Science Fiction

by Joe Ollmann

What would you do if someone you trusted asked you to believe what you thought was impossible? When high school science teacher and pragmatic realist Mark is inexplicably drawn to renting a cheesy sc-fi flick, it sets in motion a chain of events that makes him rethink everything he has ever believed. After a hysterical breakdown while watching the movie, he reveals to Sue, his longtime girlfriend, that he suddenly remembers being abducted as a child… by aliens. He becomes obsessed with alien-abduction chat rooms and stops leaving the house. As Mark becomes more heavily immersed in his inner world, their relationship slowly disintegrates. All he wants is for her to believe him. But how can she believe him, when it’s just science fiction after all? Joe Ollmann, winner of a Doug Wright Award, has created another page-turner of a graphic novel – a book that is not science fiction, but at the same time asks us to believe.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Canada, Fiction, Comix

120 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Joe Ollmann lives in Hamilton, the Riviera of Southern Ontario. He is the winner of the Doug Wright Award for Best Book in 2007 and loser of the same award another time.

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic comic by Joe Ollmann... now to seek out everything else he's ever done and re-read Midlife.

This one is about a young couple, dating for 6 years - Mark a square, pragmatic science teacher and Sue who works at a supermarket. During their regular date night, drinking boxed wine, eating take-out, and watching rental movies... Mark, who only reads non-fiction, decides against his character to rent a trashy sci-fi about alien abductions. During the movie he has a complete mental breakdown as he remembers he was abducted by aliens!

The result is a breakdown in the relationship as Sue doesn't believe Mark's story and just wants him to seek therapy, but Mark neglects work and starts spending all his time engaging in online forums where other supposed abductees hang-out.

Ollmann has an incredible attention to detail. Each panel just makes sense. The characters come to life on the page.

I will say at just over 100 pages, this does feel a bit short and the ending was a bit of a let-down. I think it could have been expanded.

[Mark Desrosiers · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when a basic premise of your relationship -- that you and your partner share a rational, cynical worldview -- is suddenly taken away? This charming, melancholy tale is a typically indeterminate Ollmann examination of such a situation, and it's a stunner. While watching a bad SF flick with his girlfriend Sue, pragmatic science teacher Mark suddenly remembers that he was once abducted by aliens, and thereupon loses his marbles, or so it seems. Problem is, Sue can't possibly believe that this ever happened. Even feigning belief is beyond her, and so the dissipation and emotional alienation begins. Great dialogue, and Ollman is a master of existential facial contortions.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Joe Ollmann's second longer-form work -- as opposed to collections of individual, shorter stories -- and it's quite different from his previous graphic novel, Mid-Life. First off, this one doesn't have a semi-autobiographical feel to it, as the author points out in his humorous afterword or note that comes at the end. Ollmann takes a fairly contained premise -- What would happen if a science-minded individual suddenly believed that he had been abducted by extraterrestrials earlier in life, but had been repressing the memories? -- and then explores the consequences and ramifications. My initial impression was that this is the stuff of a great short story -- and Ollmann is a master of short-story form comics -- and that teasing it out over a longer work might not work. But the more I think about this, the more I can see it as a longer-form work, or graphic novel. And as with many of Ollmann's narratives, this one ends on an equivocal and even uncertain note, leaving ample room for contemplation and potential analysis. That's one of his most impressive qualities as a writer. And one of many.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deceivingly dark story about a relationship pushed to its limits because of a shortage of trust/communication/compassion.

A largely skeptical science teacher has flashbacks of an alien abduction, triggered by a direct-to-video sci-fi B-movie he rents on a whim. The flashbacks get clearer and more complicated with time. His girlfriend is convinced he's delusional, or simply hiding a greater, more likely trauma (molestation comes up multiple times) and all he wants is her unquestioning belief that what he's saying is fact.

What happens when neither person is listening to what the other is really saying?

