Compelling scientific and emotional explorations that raise the question: What awaits us when we cross the line?
Pitsirilos’ SF anthology explores pivotal, life-altering moments in short stories that combine prose, comics, photography, and mixed media.
This collection’s central theme is the concept of “event horizons,” or moments of no return—like crossing the boundary of a black hole. The stories involve cosmic decisions and characters confronting uncertain futures. Most of the characters face moral dilemmas as they navigate such issues as intergalactic relationships and immortality, with their stories taking place in such diverse settings as living rooms, space stations, and far-off exoplanets. Pitsirilos has assembled an eclectic roster of creators from many different mediums, resulting in a work that is diverse in both forms and perspectives. One of Pitsirilos’ standout stories, “Orteez Funeral Home,” is set in the titular mortuary. The building has preserved its original purpose while accommodating some modifications, like replacing bricks with steel and installing a viewing pillar that launches coffins into space for a final journey to the sun. A woman named Evangeline has requested that the story’s narrator attend her viewing, creating an emotionally charged atmosphere as she reflects on their connection. Overall, the work collected here is impressive, the visual elements especially so. Various styles of illustration are used; occasionally there’s a feeling of incongruity when some mediums abut each other, such as the real-life photography that sits alongside comic-book illustrations. The stories themselves are varied; some pieces, like “Klon,” explore more futuristic themes, like advancements in cloning technology that have made reincarnation a reality, while others, like “The Fold,” remain in the realm of SF but address more universal themes, such as the roles stories play in remembering loved ones we can no longer be with (“Stories deceive that they hold no weight”). All should prove a delight for SF aficionados.
Compelling scientific and emotional explorations that raise the question: What awaits us when we cross the line?Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781958077016
Page Count: 244
Publisher: Janus Point Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times...
A bland, uninspired graphic adaptation of the Bard’s renowned love story.
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times oddly psychedelic-tinged backgrounds of cool blues and purples, the mood is strange, and the overall ambiance of the story markedly absent. Appealing to what could only be a high-interest/low–reading level audience, McDonald falls short of the mark. He explains a scene in an open-air tavern with a footnote—“a place where people gather to drink”—but he declines to offer definitions for more difficult words, such as “dirges.” While the adaptation does follow the foundation of the play, the contemporary language offers nothing; cringeworthy lines include Benvolio saying to Romeo at the party where he first meets Juliet, “Let’s go. It’s best to leave now, while the party’s in full swing.” Nagar’s faces swirl between dishwater and grotesque, adding another layer of lost passion in a story that should boil with romantic intensity. Each page number is enclosed in a little red heart; while the object of this little nuance is obvious, it’s also unpleasantly saccharine. Notes after the story include such edifying tidbits about Taylor Swift and “ ‘Wow’ dialogs from the play” (which culls out the famous quotes).Pub Date: May 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-93-80028-58-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Campfire
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
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