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63 reviews for:
FTL, Y'all!: Tales From the Age of the $200 Warp Drive
Julie Gravelle, Iris Jay, Nathaniel Wilson, Earl T. Roske, Olivia Northrop, James F. Wright, Evan Dahm, Skolli Rubedo, David Andry, Jonathon Dalton, Seren Krakens, Cindy Powers, Molly Kennedy, C.B. Webb, Sunny, Cheez Hayama, N.N. Chan, C. Spike Trotman, Kay Rossbach, Chris Williamson, Alexxander Dovelin, Ainsley Seago, Little Corvus, Xia Gordon, Luz Bianca, Maia Kobabe, J. Piechowiak, Miss Jamie Kaye, Rachel Ordway, Mary Anne Mackey, Ahueonao, Mulele Jarvis, Blue Delliquanti, Paul Schultz, Jay Eaton
3.91 AVERAGE
63 reviews for:
FTL, Y'all!: Tales From the Age of the $200 Warp Drive
Julie Gravelle, Iris Jay, Nathaniel Wilson, Earl T. Roske, Olivia Northrop, James F. Wright, Evan Dahm, Skolli Rubedo, David Andry, Jonathon Dalton, Seren Krakens, Cindy Powers, Molly Kennedy, C.B. Webb, Sunny, Cheez Hayama, N.N. Chan, C. Spike Trotman, Kay Rossbach, Chris Williamson, Alexxander Dovelin, Ainsley Seago, Little Corvus, Xia Gordon, Luz Bianca, Maia Kobabe, J. Piechowiak, Miss Jamie Kaye, Rachel Ordway, Mary Anne Mackey, Ahueonao, Mulele Jarvis, Blue Delliquanti, Paul Schultz, Jay Eaton
3.91 AVERAGE
Well huh. I can't say that this kind of thing is my preference, but it was interesting. This all was both overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. There were just so so many stories, it was hard to take them in. But they were short that they were barely a taste. As a whole they were better than I expected. I don't think any of them were actually bad - and the art and writing was good throughout. Some of them were more interesting and others more or less original. As a discussion point this would probably work. As an interesting book, I think I would have preferred less stories but longer.
Pretty good, though it would have been nicer if all the stories had stuck to the premise more consistently. Several drift pretty wide from the precepts of the "$200 Warp Drive," though perhaps I'm over-aware because I've read the original forum thread this book is based on, where the premise was rigidly examined from world-building and technical perspectives rather than narrative ones. In particular "M.S.P.I.P.S.P." by Kay Rossbach while a decent story on it's own terms is widely off the mark, abandoning the democratizing influence of the drive to recycle old air-travel cliches. And while "Space to Grow" is both charmingly illustrated and built around a good theme, it feels too general to be here. On the other hand, "Story of a Rescue" by Nathaniel Wilson and "Soft Physics" by Blue Delliquanti both give strong depictions of unique and well-envisaged experiences that can only happen when anyone can leave Earth.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
As with any anthology, some are better than others, but an enjoyable read overall.
For once I’m not giving a rating. I don’t feel I would be happy with any rating I give this, because it is a collection of 19 comic stories, with wildly different illustration styles and storylines. Obviously there is a common thread; the FTL (Faster Than Light) warp drives, and the use of black and white illustrations rather than colour. Some were funny, some were poignant, some were bleak. There’s a real range, and I appreciate that. There’s also a fantastic range of characters and identities which is so nice to see.
Out of the 19 stories, I particularly enjoyed 11 of them. That’s not to say that the other stories were badly written, or drawn, they just didn’t capture me in the same way. Here are my favourites (in order read, not order of favourites):
- Lia by Alexxander Dovelin
- Passing Through by Jamie Kaye Sunny
- Space to Grow by NN Chan
- Microwave by Jay Eaton
- Prodigal Sunset by James F Wright and Little Corvus
- Story of a Rescue by Nathanial Wilson
- Words From the Dead by Jonathon Dalton
- Solitary by David Andry, Paul Schultz and Lucas Gattoni
- Granddad’s Second Wife by Cheez Hayama and Earl T Roske
- The Senior Project by Maia Kobabe
- Wayhome by Evan Dahm
I realised I prefer the cleaner graphics of a lot of them, and the less technical stories in general. I enjoy reading about the human (or living being) experience, rather than the science. Again, that’s personal preference.
