The Grand Cosmic Story: An Illustrated Timeline 13.8 Billion Years and Beyond

Here's the story of everything, from the Big Bang to the far-off future 100 million years at a time, told in words and pictures.

With illuminating text and imaginative illustrations, this exquisite volume portrays every phase of our cosmic history.

Witness the unfolding history of the universe as you turn each page of The Grand Cosmic Story, a brilliant and beautiful volume sure to fascinate anyone interested in astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology.

In this large-format, full-color book, every two-page spread represents 100 million years in the universe's 13.8-billion-year-long story--and beyond.

Custom illustrations created by two legendary space artists accompany detailed, accessible descriptions of the evolving cosmos as atoms, stars, galaxies, black holes, planets, life itself emerge. Fungi, flowers, dinosaurs, apes, humans appear on Earth, paralleled by changes in the vast realms of space surrounding--all narrated and visualized, step by step.

The book's last few pages even picture a future beyond the present day, ending in void and randomness--a dramatic finish to an amazing journey combining science and imagination.

A prestigious creative team--astrophysicist Ethan Siegel, space artist Jon Lomberg, graphic designer William Lidwell, and science illustrator Mark Garlick--evoke the vastness of time and space, creating a uniquely comprehensive, evocative, and accessible history of everything in the cosmos.

Author: Ethan Siegel,Mark A. Garlick,Jon Lomberg
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Published: 10/07/2025
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781426224430

About the Author
Ethan Siegel (@startswithabang) is a Ph.D. astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. His award-winning blog, Starts With a Bang, specializes in explaining high-level concepts about the universe to general audiences.

William Lidwell (@williamlidwell) is a designer, educator, and author or coauthor of books and online courses, most notably The Universal Principles of Design and his design lectures for The Great Courses and LinkedIn Learning.

Jon Lomberg (jonlomberg.com) is a legendary astronomical illustrator who worked with Carl Sagan on the Cosmos television series, the movie Contact, and as primary design director of the Golden Record, still traveling through outer space on the Voyager spacecraft.

Mark Garlick (@SpaceBoffin) initially trained and worked as an astrophysicist and now works as a scientific illustrator and computer animator. He is author and illustrator of several books including The Story of the Solar System and Cosmic Menagerie.