Heavy Metal
skill fiction has inspired some of the high-flown tales in literature , and has execute quite a bit for itself as a musical genre despite its comparatively untested existence in written history . It has give birth to superheroes , space wizard , and horrifying tool from ancient dimension . But while much of what exists in pop polish would be weigh “ delicate sci - fi ” ( such as George Lucas ’s fabled space operaStar Wars ) , there has always been a unique hunger for “ toilsome sci - fi”–a sub - genre that focuses more on the science than the fiction . AndHeavy Metalhopes to appease that niche market with a serial publication of exemplify novels begin withBeyond Gerard Kuiper : The Galactic Star Alliance .
While Heavy Metal ’s Virus depression has predominately focused on paranormal repulsion with graphic novels such asMundo Diablo , their new project hop-skip to take in in devotee of a unlike form ; science geeks . But “ Beyond Kuiper ” is more than just an ambitious novel ; it ’s a saga that CEO Matt Medney ( with the help of cobalt - creator and aerospace engineer John Connelly ) hopes will found an entire share existence for the company . First teased in issue 300 ofHeavy Metal , Medney ’s “ Kuiperverse ” start in his graphic novelDark fender – a serialized 9 issue comic about a nomadic planet of space refugees looking for a young solar system to call home millennia after a black hole devoured their solar organisation . In essence , it’sWagon TrainmeetsKrypton .
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At its pith , the Beyond Kuiper Expanded Universe is a love alphabetic character to hard science fiction . WhileDark Wingcontains much of Heavy Metal Entertainment ’s theme song esthetic ( big than life localise pieces with a sprinkling of cheesecake art on the side ) , it ’s different than other rock and roll space odysseys in that the applied science itself is a major direction of the narrative . That ’s because Medney and Connelly put their shared creation through what they refer to as the “ Bill Nye trial run " of theoretical science .
And though “ Kuiper ” andDark Wingare tonally different , they partake one thematic through line – the heroes of their write up are explorer of the cosmic beyond , searching for a new place in the universe for their metal money to call home . Dark Wing ’s booster is pilot Benedict Gunn . He ’s your typical risk - taking , hard - talking flyboy with one exception ; he ’s also intelligent – like Han Solo with a Masters Degree in astrophysics . " Beyond Kuiper " on the other paw has a dissimilar sort of torpedo . Unlike the intellectually butch Ben Gunn , Earthling scientist Bernard William Hubert is half as gung - ho , but three time as strategic . In 2091 , Hubert and his super scientist chum are a part of an Earth - full project hop to finally prompt humanity beyond the borders of the Kuiper Belt . Like the work party of the Dark Wing , Earth ’s humans will before long need to find a new household after generations of abuse and neglect have leave our planet on a downward spiral of decay .
How Gunn and his planet - towing virtuoso cruiser are connected with the events set in “ Beyond Kuiper ” will be revealed later in the series . Aside from Dark Wing ’s crew ( the Quail people ) resembling Earthlings in both appearance and work dress , they do n’t seem connected to any of the other extraterrestrial specie exhibit in “ Kuiper . ” Might these organism from the quad sector dubbed The Distant zone portion out an ancient , common stock with us Earth humans ? You ’ll have to read it to discover out .
Though the post on Earth is dreadful in the Kuiperverse , manhood did manage to tear itself together in the 11th hour to help slow down down the inevitable , so high society has n’t gone fullMad Maxquite yet . It ’s an Earth where geeks build literal - life lightsabers and mechanical owls ; a major planet so saturated with science fiction dada - polish that even the aliens mention Earth regularly crack cornyStar Warsjokes . But behind the rose hip exterior , it ’s ultimately an Earth that ’s not long for this universe . Interstellar travel is the only option for humankind ’s succeeding endurance , and Bernard is just self-important enough to mean he ’s the innovator to break up the code . Only an accident involve an antimatter containment building block would cause all of the scientist ’s grueling piece of work ( and colleagues ) to vaporize in a hassock of fastball .
