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Phoenix Without Ashes
Harlan Ellison, one of the Grand Masters of science fiction and a multiple Hugo-, Nebula-, and Edgar Award-winner, returns to his roots with the graphic novel, Phoenix Without Ashes. The year is 2785, and Devon, a farmer banished for challenging his community's Elders, discovers a secret that changes everything he knew about the world, leading him on a quest to solve a mystery beyond his understanding before his entire world is destroyed in a cataclysm.
220 pages, Hardcover
First published February 22, 2010
5 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Harlan Ellison
1,076 books2,774 followersHarlan Jay Ellison (1934-2018) was a prolific American writer of short stories, novellas, teleplays, essays, and criticism.
His literary and television work has received many awards. He wrote for the original series of both The Outer Limits and Star Trek as well as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; edited the multiple-award-winning short story anthology series Dangerous Visions; and served as creative consultant/writer to the science fiction TV series The New Twilight Zone and Babylon 5.
Several of his short fiction pieces have been made into movies, such as the classic "The Boy and His Dog".
His literary and television work has received many awards. He wrote for the original series of both The Outer Limits and Star Trek as well as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; edited the multiple-award-winning short story anthology series Dangerous Visions; and served as creative consultant/writer to the science fiction TV series The New Twilight Zone and Babylon 5.
Several of his short fiction pieces have been made into movies, such as the classic "The Boy and His Dog".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
February 6, 2017
A very promising beginning to an intriguing, yet unfinished story. Although this short graphic novel employs your typical three-act structure, it merely hints at a much larger and even more interesting story that, after a quick Google search, I’ve found does not exist. The book, based off a teleplay that Ellison had written, is an introduction to nothing grander than what is contained on these short pages. Still, it is only 4 chapters long, and it doesn’t take much time to read. If you’re a hound for concepts, both big and small, and sometimes use other's ideas as a catalyst for your own, then this little book is still worth the investment.
October 15, 2012
so the question is, would i have picked up this lil graphic novel if i'd known ahead of time that it wasn't a complete story? or even a volume 1? hard to say. but prolly not. this is apparently a graphic novelization of a television script penned by ellison for a sci-fi tv show that was apparently so bad it didn't even survive in canada.
ok - if you'd told me THAT and handed me the book - yeah. i'd've read it.
harlan ellison's bread and butter is short works. i feel like his stories work better when there's less to explain. this genre however doesn't seem to do him justice. everything feels half-rendered. the way ellison writes short stories is to present the plot and then run full speed ahead to the conclusion. it's fun, it's energetic, and it makes me want to read another story immediately after finishing. but here? in the world of graphical story-telling? it's missing the same urgency.
i don't wanna get too negative, since this isn't a bad book by any stretch. and really, if you're into ellison and short stories, why NOT check it out? but i'm not gonna say it's good either.
ok - if you'd told me THAT and handed me the book - yeah. i'd've read it.
harlan ellison's bread and butter is short works. i feel like his stories work better when there's less to explain. this genre however doesn't seem to do him justice. everything feels half-rendered. the way ellison writes short stories is to present the plot and then run full speed ahead to the conclusion. it's fun, it's energetic, and it makes me want to read another story immediately after finishing. but here? in the world of graphical story-telling? it's missing the same urgency.
i don't wanna get too negative, since this isn't a bad book by any stretch. and really, if you're into ellison and short stories, why NOT check it out? but i'm not gonna say it's good either.
December 23, 2016
Harlan Ellison originally conceived this as the plot for a television series. His script for Phoenix Without Ashes, eventually became the short-lived, STAR LOST in 1973. Due to the number of changes made to his concept Ellison had his name removed from the credits, using the pseudonym, Cordwainer Bird. The original teleplay, which is here adapted by Ellison, won the Best Original Screenplay award from the Writers Guild of America the following year. This adaptation published by IDW was written by the author with art by Alan Robinson.
