Across the Universe

The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle

De: Natan Last

Narrado por: Natan Last

An entertaining and eye-opening look at the history of the crossword, who constructs them, and why crosswords matter as both a reflection of and influence on our culture

From Wordle to Spelling Bee, we live in a time of word game mania. Crosswords in particular gained renewed popularity during the Covid-19 lockdown, when games became another kind of refuge. Today, 36 million Americans solve crosswords once a week or more, and nearly 23 million solve them daily. Yet, as longtime New Yorker crossword contributor Natan Last will tell you, the seemingly apolitical puzzle has never been more controversial—or more interesting.

A surprisingly ubiquitous influence in the worlds of art, literature, and technology, as Last demonstrates, the puzzle and its most popular purveyors—including publications such as The New York Times, still the gold standard for word games—have in recent years been challenged for the way they prioritize certain cultures and perspectives as the norm, demoting others to obscurity. At the same time, the crossword has never been more democratic. A larger, younger, more tech-savvy, and solidaristic group of people have fallen in love with puzzle solving, ushering in a more inclusive community of constructors, challenging the very idea of what "normal" actually means.

With a critical eye toward the puzzle's history, Natan Last explores the debates about the future of the crossword and investigates those who are determining its next phase, ultimately asking if the crossword can help us reshape the world. Across the Universe interrogates all the ways words—and the games we make using those words—change our culture, while bringing us into the world of those pushing for the crossword's much-needed evolution.

*Includes a downloadable PDF featuring solution grids, historical images, and more from the printed book

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Natan Last (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Short of decoding the Rosetta stone, is there anything more satisfying than filling in a crossword grid? Gird yourself for a punster's paradise as you meet the people behind the clues in this engrossing history. Warning: This book is highly contagious.”­—Mary Norris, author of Between You & Me

“Thoroughly researched and delightfully nerdy . . . a linguistic treat for crossword devotees and anyone who loves a bit of witty wordplay. Last takes readers inside the world of tournaments, online competitions, and thoughtful debates about the form’s future—never doubting that this puzzle, once dismissed as a momentary flash in the pan, is here to stay.”—Shelf Awareness

“I've often said that my secret weapon on Jeopardy! was my lifelong crossword puzzle habit. Natan Last's exuberant, revealing journey through the vast grid of crossword history has helped me understand just why it is that I get so much pleasure, and so much benefit, from the seemingly trivial task of writing letters in squares. This book is a 15-letter quad-stack feat of cultural criticism!”—Amy Schneider, author of In the Form of a Question