After heaps of hearings and investigations on the “ CERN Incident , ” Bernard in public testifies that it was extraterrestrial being that spark the monolithic detonation . He believe it was not an intentional attack on the planet , otherwise man would have already been wiped out . UnlikeIndependence Day , the aliens in the Kuiperverse ca n’t be brought down by a PowerBook 5300 , though Medney and Connelly do pull up game elements from other cinematic sci - fi staple for their novel . Like Jodie Foster ’s character in the Carl Sagan inspired movieContact , Bernard is mock , disbelieve , and ascertain to make first liaison with Earth ’s exotic peeper , whom he trust will redeem his name . And like in Nolan ’s heavenly masterpieceInterstellar , the time to come of humanity rests on a " Hail Mary " pass to the principal beyond the Kuiper Belt – only the football game is an advanced spaceship ( dubbed the Nomad in honor of Bernard ’s fallen friend ) run on untried theoretic astrophysics .
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But Bernard ’s quest is only half the story . While the Earthman gathers his varicolored bunch of mastermindsOcean ’s 11style , political turmoil grip the Galactic Star Alliance . For those conversant with theMass Effectvideo biz franchise , the GSA is a governing body of interplanetary civilizations standardized to the Citadel Council . And like the Citadel Council , one of the GSA ’s master functions is to monitor and eventually uplift planets who show potential for interstellar outer space travelling . But the independent question “ Beyond Kuiper ” poses to its readers isn’tcanhumanity touch the principal beyond , but do we even deserve the privilege ? allot to our astronomic neighbors , Earth is a Class - T major planet , meaning it has a prospicient way to go before its people are ripe enough to handle the responsibleness that come with colonizing outer space .
allow the universe of Earth to ruin itself may sound harsh , but there ’s a good understanding the Galactic Star Alliance wo n’t interfere with the affairs of humanity unless we show ourselves desirable . Not every civilization that pass the bar for astronomical promotion measures up to expectation in the end . Some fledgling planets erupt into techno - apocalyptical civil war . Others go on to brutally colonize weak planets . And one subspecies of being even clear Superman - like ability when reveal to extraneous solar radiation syndrome . In the end , it ’s just more logical to allow primitive planets die on their own terms than peril reveal them to technology they can subsequently use to practice mass genocide .
The twofold storytelling can getGame of Throneslevel complicated at times due to “ Beyond Kuiper ” being packed with characters both on Earth and in the uttermost reaches of the galaxy . It has a colourful menagerie of alien societies redolent ofFarscape , but correct under the political backcloth ofStar Trek;wherein Earth is the primitive civilisation under Prime Directive quarantine . Politicians and scientist , both human and otherwise , are the major driving force in this illustrated novel . That said , the write up also sets up the saga ’s primary bad guy Odian Spek – a rogue general of the GSA who looks like an extraterrestrial version of Satan .
Given that terraforming barren planet is well harder than simply pass over out the indigenous population of Class - T planets and recolonizing them , Spek ’s followers believe civilizations like those encounter on Earth are a blight on the universe , wasting precious life - sustaining resource out of sheer stupidity . Odian takes the thematic question a step beyond “ does man deserve the star topology ? ” and boldly asks “ does humankind even deserve Mother Earth ? ” It ’s a interrogative sentence that in the end ends on a cliffhanger , and will be continued in the pageboy of “ The Voyage of the Nomad . ”
For a publishing firm that has leaned in on the fantasy elements of its storytelling , Heavy Metal is putting a lot of time and effort into building the “ Beyond Kuiper ” exposit universe . The publisher even collaborated with Podium Audio ( who previously bring about the audiobook for “ The Martian ” ) to release an Audible adaptation of the novel , complete with yarn by Kyle Perrin and a 20 cartroad scotch that hearken back to the techno - hood pulsation of 1980s sci - fi cinema .
But more than anything , the amount of scientific contingent poured into “ Beyond Kuiper ” is what really stand out . The novel is full of footnotes detail the rich history of its existence - traverse mythology – and you will need to read these footnotes to keep up . The book also comes equipped with illustrated pages of the various drop a line terminology incur within the GSA , star single-valued function of major civilizations , and a timeline detailing events in Earth ’s time to come include World War III , the collapse of First World governments , and the re - election of Donald Trump in 2020 .
If your preferred form of sci - fi is of the sword and sorcery variety , be prepared for Medney and Connelly to drop a college course ’s worth of skill on you . But if strong science fiction is what take fire your FTL movement , then the Kuiperverse will likely be a meet read . BothDark Wing#1and"Beyond Kuiper : The Galactic Star Alliance"can be pre - ordered throughHeavy Metal ; with the comic playscript dropping in October after its initial serialized running ends , and the roughly 300 varlet novel ( complete with oculus - catching painted art by Utku Ozden ) will embark on November 11th .
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