Falling to Earth

A stirring memoir about finding home in an off-grid cabin outside of a wildly remote town, and a gorgeous meditation on how to live intentionally—by the award-winning author of Lands of Lost Borders

Too steep by a few degrees, and you burn up from atmospheric friction. Too shallow, and you bounce back into space, never to return. But a close pass at just the right slant and speed can nudge a life out of one orbit into another.

At 8:43 am on January 18, 2000, a fireball from outer space exploded over a frozen lake near Atlin, a five-hundred-person town in British Columbia near the Alaskan border. The conditions that frigid morning were perfect, and the fireball would yield some of the most pristine meteorite samples ever recovered, containing the building blocks of life itself.

Four years later, Kate Harris landed in roughly the same spot. Training to be an astrobiologist, she was intent on travelling to the most alien environments she could find. She hoped to explore the potential for biology on other worlds and ultimately follow a meteorite’s flight path in reverse, leaving Earth behind. Instead, a chance encounter with Atlin set her on a different trajectory, one less focused on defining what life is so much as with asking: how should we live?

Blending memoir, philosophy, science, history, and exquisite nature writing, Falling to Earth is a story of wanderlust gone local in a place that, like the fireball and life itself, refuses to be pinned down. Staying put in Atlin for nearly a decade, Harris finds her most thrilling adventure yet. And in living in a cabin in the woods, she discovers the paradox at the heart of self-reliance: only community makes life possible.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs