Orbiter
Warren Ellis's Orbiter is set on a future Earth. The scene opens on a dilapidated Kennedy Space Center that has become a shanty town. Manned space flight has ended. The worst has happened. A decade earlier the shuttle Venture and her crew vanished without a trace. Space exploration pretty much stopped.
Then suddenly the ship returns, her crew gone but for her captain. He is crazy. The ship is changed. Who will figure out the mystery? The military? The former astronauts? The rocket scientists? The shrink?
The story grips you in the ways that the science fiction from the 1950s did. I am a huge dork about space, space travel and exploration. I'm a wannabe astronaut who would be heartbroken if manned space flight ever truly ended.
I picked up this graphic novel for the same reason that I've picked up so many - Warren Ellis. And he does not disappoint. Orbiter is less of the cutting remarks and weirdness that marks so much of works, such as Transmetropolitan, and more focused on the science fiction story he is creating. Any fan of classic science fiction stories, of Asimov and Sagan, will enjoy Orbiter.
I suggest beginning with Ellis's introduction. It is far from necessary to enjoy the story, but it helps you appreciate where he is coming from. It is dedicated to the astronauts who died in the Columbia accident, and it is clear why. Any accident or problem that occurs with space flight threatens its future. The is a multi-billion dollar venture, and the public is always wary of putting human lives on the line. I feel that Orbiter comes from Ellis's heart, much more that those works that come from his internet surfing and wit. Oh, his wit and humour is still there. It is still a Warren Ellis work. But it feels different.
Orbiter is a must read for any Ellis fan, any sci-fi fan, and any space flight fan. Even people who don't like comics/graphic novels need to read this one. The art work by Colleen Doran is clean and beautiful. Just look at the amazing cover and you'll want to open it up for more.
(image from Amazon.com - buy Orbiter)