Devon has doubts about Cypress Corners, where he was born and raised. It is 300 miles across and the sky is metal. The Elders tell the people that Rachel, who Devon have always loved, must marry Garth, who does not love her. This is confirmed by "God" who speaks to the congregation through a machine. One day Devon discovers that it is the Elders who dictate the words that "God" says and the world they live in may be one of many others, drifting in space. Devon seeks a way out for Rachel and himself, but the Elders are not happy.
I barely remember Star Lost, but don't recall it being quite as bad as some folks say. I'd probably have to find it somewhere to judge it properly.
Devon has doubts about Cypress Corners, where he was born and raised. It is 300 miles across and the sky is metal. The Elders tell the people that Rachel, who Devon have always loved, must marry Garth, who does not love her. This is confirmed by "God" who speaks to the congregation through a machine. One day Devon discovers that it is the Elders who dictate the words that "God" says and the world they live in may be one of many others, drifting in space. Devon seeks a way out for Rachel and himself, but the Elders are not happy.
I barely remember Star Lost, but don't recall it being quite as bad as some folks say. I'd probably have to find it somewhere to judge it properly.
February 3, 2020
This is the comic adaptation of the novelization of the original script of the pilot for a failed television series. It's about a young man named Devon who is a member of an 18th century agrarian community ruled by a computer that speaks the voice of God, as interpreted by the village elder.
Devon soon discovers that the world he lives in is actually a small pod of a generation starship, carrying the remnants of the human race. After hundreds years have passed, none of the residents of this pod know they are in a spaceship. They believe the entire world is 300 miles long and it is blasphemy to suggest otherwise.
So basically, it's just Plato's Allegory of the Cave with a slight sci-fi twist. Presumably, Ellison was just using this is as a premise for adventures where Devon explores the different worlds within the ship, but we never got that. As it is, its fine but nothing special.
Devon soon discovers that the world he lives in is actually a small pod of a generation starship, carrying the remnants of the human race. After hundreds years have passed, none of the residents of this pod know they are in a spaceship. They believe the entire world is 300 miles long and it is blasphemy to suggest otherwise.
So basically, it's just Plato's Allegory of the Cave with a slight sci-fi twist. Presumably, Ellison was just using this is as a premise for adventures where Devon explores the different worlds within the ship, but we never got that. As it is, its fine but nothing special.
May 23, 2017
Premise: B+
Execution: D-
This comic also has the "everybody looks like the main character" syndrome.
Maaaaaaaybe I will read the second volume. Probably won't though.
Execution: D-
This comic also has the "everybody looks like the main character" syndrome.
Maaaaaaaybe I will read the second volume. Probably won't though.
February 8, 2024
This is the excellent graphic novel version of the excellent novelized version Ellison co-wrote with Edward Bryant.
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"If you haven't read Harlan Ellison, you haven't read." ~ Richard Halasz
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"If you haven't read Harlan Ellison, you haven't read." ~ Richard Halasz
January 17, 2019
I enjoyed this book. It has a lot of really good ideas, I loved that they are on an ark ship. I wish they would do more with it but I don't see them doing anything with it since Ellison has died.
April 16, 2015
In 1973, Harlan Ellison wrote a pilot script “Phoenix Without Ashes” which he hoped would launch a groundbreaking 8-episode science fiction miniseries on television. Instead, due to repeated mismanagement and interference from the producers, it became one of the worst series ever—the now infamous THE STARLOST, which lasted only one season on NBC/CTV.
Ellison quit the project before the first episode was filmed. The actual show that aired was much different than what he wrote. (His successor Ben Bova eventually quit the production as well, and later wrote the comedic novel THE STARCROSSED loosely based on their experiences.)
Twenty-seven years later, this graphic novel finally gives us a visual glimpse-much grander than could have been done in 1973 anyway—of what could have been. The story hews close to the original script; the artwork is bold and memorable. If this story had been filmed correctly with high production values, good acting, and writers who understood science fiction, this could have been an excellent show, much better than its contemporaries like Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers.