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always have trouble with stories that don't resolve, but as stories go I'm glad this one didn't. It wasn't a fun read, really, but it definitely made me think. The lack of a satisfying conclusion (What does the couple end up doing? How do they move forward? What really happened to him? Are alien abductions real? Is there any way to resolve a situation like this while keeping trust intact?) really lets all those creepy uncertainties get way under your skin, which definitely makes this a successful project. Glad I picked it up at TCAF, and it definitely made me want to read Ollmann's longer stuff.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2015...

[Williwaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ollman's drawing style is primitive and cartoonish, but nevertheless has an understated power. The three colors are muted: black, white, and a dull brown.

The storytelling is skillful. On the surface, it's about alien abduction, but on a deeper level, it's about human relationships and where we draw the line between nonconformity and insanity.

I recently read about half of another work by Ollman: The Abominable Mr. Seabrook. Not sure why I failed to finish it. It's very interesting but at various times his lettering strained my old eyes. I'll have to get back to it!

[Jane Mulkewich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another graphic novel by Joe Ollman, this one is an interesting story about a crisis in belief for two people in a relationship for the last six years: Sue and Mark. Mark is a high school science teacher who scoffs at all things that are like science fiction (he only likes science fact); until one night watching a movie he has a breakdown and believes he has a repressed memory of being abducted by aliens as a child. As the weeks go by, Sue wants him to see a doctor but he won't. Will their relationship survive?

[Stephen Stroud · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a book on the relationship between the two main characters than anything UFO related but still a decent read. The relationship drama is well written and easy to identify with. Would’ve like more of a payoff with the alien stuff.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://algonquinsidetable.com/review-...

Science Fiction is the brand new graphic novel from Doug Wright Award-winner Joe Ollmann (remember his brilliant daily comics I posted about?) The book follows Mark, a cynical high school science teacher who can’t stand anything sci-fi, as he undergoes a crisis of belief. A shitty B-movie triggers what Mark thinks is a repressed memory of alien abduction, and the following weeks are his descent into isolation and paranoia and his girlfriend Sue’s frustration and skepticism.

Although the book is ostensibly focused on alien abduction, the more important themes address the reliability of memory and trust within relationships. Mark feels alienated (HA!) by his girlfriend’s lack of faith, and Sue is watching what (to her) can only be his complete mental breakdown. It explores a kind of fundamental disconnect and lack of real communication that can be found even in the most seemingly stable relationships. Themes!

I enjoyed Science Fiction. The dialogue was a little clunky at points, and the last half felt kind of repetitive, but the story is really compelling stuff, and the ending more than makes up for any other criticisms I might have had. The illustrations are tight– bold black linework with shades of ashy brown for colour, and really satisfyingly consistent panel layouts (tons of 3×3, which is super effective for a story without a whole lot of action.) The way Ollmann uses characters’ posture to express mood is especially stellar.

Why Should You Care? award-winning Canadian cartoonist/writer. What more do ya need? (Currently reading Ollmann’s Mid-Life– I’ll fill you in when I’m done!)

Recommended If You Liked: the illustrative style of R. Crumb, books that play with the concept of an unreliable protagonist/narrator.

Overall: 7.5/10

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting idea about how a person can change their beliefs almost on a dime while still attempting to hold contradictory beliefs and how that effects their life, their relationships and their job. Once the worm of an idea takes hold, it can be nearly impossible to break free. It can be the thing that defines you. Conspiracies--in this case, alien abduction--can be terribly dangerous, especially if they are espoused by otherwise rational, intelligent and skeptical individuals. My big criticism of this is the art is a little uneven and the page compositions--the paneling--is frustratingly static. Perhaps for such a straightforward story using dynamic or asymmetrical layouts would take away from the interactions of the two main characters, Mark and Sue, but it also makes for a very limited palette of timing and emphasis. That said, I'm interested in reading more of Joe Ollmann's work.

[Jen Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layered characters and witty dialogue give this graphic novel depth and a strong literary sense. Ollmann is a wonderful short story writer whose warm illustrations compliment his prose perfectly.