shifting earth

I don’t want to admit it quite yet, but the end of summer is almost here… and I’m still thinking about all the books I meant to read over the summer. I was very ambitious, and I haven’t finished enough of them, but I’m an incurable book collector – it’s a law of the universe. Speaking of universes, Cecil Castellucci, Flavia Biondi, and Fabiana Mascolo’s new sci-fi graphic novel Shifting Earth imagines our own future world ravaged by climate change contrasted with a mirror universe where the population works together in astonishing ways, but cannot completely escape human darkness.

In a not-so-distant future, a freak particle storm has landed botanist Dr. Maeve Millay on an idyllic yet strange parallel Earth, with no way back home.

Here, two moons rule society, and nature outshines science. But just like her own climate ravaged planet, this verdant Earth has a sinister side. Children are rare. Humans must serve a purpose or pay an unthinkable price. Astronomer Zuzi battles this underlying darkness every day—just like Maeve did at home. Both women are fighters, and both face a choice: forge new paths, or save the worlds they've always known? Maeve will have to decide, and fast—because she's fighting for more than just herself.

In Shifting Earth, botanist Maeve is frustrated and, in some ways, hopeless – humanity has wrecked her near-future planet, and she’s struggling to preserve wild seed varieties to find something that will help humanity survive growing plagues and devastation. When she connects with an old friend at a conference, he urges her to come see his work, and this leads eventually to Maeve’s landing on an alternate earth with two moons and very different problems. On this other earth, usefulness is the true measure of value, and astronomer and scientist’s Zuzi’s work has been deemed useless. Maeve’s arrival unsettles Zuzi’s utopian-esque world in new ways, and it will take the effort and will of many to unravel what happened, and how to send Maeve back home.

 

I liked that this graphic novel asked some big questions in a fairly short volume. What is the good life? How do we create it for ourselves and generations to come? How do we preserve what we have and remain adaptable and open to the future and change? All of these are good questions, and Castellucci’s story not only poses them, but tries to begin answering them through Maeve and Zuzi’s intertwined narrative as well. I also liked that a variety of relationship dynamics were portrayed in the story, and the déjà vu interactions between Maeve and the alternate universe versions of her loved ones and friends.

 

One thing I had complicated feelings about: *spoiler alert* (highlight if you want to read) the forced birth plotline. *end spoiler* I also didn’t feel as invested in Zuzi’s portion of the story – perhaps partially because the stakes did not seem high until later in the narrative. It felt as though she and her partner did not get as much page time as Maeve & co. The stars of this story are the premise (getting sucked into an alternate universe: COOL!) and the climate change urgency driving the plot forward. The conclusion is meant to be a stunner but is weakened by neatly-tied resolution on one hand, and a sort of blank, unknowingness on another. After thrilling build-up, I felt unsatisfied.

 

Let’s talk the art, an ever-important part of any graphic novel experience! Biondi’s creativity comes through – especially in the depiction and imagination of what the shifting particles scenes that transport a character from one universe to another might look like, and in the visual conception of alternate earth. The art reminded me of the clean, professional lines of the Saga series, and it’s clearly created for the discerning adult comics reading fan. The palette contains a lot of earth tones (apropos for an earth-y story, ha ha) and what I call muted brights – colors that would be vivid at full contrast but are darkened or muted a bit.

 

In all, Shifting Earth is a thought-provoking science fiction graphic novel about climate change, alternate universes, and the essential humanity that ties us together, for good and bad.

 

Recommended for: fans of science-heavy science fiction and inventive adult graphic novels.

 

Shifting Earth will be available from Berger Books/Dark Horse on August 30, 2022.

 

Fine print: I received an ARC from the publisher as part of a giveaway. I did not receive any compensation for this post.

waiting on wednesday (82)

Today I’m participating in "Waiting On" Wednesday, a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Its purpose is to spotlight upcoming book releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

One of my very favorite books of 2014 (so far) is Tin Star, a young adult sci-fi novel set on a mostly-abandoned space station that orbits an abandoned planet.  I adored the world-building, the heroine's emotion and trust issues, and the way the story played with what it means to be human. I was seriously, seriously impressed, and I can't wait for the sequel.  WHICH IS COMING SOON, thank Thor (and yes, that was a nod to my current Avengers fanfiction addiction)! Cecil Castellucci's Stone in the Sky will be released by Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan) on February 24th, 2015.

In this thrilling follow-up to Tin Star, Tula will need to rely on more than just her wits to save her only home in the sky.

After escaping death a second time, Tula Bane is now even thirstier for revenge. She spends much of her time in the Tin Star Café on the Yertina Feray—the space station she calls home. But when it's discovered that the desolate and abandoned planet near the station has high quantities of a precious resource, the once sleepy space station becomes a major player in intergalactic politics. In the spirit of the Gold Rush, aliens from all over the galaxy race to cash in—including Tula's worst enemy.