Unfortunately, the narrative here feels very thin, and it ends with all the major story lines unresolved. This makes sense—a tv pilot is supposed to establish characters, introduce a central conflict, and then leave the viewer wanting to tune it next week. For the graphic novel, I wish Ellison had finished the entire original 8-episode arc that was envisioned. Without it, rather than a complete and satisfying tale, this is essentially nothing more than a wistful longing for what could have been.
This story is also available in other formats: Ellison and his friend Edward Bryant adapted the script into a novel in 1975, which has recently come back into print as a Kindle book. The novel does a better job developing the characters’ relationships and motivations, but the comic book thankfully omits the novel’s hokey dream sequences and one awkward superfluous death scene at the end.
Ellison has also reprinted the teleplay itself a few times, most recently in HARLAN ELLISON’S BRAIN MOVIES VOLUME 2.
Ellison quit the project before the first episode was filmed. The actual show that aired was much different than what he wrote. (His successor Ben Bova eventually quit the production as well, and later wrote the comedic novel THE STARCROSSED loosely based on their experiences.)
Twenty-seven years later, this graphic novel finally gives us a visual glimpse-much grander than could have been done in 1973 anyway—of what could have been. The story hews close to the original script; the artwork is bold and memorable. If this story had been filmed correctly with high production values, good acting, and writers who understood science fiction, this could have been an excellent show, much better than its contemporaries like Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers.
Unfortunately, the narrative here feels very thin, and it ends with all the major story lines unresolved. This makes sense—a tv pilot is supposed to establish characters, introduce a central conflict, and then leave the viewer wanting to tune it next week. For the graphic novel, I wish Ellison had finished the entire original 8-episode arc that was envisioned. Without it, rather than a complete and satisfying tale, this is essentially nothing more than a wistful longing for what could have been.
This story is also available in other formats: Ellison and his friend Edward Bryant adapted the script into a novel in 1975, which has recently come back into print as a Kindle book. The novel does a better job developing the characters’ relationships and motivations, but the comic book thankfully omits the novel’s hokey dream sequences and one awkward superfluous death scene at the end.
Ellison has also reprinted the teleplay itself a few times, most recently in HARLAN ELLISON’S BRAIN MOVIES VOLUME 2.
June 17, 2011
I am a huge fan of the original series of Star Trek, so of course when I first saw that this book was written by the legendary Harlen Ellison, my mind immediately went to the episode “The City on the Edge of Forever” (perhaps the best episode of Star Trek ever created, in my opinion). Phoenix Without Ashes was no “City on the Edge of Forever,” but it still wasn’t bad.
As an art major, I always tend to pay more attention to the art then most when I’m reading a graphic novel, and this book was no different. I really appreciated the classic approach to pen and ink techniques, which sometimes is lacking in comic books since the usage of digital art has become more prevalent. The vision of artist Alan Robinson, in particular concerning the large biospheres in the end of the novel, is absolutely beautiful and conveys the massive scale on which the story is told very well.
Unfortunately, just as the story started to get going, the graphic part of the novel ended, as this was just the first episode in a series that would never get going. While I thoroughly enjoyed the part that was written in comic form, I was less impressed with Harlen Ellison’s long rant about how it was everyone’s fault except his that his series was a television failure. If anything, it cheapened the book, and made the entire experience less enjoyable.
Overall, this is a good read for sci-fi fans, with the first third of the book filled with great art. I would give it 3 ½ stars of five.
This galley was provided by NetGalley for reviewing purposes.
As an art major, I always tend to pay more attention to the art then most when I’m reading a graphic novel, and this book was no different. I really appreciated the classic approach to pen and ink techniques, which sometimes is lacking in comic books since the usage of digital art has become more prevalent. The vision of artist Alan Robinson, in particular concerning the large biospheres in the end of the novel, is absolutely beautiful and conveys the massive scale on which the story is told very well.
Unfortunately, just as the story started to get going, the graphic part of the novel ended, as this was just the first episode in a series that would never get going. While I thoroughly enjoyed the part that was written in comic form, I was less impressed with Harlen Ellison’s long rant about how it was everyone’s fault except his that his series was a television failure. If anything, it cheapened the book, and made the entire experience less enjoyable.
