Though they're only greyscale, the Kindle's 'screensleepers' are an unexpectedly attractive feature.
Some users find the default images tiresome and balk at the lack of user control over this setting (find hacks here).
In addition to famous authors, poets and playwrights, the screensleepers feature a hodge-podge of symbols and paintings. Some explanations:
Sibylla Samia - ancient Greek priestess who prophesied Jesus’s birth in the stable
Albertus page - serif font named after the thirteenth century German philosopher Albertus Magnus
Hercules Constellation - fifth largest constellation, named after the Greek mythological hero Heracles
17th century astronomer & his wife w/ giant sextant
Audubon finches in a tree (above)
Illuminated page with Iohannis aquila in upper right corner
Cathedral floorplan
Fun fact: the name Kindle is meant to evoke "the crackling ignition of knowledge".
