10 Billion

[ecosophia]

One of the things I've really appreciated about the reader response to my writings is the way that so many times it's encouraged others to stretch their creative wings. From the deindustrial-SF and Old Solar System anthologies that started as story contests for my readers, through the short stories set in the world of my novel Star's Reach, to a modern dance piece titled Rise and Fall and a couple of metal albums inspired by my writings on the end of the industrial age, among others, it's been a delight to watch other creative minds pick up some of my ideas and run with them into new territory. 

Now that's been taken another step, with the publication of the first graphic novel based on one of my stories, The Next Ten Billion Years. 

10 Billion, by Marcu Knoesen and Darryl Knickrehm, is an astonishingly vivid and effective retelling of my narrative in the language of the contemporary graphic novel. I was delighted to read it in draft, and am even more delighted to announce that it's now available for sale. It's published on Lulu, so should be available everywhere in the world. You can order your copy here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

That's interesting about the metal albums. I've thought for several years now that metal is the genre that sees and celebrates the artistic potentials in the death of industrial society.
-Cliff

[(Anonymous)]

The story was so good! As for the question at the end, for some reason it put me at ease. When I was young, I remember reading one of Issac Asimov's graphic novel called the last question. The story takes the myth of progress to it's extremes where humanity tries to figure out how to survive with the impending heat death of the universe. I remember feeling quite hopeless and a sense of dread towards the end. This story makes me feel the opposite way.

Nomad

[ecosophia]

I had the same reaction to Asimov's story; it was really pretty grim, though of course he didn't see it that way.

[michaeliangray]

I'm glad it wasn't just me, that story was grim from the beginning. It is just such an inorganic way of seeing the universe. It just cannot see humans as anything other than the center of everything.

Of course a lot of folks almost worship it as a holy text of the techno future they desperately crave.

[packshaud]

Oh, Knoesen. He also was involved with this:
https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/33186.html

I'm battling with a problem: so many books to buy. If I want to read them, this is the only option (except for Open Library and similar venues). Of course Brazilian libraries are closed, and most books I read these days are available only in English. I buy localized versions if they are available, to cut costs.

Unfortunately, to be able to buy magic and learning books I had to sacrifice something, and fiction got the short straw. There are enough fiction books for several lifetimes on Internet Archive and Project Gutenberg alone, but new ones are out of reach for now. Currency devaluation and food inflation are eating Brazil alive. Ever more books get out of reach, and this will only get worse as the Long Descent... progresses, so I'm doing triage for now, buying what I can. Again, fiction is a lower priority.

[packshaud]

Posted as a separated comment, to be approved at discretion:

Coupon code WELCOME15 for new Lulu users will provide a 15% discount over the book price, shipping not included.

Will it be featured on Comixology, a popular platform for comics?

[(Anonymous)]

I use Comixlogy for my graphic novel reading. They do have independent publishers that they feature on their platform. Most are individuals seeking have their comics reach a wider audience.

Neptune's Dolphins

[packshaud]

I read the original story again, and there are some minor issues:
1. USGS states that the maximum sea level will be 70 meters above the current one.

2. I know your story was written for a science-minded audience, but what about using magic to create artificial intelligence?

3. I also suspect that nuclear fusion might be possible. Almost out of nowhere--if I can call a series of, at first glance, disparate things I read on internet posts for the last seven days this way--, I started to entertain the possibility that use of nuclear fusion by its long gone intelligent life made Venus what it is today.

[ecosophia]

1) USGS isn't paying attention to paleoclimatology. I based my estimate on where sea level was the last time the Earth had no ice caps.

2) You've been watching too many Harry Potter flicks. Magic is the art and science of causing change in consciousness in accordance with will, not a method for pulling anything you want out of your rump.

3) Me, I'm convinced that Venus is a hothouse planet today because its former intelligent life spent too much time shoveling smoke and generating hot air over promises that fusion power would be practicable in just another twenty years.