Overall, this is a good read for sci-fi fans, with the first third of the book filled with great art. I would give it 3 ½ stars of five.
This galley was provided by NetGalley for reviewing purposes.
March 12, 2017
Meh.
I'm not sure what inspired me to put this on hold at my library, but something did, and it arrived, and I read it, and it was okay. The idea isn't exactly new (see Inside Out, Titan, and Caldé of the Long Sun, just to name three off the top of my head), and the art isn't exactly phenomenal (everyone has huge eyebrows, it's like they are all James Charles
so I wasn't particularly blown away. And really, this isn't a story or a graphic novel, it's more of a story-boarded idea to pitch to a network. Yeah, yeah, cool idea, bro. Now where's the actual story? The only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one is because the idea of a far future humanity is catnip for me.
I'm not sure what inspired me to put this on hold at my library, but something did, and it arrived, and I read it, and it was okay. The idea isn't exactly new (see Inside Out, Titan, and Caldé of the Long Sun, just to name three off the top of my head), and the art isn't exactly phenomenal (everyone has huge eyebrows, it's like they are all James Charles
so I wasn't particularly blown away. And really, this isn't a story or a graphic novel, it's more of a story-boarded idea to pitch to a network. Yeah, yeah, cool idea, bro. Now where's the actual story? The only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one is because the idea of a far future humanity is catnip for me.
May 16, 2011
Once upon a time, Harlan Ellison wrote a TV pilot about a generation ship that had been traveling for so long that all its inhabitants had forgotten where they'd come from and where they were going. It originally aired as the zero-budget Canadian show The Starlost, which bore little resemblance to Ellison's vision.
Phoenix Without Ashes is that original pilot, now seeing the light of day in comic book form. It's an excellent beginning, but for the moment that's all it is. Hopefully there will be more volumes on the way, because as it stands, this graphic novel is all loose ends with no resolution. Someone give IDW a lot of money so I can find out what happens next.
Phoenix Without Ashes is that original pilot, now seeing the light of day in comic book form. It's an excellent beginning, but for the moment that's all it is. Hopefully there will be more volumes on the way, because as it stands, this graphic novel is all loose ends with no resolution. Someone give IDW a lot of money so I can find out what happens next.
July 9, 2018
The story behind Phoenix Without Ashes is almost as important as the story itself.
In 1973, famed science fiction author Harlan Ellison was hired to write a television series to be called The Starlost. The producers did not stick very closely to Ellison's vision and Ellison ended up taking his name off of the pilot episode. Only 16 episodes of the series were shot, and it disappeared into obscurity.
But Ellison didn't completely let his story die. In 1975, writer Edward Bryant adapted Ellison's original pilot script into a novel called Phoenix Without Ashes. Although it was positioned at the time as book one in a series, no other volumes were ever published.
Flash forward and now we have Phoenix Without Ashes, the graphic novel, which adapts Ellison's screenplay and Bryant's novel into comics form. Ellison himself is credited as creator and writer of the graphic novel, although there is nothing to indicate he actually scripted the comic book version. The art chores are handled by Alan Robinson, who provides some lovely layouts and linework, and colorist Kote Carvajal, whose tones make the book shine.
So what's the story of Phoenix Without Ashes? It starts with a young Amish man named Devon, who lives in a tiny community just a few hundred miles wide that no one ever leaves. Devon is in love with a young woman named Rachel and wants to marry her, but the Elders who rule his community have promised her to another. That conflict leads Devon to rebel against his leaders, which puts him on the run as he uncovers a terrible truth: that the machine that supposedly dictates the will of God to the Elders and the community is nothing less than a lie.
As Devon runs, he discovers something else. His community's tiny world is just that--a fake world in a steel bubble, attached by a secret corridor to a large ship (an ark) full of other bubbles (biospheres) carrying other, isolated communities, none of whom know that the larger ship or the other inhabitants even exist.
