The Dialogues: Conversations About the Nature of the Universe

The Dialogues: Conversations About the Nature of the Universe, written and illustrated by Clifford V. Johnson, is a unique graphic book through which you, the reader, eavesdrop on nine conversations featuring science, taking place in contemporary locations around the world. The topics range from the science of cooking, to black holes, the nature of time, the multiverse, and many things in between!

The book is published by MIT Press, released in North America November 2017 and in the UK January 2018.

You can order directly from MIT Press, and Amazon. Do check or order through your local bookstore, and other sellers such as Barnes and Noble. (Internationally, check your country’s Amazon site to purchase that way.)

Below, there’s a short trailer to let you peek inside at some of those conversations and some full page samples are here. You can read a synopsis of the book at the MIT Press website here.

The words and art for the book were done by Clifford V. Johnson. You can find out more about him at this Amazon author page. The book’s foreword was written by 2004 Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek. Here’s his website.

The LA Times did a piece on the book and author here. Check out a national radio interview on Science Friday, a KCRW interview on Press Play, and a KPKF interview on the LARB Radio Hour. The book was featured on Brain Pickings, and was on the Science Friday list of best books of 2017. CBC News featured the book on their list of 12 books to give to a science lover over the holiday period.

Check back for more. You can also enjoy a selection of author blog posts related to the book here, or follow on your choice of social media listed on the updates page.

Here’s a trailer for the book:

See the events page for book-related events near you. New items will be added as they are arranged. Check the blog Asymptotia for updates about the book, including background about its making.

Follow Clifford on twitter, instagram, tumblr, or Facebook. Scroll down on this page for some older (in-progress) material about the book and its creation. It might be interesting if you like learning backstory on how such things are made.

Contact the author Clifford V. Johnson at johnson1 [at] usc [dot] edu for interviews, events, etc.

There are several related events coming up. Some are listed below. Check back here, and/or follow for updates, to learn about updates as they are announced.

Summer 2018

(More to be announced soon!)

• Clifford V. Johnson, participating in panel: “The Power of Non-Fiction Graphic Novels” followed by a signing of The Dialogues.

  When: Friday, July 20, 2018, 10:00 AM
  Where: San Diego ComicCon

• Clifford V. Johnson, “The Science of Marvel”, talk and then a signing; also, participating in discussion panel “Beyond Einstein: The Future of Physics”. Signing afterward.

  When: Thursday and Friday June 7th and 8th
  Where: Cheltenham Science Festival, Cheltenham, UK.

Winter/Spring 2018

• Clifford V. Johnson, The Making of: “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)” talk and then a signing.

  When: Sunday, May 20, 2018, 3:45 PM
  Where: Maker Faire, San Mateo County Event Center

• Graphic Science: Comics Engage the Cosmos, With Jorge Cham, Clifford Johnson, and Daniel Whiteson

  When: Sunday, May 8, 2018, 6:30 PM
  Where: University of California–San Diego Roth Auditorium

• Panel on Comics: From Page to Screen, followed by signing.

  When: Sunday, April 22, 2018, 10:00 AM
  Where: Annenberg Auditorium, USC

• Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)” talk and then a signing.

  When: Saturday, April 21, 2018, 7:00 PM
  Where: San Diego Comic Fest, San Diego

• Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)” talk and then a signing.

  When: Thursday, March 22, 2018, 7:00 PM
  Where: Libreria Bookshop, London

• Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)” talk and then a signing.

  When: Sunday, March 18, 2018, 12:00 PM
  Where: Oxford Literary Festival, Oxford Martin School: Seminar Room, Oxford

• Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)” Reading and conversation with M. G. Lord, then a signing.

  When: Thursday, February 1, 2018, 7:00 PM
  Where: Vromans , 695 E COLORADO BLVD, PASADENA, CA, United States 91101-2116

• Part of the “All Space Considered” show: Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)” In conversation with Laura Danly (curator of Griffith Observatory), then a signing.

  When: Friday, February 2, 2018, 7:30 AM
  Where: Griffith Observatory, 2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027

• Come to the SXSW panel on Science in Superhero Movies, then a book signing: Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)” Reading and signing. (Check back for correct location and date of signing.) https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP78635

  When: Saturday, March 10, 2018, 3:30 PM
  Where: Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX, 78701

• Oxford Literary Festival: Clifford V. Johnson “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe” Reading, Q&A and Signing.

  When: Sunday, March 18, 2018, 12:00 PM
  Where: Seminar room, Oxford Martin School, 34 Broad Street (corner of Holywell and Catte Streets), Oxford, United Kingdom OX1 3BD

(Check back for more events coming soon!)

Fall 2017

• Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)”
  A talk describing the book as part of (En)Lightning Talks LA

  When: Tuesday, October 17, 2017, 8:00 PM
  Where: Los Angeles Theater Center, 514 Spring Street, Los Angeles, United States 90013

• Clifford V. Johnson, “Adventures in Science and Culture”
  A presentation describing projects in engaging the public in science: Science+film and a new kind of non-fiction science book, The Dialogues.

  When: PopTech Conference, Camden, Maine.
  Where: PopTech Conference, Camden, Maine, United States 04843

• Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)”
  Reading, Q&A, and signing

  When: Friday, November 17, 2017, 6:00 PM
  Where: Cellar Door Books, 5225 Canyon Crest Dr #30a, Riverside, United States 92507

• Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)”
  Reading and conversation with M. G. Lord , signing. (Co-Sponsored with L.A.R.B.)

  When: Tuesday, November 28, 2017, 7:00 PM
  Where: Chevalier’s Books, 126 N. Larchmont Blvd, L.A. CA 9004

• Clifford V. Johnson, “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press)”
  In conversation about string theory and other topics with Nobel Laureate David Gross and Janna Levin; audience Q&A; book signing. https://pioneerworks.org/programs/scientific-controversies-no-13/

  When: Friday, December 1, 2017, 7:00 PM
  Where: Pioneer Works, 159 Pioneer Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY, United States 11231

Several Winter and Spring events are being planned. Check back soon!