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O Human Star #1
O Human Star, Volume 1
Alastair Sterling was the inventor who sparked the robot revolution. And because of his sudden death, he didn't see any of it.
That is, until he wakes up 16 years later in a robot body that matches his old one exactly. Until he steps outside and finds a world utterly unlike the one he left behind - a world where robots live alongside their human neighbors and coexist in their cities. A world he helped create.
Now Al must track down his old partner Brendan to find out who is responsible for Al's unexpected resurrection, but their reunion raises even more questions.
Like who the robot living with Brendan is.
And why she looks like Al.
And how much of the past should stay in the past...
Collects the first three chapters of the webcomic.
That is, until he wakes up 16 years later in a robot body that matches his old one exactly. Until he steps outside and finds a world utterly unlike the one he left behind - a world where robots live alongside their human neighbors and coexist in their cities. A world he helped create.
Now Al must track down his old partner Brendan to find out who is responsible for Al's unexpected resurrection, but their reunion raises even more questions.
Like who the robot living with Brendan is.
And why she looks like Al.
And how much of the past should stay in the past...
Collects the first three chapters of the webcomic.
194 pages, ebook
First published March 1, 2015
11 people are currently reading
1340 people want to read
About the author
Blue Delliquanti
44 books146 followersBlue Delliquanti is a comic artist and writer based in Minneapolis, MN.
Since 2012 Blue has drawn and serialized the Prism Award-winning science fiction comic O Human Starat ohumanstar.com. Blue is also the co-creator of the graphic novel Meal (with Soleil Ho), published through Iron Circus Comics, and The ‘Stan (with David Axe and Kevin Knodell), published through Dead Reckoning. Blue is represented by Jen Linnan of Linnan Literary Management LLC.
Since 2012 Blue has drawn and serialized the Prism Award-winning science fiction comic O Human Starat ohumanstar.com. Blue is also the co-creator of the graphic novel Meal (with Soleil Ho), published through Iron Circus Comics, and The ‘Stan (with David Axe and Kevin Knodell), published through Dead Reckoning. Blue is represented by Jen Linnan of Linnan Literary Management LLC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
January 3, 2023
welcome to 202-Queer 🌈✨, the year where i only read queer books and finally have fun 🌈✨
okay, listen. i don't like robots. i'm a human sciences guy. not an engineering guy.
and i think the love story came kinda outta nowhere. that being said the two are really cute. and Alistair is really hot.
but i just really do not care about robot stuff. so i will not be reading the rest of this.
okay, listen. i don't like robots. i'm a human sciences guy. not an engineering guy.
and i think the love story came kinda outta nowhere. that being said the two are really cute. and Alistair is really hot.
but i just really do not care about robot stuff. so i will not be reading the rest of this.
Read
September 2, 2016This is the first of three print volumes of the comic originally published online and it’s the most recent book I ‘ve read that reminded me of how much I love reading. Reading it was one of those times where you really wanna find out what happens and are enjoying the book so much that you can’t stop reading but you also want to slow down because you don’t want the book to end. Well, I couldn’t resist and read it all in one day. Not only was this super smart and a totally interesting science fiction take on AI, it had all this cute queer and trans stuff happening: men falling in love, male-assigned robots becoming girls, girls giving girls their phone numbers. I totally fell in love with the characters. I may or may not have squealed out loud when the guys got together. This is the best kind of sci-fi/fantasy in my opinion, because it does something otherwise great speculative fiction doesn’t always do: emotional engagement and complex characters.
–Casey Stepaniuk
from The Best Books We Read In August 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/08/01/riot-r...
–Casey Stepaniuk
from The Best Books We Read In August 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/08/01/riot-r...
January 24, 2018
Thoughtful & emotional queer (gay and trans) sci-fi comic that's made the transition from web to print beautifully.
When Alastair Sterling wakes up, his last memory is of collapsing while coughing up blood. Where is he? When is he? And most importantly, what is he? He's a robotics genius who has awakened as a robot, it turns out, though no one seems to know how it happened. He tries to reconnect with his lover and colleague Brendan, but it's complicated. Their relationship was secret when Sterling was alive, and he's been dead for 16 years. It's a science fiction setting, but at its core, O Human Star is about humans (and robots) doing the best they can to relate to each other. The art is grounded and confident. Humans (and robots) are solid and real.
My guy had low expectations of the first volume because it started as a webcomic - this was back when we didn't know much about webcomics. He declared it one of the best books he'd read that year. (And as you may have noticed, we read a lot of books.) I adore it too, and the second volume was just as thoughtful and emotional as the first. We'll definitely be supporting the Kickstarter for the third volume whenever it goes live.
When Alastair Sterling wakes up, his last memory is of collapsing while coughing up blood. Where is he? When is he? And most importantly, what is he? He's a robotics genius who has awakened as a robot, it turns out, though no one seems to know how it happened. He tries to reconnect with his lover and colleague Brendan, but it's complicated. Their relationship was secret when Sterling was alive, and he's been dead for 16 years. It's a science fiction setting, but at its core, O Human Star is about humans (and robots) doing the best they can to relate to each other. The art is grounded and confident. Humans (and robots) are solid and real.
My guy had low expectations of the first volume because it started as a webcomic - this was back when we didn't know much about webcomics. He declared it one of the best books he'd read that year. (And as you may have noticed, we read a lot of books.) I adore it too, and the second volume was just as thoughtful and emotional as the first. We'll definitely be supporting the Kickstarter for the third volume whenever it goes live.