What's worse, Devon finds that the ship's crew have long since died, their homeworld of Earth has been destroyed by some unknown disaster, and the ship is off course, heading into the heart of a nova that will in a few years destroy all aboard.
It's a well-told story, full of danger and mystery, and unfortunately, that's also the main problem with this book. Since it's adapted from Ellison's original pilot script, which was intended to start a long TV series on its multiseason path, this graphic novel is all setup. It's the beginning of a much larger story intended to go on for many more chapters, if not many more years. All of the conflict is established, but nothing is resolved.
And nearly 40 years after the original airing of The Starlost, it appears that nothing in this story ever will be resolved. IDW published this book in 2011 and has yet to announce a second volume. That's a shame. A lot of work obviously went into Phoenix Without Ashes, and it's a pretty, engaging portion of a story, but it's not a complete book, and probably never will be. Too bad. It would have been nice to see this phoenix finally rise. Alas, it's nothing but a ghost of what could have been.
In 1973, famed science fiction author Harlan Ellison was hired to write a television series to be called The Starlost. The producers did not stick very closely to Ellison's vision and Ellison ended up taking his name off of the pilot episode. Only 16 episodes of the series were shot, and it disappeared into obscurity.
But Ellison didn't completely let his story die. In 1975, writer Edward Bryant adapted Ellison's original pilot script into a novel called Phoenix Without Ashes. Although it was positioned at the time as book one in a series, no other volumes were ever published.
Flash forward and now we have Phoenix Without Ashes, the graphic novel, which adapts Ellison's screenplay and Bryant's novel into comics form. Ellison himself is credited as creator and writer of the graphic novel, although there is nothing to indicate he actually scripted the comic book version. The art chores are handled by Alan Robinson, who provides some lovely layouts and linework, and colorist Kote Carvajal, whose tones make the book shine.
So what's the story of Phoenix Without Ashes? It starts with a young Amish man named Devon, who lives in a tiny community just a few hundred miles wide that no one ever leaves. Devon is in love with a young woman named Rachel and wants to marry her, but the Elders who rule his community have promised her to another. That conflict leads Devon to rebel against his leaders, which puts him on the run as he uncovers a terrible truth: that the machine that supposedly dictates the will of God to the Elders and the community is nothing less than a lie.
As Devon runs, he discovers something else. His community's tiny world is just that--a fake world in a steel bubble, attached by a secret corridor to a large ship (an ark) full of other bubbles (biospheres) carrying other, isolated communities, none of whom know that the larger ship or the other inhabitants even exist.
What's worse, Devon finds that the ship's crew have long since died, their homeworld of Earth has been destroyed by some unknown disaster, and the ship is off course, heading into the heart of a nova that will in a few years destroy all aboard.
It's a well-told story, full of danger and mystery, and unfortunately, that's also the main problem with this book. Since it's adapted from Ellison's original pilot script, which was intended to start a long TV series on its multiseason path, this graphic novel is all setup. It's the beginning of a much larger story intended to go on for many more chapters, if not many more years. All of the conflict is established, but nothing is resolved.
And nearly 40 years after the original airing of The Starlost, it appears that nothing in this story ever will be resolved. IDW published this book in 2011 and has yet to announce a second volume. That's a shame. A lot of work obviously went into Phoenix Without Ashes, and it's a pretty, engaging portion of a story, but it's not a complete book, and probably never will be. Too bad. It would have been nice to see this phoenix finally rise. Alas, it's nothing but a ghost of what could have been.
June 20, 2023
Nemrég újra belenéztem egy obskúrus kanadat tévésorozatba, ami a hetvenes évek közepén készült, és The Starlost a címe. Nem egy filmtörténeti remekmű, inkább ne kérdezzétek, miért van ilyenekből egész gyűjteményem.
