Sea of ​​Dreams by Cixin Liu in our graphic novel review – ntower

Art is always in the eye of the beholder, as much as it is a cliched phrase. But what if art becomes a danger to the planet, even to all of humanity? Chinese science fiction author Cixin Liu follows this premise in his short story “Sea of ​​Dreams.” This short story has not yet been published in Germany. The graphic version of the story is now available from Splitter-Verlag.

At the annual ice sculpture competition, people in Yan Dong smile at his inaccessible abstract art. But he uses a special technique for his carvings and does not dig ice blocks in the classical way with tools. This attracts the attention of an object that comes to Earth from space to practice the art of ice sculpture. He calls himself a low-temperature artist and comes from a far place on Earth because the Earth with its vast amount of water is ideally suited for creating more art.

Yan Dong is the only person the being talks to. It gives everyone the cold shoulder. Yan Dong has the opportunity to philosophize and discuss the object about his art and art. However, the creature is designing structures made of ice more and more. Earth’s water supply is running out and humanity is dying of thirst, not to mention the effects of water shortage on the plants and animals of the planet. Will Yan Dong persuade existence to drain the Earth’s water supply, or will higher art triumph over the lives of billions of people?

It wasn’t just this short story that Cixin Liu put science fiction alongside, and sometimes even philosophical, approaches. What can art achieve? Is artwork above the needs of a species, or even an entire planet? Leo doesn’t give a clear answer to this, but as a reader I wouldn’t expect that either. For that reason, I won’t go into the details of the ending either, but I’ll leave the fun of discovering it to you.

Sea of ​​Dreams is an adaptation of the graphic novel by Mexican author Rodolfo Santolo. Since there is no short story in German for comparison in novel form, I can’t make a comparison here, unlike The Wandering Earth. The work was executed visually by painter Jock (heavy metal), who was born in Buenos Aires and little or none of it has been published here in Germany. At first glance, his characters get a little used and aren’t always “nice” to look at, but in the context of an ice sculpture design and low-temperature artist, he can count on a complete and impressing I. The large-scale publication of his artwork fits well with everything that does not have a human figure, and he is really successful.

The graphic novel On the Sea of ​​Dreams is already the third book in a long-running project in which 26 selected artists realize a total of 15 short stories by Cixin Liu as graphic novels. A previously unprecedented collaboration project that highlights Liu’s pioneering visions for the future. All stories are completed and can be read without prior knowledge. In German-speaking countries Splitter Verlag is interested in the releases of the series. The next graphic novel in the “Der Dorflehrer” series also awaits us in November, this time by a Chinese artist.

If you want to have your own picture of artwork by Sea of ​​Dreams, you will find it Here Few impressions on the publisher’s website.

Sea of ​​Dreams Published by Splitter-Verlag, ISBN: 978-3-96792-069-7, 96 pages, hardcover, four colours, €19.80

Order Sea of ​​Dreams by Cixin Liu now at Bücher.de

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Order Sea of ​​Dreams from Cixin Liu now from Amazon

Our online magazine ntower is a member of the affiliate networks Amazon PartnerNet, Awin, Webgains, Media Markt E-Business GmbH and Saturn online GmbH. When ordering via one of our affiliate links, we receive a variable commission from the operator of the respective store. There are no additional costs for end customers.