If there’s one quote from science fiction that has haunted me since the day that I first encountered it, that quote must be: “All these worlds are yours, except Europa. Attempt no landing there.”
Of course, we all know it to be from Arthur C. Clark’s widely renown novel, 2010: Odyssey Two.
Still, with scientists stating that the Jupiter moon of Europa surely carries a sea of water under its surface of ice, and, curiosity being a main trait of humankind, warnings aside, who wouldn’t want to land on Europa?
With the just released Ocean/Orbiter Deluxe Edition hardcover, readers get that particular story (Ocean) as well as another science fiction tale involving missing space shuttles and deep space mysteries (Orbiter).
Follow me after the jump for the run-down!
Ocean/Orbiter Deluxe Edition
Written by: Warren Ellis
Illustrated by: Colleen Doran, Chris Sprouse, Karl Story
Published by: Vertigo Comics
I’ve been absolutely loving writer Warren Ellis’ work as he’s jumped from noir to science fiction genres on both Moon Knight from Marvel Comics and Trees from Image Comics recently. You can read a bit about the former here and here and a little about the latter here.
Ellis is no stranger to science or speculative fiction and the two tales of Ocean and Orbiter, although compiled together in this particular compilation, were both originally very differently from one another a number of years ago.
Ok. So, let’s break these stories up a little:
First published as a hardcover graphic novel by Vertigo Comics in 2003, Orbiter, written by Ellis and exquisitely illustrated by Colleen Doran, is a more near-term science fiction tale. It tells the story of the returned-to-earth space shuttle Venture, after having gone missing for a decade. Mysteriously, all crew are missing, save for the catatonic pilot. Making the investigation into the ship’s disappearance even more dizzying is all the onboard alien technology.
Ocean, meanwhile, was first published in 2004 as a six-issue miniseries for Wildstorm, an imprint of DC Comics, with art by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story. Set one hundred years in the future, Ocean investigates the origin of nonhuman artifacts that are discovered in the oceans deep below the surface of Europa.
Oh boy! Remember: “Attempt no landing there.”
It’s great to see these two distinct stories collected into one handsome volume! Make the run to your local comic book shop today and pick up the Ocean/Orbiter Deluxe Edition hardcover – and get your dose of great sci-fi stories!
