Wednesday 12 November 2014

So I Read Snowpiercer

A 250 word (or less) review of Snowpiercer and Snowpiercer 2: The Explorers
by Jacques Lob & Jean-Marc Rochette; Benjamin Legrand & Jean-Marc Rochette; English translations by Titan Comics



As our society seems poised to plunge into a terrifying era of inequality and ecological disaster I'm finding that I have a sweet spot for a good old fashion dystopian Science Fiction tale. Snowpiercer is a comic set in a future where the globe has been plunged into an endless ice age and where the paltry human survivors are all trapped on The Snowpiercer, an icebreaker train one thousand and one carriages long that never stops moving. The Snowpiercer is split into rigid carriage classes with radically different access to basic necessities and luxuries and is governed by a ruthless junta ensconced in the first class. In Snowpiercer Vol. 1, Proloff, a member of the wretched steerage class manages to escape into more civilized sections which catalyzes a time of upheaval as classes collide. In Snowpiercer Vol. 2 we learn about the second Snowpiercer train, the functioning of its ruling cabal, and about the brave explorer who discovers a terrible secret in the wastes of the frozen future. Both books are absolute classic works of dystopian Sci-fi that see questions of class and authority studied in an interesting and bleak way. Also, the entire story takes place on a train, which, not to fill an unfortunate stereotype or anything, is pretty rad both as a metaphor for human society and just out of sheer locomotive cache. If you are a diehard fan of dystopian Sci-fi than these are comics you really ought to track down. 

Word count: 245

Post by Michael Bround

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