IN THE BEGINNING

8 Of The Best Incipits Of All-Time Literature

Image: Chris Lawton

Embarking on a literary journey is akin to stepping into a parallel universe. The first few lines of a book, known as the incipit, serve as a gateway into an author's world, setting the tone for the entire narrative. If you happen to be browsing through a bookstore, these powerful first words might actually sell the book faster than any back cover blurb can.

From captivating openings to iconic first sentences, these incipits have left an indelible mark on literature. Join us as we explore some of the best incipits of all time, each a masterclass in the art of literary enticement.

Image: Ray Harrington

Book: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (1851)

In the vast ocean of literature, few incipits are as instantly recognizable as the opening line of Moby-Dick. Melville's choice of a first-person, informal address invites readers to forge a personal connection with the narrator, Ishmael. This simple yet enigmatic introduction sets the stage for the epic voyage that unfolds.

Image: Constant Loubier

Book: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859)

Dickens' masterful dichotomy in the opening of A Tale of Two Cities captures the essence of the turbulent historical backdrop against which the novel is set. This iconic incipit not only mirrors the societal upheavals of the French Revolution but also foreshadows the contrasting fates that await the characters.

Image: Jaunt and Joy

Book: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1878)

Tolstoy's incipit in Anna Karenina acts as a profound reflection on the diversity of human suffering. Contrasting the consistency of happiness with the individual qualities of pain and misfortunes, the author encapsulates the intricate web of conflicting emotions that are explored in the novel.

Image: Calvin Craig

Book: Book of Genesis (debated authorship and date)

Arguably, the opening line of the Book of Genesis is one of the most influential incipits in human history. Its apparent simplicity holds deep significance, marking the dawn of many different religious interpretations and inspiring countless literary and artistic works. Regardless of one's beliefs, this incipit's impact on literature, philosophy, and art cannot be overstated, making it an essential inclusion in our list.

Image: Y Park

Book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

Austen's brilliance shines in the opening line of her most celebrated novel of manners, which playfully satirizes societal expectations regarding marriage and wealth. It immediately immerses readers in the world of manners, relationships, and class differences of the early 19th century.

Image: Peter Herrmann

Book: The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley (1953)

Hartley's incipit in his novel The Go-Between is like a piercing arrow that forces us to reflect on the very nature of time and memory. The opening line hints at the novel's exploration of nostalgia, regret, and the consequences of revisiting the past through the eyes of a naive character, just like a foreigner might see a new country.

Image: Parker Coffman

Book: 1984 by George Orwell (1949)

1984's chilling opening line immediately transports readers to a dystopian world where even something as mundane as a clock can give an impossible hour, signaling that something is deeply wrong. The novel’s protagonist, Winston Smith, sets out from that point on to navigate an unsettling and oppressive world where everything - and everyone - is in plain view, yet the truth is always hidden.

Image: Yaoqi

Book: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)

To end this list, a personal favorite. The provocative opening line of Bradbury's masterful novel ignites the imagination immediately. Before learning what is being burned—that is, books—readers are already immersed in the psychological perspective of the protagonist, a fireman who does not fight fires but rather causes them. An incisive commentary on censorship, knowledge, and conformity begins with this fiery and memorable incipit, inviting readers into a thought-provoking exploration of intellectual freedom.

WEIRD FOSSILS

10 Of The Weirdest Extinct Animals That Roamed The Earth

Image: David Clode

Earth is a weird place. Many living creatures already seem out-of-this-world -or at least ill-conceived - but what about those that are extinct? Millions of species have roamed the planet, and although many are similar to what we are used to, many more are exceedingly strange.

Join us as we go deep into our evolutionary past and uncover some of the weirdest animals that ever lived!

Image: André Ganzarolli Martins, CC BY-SA 4.0

The peaceful glyptodon was an enormous mammal (roughly the size of a small car) that was related to modern-day armadillos and sported a similar armored exterior. This giant herbivore lived during the Pliocene, around 3.2 million years ago. Although glyptodon and humans coexisted for a relatively short period of time, human hunters are said to have used the hardened shells as shelter.