February 23, 2021
This webcomic was a winner of the Prism Queer Comics Press Grant in 2012, and has completed two successful kickstarters. The main character is Alastair Sterling, an inventor who helped lay the foundations of the AI revolution through his brilliant work in robotics. Unfortunately, Alastair died before he could see his work completed. Sixteen years after his death Alastair wakes up in a robotic body that exactly matches his former human form. He seeks out Brendan Pinsky (his former research partner and boyfriend) looking for answers, but Brendan is at a loss- indeed, Alastair's reappearance nearly gives him a heart attack. The question of who granted Alastair this second life is one of the central mysteries of the unfolding story, as Alastair begins to re-learn how to navigate in a world that his work created. Gorgeously illustrated in near-monochromatic colors, this comic has high concepts, deep insight and a sweet humor. It is truly a human story.
Added in Feb 2021: re-read it for a second time now that I own the complete series, and can I just say the character of Brendan's trans robot daughter delights me even more now than it did when I read it the first time. I'm excited to revisit this story!
Added in Feb 2021: re-read it for a second time now that I own the complete series, and can I just say the character of Brendan's trans robot daughter delights me even more now than it did when I read it the first time. I'm excited to revisit this story!
December 30, 2022
I don't think I've ever been as passionate about anything in my entire life????
Thus began my original review of this book, and thus begins this one, because I'm filled with both anticipation and anxiety at tackling a review for one of my favorite stories of all time. As I said in my first review, I had to stop myself from reading this volume all in one night due to an early wake-up time, and I finished it the next night before bingeing the rest online the day after that. The very next day, I reread Volume 1 all over again. The physical books live on my shelves. This story is everything I could possibly have wanted from it and more. It feels as though it was written for me. I wish I had written it. How do I even begin.
Let's start with the art.
From the very first page, you're struck by Delliquanti's signature style. Blocky, clean, expansive, and perfectly designed, the reader goes on a tour of their growth as an artist from the beginning to the end of the series-- even beginning to end of this book alone. The characters are distinct. The homes are lovingly crafted. The futuristic-- and 'present'-- Minneapolis is perfectly drawn, according to the residents who keep squeeing in the comments. Delliquanti is a master of control; there are pages which require simplicity and pages which require detail, and they always know how to handle either. Their panel use is inventive, their expressions are dynamic, and their work with framing is masterful. It's unbelievable that such a talent is publishing work for free online.
I mentioned a futuristic Minneapolis, so let's cover the timing briefly. Delliquanti began writing this in 2012, setting the 'past' storyline of the story in 2005 and the 'future' in 2021. They recently completed the comic in 2020. It is difficult to write stories about the future, particularly because it keeps becoming the present, and yet Delliquanti's world doesn't feel dated or silly now that we've hit its time. At the same time, it's so sweetly entwined with what has now become an almost distant past. Despite the inherent nostalgia of the way Delliquanti paints the Sterling company, there's no sense of the work itself being dated, even as the future passes OHS by IRL.
This is undoubtedly related to the way the comic deftly handles its two time frames. Each appear in different colors, keeping the reader concretely aware of where they are at any given time (!), and neither storyline outshines the other. They work together in a manner extremely difficult to capture in writing-- anyone who's read a poorly written dual-timeline story knows how many ways it can go wrong. This story feels like it couldn't have been told any other way, especially when things come together in a gorgeous firework display of a climax.
It's no secret that AI is becoming more advanced, and in terms of realistic handlings of the subject, O Human Star is your best bet. Blue Delliquanti has clearly done their research, never simplifying the many different kinds of AI into one fictional species or making things up to suit their narrative. There's no simple "robots are oppressed" narrative here; no simple "robot=trans" parallel. Instead, Delliquanti engages in a much deeper, more complex, and necessary discussion on the similarities and differences between a range of experiences.
Perhaps it's their foresight-- Delliquanti seems able to interpret at a glance what unique problems will arrive attached to the opportunities of synthetic humans. When they began writing, Steve Jobs had recently passed, which made them consider what it means to be a "legend" and how fame can affect a person and those around them-- especially when they die. Now people are finally talking about Britney's conservatorship (#FreeBritney), and the comic is more relevant than ever. Fame, gender, perception, humanity-- it's never been done this well.
And this is what really makes me feel that OHS is the best of cyberpunk. Among its many themes lies an insistence on solidarity; an acknowledgement of the necessity of working together for all of our mutual gain. The work effortlessly lays out comparisons between disabled people (particularly those with prosthetics), trans people in transition, full robots, and even arguably the non-normativity of gay family dynamics. And it does all of this without preaching, without needing to make anything overt, without perpetuating stereotypes. The more I read this comic, the more I learn about everything I just mentioned; at no point does it feel forced or difficult to read. In short: absolutely nobody on planet Earth is doing it like Blue Delliquanti.
It's also true that this is an "LGBT comic", in the sense that there are gay and trans characters and their identities are integral to the plot. I'm often loathe to describe things that way, because I know that a significant portion of the population checks out once they hear that something has gay people, assuming that it is For Gay People Only and About Gay People Only. First of all, bad attitude to have.
But second of all, this is one of the few stories where I've seen LGBT experiences really explored as human experiences. Body modification is not just about cis or trans people. Complicated family dynamics are not the property of straight or gay people. What Delliquanti does is to cast LGBT characters in a story that is ultimately about a greater, unified human experience. Gay people are not limited to talking solely about themselves, and the story itself is appealing to people from all backgrounds, as evidenced by the wide variety of readers who have commented on the OHS site since its inception eight years ago.
