How does this comic keep getting better and better? As always, there are some sad and disturbing scenes, but this one felt more hopeful and less soul-How does this comic keep getting better and better? As always, there are some sad and disturbing scenes, but this one felt more hopeful and less soul-crushing than some of the previous volumes. Can't wait for the next one!
Merged review:
How does this comic keep getting better and better? As always, there are some sad and disturbing scenes, but this one felt more hopeful and less soul-crushing than some of the previous volumes. Can't wait for the next one!...more
This book deserves all the accolades heaped on it and many, many more! Not sure why it took me so long to get around to reading this, but I'm so glad This book deserves all the accolades heaped on it and many, many more! Not sure why it took me so long to get around to reading this, but I'm so glad that I did. Incredible world-building, edge-of-your-seat storytelling, complex, nuanced & fascinating characters -- plus a compelling analysis of power relations and oppression. And let's not forget the really well-done queer & trans representation! It's definitely not light reading, but it is totally absorbing -- I stayed up late several nights devouring this one. Can't wait to get my hands on the sequels! ...more
A convincingly terrifying vision of a future in which humans have pretty much destroyed the earth and everyone spends most of their time online in virA convincingly terrifying vision of a future in which humans have pretty much destroyed the earth and everyone spends most of their time online in virtual environments, made possible by a Googlegland implanted deep in their brains. I love Estrada's densely drawn, vividly realized worlds and her dark humor. ...more
An Unkindness of Ghosts is essentially a slave narrative set in space. It's powerful and brutal and thought-provoking. There are moments of lovelinessAn Unkindness of Ghosts is essentially a slave narrative set in space. It's powerful and brutal and thought-provoking. There are moments of loveliness squeezed in between episodes of utmost horror. The main character, Aster, is a gifted healer, and she is also neurodivergent and genderqueer. She's a challenging and intriguing character. In fact, she and Giselle, her mentally ill best friend, are two of the most interesting characters I've encountered in a while. The world that Solomon creates is immediately immersive and beautifully rendered, and despite the violent oppression that the main characters suffer, it's hard to put this book down. I do agree with other readers that the villains are almost cartoonishly evil and that some of the details don't make sense (gravity isn't addressed anywhere, it seems hard to believe that there are livestock and crops available for consumption, etc). These are pretty minor quibbles however. Highly recommended for fans of Octavia Butler and N.K. Jemisin. ...more
Wow, I was blown away by this beautifully drawn comic, which effortlessly combines space opera, boarding-school-bildungsroman and queer romance in delWow, I was blown away by this beautifully drawn comic, which effortlessly combines space opera, boarding-school-bildungsroman and queer romance in delightfully inventive new ways. The world-building is great and so are the characters. Did I mention that all the characters are queer or nonbinary? And there are no male characters whatsoever? Despite the fact that this book could be used as a doorstop and clocks in at a whopping 530 pages, I devoured it in one night. Walk, don't run to get yourself a copy. ...more
This is a beautifully illustrated book. I'm not sure that I'd consider it a comic, it's more like a picture book for adults. It's set in an alternate This is a beautifully illustrated book. I'm not sure that I'd consider it a comic, it's more like a picture book for adults. It's set in an alternate near-past (1997) in which American society has pretty much fallen apart due to virtual reality gone terrifyingly wrong. The main character is a teenage girl traveling with her robot up the coast of Pacifica (a mega-West Coast State made up of California, Oregon & Washington), and the images are what they view during their travels -- haunting, eerie images of decaying robots and gigantic warships littering the landscape. Most post-apocalyptic SF fans, especially fans of films like Blade Runner, will enjoy this. The storytelling was a bit weak in places but the evocative artwork more than makes up for it. ...more
This was a pretty funny collection of comix about a future world where all the men have been slowly wiped out through a birth defect, and women are inThis was a pretty funny collection of comix about a future world where all the men have been slowly wiped out through a birth defect, and women are in the process of creating their own civilization. Some great commentary in here on the stupidity of gender norms, but I had trouble suspending my disbelief at times. I think this might work better as a webcomic than a graphic novel....more
