October 12, 2011 10:17 AM, By Community Team

For Margaret Atwood's newest book In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination, an innovative printing method may be as futuristic as the subject matter.

That's because a limited run of In Other Worlds will be made with paper made in part out of wheat and flax straw rather than wood pulp. The new product, promoted by Canadian non-profit group Canopy, is called Second Harvest Paper.

It's made from the leftover straw "after the grain harvest and all other uses, such as animal bedding and maintaining soil integrity, are accounted for," according to Canopy's website.

A Canopy press release says there is enough leftover straw and flax material in North America "to save up to 800 million trees, so forests can continue providing precious habitat and stabilizing our climate."

The paper used in the book will be made of 36 per cent straw and 64 per cent recycled wood pulp. It's the first book to be printed on straw paper in North America - but environmentally conscious readers will pay a significant price. Each book in the limited run of 300, signed by the author, will cost $100.