Ez a képregény a pilot epizód egy változata, és elég érdekes a története. A neves sci-fi szerzőt, Harlan Ellisont felkérték egy sorozat forgatókönyvének megírására, a dolog jól indult, de aztán technikai problémák és pénzhiány miatt köbgyököt kellett vonni a kezdeti ígéretekből, és Ellison lelépett, még a stáblistán is lecseréltette a nevét egyik álnevére, a "Cordwainer Smith"-re. De az eredeti ötlet annyira tetszett neki, hogy végül kiadta a tervezett forgatókönyvet, sőt, egy képregényváltozat elkészítéséhez is hozzájárult.
A sztori tényleg nem rossz: egy fundamentalista közösség él egy zárt, mindössze ötven mérföldre kiterjedő "világban", szigorú szabályok szerint, amiket az "öregek" (elders) közvetítenek magától a teremtőtől. Egy mindent megkérdőjelező fiatalember fenyegeti csak a status quót, őt éppen félreállítanák az útból, amikor sikerül elmenekülnie, és rájön, hogy a világ sokkal nagyobb, mint azt a közösség gondolná, sok-sok, elszigetelten fejlődő vagy éppen vegetáló közösségből áll, ezek mind a végzetük felé tartanak egy hatalmas űrhajón.
A képregény erős közepes, a karakterek elég elnagyoltak, de van néhány érdekes, dinamikus oldal. A sztorit érdemes díjazni, a megvalósítást nem annyira.
Egyébként az alapötletet sokan feldolgozták azóta, legutóbb a Passengers, sok pénzből, látványosan és sztárokkal. Az eredeti sorozatban csak Keir Dullea neve lehet ismerős, ő volt a 2001: Űrodüsszeia főszereplője.
Ez a képregény a pilot epizód egy változata, és elég érdekes a története. A neves sci-fi szerzőt, Harlan Ellisont felkérték egy sorozat forgatókönyvének megírására, a dolog jól indult, de aztán technikai problémák és pénzhiány miatt köbgyököt kellett vonni a kezdeti ígéretekből, és Ellison lelépett, még a stáblistán is lecseréltette a nevét egyik álnevére, a "Cordwainer Smith"-re. De az eredeti ötlet annyira tetszett neki, hogy végül kiadta a tervezett forgatókönyvet, sőt, egy képregényváltozat elkészítéséhez is hozzájárult.
A sztori tényleg nem rossz: egy fundamentalista közösség él egy zárt, mindössze ötven mérföldre kiterjedő "világban", szigorú szabályok szerint, amiket az "öregek" (elders) közvetítenek magától a teremtőtől. Egy mindent megkérdőjelező fiatalember fenyegeti csak a status quót, őt éppen félreállítanák az útból, amikor sikerül elmenekülnie, és rájön, hogy a világ sokkal nagyobb, mint azt a közösség gondolná, sok-sok, elszigetelten fejlődő vagy éppen vegetáló közösségből áll, ezek mind a végzetük felé tartanak egy hatalmas űrhajón.
A képregény erős közepes, a karakterek elég elnagyoltak, de van néhány érdekes, dinamikus oldal. A sztorit érdemes díjazni, a megvalósítást nem annyira.
Egyébként az alapötletet sokan feldolgozták azóta, legutóbb a Passengers, sok pénzből, látványosan és sztárokkal. Az eredeti sorozatban csak Keir Dullea neve lehet ismerős, ő volt a 2001: Űrodüsszeia főszereplője.
February 16, 2019
The biggest spoiler that I can give you for this book is that the basic premise derives from a screenplay that Harlan Ellison wrote for the pilot episode of a TV show back in the 1970s.
Just the pilot episode.....
So what do you have is a well executed graphic novel with a plausible set up, an interesting premise, strong characters, and a cliffhanger ending that will never go anywhere.
If you have seen the ending to the Spiderman Homecoming movie, featuring Captain America, you will know that sometimes disappointment can be funny.
This is not one of those times.
I give it three stars because it was executed well and written well. I took away two stars from a five star total because the ending could have been supplied by the amazing Mr. Allison and he chose not to do so. It is probably his last sick joke on all of fandom.