That said, yes, it is refreshing to see LGBT romance and family dynamics handled so well-- not just as if we are normal, but even as if we are the default. It's not a coincidence that a (bisexual, nonbinary) author who tells stories about LGBT people as exemplars of humanity also knows how to write LGBT relationships the way many of us have been longing to see them. The romance is beautiful and often heart-wrenching, as are the familial ties. And nothing is ever simple.
Despite all of the above heavy (and necessary, and extremely well-handled) topics, the comic is still incredibly easy to read. You'll fly through it; I'm not the only person who couldn't stop once I'd started. The comic is always light enough to keep you feeling hopeful and buoyant despite whatever may happen to the characters. And, at least in my experience, I laughed as often as I cried-- and the ending elicits the best kind of laughter; the relieved, freeing, too-much-emotion-to-do-anything else laughter you break into after a long, difficult journey.
In addition to all of the above, I'd like to take a moment to congratulate Delliquanti on writing this, essentially, with both hands tied behind their back. It is immensely difficult to do this kind of writing, where you post consistently (in this case weekly) and can't go back to edit. Delliquanti was unable to modify past events in the comics, even to redraw something, and yet you never feel jarred by an unexpected improvement in art style or plot development. They keep character designs consistent, and the story never veers from its intended course. The foreshadowing starts on the very first page, and re-reads yield dozens of new discoveries each time. The kind of planning, discipline, knowledge of one's craft, and sheer effort that this takes is immense. I doubt that most reader reviews will consider how hard it is to write something like this, which is entirely fair, so here it is: this is a damn hard story to write. Delliquanti did it perfectly, and made it look easy.
There's a lot I haven't covered here-- the characters themselves, the subplots, the fact that some of this did things which would be considered progressive today all the way back in 2012, the relatability of the characters' journeys, the author's identity and how it intersects with their work-- but I think I have said enough for you to understand how I feel about this comic.
In case you're wondering what kind of incredible narrative would make me spend several days writing such a lengthy and detailed review, it's this one. Yes, it's available online, in full, for free, and I highly recommend you read just the first page. See if you can stop yourself from finishing it tonight. I recently recommended this comic to someone during a critique, and he went silent for a little while. After the person talking at the time finished, he said, "Sorry, I didn't hear any of that; I was reading O Human Star." I will not rest until everyone has this experience.
In addition to that, each of the volumes contain their own unique bonus pieces, from sketchbook pages to character designs to entire side stories. I'll review V3 since it's just come out (and I'd like to boost its sales!) separately, but in my experience each volume contains enough bonus content to satisfy any fan. I've also been to Delliquanti's (NSFW) itch.io page, where you can purchase some of their other works, and I've always been happy with those, too.
Now, I opened this review with the original beginning to my old one, and I'd like to end it the same way. I think, despite my strongest attempt to do this story justice, it still stands.
I'm only sorry this review will be so short because I just... don't know what to say. Emotional; poignant; beautiful; unique. I've never read anything like this and quite frankly don't think I'll merit to see it again.
Thus began my original review of this book, and thus begins this one, because I'm filled with both anticipation and anxiety at tackling a review for one of my favorite stories of all time. As I said in my first review, I had to stop myself from reading this volume all in one night due to an early wake-up time, and I finished it the next night before bingeing the rest online the day after that. The very next day, I reread Volume 1 all over again. The physical books live on my shelves. This story is everything I could possibly have wanted from it and more. It feels as though it was written for me. I wish I had written it. How do I even begin.
Let's start with the art.
From the very first page, you're struck by Delliquanti's signature style. Blocky, clean, expansive, and perfectly designed, the reader goes on a tour of their growth as an artist from the beginning to the end of the series-- even beginning to end of this book alone. The characters are distinct. The homes are lovingly crafted. The futuristic-- and 'present'-- Minneapolis is perfectly drawn, according to the residents who keep squeeing in the comments. Delliquanti is a master of control; there are pages which require simplicity and pages which require detail, and they always know how to handle either. Their panel use is inventive, their expressions are dynamic, and their work with framing is masterful. It's unbelievable that such a talent is publishing work for free online.
I mentioned a futuristic Minneapolis, so let's cover the timing briefly. Delliquanti began writing this in 2012, setting the 'past' storyline of the story in 2005 and the 'future' in 2021. They recently completed the comic in 2020. It is difficult to write stories about the future, particularly because it keeps becoming the present, and yet Delliquanti's world doesn't feel dated or silly now that we've hit its time. At the same time, it's so sweetly entwined with what has now become an almost distant past. Despite the inherent nostalgia of the way Delliquanti paints the Sterling company, there's no sense of the work itself being dated, even as the future passes OHS by IRL.
This is undoubtedly related to the way the comic deftly handles its two time frames. Each appear in different colors, keeping the reader concretely aware of where they are at any given time (!), and neither storyline outshines the other. They work together in a manner extremely difficult to capture in writing-- anyone who's read a poorly written dual-timeline story knows how many ways it can go wrong. This story feels like it couldn't have been told any other way, especially when things come together in a gorgeous firework display of a climax.