Image: Werner Kraus, CC BY-SA 4.0

Maybe weird is not the right word to describe this spine-chilling monster, but it would have certainly been a sight to behold. Megalodon, which means "big tooth" in ancient Greek, was the largest shark to ever swim in Earth’s oceans. Luckily, it went extinct around 3.6 million years ago, because it could reach 67 feet in length and its dagger-like teeth were 7 inches long!

Image: PaleoEquii, CC BY-SA 4.0

If this nightmarish creature was conceived as some sort of alien monster in a low-budget sci-fi movie, we would still say it was ludicrous. But the aptly named Tully Monster was definitely real, and it was weirder than you think. Based on the fossil record, tullimonstrum was an aquatic creature with a (mostly) tubular shape, eyestalks, and a long proboscis with sharp teeth at its end. Even paleontologists find it exceedingly weird, so much so that its exact classification has been the subject of a long-held controversy among scientists.

Image: Seth Wickham

Afraid of millipedes? Maybe skip this one, then. Arthropleura was a genus of massive millipedes that could reach lengths of almost 8 feet. These terrifying creatures of the lower Carboniferous were, however, very similar to modern arthropods, likely scurrying around forests and consuming decomposing organic matter. The reason so many bugs grew to immense sizes during this time was likely related to higher levels of oxygen present in Earth’s atmosphere, and the lack of large terrestrial predators.

Image: Frank Lehmann, CC BY-SA 4.0

As their name suggests, terror birds were apex predators. In fact, the largest predators in South America during the Cenozoic. These giant flightless birds could grow to be 10 feet tall, only ate meat, and could easily crack skulls or shells with the terrible strength of their pointed beaks. Fortunately, terror birds are thought to have become extinct at least a million years before humans arrived on the continent, though some smaller subspecies may have survived until more recently.

Image: Jan Kopřiva

As if Colombian rainforests weren’t dangerous enough, imagine an almost 50-foot-long snake stalking its prey amongst the dense foliage. Titanoboa were a larger (and way heavier) relative of modern anacondas, and the largest snakes to ever roam Earth. Although at first they were thought to be an apex predator, the shape of their skulls suggests that titanoboa likely preferred to prey on fish.

Image: CSIRO, CC BY 3.0

A fish so rare that only one specimen of the species was captured for scientific study in 1802, on the shallow coastal waters of Tasmania, the smooth handfish is on the cuter side of this list - sort of - with four hand-like appendages that it used to walk on the seafloor. Australian researchers hilariously describe its whimsical appearance as "dipping a toad in some brightly colored paint, telling it a sad story, and forcing it to wear gloves two sizes too big." Since the smooth handfish was never seen again in two centuries, it is deemed long extinct, but several other species of handfish survive in southern Australia.

Image: Han Zeng, CC0

If the name is not a clue as to the weirdness of this extinct species, behold its description: a mostly featureless worm-like creature with ten pairs of legs, a set of rigid spines on its back, and a blobby head. However, since its real appearance is difficult to reconstruct, some scientists have even weirder interpretations of hallucigenia, claiming that the legs were actually tentacle-like appendages that may have had independent mouths.

Image: Dustin Humes

Did you know that dragonflies grow larger in enriched oxygen atmospheres? Well, during the oxygen-rich Carboniferous (300 million years ago), a giant relative of modern dragonflies soared the skies. Meganeura could have a staggering wingspan of over 2 feet, and they were adapted to prey on other insects in open habitats. Scientists think that, as oxygen levels plummeted in the following geological periods, these huge insects went extinct, as their larger body size was no longer an advantage.

Image: Mike Arney

As recently as 300,000 years ago, true giants roamed southern Asia’s thick bamboo forests. Nearly 10 feet tall and potentially weighing as much as 600 pounds, this gorilla-like ape is thought to have been mainly herbivorous, surviving on barks and twigs. Although some people have speculated that surviving members of the Gigantopithecus genus could be behind the alleged sightings of Bigfoot, most scientists dismiss these theories, as the species has been extinct for thousands of years.