It makes me very grateful that Stephen King “finished” the Gunslinger novels (even though he keeps writing them). Sometimes it’s good for a story to have an ending. I would say usually in fact.
Just the pilot episode.....
So what do you have is a well executed graphic novel with a plausible set up, an interesting premise, strong characters, and a cliffhanger ending that will never go anywhere.
If you have seen the ending to the Spiderman Homecoming movie, featuring Captain America, you will know that sometimes disappointment can be funny.
This is not one of those times.
I give it three stars because it was executed well and written well. I took away two stars from a five star total because the ending could have been supplied by the amazing Mr. Allison and he chose not to do so. It is probably his last sick joke on all of fandom.
It makes me very grateful that Stephen King “finished” the Gunslinger novels (even though he keeps writing them). Sometimes it’s good for a story to have an ending. I would say usually in fact.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2020
This is a graphic novel adaptation of Harlan Ellison's TV script, which was turned into The Starlost; the story behind that was turned into the story “Somehow, I Don’t Think We’re in Kansas, Toto," which is an brutal indictment of television development.
This adaptation may be an attempt to show what could have been; if so, I don't think it makes its argument fully. The concept, an escapee from a conservative enclave discovers he's on a space ark, has been done many times since, and this really doesn't do much to distinguish itself. The art in the spaceship portions is nice, but the story spends a lot of time in a Quaker-inspired region and the character work there is only average. While the concept has promise, there's nothing in the execution that screams out how much the world lost with its ultimate execution. This is an interesting time capsule, but I would actually recommend Ellison's story about the failure of the show over the production itself (either the TV movie, or this adaptation).
This adaptation may be an attempt to show what could have been; if so, I don't think it makes its argument fully. The concept, an escapee from a conservative enclave discovers he's on a space ark, has been done many times since, and this really doesn't do much to distinguish itself. The art in the spaceship portions is nice, but the story spends a lot of time in a Quaker-inspired region and the character work there is only average. While the concept has promise, there's nothing in the execution that screams out how much the world lost with its ultimate execution. This is an interesting time capsule, but I would actually recommend Ellison's story about the failure of the show over the production itself (either the TV movie, or this adaptation).
August 19, 2022
Nice art but only being four chapters it was a bit on the anemic side. It's a good jumping off point and could easily be spun out into a 12-issues maxi-series with this as the introductory part that gets the story of exploration going.
I've seen all but the last episode of "Starlost", which was based on the original treatment/story by Ellison from which this was drawn. I remember that it started out really good, but fell in quality in the second half of the short season. Lots of potential there that could be done so well today (hint, hint Hollywood types looking for an original idea).
Now I guess I should find the book so that I can read Ellison's essay on the trials and tribulations from trying to get TV execs to listen to his ideas and how all his insights were ignored.
I've seen all but the last episode of "Starlost", which was based on the original treatment/story by Ellison from which this was drawn. I remember that it started out really good, but fell in quality in the second half of the short season. Lots of potential there that could be done so well today (hint, hint Hollywood types looking for an original idea).
Now I guess I should find the book so that I can read Ellison's essay on the trials and tribulations from trying to get TV execs to listen to his ideas and how all his insights were ignored.
October 5, 2018
The movies are wrong. It doesn’t matter if you show them the man behind the curtain. They’ve willfully believed what they have believed for so long, they turn their ears away from truth and turn aside to fables.
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Timely story in the tradition of Harlan Ellison.
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Timely story in the tradition of Harlan Ellison.
June 16, 2018
Ellison had a rough go getting his script for The Starlost to the small screen, and eventually had his name stricken from the credits due to what he felt was the producers' dumbing it down. This graphic novel by IDW draws from his pilot episode. The tale is a worthy entry in the storied generation ship subgenre. The stock characters and abrupt ending left me wanting more, though.
April 28, 2024
The premise is interesting. 2785AD, a religious agrarian community produced a young man who asks questions. Why is the sky metal? Why does the machine god choose marriage unions not based on love? And he of course learns why mankind is so reduced.
