/o reading something textbook-like.
November 15, 2024
Very ingenious and humorous. The illustrations are right on point. I learned about Sigma Octantis and now want to know more about it.
December 26, 2024
Cute concept - the "wizard" Merlin answers Q&A from curious folks around the country. Not very compelling as a story though. Just a book of Q&A about different aspects of the universe.
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