Gift ideas for bookworms and comic fans

Book publishers aren't having the best season. Even so, they've managed to bring a number of interesting new releases and long-awaited reprints to the market this year. We've selected a few gems for you that shouldn't be missing under any tree. And not just the Christmas one. A book is the perfect gift, after all. Or have you ever tried wrapping a bicycle?

For sci-fi fans

For those who prefer literature full of lasers, robots, and trips to alien planets, publishers have prepared a solid portion of interesting pieces this year. We've seen the release of several classic blockbusters that definitely shouldn't be missing from any sci-fi reader's library.

A mysterious object has entered our Solar System. It soon turns out to be an alien ship of enormous proportions, which gets the name Rama. What is the secret of its origin and what mysteries does it hide? You definitely can't go wrong with this golden classic Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. That goes even more for the equally iconic The Man Who Fell to Earth. Sci-fi that even got a film adaptation starring David Bowie.

One of the funniest sci-fi stories begins with the destruction of Earth, which happened to be in the way of a galactic highway under construction. Poor human Arthur Dent sets off on a crazy adventure in search of the meaning of life, the universe, and everything in the famous The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which has received a deluxe complete edition.

A collected edition has also been released for the enjoyable Czech quick read SPAD. Author František Kotleta set his story in the crazy year 2022, when an unlikely scenario happens - Russia attacks Ukraine. And as the title itself suggests, it doesn't end well for humanity at all…

Richard Matheson, among other things the author of the amazing horror I Am Legend, came up with a story in the fifties about a man who starts shrinking after being exposed to mysterious radiation. Thus, a novel with the self-explanatory title was born - The Shrinking Man. This classic was released in a beautiful edition this year for the first time.

William Gibson is the man said to have invented cyberpunk. There must be something to it, because his cult classic Neuromancer helped define this still-popular genre. It's not a light read, but your reward will be a wild vision of the future that has won almost every genre award imaginable.

For lovers of sword and sorcery

Everything is epic these days. That goes double for the fantasy epic Malazan Book of the Fallen. Steven Erikson is quite the graphomaniac and created a series spanning over 11,000 pages! The Planeta9 publishing house took care of a beautiful new edition, and the first volume Gardens of the Moon is in stock. For lovers of epic sagas, we highly recommend the first volume of the equally famous The Books of Earthsea by the grandmistress of the genre Ursula K. Le Guin, which is also complemented by beautiful illustrations by Mikuláš Podprocký.

Fans of classic Tolkien-esque fantasy will be purring with delight at the first volume of The Wheel of Time, which received a series adaptation produced by Amazon last year. But if you like fantasy that doesn't take itself so seriously and for some mysterious reason you don't have any books from this extensive series yet, fix that immediately and step into the world of Discworld by Terry Pratchett. The new limited hardcover edition is the perfect opportunity.

What is the difference between a ghost and a demon? How do you tell a good genie from a bad one? Where to look for specters or manticores? What did Herodotus say about werewolves? Curious readers will find out in the beautifully illustrated book Mythological Animals. From basilisks to unicorns. And are you hungry after all these tips? And are you also fans of the World of Warcraft world? The official cookbook New Flavors of Azeroth is here for you!

For comic readers

Horror doesn't appear in comics that often. But when it does, it's worth it. This also applies to the comic Echoes, whose main character, suffering from schizophrenia, searches for his father's terrifying past. It's a comic with beautiful black-and-white art and a thick atmosphere. The Locke & Key series, brought by Stephen King's son – Joe Hill, also boasts an equally thick atmosphere and has a successful Netflix adaptation. The six books of the series have been newly supplemented by a collection of shorter stories Golden Age.

In another comic, the main character is a quiet, almost shy, white-haired gentleman who is always carrying two swords. One for people, one for monsters. You probably already guess who it is. Yes, the witcher Geralt is also celebrating success in comic form. Six volumes have already been released, and you can get them from us with a medallion gift.

Our next hero also has a full beard and a lush mane, but he traded his swords for firearms. He calls himself B, and his main trump cards include immortality and a constant urge to kill. This is BRZRKR, a comic written by Keanu Reeves.

Watchmen by Alan Moore is among the best comics ever created. No one has been able to talk me out of that yet. Some time ago, its world was expanded in the form of four books titled Before Watchmen. The new release Rorschach continues in this style, telling the story of an unconventional "hero" with an ever-changing mask on his face. Watchmen earned its cult status partly because it managed to bring an unconventional look at superheroes, defined mainly by the comic's motto "Who watches the watchmen?" The equally famous comic Marvels takes a similar approach, offering a look at heroes from the perspective of ordinary people around them. Moreover, the comic was illustrated by superstar painter Alex Ross, whose perfect photorealistic art will make more than one jaw drop.

Covers, bookmarks, and bookends

Pleasing an avid reader isn't that difficult. But hitting on something they don't already have can be tricky. Fortunately, we are prepared for this variant too. You can use practically anything as a bookmark. Personally, I like Magic cards best. But a beautiful original bookmark will make a much bigger impression. A leather book cover will protect even the most fragile paperback. We offer our handmade leather covers in several sizes. True book connoisseurs will definitely be pleased by sophisticated bookends.

author Karel Krajča