The art is solid but boring, the characters one-dimensional, and the story even unfinished. It isn't bad, it isn't that good either though.
The art is solid but boring, the characters one-dimensional, and the story even unfinished. It isn't bad, it isn't that good either though.
September 30, 2017
This is an introduction to a wider and grander story that never got off the ground. Too bad as this one was enjoyable, with an interesting setting. Characters and art were flat, but both could have flourished in later volumes.
April 2, 2018
This is good, very pretty and a fascinating concept, but it feels unfinished and as far as I can see there’s no sequel? I could be wrong. If there is, 5 stars all the way. But if it is a stand alone, it doesn’t quite work.
November 17, 2018
This is a great beginning to a graphic novel that was never completed. It’s sad that Ellison didn’t continue it. I definitely would have read the next chapters.
December 25, 2018
I think this was the first volume in a story meant to be a series. I'd like to know how it ends but unfortunately for me, the remaining volumes are not included in my library's Overdrive collection.
August 5, 2020
It seemed to just end without an ending. Maybe there is another volume or a sequel? Even if there is, I don't care that much.
November 14, 2021
It reminded me of the Star Trek episode, "For the World is Hollow and I've Touched the Sky," but I enjoyed this variation.
March 4, 2022
I really enjoyed this comic story and wish that it was a lot longer than it was. I need more.
September 7, 2024
Great premise, poor execution, maybe mostly because it looks like a 1st volume without continuation.
And I'm not a big fan of the drawings.
And I'm not a big fan of the drawings.
April 19, 2025
This would have been a great television series if they had let Harlan Ellison stay on the project.
May 30, 2025
Great start of an idea, but my copy stops just as the story starts. Hopefully, there is more.
July 24, 2011
I'm torn on this one. I honestly didn't realize that this was based on a series that flopped, until I read a few other reviews. I know that this wasn't specifically my cup of tea, but I'll explain what I did and did not like as best I can.
The illustrations are detailed, and there is a nice use of light vs. dark to depict the overall tone of each page. In terms of setting, I'd relate it most closely to an Amish homestead. I believe John K. Snyder III is the illustrator, if I'm correct. He does a great job of showing the simplicity in which these people live. As the story progresses and things take a turn for the odd, the panels are more and more detailed and lovely. I really enjoyed Phoenix Without Ashes in this respect.
It was the story where things fell short for me. Devon's character wasn't really fleshed out very well at all, and a lot of the story was rushed through so quickly I felt confused. I really didn't get to know Devon at all. Except of course that he was a heretic and in love with a woman he shouldn't want. I know this is a graphic novel and that means there isn't as much room for story, supposedly. Really though, there is. I've read many a graphic novel where the sparse words and beautiful illustrations marry together to form a cohesive and wonderful experience. This one just didn't do that for me.
Final verdict? It was a good read, but not something I'll pursue further into the series. I would still recommend it to those of you who have an interest in Fantasy/Science Fiction graphic novels. It might be more your cup of tea than mine!
The illustrations are detailed, and there is a nice use of light vs. dark to depict the overall tone of each page. In terms of setting, I'd relate it most closely to an Amish homestead. I believe John K. Snyder III is the illustrator, if I'm correct. He does a great job of showing the simplicity in which these people live. As the story progresses and things take a turn for the odd, the panels are more and more detailed and lovely. I really enjoyed Phoenix Without Ashes in this respect.
It was the story where things fell short for me. Devon's character wasn't really fleshed out very well at all, and a lot of the story was rushed through so quickly I felt confused. I really didn't get to know Devon at all. Except of course that he was a heretic and in love with a woman he shouldn't want. I know this is a graphic novel and that means there isn't as much room for story, supposedly. Really though, there is. I've read many a graphic novel where the sparse words and beautiful illustrations marry together to form a cohesive and wonderful experience. This one just didn't do that for me.
Final verdict? It was a good read, but not something I'll pursue further into the series. I would still recommend it to those of you who have an interest in Fantasy/Science Fiction graphic novels. It might be more your cup of tea than mine!
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