It's no secret that AI is becoming more advanced, and in terms of realistic handlings of the subject, O Human Star is your best bet. Blue Delliquanti has clearly done their research, never simplifying the many different kinds of AI into one fictional species or making things up to suit their narrative. There's no simple "robots are oppressed" narrative here; no simple "robot=trans" parallel. Instead, Delliquanti engages in a much deeper, more complex, and necessary discussion on the similarities and differences between a range of experiences.
Perhaps it's their foresight-- Delliquanti seems able to interpret at a glance what unique problems will arrive attached to the opportunities of synthetic humans. When they began writing, Steve Jobs had recently passed, which made them consider what it means to be a "legend" and how fame can affect a person and those around them-- especially when they die. Now people are finally talking about Britney's conservatorship (#FreeBritney), and the comic is more relevant than ever. Fame, gender, perception, humanity-- it's never been done this well.
And this is what really makes me feel that OHS is the best of cyberpunk. Among its many themes lies an insistence on solidarity; an acknowledgement of the necessity of working together for all of our mutual gain. The work effortlessly lays out comparisons between disabled people (particularly those with prosthetics), trans people in transition, full robots, and even arguably the non-normativity of gay family dynamics. And it does all of this without preaching, without needing to make anything overt, without perpetuating stereotypes. The more I read this comic, the more I learn about everything I just mentioned; at no point does it feel forced or difficult to read. In short: absolutely nobody on planet Earth is doing it like Blue Delliquanti.
It's also true that this is an "LGBT comic", in the sense that there are gay and trans characters and their identities are integral to the plot. I'm often loathe to describe things that way, because I know that a significant portion of the population checks out once they hear that something has gay people, assuming that it is For Gay People Only and About Gay People Only. First of all, bad attitude to have.
But second of all, this is one of the few stories where I've seen LGBT experiences really explored as human experiences. Body modification is not just about cis or trans people. Complicated family dynamics are not the property of straight or gay people. What Delliquanti does is to cast LGBT characters in a story that is ultimately about a greater, unified human experience. Gay people are not limited to talking solely about themselves, and the story itself is appealing to people from all backgrounds, as evidenced by the wide variety of readers who have commented on the OHS site since its inception eight years ago.
That said, yes, it is refreshing to see LGBT romance and family dynamics handled so well-- not just as if we are normal, but even as if we are the default. It's not a coincidence that a (bisexual, nonbinary) author who tells stories about LGBT people as exemplars of humanity also knows how to write LGBT relationships the way many of us have been longing to see them. The romance is beautiful and often heart-wrenching, as are the familial ties. And nothing is ever simple.
Despite all of the above heavy (and necessary, and extremely well-handled) topics, the comic is still incredibly easy to read. You'll fly through it; I'm not the only person who couldn't stop once I'd started. The comic is always light enough to keep you feeling hopeful and buoyant despite whatever may happen to the characters. And, at least in my experience, I laughed as often as I cried-- and the ending elicits the best kind of laughter; the relieved, freeing, too-much-emotion-to-do-anything else laughter you break into after a long, difficult journey.
In addition to all of the above, I'd like to take a moment to congratulate Delliquanti on writing this, essentially, with both hands tied behind their back. It is immensely difficult to do this kind of writing, where you post consistently (in this case weekly) and can't go back to edit. Delliquanti was unable to modify past events in the comics, even to redraw something, and yet you never feel jarred by an unexpected improvement in art style or plot development. They keep character designs consistent, and the story never veers from its intended course. The foreshadowing starts on the very first page, and re-reads yield dozens of new discoveries each time. The kind of planning, discipline, knowledge of one's craft, and sheer effort that this takes is immense. I doubt that most reader reviews will consider how hard it is to write something like this, which is entirely fair, so here it is: this is a damn hard story to write. Delliquanti did it perfectly, and made it look easy.
There's a lot I haven't covered here-- the characters themselves, the subplots, the fact that some of this did things which would be considered progressive today all the way back in 2012, the relatability of the characters' journeys, the author's identity and how it intersects with their work-- but I think I have said enough for you to understand how I feel about this comic.
In case you're wondering what kind of incredible narrative would make me spend several days writing such a lengthy and detailed review, it's this one. Yes, it's available online, in full, for free, and I highly recommend you read just the first page. See if you can stop yourself from finishing it tonight. I recently recommended this comic to someone during a critique, and he went silent for a little while. After the person talking at the time finished, he said, "Sorry, I didn't hear any of that; I was reading O Human Star." I will not rest until everyone has this experience.
In addition to that, each of the volumes contain their own unique bonus pieces, from sketchbook pages to character designs to entire side stories. I'll review V3 since it's just come out (and I'd like to boost its sales!) separately, but in my experience each volume contains enough bonus content to satisfy any fan. I've also been to Delliquanti's (NSFW) itch.io page, where you can purchase some of their other works, and I've always been happy with those, too.
Now, I opened this review with the original beginning to my old one, and I'd like to end it the same way. I think, despite my strongest attempt to do this story justice, it still stands.
I'm only sorry this review will be so short because I just... don't know what to say. Emotional; poignant; beautiful; unique. I've never read anything like this and quite frankly don't think I'll merit to see it again.
July 4, 2016
Oh man, I super loved this book and had that thing happen where you really wanna find out what happens and are enjoying the book so much that you can't stop reading but you also want to slow down because you don't want the book to end. Well, I couldn't resist and read it all in one day. Sooooo good!
