Octavia Butler (previously), the brilliant Afrofuturist, McArthur Genius Grant-winning science fiction writer, died far, far too soon, leaving behind a corpus of incredible, voraciously readable novels, and a community of writers who were inspired by her example.

The Folio Society has announced a series of volumes paying tribute to the history of Marvel Comics, the inaugural volume was originally scheduled to feature an introduction from Art Spiegelman, the creator of Maus and the first person to ever win a Pulitzer Prize for a graphic novel.

The Folio Society's limited, slipcased editions (previously) are some of the most beautiful books being produced today; the company's $225
Marvel: The Golden Age 1939-1949 ships in late September, and includes a facsimile of the ultra-rare Marvel Comics #1, reproduced from one of the last surviving mint-condition 1939 copies.

I was approached by The Folio Society last year to see if I would be up for working on some illustrations for their planned collection of stories from H.P. Lovecraft, 'The Call of Cthulhu & Other Weird Stories', and after a bit of figuring out whether I'd be able to do it justice, due to having preparations for a solo show on the boil at the same time, I jumped right in and ended up having a large hand in its overall design too.

The Folio Society has released a beautiful, illustrated slipcased edition of Asimov's Foundation trilogy, illustrated by Alex Wells, with a special introduction by Nobel-winning economist Paul Krugman. The introduction (PDF) is a great and insightful piece into one of the ways that science fiction inspires and shapes the lives of its readers. — Read the rest

When it comes to the pantheon of Marvel Comics' greatest hits, narrowing the list down to just ten standout stories might feel like assembling your dream team of Avengers—with only ten roster slots and the fate of the universe on the line. — Read the rest

In a new collaboration between The Folio Society and DC, an unparalleled tribute to Gotham's guardian is now available to comic book fans and book enthusiasts. DC: Batman ($100) marks the 85th anniversary of the Dark Knight's first appearance in the shadows of Detective Comics #27. — Read the rest

The Folio Society is releasing a limited edition collection of all 118* short stories written by Philip K. Dick — and like a lot of the Folio Society's work, the graphic design is absolutely stunning. Check out the video for more about the process:

This limited edition of Philip K.

As part of the renaissance in interest in the glorious science fiction novels of afrofuturist pioneer Octavia Butler (previously), Seven Stories press has just released a two-volume, slipcased set of Butler's fantastic post-apocalyptic adventure novels The Parable of the Sower (with an introduction by Gloria Steinem) and The Parable of the Talents (with an introduction by Toshi Reagon).

Folio Society has produced a special illustrated edition of Philip K. Dick's novel Ubik, featuring several illustrations and a foreword by Kim Stanley Robinson:

This video describes the creation of the edition, including hiding a secret in the slipcase:

The story goes that William Blake worked until the very day he died. His final drawing was said to be a portrait of his wife sitting by his deathbed. Earlier in the day, he had spent his last shilling on a pencil. — Read the rest

The Folio Society interviewed master printer Stan Lane about the classic craft of letterpress printing. "Feeling print in paper… you know someone's actually been there."

The Folio Society has issued a lavish new edition of Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, illustrated by Ben Jones and with an introduction by Irvine Welsh. Below, video of Jones discussing his approach to this weighty project. (via Dangerous Minds)

Welcome to this year's Boing Boing Gift Guide, a piling-high of our most loved stuff from 2012 and beyond. There are books, comics, games, gadgets and much else besides: click the categories at the top to filter what you're most interested in—and add your suggestions and links in the comments.