by Isaac Asimov, with the woodcut prints of Rockwell Kent.

Available for reservation, with shipping expected in September 2023.

When asked for his favorite of his own stories, Isaac Asimov was unequivocal: The Last Question. There's no mistaking why; it boldly fulfills the promise of its title. In a universe which is expanding, cooling, and dissipating, this legendary Science Fiction writer looks into the future to earnestly grapple with the fate of, well, everything. The answer is surprising, fulfilling, even moving. As Asimov said, "The ending seems to stick with people."

To honor Science Fiction's vast sweep into the future, and the grounding of private presswork in our past, we have striven to achieve a design aesthetic which balances past and future. Without sacrificing the finesse of private presswork, we have striven to capture the electric power of the genre. Our experimental typography in this edition features four typefaces, interweaving and overlapping with the stunning woodcuts of Rockwell Kent. Few artists wrestled so poignantly with our place in the universe. We are thrilled to have been given the permission of his estate to print a suite of his masterpieces alongside this story. 

The Last Question is the first in No Reply's Science Fiction Trilogy, three editions showcasing three of the genre's greatest short stories:

• The Last Question by Isaac Asimov, with the woodcuts of Rockwell Kent

• The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin, with collages by Clive Knights

• The Men Return by Jack Vance, introduced by the author's son and with linocuts by Karol Pomykała

These three stories pushed the frontiers of the genre. They strikingly demonstrate that Science Fiction is not actually the realm of spaceships and time-travel, so much as the realm of metaphysics and our place in the universe. No Reply is proud to present them together, alongside an extraordinary cast of contributors.

EDITION NOTES

• The edition is limited to 700 copies and is offered in two states.

Paperbound

• Printed letterpress on Swedish Munken paper.

• Hand-bound in stiff fourfold Mohawk paper wrappers.

• 42 pages, half of which feature sweeping Kent prints, at 6 ½ by 11 inches.

• Numbered in the limited edition, 1 through 350.

Hardbound

• Printed letterpress on mouldmade German Zerkall-bütten papers.

• Hand-bound in a German-style binding; mirror foil tooling over a Japanese cloth spine; monoprint papers (each unique) which cover the facing boards in a single continuous artwork. Please note: Due to the monoprinting process, covers may (and likely will!) vary significantly from the prototype photos shown.

• 42 pages, half of which feature sweeping Kent prints, at 6 ½ by 11 inches.

• Numbered in the limited edition, 1 through 350.

• An optional lucite slipcase can be added on.