Not only was this super smart and a totally interesting sci fi take on AI, it had all this cute queer and trans stuff happening: men falling in love, male-assigned robots becoming girls, girls giving girls their phone numbers. I totally fell in love with the characters and was rooting for everybody by about half way through the book. I may or may not have squealed out loud when the guys got together. This is the best kind of sci-fi/fantasy for me, which sometimes otherwise great speculative fiction doesn't do: emotional engagement and complex characters.
Some very interesting parallels between passing as an organic being when you're synthetic (aka a robot) and passing as cis when you're trans. Also interesting to note internalized homophobia still exists when the idea of who is human is being questioned!
Not only was this super smart and a totally interesting sci fi take on AI, it had all this cute queer and trans stuff happening: men falling in love, male-assigned robots becoming girls, girls giving girls their phone numbers. I totally fell in love with the characters and was rooting for everybody by about half way through the book. I may or may not have squealed out loud when the guys got together. This is the best kind of sci-fi/fantasy for me, which sometimes otherwise great speculative fiction doesn't do: emotional engagement and complex characters.
Some very interesting parallels between passing as an organic being when you're synthetic (aka a robot) and passing as cis when you're trans. Also interesting to note internalized homophobia still exists when the idea of who is human is being questioned!
June 19, 2021
THE WAY THIS IS THE ONLY THING I CARE ABOUT. GORGEOUS BREATHTAKING ART. TRANS PEOPLE. GAY PEOPLE. GAY PEOPLE KISS EACH OTHER. A FAMILY CAN BE TWO INVENTORS AND THEIR ROBOT CLONE DAUGHTER. THIS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IF YOU ARE READING THIS REVIEW YOU SHOULD READ IT RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO START WEEPING
February 26, 2021
Ongoing comic - now completed.
Fascinating verse with a bit of a mystery about certain details.
Big gruff Alistair, cute nerdy Brendan and some quirky side characters.
Robots with character in a near futuristic setting, glimpses of past events.
A lovely story that moves through wrenching struggles that become clear as the story progresses; love, heartbreak, ultimately a wonderful acceptance, peace of nature and strength of love.
Well worth a look.
Fascinating verse with a bit of a mystery about certain details.
Big gruff Alistair, cute nerdy Brendan and some quirky side characters.
Robots with character in a near futuristic setting, glimpses of past events.
A lovely story that moves through wrenching struggles that become clear as the story progresses; love, heartbreak, ultimately a wonderful acceptance, peace of nature and strength of love.
Well worth a look.
May 5, 2021
I've just noticed that I didn't write a review nor even rate this comic, one of the best I ever read!
I've followed it first online, where it started being published in January 2012. Then I bought the first two volumes, and kept following the online comic. I encourage everybody to buy the books, not only to support the artist (can you imagine how much time Blue invested in it?), but also because each time you reread them you notice something new. Lots of show-don't-tell, and sometimes very subtly shown.
The topics treated are ''heavy'', sexuality, gender identity, mind and body, but the book is never preachy.
Absolutely recommended!
I've followed it first online, where it started being published in January 2012. Then I bought the first two volumes, and kept following the online comic. I encourage everybody to buy the books, not only to support the artist (can you imagine how much time Blue invested in it?), but also because each time you reread them you notice something new. Lots of show-don't-tell, and sometimes very subtly shown.
The topics treated are ''heavy'', sexuality, gender identity, mind and body, but the book is never preachy.
Absolutely recommended!
March 21, 2017
I received this book (it was a Kickstarter reward, so the arrival date was somewhat unknown) after walking home from dinner with my husband discussing our cool/terrifying robot future. They're gonna take our jobs and change a lot of our culture. But until that happens they're fun to think about. It was a particularly good book coincidence.
I've been following the webcomic and loving it for over a year now, but I forgot just how much she packed into one volume's worth of strips, and how many issues of identity, gender/sexuality, mind/body, etc., are explored with a minimum of words. This one could stand alone, though I'm glad it doesn't.
You learn the basic concept - man wakes up to find he's a robot copy of his deceased human self, and there's a....less perfect copy out there too - in just the first few pages. The plot doesn't take that long to tell, but the number of questions it indirectly provokes about how robots and humans live together, and what IS this "self" anyway, fill in that outline enough to make it a whole rewarding story. Robot/human is used to draw parallels with queer and trans experiences in our world, but importantly, that analogy doesn't erase those actual experiences from the near-future world and pretend "robot is the new gay" or something.
And robot-future Minneapolis looks recognizable but just different enough. The sense of detail in local landmarks and how people dress and tiny things like the transit logo on a bus really add up.
I've been following the webcomic and loving it for over a year now, but I forgot just how much she packed into one volume's worth of strips, and how many issues of identity, gender/sexuality, mind/body, etc., are explored with a minimum of words. This one could stand alone, though I'm glad it doesn't.
You learn the basic concept - man wakes up to find he's a robot copy of his deceased human self, and there's a....less perfect copy out there too - in just the first few pages. The plot doesn't take that long to tell, but the number of questions it indirectly provokes about how robots and humans live together, and what IS this "self" anyway, fill in that outline enough to make it a whole rewarding story. Robot/human is used to draw parallels with queer and trans experiences in our world, but importantly, that analogy doesn't erase those actual experiences from the near-future world and pretend "robot is the new gay" or something.
And robot-future Minneapolis looks recognizable but just different enough. The sense of detail in local landmarks and how people dress and tiny things like the transit logo on a bus really add up.