Catching up on some old reviews here -- this was a fun, fast read that I gobbled up in a few days way back in February before the movie came out. I enCatching up on some old reviews here -- this was a fun, fast read that I gobbled up in a few days way back in February before the movie came out. I enjoyed it mainly for the 80s references and the fast-paced dystopian plot. I definitely could see the flaws that others have pointed out in critical reviews, but I agree with Richard that this book is a pretty powerful if unintentional indictment of the tyranny of nostalgia (especially nostalgia for the 80s, which our popular culture is drowning in right now). The movie was a major disappointment, as basically all the fun 80s references were cut. Don't waste your time on it like I did!...more
This is why I love NYRB Classics so much -- they find all these perfect little gems which have faded into semi-obscurity and resurrect them. Chocky isThis is why I love NYRB Classics so much -- they find all these perfect little gems which have faded into semi-obscurity and resurrect them. Chocky is an odd little book, about a young English boy whose relationship with an imaginary friend (the Chocky of the title) starts to disturb his parents. Masterfully done and almost too short -- I wanted more by the time I finished gobbling this one up. ...more
Fast-paced, engaging teen time travel romp featuring pirates and a biracial heroine. A little history a little adventure, a little romance -- not an eFast-paced, engaging teen time travel romp featuring pirates and a biracial heroine. A little history a little adventure, a little romance -- not an earth-shattering book but an enjoyable and quick read. Looks like it is going to be the first of a series -- not sure I feel compelled to read the next one but I'm sure fans will be thrilled. ...more
Intriguing premise: aliens land on earth, planting massive structures that become known as "trees." For 10 years, these trees have remained silent andIntriguing premise: aliens land on earth, planting massive structures that become known as "trees." For 10 years, these trees have remained silent and unmoving, and humans have become mostly acclimatized to their existence. But at a research lab in Antarctica, a scientist notices an anomaly that may proved to have grave consequences for humanity.
This is the first volume in an ongoing series, so much time is spent introducing the readers to different characters in various parts of the world and establishing the premise/setting. I was impressed by the depiction of a trans character who it seems will be playing an important role in the series as it develops. I'll definitely pick up the next volume. ...more
Some of the most brilliant short stories I have ever read. This is seriously technical science fiction but at the same time, utterly humane and absorbSome of the most brilliant short stories I have ever read. This is seriously technical science fiction but at the same time, utterly humane and absorbing storytelling. The title story is devastating. Other favorites include "Tower of Babylon," "Hell is the Absence of God" (a darkly funny riff on post-apocalyptic fiction in the original sense of the term) and "Understand" (imagine if Dr. Manhattan of the Watchmen had a true adversary). At times the science went over my head but that didn't even detract from my enjoyment of the stories, they are so well-crafted. Everyone should read these stories. ...more
Set in the late 1980s in the early hours of All Souls Day, four tween/teen paper girls stumble into the story of a lifetime. Can't say much more withoSet in the late 1980s in the early hours of All Souls Day, four tween/teen paper girls stumble into the story of a lifetime. Can't say much more without spoilers. This is volume one in what will likely be a much longer series and I'm not sure I'd be compelled to pick up the next one. Vaughan is clearly trying to create multidimensional characters, but it felt to me like the dimensions have been sketched out in pretty conventional ways so far. It's definitely no Runaways. Read for the "YA novel" square on Book Bingo 2016. ...more
Vaughan's sly take on a future where privacy is such an inviolable right that the Internet is banned, all citizens can easily assume multiple secret iVaughan's sly take on a future where privacy is such an inviolable right that the Internet is banned, all citizens can easily assume multiple secret identities, and paparazzi and private investigators are hunted like dangerous criminals. How did we get here, you ask? Well basically one day the Cloud burst, so to speak, and everyone's private activities became public knowledge. A fast-paced, bloody & darkly humorous dystopian SF comic that draws on many of the themes in Vaughan's previous work & will thus appeal to his fans. My favorite detail: the aging hipster grandpa who futilely tinkers with his broken smartphone, trying to get on a Facebook that's long since been deactivated. ...more
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