Out of the 19 stories, I particularly enjoyed 11 of them. That’s not to say that the other stories were badly written, or drawn, they just didn’t capture me in the same way. Here are my favourites (in order read, not order of favourites):
- Lia by Alexxander Dovelin
- Passing Through by Jamie Kaye Sunny
- Space to Grow by NN Chan
- Microwave by Jay Eaton
- Prodigal Sunset by James F Wright and Little Corvus
- Story of a Rescue by Nathanial Wilson
- Words From the Dead by Jonathon Dalton
- Solitary by David Andry, Paul Schultz and Lucas Gattoni
- Granddad’s Second Wife by Cheez Hayama and Earl T Roske
- The Senior Project by Maia Kobabe
- Wayhome by Evan Dahm
I realised I prefer the cleaner graphics of a lot of them, and the less technical stories in general. I enjoy reading about the human (or living being) experience, rather than the science. Again, that’s personal preference.
Pretty good comic anthology. A nice variety of art styles and stories. There’s a very good dog, some spot on commentary of social media, and some cute but deadly aliens.
Nineteen stories inspired by the common theme of "detailed schematics for a $200 faster than light engine", leading to the instant and chaotic democratization of the cosmos. I didn't recognize any of the artists here, but many are web comic illustrators and all the credits are included in the back.
I picked this up from the library "new" shelf for Paul Davey's cover illustration. My favorite stories were probably Words From the Dead, The Senior Project, and especially Lia (both story and art style). It appears C. Spike Trotman, a web comic creator herself, has put together other collections, and I would like to check some more out.
I picked this up from the library "new" shelf for Paul Davey's cover illustration. My favorite stories were probably Words From the Dead, The Senior Project, and especially Lia (both story and art style). It appears C. Spike Trotman, a web comic creator herself, has put together other collections, and I would like to check some more out.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Overall, I absolutely loved the premise & execution of this collection. See below the *~* line for my somewhat spoiler-y thoughts for each piece. My absolute favorites were: Soft Physics, M.S.P.I.P.S.P., Space to Grow, Story of a Rescue, The Senior Project, and The Wayhome. But I think there is something in here for everyone, especially those that dream of escape & of finding your place in the vastness of space.
Average rating was 3.4 stars, but I bumped it up to 3.75. It's really a fab anthology.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Soft Physics by blue delliquanti // Ooph, that ending. A lot to unpack in such a short amount of pages. I loved all the "big" ideas presented, though, ideas that resonate in both our own time, as well as the FTL future that explodes across this story. Queer folks exploring the outer reaches of humanity, obsession with online (or hand-delivered data packet) personalities, being drawn to the edge because it's beautiful, even if it will most likely destroy you. The image of Phoney jumping through the soft physics spot, her skeleton visible before fractalizing in the next panel -- that image will stay with me for a long time. 4/5
p.5-18
Cabbage Island by Cindy Powers & Mulele Jarvis // Unfortunately, this one felt pretty underdeveloped for me. I didn't feel like I saw enough to think Hondo & Yu truly cared about each other? It just felt like he was ready to let her go & she was super ready to hit a button & zip away fromthe horrific state of the world her partner being apprehended, & possibly shot, by police. Like, ouch. & then I did not think the ending had the desired pay off. It's one of those short stories where the ending is telegraphed as going to be "bad" for our MC, & then you still read it, & it ends poorly, & you might have lingering questions, but you're going to forget about the story later. 2/5
p.19-40
M.S.P.I.P.S.P by Kay Rossbach // This was so adorable & relatable & very sweet; the story of a mother & daughter trying to get through Space TSA to reunite with Mama on Mars. The facial expressions are *chef's kiss* & expressively funny. 5/5
p.41-60
Lia by Alexxander Dovelin // I loved the art style & the future use of VR presented & that ending!! Short & sweet. 4/5
p.61-71
Passing Through by Sunny & Jamie Kaye // Hard to rate this one. Very short in terms of pages, dialogue, plot/poignancy. The art was nice. It felt like the title was too literal -- the reader is passing through a conversation between two characters who clearly have history, but there's just not enough there (for me) to feel much for this vignette. 2.5/5