Venus

[(Anonymous)]

Not op

If what you say about Venus is true, then what stops earth from becoming a new Venus?

Re: Venus

[ecosophia]

I hope you realize that I was joking.

[packshaud]

Sorry, I forgot to reply in the threaded way; the other comment can be ignored.

1) I see. Thank you.

2) I was thinking about something in the lines of an elaborate thought-form or artificial elemental, designed for a specific purpose. My problem is perhaps subtly different: I watched too much science fiction. Even with the gods perhaps protecting humanity from mistakes, The Fall happened. Before that, demons managed to destroy their universe.

3) I do not want fusion power to be available. Assuming it is possible, it's usage would never stop growing by humans, and the waste heat would get compounded together. Like in the Atlantis story, "walk away or else," that would be it. It would be entertaining to use the idea in a moral tale; a modern version of the Atlantis story.

[(Anonymous)]

3. Not even those that worked their entire life on fusion power believe it will be viable, probably ever (cf. https://thebulletin.org/2018/02/iter-is-a-showcase-for-the-drawbacks-of-fusion-energy/) Studying fusion power, like sending people and stuff to orbit, etc. are dead endeavours. We're still engaged in them as vestiges of our past grandeur - and because they provide good salaries and social status to a certain class of people! - but for all intent and purposes they are drains to society, and won't be sustained for much longer.

Well Worth the Money

[joelcaris]

I had the great pleasure of receiving a review copy of this a short while ago for a review in the final issue of Into the Ruins, which will be available any day now. The review gives more detail, but the basic takeaway is that 10 Billion is fantastic. It's a gorgeous graphic novel, a delight to read, and full of imaginative envisionings of the futures you set out in your story, JMG. I very much so recommend it to all. And I say that as someone who is not a reader of graphic novels.

In fact, I'll be busting my copy out soon for a another re-reading. It's one of those kinds of books.

[avalterra]

Ahhhhh!!!! Classic, I had this idea moment!


AV

Metal Albums?

[branderwydd]

Sorry if this was stated elsewhere; if so, I missed it. Could you tell me the names of the metal albums and the bands that recorded them? I would like to have a listen if I can track them down.

Congratulations and Thanks!

Wayne /|\

Re: Metal Albums?

[ecosophia]

It was about eight years ago and the announcements were on my former blog, The Archdruid Report, which no longer exists. Since metal isn't something I'm into, I didn't keep a list. Sorry!

Yay!

[(Anonymous)]

It's recommended reading for Druid pathwork!!

Re: Yay!

[ecosophia]

You know, I could see that!

Mine is on the way!

[eat_it_all_up]

I'm looking forward to the adaptation; I'm not very visual, and it's always a surprise and delight to see how artists interpret texts. But I'm REALLY looking forward to sharing this book with my 12-year-old son. He's a deep thinker and loves graphic novels; I can't wait to talk this one over with him.
Thanks, JMG, for all the inspiration you spread.
--Heather in CA

Audio Version of 10 B

[wonderingmagic]

Heyyyyy, while we're waiting for this book to arrive in the mail... don't forget that at least two different audio versions of the story are available! I happen to prefer this one, [full disclosure: I'm the narrator and producer]...
although it contains Bardi's version as well as Mr. Greer's, and also a bunch of "cutting-edge" commentary by Michael Garfield. The link is to Patreon, but the audio story is freely downloadable to the public.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/116-next-ten-ugo-27515143

Re: Audio Version of 10 B

[wonderingmagic]

After I requested permission from Mr. Greer to produce the audio story, only many months later did I find that somebody else on Soundcloud had beaten me to it by about a year. Since Mr. Greer didn't mention the previous effort in our correspondence, I don't know for sure if Michael Dowd's version was done with permission or not. I just happened to search Soundcloud for "John Michael Greer" in case there were audio interviews available that I did not already know about. This came up...
https://soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/greer-and-bardi-the-next-10