Future Treasures: Shattered Warrior by Sharon Shinn and Molly Knox Ostertag
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Sharon Shinn is one of our favorite writers around these parts. I know, I know, we have a lot of favorite writers. But do we have fond memories of mobbing them at breakfast with the entire Black Gate staff, as we do with Sharon? No, we do not.
Sharon has published more than 25 novels over the past two decades, including the Samaria series, Twelve Houses series, and the Elemental Blessings novels. Her latest project is a graphic novel with award-winning webcomic artist Molly Knox Ostertag (Strong Female Protagonist), titled Shattered Warrior. Set on a world conquered by the alien Derichets, it tells the tale of Colleen Cavenaugh, who toils in a factory for her alien masters, until the day her home is invaded by an unlikely band of human resistance fighters.
Here’s a scan of the inside flap, and a few sample pages to showcase some of Ostertag’s colorful art and character design.
[Click for bigger images.]
Our recent coverage of Sharon Shinn includes:
Earth, Air, Fire and Water: The Elemental Blessings Series
Royal Airs: A Review by C.S.E. Cooney
Like a Bridge Over (Sharon Shinn’s) Troubled Waters: A Review by C.S.E. Cooney
Shattered Warrior will be published by First Second on May 16, 2017. It is 254 pages, priced at $17.99 in trade paperback. No word yet on a digital edition.
See all our coverage of Comics and Graphic Novels here.
Hmmm…
Well I’ll probably look through it if it is in Barnes and Noble. Make a repeat post then – and give my $0.02 on whether to buy, not buy, wait 6 months for the pile of $1.72+$3.99 shipping on Amazon listings.
Interesting in the light of a recent ‘spacepunk’ discussion earlier – how could there be a resistance to alien invasion… Forget the issue of monitoring, its more likely to be a ‘metallic comet at hyper velocity—‘ emergency broadcast that goes dead as half the earth is obliterated by impact then a grey goo sweeps over the other half before it can worry about freezing – then, decades or centuries later some aliens land on a prepared world, if the nanomachines did not make them also.
BUT – that’s the writing challenge to explain why without having the explanation weigh down the story, no?
But, also, this speaks kind of what Vox and others (like me) criticize against modern P.C., “Progressive”, “Politically Correct” works – that they just take tried and true sci-fi, fantasy, weird fiction tropes and put female and/or non-white characters in lead roles but do nothing to add to the story nor make new, good ones.
The Conanesque Barbarian in me is “Hrrrgggg!!!! Woman!? Woman put in hero warrior’s role!? More P.C. pandering – Bad!” – heh – “real” REH Conan would have slapped me, “Any woman from MY tribe could have cut you in half with a kitchen knife… Besides, you be nice to women because it help you stick your…”
Ultimately, I’m loyal to “The Story” and I like good stories, even if not meant to 100% comply with my choice of niche interests.
So, are you saying that the mere presence of a woman as a protagonist makes it a “progressive” and “politically correct” “pandering” work?
What about Jirel of Joiry?
Mick,
Not at all. However, recent events allied with media propaganda are often just that – Sending a “Progressive”, P.C., Feminist, whatever message by cheaply placing women, non-white characters in cliche stories. It adds nothing to the genre, just steals it to ram a message in – and I feel that message is hate speech against white males.
I’m not for going “No Girlz Allowed” but the approach done is wrong. They did a big shift/lockout in the late 70s/early 80s – mutating the “new wave” into today’s mess. This caused a collapse of book sales due to all the tokenism – stuff printed to fill a niche with far inferior writers. The main group having changing times rubbed in their face in what used to be a passion and escape.
The real irony is that classic SciFi/Fantasy, etc. is not racist. Or rather, most of it was progressive for that time frame. I challenge anyone to read REH’s “Red Nails”. Not PC by any stretch, but both had sword and sorcery tropes by making them then broke them same story.
Relevant to Black Gate, check out posts on “Aurora West”. Neat comic by Paul Pope about a young girl becoming a “Science Hero”. They really propped that up, but didn’t mention its percursor, “Battling Boy”. Really good re-birth of the superhero with tributes to R.I.P. Moebius and Heavy Metal. They mention about every race/gender bent thing; June Carver of Waar (uhh….) Lovecraft Country…. Arrggg…
Again, I am loyal to “The Story” both a good story, an experiment on a story, a variation. I might pick up “Princeless” which though is what I don’t like it’s a good twist on the tale. I actually like and have most of the comics and bought the graphic novels the “Ody-C” the gender-bent classic story in a sci-fy universe. First just an issue to study the artwork but then the rest of it because I was amused then interested.
Anyways, next bookstore trip I’ll read through this if it is there.