Created by Natan Last, a senior at Brown University, three-time intern with Will Shortz, and in 2008 the youngest person to have a puzzle published in the Sunday <i>New York Times</i>, <i>Word </i>kicks the crossword puzzle squarely into the 21st century for a new generation of puzzle-lovers, replacing fusty crossword-ese with hip cultural references, modern wordplay, and a lively mix of high-and low-brow pop trivia. A <i>Word</i> puzzle begins with the shared knowledge of a literate but not-so-reverent generation, and celebrates the knowingness with a deft touch. Your parents' crosswords make solvers feel smart. <i>Word</i> puzzles make solvers feel smart<i> and </i>cool, getting the references to <i>The Daily Show</i>, Mario Brothers, the Goo Goo Dolls, and a hefty dose of nostalgia (the name of the motel in <i>Psycho</i>). But they also know the core curriculum: Charlotte Bronte's Jane, Roman generals, Berlioz and von Bismarck, Homer—and not just Homer Simpson.<br /><br />The puzzles are constructed with all the smarts of a daily <i>Times</i> crossword: themes, interconnected clues, titles that unlock the overall puzzle (solve all the clues and the circle letters will spell out a famous name at Hogwarts). Assisting Mr. Last is a group of five more top “under 25” constructors, all of whom have published puzzles in <i>The New York Times</i>.