July 2, 2017
After literally every other person in my comics club had read this, I decided to finally give it a shot, and I'm incredibly glad that I did. The art is clear and expressive, the world-building is impressive, and the characters are instantly appealing, even though there's so much we don't know about them quite yet. The book also does a great job of balancing the "metaphorical disempowered group" of so much SFF with depictions of a real-life disempowered group, making the comic's themes all the more effectively expressed. I'll definitely be checking out more ASAP.
July 18, 2016
I am so glad to have discovered this series! From the very beginning, I found the characters compelling and interesting. The relationship between Alistair and Brendan is palpable and truly exciting. The robot identity draws really interesting parallels to trans and gay identities in our world. I really enjoyed that the characters are not consumed by their queerness like a lot of queer fiction. Instead, it is just one interesting part of them, and the author gives them space to express all the other things that define them as well. The plot is really well written, using time shifting and a heavy dose of mystery to keep the pages turning.
I can't recommend this series enough, and I am definitely a fan now!
I can't recommend this series enough, and I am definitely a fan now!
Currently reading
June 28, 2021I'm told this is complete now, so I am starting it.
December 1, 2021
Love this LGBT sci-fi self-discovery story! Alastair being introduced to his current world is the perfect vehicle for the reader to explore the world as well. The art is very cute.
December 16, 2015
I love love loved this when I discovered it online and started reading it an installment at a time, as you do with webcomics. Then I ordered the first volume in print and it's even better to read it all again in one sitting.
This review contains some spoilers but I didn't want to hide it behind a spoiler warning because they are all revealed early, and I think knowing them might make some people more interested in reading.
There's so much to this story that I love. The main character, Al, died 16 years prior, and was mysteriously resurrected into a very advanced, even for the time, android body. He must deal with being forced out of time, trying to relearn the world after 16 years had passed, the existential issue as well as everyday realities of being a consciousness in an android body, the interpersonal issues between him and his old partner (in work and in life) Brendan who is just as surprised as Al is at his return, and the mystery of who brought him back in the first place?
The trans* narrative is juxtaposed directly with the idea of being a "passing android" - one that can pass as human (to humans...other androids seem to be able to tell) - in the story of Sulla, an android created with Al's brain scan who decided that she wanted a female body instead of a male one. Brendan has been raising her as a daughter, which is another thing that Al now needs to come to terms with; this teenage girl android with his brain and his face as part of his strange new family. I cannot even tell you how much I love this storyline. Sulla is basically just a teenager who wants to make friends and build stuff, but she doesn't go to school, and she doesn't want people to find out she's an android, and she wants to be able to talk to people about being trans*, and she's talkative and shy and and adorable. She's also the first android built to look like a human, and the only one I think (before Al showed up), so being outed is also potentially dangerous. I am so excited to see where she's headed.
Blue Delliquanti has a lovely art style, easy to follow and very beautiful. I like that she uses a different colour scheme to differentiate between the present day and the past - I can get confused by flashbacks in graphic novels sometimes but this is perfect.
You can read the whole thing and keep up with new comics at O Human Star and you SHOULD because it's AWESOME.
This review contains some spoilers but I didn't want to hide it behind a spoiler warning because they are all revealed early, and I think knowing them might make some people more interested in reading.
There's so much to this story that I love. The main character, Al, died 16 years prior, and was mysteriously resurrected into a very advanced, even for the time, android body. He must deal with being forced out of time, trying to relearn the world after 16 years had passed, the existential issue as well as everyday realities of being a consciousness in an android body, the interpersonal issues between him and his old partner (in work and in life) Brendan who is just as surprised as Al is at his return, and the mystery of who brought him back in the first place?
The trans* narrative is juxtaposed directly with the idea of being a "passing android" - one that can pass as human (to humans...other androids seem to be able to tell) - in the story of Sulla, an android created with Al's brain scan who decided that she wanted a female body instead of a male one. Brendan has been raising her as a daughter, which is another thing that Al now needs to come to terms with; this teenage girl android with his brain and his face as part of his strange new family. I cannot even tell you how much I love this storyline. Sulla is basically just a teenager who wants to make friends and build stuff, but she doesn't go to school, and she doesn't want people to find out she's an android, and she wants to be able to talk to people about being trans*, and she's talkative and shy and and adorable. She's also the first android built to look like a human, and the only one I think (before Al showed up), so being outed is also potentially dangerous. I am so excited to see where she's headed.
Blue Delliquanti has a lovely art style, easy to follow and very beautiful. I like that she uses a different colour scheme to differentiate between the present day and the past - I can get confused by flashbacks in graphic novels sometimes but this is perfect.
You can read the whole thing and keep up with new comics at O Human Star and you SHOULD because it's AWESOME.
March 30, 2021
Really well done. The artwork was amazing, especially with the limited use of colors. The storyline was great too. Words can do it no justice. Just go read it. lol.
May 6, 2020
First read, December 2015: OK, wow. This is one of those books that I enjoyed while I read it and will continue to think about long after I'm done.
So, there's allegory, right? The question of robotic identity and "humanity" serves as a metaphor for lots of other types of identity, especially trans identity. But the book never feels heavy-handed (or even particularly allegorical), because the characters are so richly developed, with believable personalities, problems, relationships, and dreams, that I just wanted to root for them as people (or robots). And then I got to the end and realized I'd also had thinky thoughts about identity and humanity--but stealthy-like.