p.72-81
Ignition by Iris Jay & Skolli Rubedo // Huh, I loved the character design, the breeziness of the pacing, the nicely established camaraderie with the crew of the Obstreperous. I loved how it was clearly our earth many decades from now, but also how the narrative didn't hold your hand with who the characters are (modified humans or different species altogether). I both liked the art (it felt, in a good way, like a coloring book & I just wanted to go at it), & didn't like the art (some of it, especially in wider shots, seemed unclear, like the "flora" or vines on The Discovery, I wouldn't have read them as vines.) The robot was KEYute. The ending kind of made me chuckle, placing the crew in a very anti-hero status. I wish there was more. 4/5
p.82-97
Average rating was 3.4 stars, but I bumped it up to 3.75. It's really a fab anthology.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Soft Physics by blue delliquanti // Ooph, that ending. A lot to unpack in such a short amount of pages. I loved all the "big" ideas presented, though, ideas that resonate in both our own time, as well as the FTL future that explodes across this story. Queer folks exploring the outer reaches of humanity, obsession with online (or hand-delivered data packet) personalities, being drawn to the edge because it's beautiful, even if it will most likely destroy you. The image of Phoney jumping through the soft physics spot, her skeleton visible before fractalizing in the next panel -- that image will stay with me for a long time. 4/5
p.5-18
Cabbage Island by Cindy Powers & Mulele Jarvis // Unfortunately, this one felt pretty underdeveloped for me. I didn't feel like I saw enough to think Hondo & Yu truly cared about each other? It just felt like he was ready to let her go & she was super ready to hit a button & zip away from
p.19-40
M.S.P.I.P.S.P by Kay Rossbach // This was so adorable & relatable & very sweet; the story of a mother & daughter trying to get through Space TSA to reunite with Mama on Mars. The facial expressions are *chef's kiss* & expressively funny. 5/5
p.41-60
Lia by Alexxander Dovelin // I loved the art style & the future use of VR presented & that ending!! Short & sweet. 4/5
p.61-71
Passing Through by Sunny & Jamie Kaye // Hard to rate this one. Very short in terms of pages, dialogue, plot/poignancy. The art was nice. It felt like the title was too literal -- the reader is passing through a conversation between two characters who clearly have history, but there's just not enough there (for me) to feel much for this vignette. 2.5/5
p.72-81
Ignition by Iris Jay & Skolli Rubedo // Huh, I loved the character design, the breeziness of the pacing, the nicely established camaraderie with the crew of the Obstreperous. I loved how it was clearly our earth many decades from now, but also how the narrative didn't hold your hand with who the characters are (modified humans or different species altogether). I both liked the art (it felt, in a good way, like a coloring book & I just wanted to go at it), & didn't like the art (some of it, especially in wider shots, seemed unclear, like the "flora" or vines on The Discovery, I wouldn't have read them as vines.) The robot was KEYute. The ending kind of made me chuckle, placing the crew in a very anti-hero status. I wish there was more. 4/5
p.82-97
Brilliant & Handsome by C.B. Webb // I... didn't like this one. Not the art or the characters (one was especially annoying); the title drop at the end didn't work for me... Eh. 2/5
p.98-108
Space to Grow by N.N. Chan // I LOVED THIS ONE. It's a simple, quiet story, but it was like diving into a pool of clear, calming water. Even as our MC had to deal with online trolls & potential loneliness, I was thoroughly enamored with the atmosphere of this piece. I loved the art style, very dreamy & curved, bubbly lines everywhere. The design of the ship was beautiful!! 5/5
p.109-126
Failsafe by Rachel Ordway // ... This really affected me. It's a short scene, it gave me emotional whiplash, & I kept flipping back to it. 4/5
p.127-137
Finders Keepers by ahueonao // Well... I didn't like this one. I felt the panels & story were overloaded with dialogue bubbles. The characters fell over into too self-aware & aggressively quippy for me. I liked some of the expressions & chuckled at the inclusion of For the Love of God, a diamond encrusted skull, whose story & monetary value is divisive in the art world & which an episode of the Vampire Weekend-spawned animated series Neo Yokio depicted (& that's where I first learned about it, & could even get the reference). But yeah, I felt bored throughout this & struggled to stay in it, even with as short as it is. 2/5
