Le copertine di Urania

A journey through the history of the pioneering Italian science fiction magazine Urania since the early 1950s.

First issued in 1952, Urania was the publishing series that introduced the Italians to science fiction. Millions of people delved into its tales of imaginary worlds and adventures, fuelling the imagination of many young readers. Among them was the future writer Michele Mari who, years later, would recall those experiences in a short story of his own.

Humboldt Books is now proposing that text of his, coupled with photographs of the books in Mari’s collection, taken in collaboration with Stefano Graziani, as well as an in-depth study by Luca Pitoni on the history of the series’s graphics, characterised by the iconic red circle on the cover. Originating from the ferment of Mondadori editorial staff during Italy’s economic boom years, Urania is the series that helped establish the notion of science fiction in the collective imagination as we know it today.