Anyway. I really like this. Enough that now I have to decide whether to rush over and read the rest online or force myself to be patient and wait until Volume 2 comes out. Oh, dang. I don't think I can wait that long.
Second read, March 2017: 4.5 stars on a second read. I love this story more every time. I caught a lot more details about characters, plots, interactions, small visual details... guh. I want to squish them all forever.
Third read, May 2020: Still getting better every time I read it. Especially as the comic nears its end (:sob:) online, and all those incredible mysteries are being resolved, I see that Delliquanti crafted every word and panel with purpose. So many "I can't believe I missed that!" moments. Currently ranked as my favorite webcomic ever. A classic.
So, there's allegory, right? The question of robotic identity and "humanity" serves as a metaphor for lots of other types of identity, especially trans identity. But the book never feels heavy-handed (or even particularly allegorical), because the characters are so richly developed, with believable personalities, problems, relationships, and dreams, that I just wanted to root for them as people (or robots). And then I got to the end and realized I'd also had thinky thoughts about identity and humanity--but stealthy-like.
Anyway. I really like this. Enough that now I have to decide whether to rush over and read the rest online or force myself to be patient and wait until Volume 2 comes out. Oh, dang. I don't think I can wait that long.
Second read, March 2017: 4.5 stars on a second read. I love this story more every time. I caught a lot more details about characters, plots, interactions, small visual details... guh. I want to squish them all forever.
Third read, May 2020: Still getting better every time I read it. Especially as the comic nears its end (:sob:) online, and all those incredible mysteries are being resolved, I see that Delliquanti crafted every word and panel with purpose. So many "I can't believe I missed that!" moments. Currently ranked as my favorite webcomic ever. A classic.
March 4, 2020
I honestly think this is one of the most beautiful and nuanced comics that's come out in recent years and I can't recommend it enough. The first two volumes are free to read online as well as the rest of it that has yet to be published and is a well-worth three-hour investment if you want to read it one sitting. (That being said, support self-made artists!!!! I will be buying every volume that's released whenever I have the capacity.) Comics as a visual medium give the writer a really unique opportunity to represent a diverse and complicated cast which is something that I still feel is very lacking in the market despite the lack of limitations. Delliquanti's cast and characters are made with such careful intention and each narrative is given the respect and attention it deserves. I've always cared about characters over worldbuilding but the way that they're married together in this is something I've never really seen before. You can't understand the world without knowing the people who built it and you don't understand the people unless you view the world and how it works around them. It's honestly a testament to the medium while also just being indescribably beautiful. If you like robots, philosophy centered around what it means to be, achingly realistic depictions of love that cover the full spectrum, and trans robots then well, there's this comic. 4 1/2 stars.
March 5, 2020
A fascinating graphic novel following Al Sterling, an inventor who started the robot revolution. The story begins when he wakes up 16 years in the future in a robot body that is a perfect replica of his own. He is transported to his old partner Brendan’s home, who turns out to be just as surprised as Al is that he is alive and well. Even more surprising is the robot Sulla who lives with Brendan, who looks very similar to Al and seems to know everything about robotics that Al does. Flipping from the past to the present, the story shows us the early days of Sterling Incorporated, how Al adjusts to his new world in a new body, and Sulla’s attempts to make friends with humans. I can’t wait to read the next volume!
December 17, 2016
o human star is quite literally my favorite webcomic. possibly one of my favorite stylistic choices in the comic is the use of color to indicate how close the events are to the present - since the story bounces back and forth between the beginnings of sterling corp (and al and brenden's relationship) and the present!
i finally got a hold of a physical copy of this comic recently and i've never been so delighted.
if you like robotics, lgbt content, and/or any of the moral issues surrounding making a person into an ai, i highly rec this comic to you.
i finally got a hold of a physical copy of this comic recently and i've never been so delighted.
if you like robotics, lgbt content, and/or any of the moral issues surrounding making a person into an ai, i highly rec this comic to you.
February 5, 2018
I don't read as many webcomics as I used to, but this is absolutely in my to ten. Mystery, romance, super interesting characters, and some fun world building/science fiction.
Plus, it's just plain fun to see Minneapolis as the center of the cool robot future.
I wrote a longer review for the library's blog: http://carnegiestout.blogspot.com/201...
Plus, it's just plain fun to see Minneapolis as the center of the cool robot future.
I wrote a longer review for the library's blog: http://carnegiestout.blogspot.com/201...
May 26, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyable. Unexpected. I can be quite critical, but the story was well written. The art style is very heavy handed, in a manga influenced western style. Good use of color to separate time. Rusty reds for the nostalgia of the past. And blue for the poignant events in present day.
Would highly recommend it for a fun look into a different world.
Would highly recommend it for a fun look into a different world.
July 19, 2016
I LOVED THIS
February 26, 2021
Reread this since I just got the third and final volume in the mail. It took my breath away, again. This comic is really something magical.
November 22, 2020
Fun premise! Thanks for the loan Kim!!!
May 5, 2021
**this is to do with the whole series folks**
This is really a well done graphic novel about a man named Al (turns into a woman at the end of the story) who has memory loss and doesn’t know why he came back to life by his lover as well as partner Brendan. Both of them worked in a engineering company that was about to kick off and that was when Al passed away. While he passed away, Brendan decided to create a “daughter figure” named Sulla by creating transmission from Als brain (more like DNA) who transitioned from the very beginning as well.
