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Whatever Happened World Tomorrow?

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( 379 ratings, 84 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? chronicles the life of a young boy growing up from the 1939 New York World's Fair to the final Apollo mission in 1975. Told through the lens of a father-son relationship, this graphic novel captures an era filled with optimism, technological leaps, and cultural shifts. Combining comic book adventures of Commander Cap Crater with historical art and photography, Brian Fies offers a rich, evocative journey into half a century of innovation and changing national moods.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This graphic novel suits readers interested in historical narratives, families, and technological evolution, appealing especially to fans of thoughtful comics and graphic storytelling. Its F&P level Y indicates suitability for young adults and adults.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The long-awaited follow-up to "Mom's Cancer" is a unique graphic novel that tells the story of a young boy and his relationship with his father.

An original graphic novel by the award winning author Brian Fies, now in paperback!; 2 Eisner Award nominations: Best Publication Design and Best Lettering. 5 Harvey Award nominations: Best Artist, Best Letterer, Best Colorist, Best Original Graphic Album, and Best Single Issue or Story.; Brian's first book, Mom's Cancer, was critically acclaimed and award winning.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, the long-awaited follow-up to Mom's Cancer, is a unique graphic novel that tells the story of a young boy and his relationship with his father.

Spanning the period from the 1939 New York World's Fair to the last Apollo space mission in 1975, it is told through the eyes of a boy as he grows up in an era that was optimistic and ambitious, fuelled by industry, engines, electricity, rockets, and the atom bomb. An insightful look at relationships and the promise of the future, award-winning author Brian Fies presents his story in a way that only comics and graphic novels can.

Interspersed with the comic book adventures of Commander Cap Crater (created by Fies to mirror the styles of the comics and the time periods he is depicting), and mixing art and historical photographs, this groundbreaking graphic novel is a lively trip through a half-century of technological evolution. It is also a perceptive look at the changing moods of our nationβ€”and the enduring promise of the future.

Praise for Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?

"A graphic novel that looks like TV's 'Futurama' bred with The Golden Age of Comic Books, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? is at times charming, at times sad and foreboding, and always thought-provoking." - Air & Space Smithsonian

"A hopelessly optimistic moon-age daydream" - The Village Voice

"An exceptional and highly engaging experience." - The Miami Herald

"Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? is a very special book that will speak to you on so many levels. And at the end of it, when you sit there and think on what you've just read, it may even make you, like it did me, realise that Fies' vision of our past and his hope for the future is something we can all share in. Quite brilliant." - Richard Bruton, forbiddenplanet.co.uk

F&P level: Y

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Air & Space Smithsonian praised it as "charming, sad and foreboding, and always thought provoking." The Village Voice called it "a hopelessly optimistic moon-age daydream," while The Miami Herald described it as "an exceptional and highly engaging experience." Richard Bruton of forbiddenplanet.co.uk hailed it as "quite brilliant," highlighting its deep emotional resonance and hopeful vision.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781419704413

Publisher: Abrams

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 August 2012

Country: United States

Imprint: Abrams ComicArts

Illustration: 200 colour illustrations

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Brian Fies

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 163.0mm

Height: 252.0mm

Weight: 540g

Pages: 208

About the Author

Brian Fies is a science writer, illustrator, and cartoonist whose widely acclaimed first graphic novel, Mom's Cancer, won the 2005 Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic (the first web comic to win the award and inaugurate this new category), the Lulu Blooker Prize for Best Comic, the Harvey Award for Best New Talent, and the German Youth Literature Prize, among other awards and recognition. He lives in northern California.

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    Early morning on Monday, October 9, 2017, wildfires burned through Northern California, resulting in 44 fatalities. In addition, 6,200 homes and 8,900 structures were destroyed. Author Brian Fies's firsthand account of this tragic event is an honest, unflinching depiction of his personal experiences, including losing his house and every possession he and his wife had that didn't fit into the...
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  • The Last Mechanical Monster
    From Brian Fies, the acclaimed graphic novelist of Mom’s Cancer, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, and A Fire Story, comes a classic comic book adventure for all ages. Decades after being imprisoned for threatening his city with an army of giant robots, an elderly scientist reenters society, only to discover he needs help navigating life in the 21st...
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