Review: FTL, Y'all!
What would happen if we could escape?
Six months from now, detailed schematics anonymously uploaded to the Internet will describe, in perfect detail, how to build a faster-than-light engine for $200 in easily-available parts. Space travel will become instantly - and chaotically - democratized. The entire cosmos will be within reach of all humankind. This is what happens next.
.......
Freedom means many things to many people. In this anthology each writer is given the same premise and builds a very different story from it. Reading the introduction, I was thinking this might be a refreshing change of direction in most of the sci-fi I come across: Could this be something with an optimistic outlook?
Well..... not quite. For sure, there are some inspiring, uplifting tales here, but bright light still casts a shadow. The darker elements here are not neglected. I was not disappointed, however; this is still a fresh, rich and rewarding collection. The emphasis is mostly light-hearted, with cartoon-style art and no shortage of humour. I certainly enjoyed the overriding vibe of free expansion and final frontiers being explored by any Average Joe or Jane with a modicum of engineering skills.
Space is, by definition, the ultimate virgin territory, with room enough for everyone, and the scenario here is an explosive free-for-all... kind of like the 15th century Age of Discovery in reverse. Anyone with a reason to leave Earth, and there are many (environmental collapse of our home planet, dreams of riches, freedom for non-conformists) can find a patch of land - maybe even a whole world - to call their own.
Some stories focus on the practical aspects of space travel. FTL by itself is no good without a life-supporting vessel. Most people convert an Earth-bound vehicle of some kind into a space worthy craft, but one guy ventures to Mars in a specially-adapted washing machine (CB Webb's Brilliant & Handsome). Of course, things often go wrong, which is where the stories get more interesting...
More often the tale focuses on the social aspects of the great emigration. In Soft Physics by Blue Delliquanti two galaxy-hopping vloggers document their adventures, but are they running to something or away from something? Sometimes an assertion of independence can also be an excuse to abandon responsibility.
In Space To Grow by NN Chan a young astrobiology graduate sets off on an exploratory expedition and blogs her journey to a legion of dedicated fans.... but cannot escape trolling. Are humans forever doomed to export our stupidity with us wherever we go?
In Prodigal Sunset by writer James F. Wright and artist Little Corvus a group of hybrid 'cousins' from five different planets live with the legacy of one human's recklessness in exporting disease to new worlds; an echo of Earth's history.
In Wayhome by Evan Dahm a couple raise their daughter in the forest of an isolated planet, away from the "fallen" civilisation of humanity... but is their new home as welcoming as they believe?
Over the 290 Black and white pages many different ideas are explored, but one underlying theme here is that no matter where you go, no matter how far you run, there is one thing you cannot leave behind: yourself, with all your messy, complicated baggage.
They say travel broadens the mind, and that is surely at the very heart of science fiction, where the endless vistas act as an unlimited canvas for the imagination. This is, overall, a very heartwarming collection with some beautiful monochrome artwork to get lost in. In our minds, we can travel anywhere in the universe. The sky is not the limit... but our own nature might be.
FTL Y'ALL on Amazon
Zak Webber
Twitter - @sfcomicartist / Instagram - @sfcomicartist
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! - SCI-FI COMIC NEXUS
*****
***
*
Comments
Post a Comment