p.137-144
p.98-108
Space to Grow by N.N. Chan // I LOVED THIS ONE. It's a simple, quiet story, but it was like diving into a pool of clear, calming water. Even as our MC had to deal with online trolls & potential loneliness, I was thoroughly enamored with the atmosphere of this piece. I loved the art style, very dreamy & curved, bubbly lines everywhere. The design of the ship was beautiful!! 5/5
p.109-126
Failsafe by Rachel Ordway // ... This really affected me. It's a short scene, it gave me emotional whiplash, & I kept flipping back to it. 4/5
p.127-137
Finders Keepers by ahueonao // Well... I didn't like this one. I felt the panels & story were overloaded with dialogue bubbles. The characters fell over into too self-aware & aggressively quippy for me. I liked some of the expressions & chuckled at the inclusion of For the Love of God, a diamond encrusted skull, whose story & monetary value is divisive in the art world & which an episode of the Vampire Weekend-spawned animated series Neo Yokio depicted (& that's where I first learned about it, & could even get the reference). But yeah, I felt bored throughout this & struggled to stay in it, even with as short as it is. 2/5
p.137-144
Microwave by Jay Eaton // This story is a very short scene -- a warp pod accident involving a young girl & her uncles -- & so it barely feels like enough to pass critique on. There's very little context or characterization to care about. I just... have no reaction to it, other than *shrug*. 2/5
p.144-161
Prodigal Sunset by James F. Wright & Little Corvus // Mmmm, this one definitely feels like the first chapter to a really moving longer story. I loved the character designs, but didn't feel much for any of the characters. 2.5/5
p.162-172
Story of a Rescue by Nathaniel Wilson // Hahaha, oh my goodness, I ended up loving this one. It's quite exposition/alt history lesson heavy, but the payoff! That payoff *chef's kiss* I loved the art style & the ship design & all the little details. If only life on & off this earth could go a little this way. Very cathartic. 4/5
p.173-192
Words From the Dead by Jonathon Dalton // This one had me flipping back & forth, to better understand the title, to zero in on the final panel's poignancy. A solid entry. 3/5
p.193-210
Solitary by David Andry & Paul Schultz // A Twilight Zone style vignette. Sad, poignant, short. 3/5
p.211-218
Granddads Second Wife by Cheez Hayama & Earl T. Rosie // What a madcap dash of a weird story. I didn't really like it, it felt very abrupt & random & yelly, but I appreciate it as a prologue to Sergio & his very confused Grandad's adventures. 2.5/5
p.211-245
The Senior Project by Maia Kobabe // I loved this one, how it let moments breathe, how the relationship between Willow & Kai developed. I loved the message about maybe we shouldn't just be running away from Earth (our problems), but help the people down here, our home, first. (This was the first piece I read from Kobabe, & it made me more excited than ever to read eir often challenged/banned memoir entitled Gender Queer.) 4.5/5
p.246-265
My Stars and Garters by Ainsley Seago // Such a hopeful & sweetly funny love letter to nerds, queer folk, those that don't "fit in" or who stand out to cishet folks as something odd, something to prod & exclaim at. This felt like a nice, other-side-of-the-coin, answer to people using FTL to run away from earth's problems -- maybe it would allow us to run to safe, expressive, colorful places in the stars. 4/5
p.266-273
Wayhome by Evan Dahm // The atmosphere of this piece is hauntingly dark & beautiful. I loved the feelings it left me with, like squeezing a stubborn thorn out from under your thumbnail, or hearing your parents bicker, but not the precise words, as you burrow further under blankets. It's a story that's both bleak & hopeful, so, just my cup of tea. 5/5
p.274-296
11.24.22
Lots of variety in story, which can make it feel uneven, but I liked it and would recommend to fans of science fiction, graphic novels, or even plain anthologies of short stories.
So much fun! Such varied takes on stories from a time and a place where almost anyone can travel faster than light. And now, so many creators to track down and devour their other works.