I really liked how the story ended and it was pretty smooth sailing as well. Btw Al and Brendan are adorable 🥰
This is really a well done graphic novel about a man named Al (turns into a woman at the end of the story) who has memory loss and doesn’t know why he came back to life by his lover as well as partner Brendan. Both of them worked in a engineering company that was about to kick off and that was when Al passed away. While he passed away, Brendan decided to create a “daughter figure” named Sulla by creating transmission from Als brain (more like DNA) who transitioned from the very beginning as well.
I really liked how the story ended and it was pretty smooth sailing as well. Btw Al and Brendan are adorable 🥰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 3, 2022Reading this series for my Digital Texts class and loving it so far!
April 3, 2022
I can’t remember where I heard about this one, but I’m hooked by Al, Brendan, and Sulla’s story. It originated from a dream the author/artist had. I love stuff about robots and A.I., so this was a good match for me. The mystery of how Al was brought back intrigues me, as well as the whole concept of copying and uploading someone’s consciousness into a machine. Brendan is very sweet, and I’m so curious about his past with Al and what the future will hold for the two of them and Sulla.
August 19, 2015
Roboticist Alastair Sterling wakes from a dream of dying to find out it was true. His mind is now in a synthetic being (“robot” if you will) body that looks exactly like his human body did sixteen years ago. Two other synthetic beings, who look like designs he came up with years ago, drive Al to the home of his old partner, Brendan Pinsky, whose money they claim was used to create Al’s new body.
Except that Brendan claims he did no such thing, which brings up the question of just who did–and why does Brendan’s teenage daughter Sulla look so much like Al? These mysteries must be looked into while Al attempts to reconnect with the people he left behind.
This science-fiction romance story has been running at http://ohumanstar.com/chapter-1-title... 2012. The title comes from Karel Capek’s play R.U.R. which is referenced in several ways in the strip. It’s won a couple of awards for Ms. Delliquanti, and a bound volume of the first three chapters is now available for those of us who like paper.
This is a slowly developing story; these first three chapters cover a bit more than 24 hours in the current day, with frequent flashbacks. Those flashbacks are tinted in reddish tones, while the 2021 parts are in bluish tones, which makes it easy to tell which is which. We see how Al and Brendan’s relationship began, and the small beginnings of what will become full-fledged synthetic beings. (Who have rights!) We also see the strains on their relationship–Al is closeted, and even after his death Brendan kept the fact that they were lovers a secret even from Sulla.
In the present day, the mystery of Sulla takes precedence as she gets to know her father’s friend (and sort of also her father), and makes outside friends her own age for the first time. She’s very bright, but also sheltered due to her unique upbringing.
Meanwhile, Brendan is on an emotional rollercoaster. The man he thought was dead forever is now alive…sort of, and Brendan wants to welcome him back, but can’t help worrying that there’s a darker motive behind this gift.
The art is good by webcomic standards, with all the characters being easy to tell apart (and Sulla’s family resemblance to Al being obvious) and the setting being recognizable as Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The cast is quite diverse, especially given its small size so far, in terms of sexuality, ethnicity and obviousness of synthetic parts. I also like that the two people whose love story it is are middle-aged.
The book is rated as “Mature Readers” and there is some partial male nudity in a sexual context. However, I think there’s nothing here that would be shocking to a fairly mature high-schooler–conservative parents might be more concerned.
There are some sketchbook pages in the back as an incentive to buy the collected volume. While these chapters are largely set-up, the availability of future volumes will depend on sales of this one, so please consider it.
Except that Brendan claims he did no such thing, which brings up the question of just who did–and why does Brendan’s teenage daughter Sulla look so much like Al? These mysteries must be looked into while Al attempts to reconnect with the people he left behind.
This science-fiction romance story has been running at http://ohumanstar.com/chapter-1-title... 2012. The title comes from Karel Capek’s play R.U.R. which is referenced in several ways in the strip. It’s won a couple of awards for Ms. Delliquanti, and a bound volume of the first three chapters is now available for those of us who like paper.
This is a slowly developing story; these first three chapters cover a bit more than 24 hours in the current day, with frequent flashbacks. Those flashbacks are tinted in reddish tones, while the 2021 parts are in bluish tones, which makes it easy to tell which is which. We see how Al and Brendan’s relationship began, and the small beginnings of what will become full-fledged synthetic beings. (Who have rights!) We also see the strains on their relationship–Al is closeted, and even after his death Brendan kept the fact that they were lovers a secret even from Sulla.
In the present day, the mystery of Sulla takes precedence as she gets to know her father’s friend (and sort of also her father), and makes outside friends her own age for the first time. She’s very bright, but also sheltered due to her unique upbringing.
Meanwhile, Brendan is on an emotional rollercoaster. The man he thought was dead forever is now alive…sort of, and Brendan wants to welcome him back, but can’t help worrying that there’s a darker motive behind this gift.
The art is good by webcomic standards, with all the characters being easy to tell apart (and Sulla’s family resemblance to Al being obvious) and the setting being recognizable as Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The cast is quite diverse, especially given its small size so far, in terms of sexuality, ethnicity and obviousness of synthetic parts. I also like that the two people whose love story it is are middle-aged.
The book is rated as “Mature Readers” and there is some partial male nudity in a sexual context. However, I think there’s nothing here that would be shocking to a fairly mature high-schooler–conservative parents might be more concerned.
There are some sketchbook pages in the back as an incentive to buy the collected volume. While these chapters are largely set-up, the availability of future volumes will depend on sales of this one, so please consider it.
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