What books are you waiting on?

tin star

Cecil Castellucci’s Tin Star was one of my Waiting on Wednesday picks last fall because it looked like an interesting young adult science fiction novel (YA sci-fi is one of my delicious weaknesses).  But even more than that, it sounded like a unicorn of YA: a book that didn’t rely on romance as its central plot point.  That kind of story seems to be increasingly rare, so I try to take careful note when one pops up.  Well everyone, it should come as no surprise that I loved Tin Star.  Even given months of anticipation and high hopes, I fell for everything about it.

On their way to start a new life, Tula and her family travel on the Prairie Rose, a colony ship headed to a planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy. All is going well until the ship makes a stop at a remote space station, the Yertina Feray, and the colonist's leader, Brother Blue, beats Tula within an inch of her life. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station.

When three humans crash land onto the station, Tula's desire for escape becomes irresistible, and her desire for companionship becomes unavoidable. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill Brother Blue, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the farthest thing from her mind.

Tula Bane has been beaten and left for dead on a remote space station.  She’s the only Human on the Yertina Feray, a station orbiting an abandoned mining outpost on the fringes of the universe.  In order to survive, she must adapt, and quickly.  Through sheer determination she forges a kind of half-life for herself, and even makes a friend of the alien Heckleck.  Then three Humans crash land and disturb the balance of life on the station.  Tula must again scramble for survival, and decide how far she will go to get revenge.

What is a victim?  It is someone without options.  Tula Bane is a great survivor, and she refuses to be a victim.  Yes, terrible things happened to her.  But her will to continue living, and her innate honor, combined with that great Human trait of adaptability, allow her to create a life where she should by rights have died.  Tula is a smart dealmaker, filled with hate (and then, when that is mostly burnt out, stubbornness), and lonely beyond belief.  It is inspiring, and a little heartbreaking, to read about her.  She’s an unforgettable, complex, difficult person, and I cared about her an immense amount.

Of course, an important element of any work of science fiction is the… science fiction.  It must hold together, and the best worldbuilding (universe building?) will become the seamless background for a great story.  That is the case with Tin Star.  I felt almost awed at times by Castellucci’s writing.  I took photos of pages with my phone camera, in too much of a hurry to stop and transcribe a quote, but desperate for a record of the page so I could go back and soak in the words later.  Here is an example, from page 47:

“He never talked about what had stranded him here, and I could read that it was a deep wound—likely as deep as mine.  Betrayal and grief have a certain color no matter what the species is.  Everyone in the underguts seemed to carry that color with them in their voice or walk or hunch.”

As I said, I loved this book.  I loved its dark, almost bleak tone (in part because Tula is so alone, and in part because the Yertina Feray is so isolated in space).  The complex bartering system, shifting alliances, unusual alien species, and politics all fascinated me.  The plot was fairly twisty – there were turns I saw coming, and others that caught me by surprise.  The romantic element was understated but interesting for all that.  Tin Star was a gritty, balance-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of book, and it made a place for itself in my heart.

Recommended for: anyone who can imagine a cross between Garth Nix and Sharon Shinn, fans of intelligent sci-fi and survival stories, and those who have dreamed of what life might really be like in space.

Fine print: I received a copy of the book for honest review from the author/publisher.  I did not receive any compensation for posting this review.

waiting on wednesday (62)

Today I’m participating in "Waiting On" Wednesday, a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Its purpose is to spotlight upcoming book releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

I'm really excited about all of the young adult science fiction in the works in publishing-land.  Like, give-it-to-me-now-yes-right-now-all-of-it!!! excited.  When I see YA sci-fi that has that little extra something (be it a new-to-me storyline or a particularly intense set-up), I put the book on my wishlist.  Cecil Castellucci’s upcoming sci-fi novel went onto my wishlist as soon as I read the blurb, despite the unprepossessing cover.  I'm all about YA fiction that leaves the romance in the weeds when something really important happens.  Because that's... life.  As I said, can't wait!  Tin Star releases on February 25, 2014 from Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan).

Relying on your wits can only get you so far when you are light years away from Earth.

Beaten and left for dead, sixteen-year-old Tula Bane finds herself abandoned on a remote space station with aliens she must work to understand. When three humans crash-land onto the station, Tula’s desire for companionship becomes unavoidable and romantic sparks fly between her and one of the new arrivals. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill the man responsible for her situation, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the furthest thing for her mind.

What books are you waiting on?

dragons, fairy tales and a short story

Young adult author Cecil Castellucci has written a short story based on the Prince Lindwurm fairy tale (which I hadn’t heard of before, actually), and it is featured today on Tor.com.  The Tor website publishes novel excerpts, original pieces of prose, comics and poetry every week.  This bountiful content is probably the reason I think of Tor first when I am searching my brain for the name of a ‘publisher of fantasy and sci-fi.’


illustration by Sam Burley

In the past, I’ve also found lovely fairy tale contributions by favorite authors Catherynne M. Valente ("The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While," an addition to the Fairyland story) and Marissa Meyer ("Glitches," featuring characters from Cinder).  Oh!  And if you’re curious about Cecil Castellucci’s novel-length works, she recently published The Year of the Beasts with Nate Powell, a half-novel, half-graphic novel. 

But!  The point: go read “Brother. Prince. Snake.”  You can thank me later.