Aquatica: A Beginner's Field Guide

by Lance Balchin

Welcome to future Earth. Despite repeated warnings, the environment has become polluted to such an extent that many areas of the globe have become uninhabitable and wildlife is now extinct. From the ashes, a new style of "wildlife" is created—wildlife that will not remain harnessed by humankind.

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2018

Reviews

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author and Illustrator: Lance Balchin
Age Recommendation: Tween and up
Art Style: Computer generated.
Topic/ Theme: Lowkey evolution, conservation, creativity
Setting: Earth circa 2250

Aquatica plays with different themes to Mechanica. This plays more in-depth but not much, I really like the introduction of the idea of symbiosis. Symbiosis is something that happens in the animal kingdom but the way that it is used here is effective. A fast, deadly but short-sighted shark in a life long partnership with a slow, defenceless but long-sighted jellyfish. All the art is beautiful. I feel like there is more colour in this book, at places it is quite bright as befits the ocean. There is a creative use of the animals to create their mechanical advantages. The starfish in particular is well done. All the sections are written in a way that is readable and understandable.

This is definitely about conservation that is something that you are meant to take away from this. This is the line it leaves you with "Maybe there is hope. Mankind was given a chance to look after the Earth, and failed miserably. As Mechanica awaken to a new consciousness, perhaps we can look to them to save what is left of this planet. Perhaps we can find a way to live together...". You can take it at face value or you can look at it as a message to save our planet. Seriously as I typed it out I started seeing Mechanica as the youngest generations who have been left to pick up the pieces, their awakening is their coming of age and being able to create change.

While it isn't essential for someone to read Mechanica before reading Aquatica I highly recommend it. There are references that will make little to no sense if you don't read that first. Liberty Bell and Bert (the bat) are introduced in Mechanica and are major players in Aquatica. Actually, Aquatica makes Bert even more important than just the companion he was implied to be. In some ways feels like Balchin almost built parts of the concept on the way in which bats communicate. Introducing the idea of "the hum", "the dream" which feels a bit like universal sonar for Mechanica. Aquatica is a very effective companion piece to Mechanica.

"What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams?" — Werner Herzog

[AD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exquisite illustrations and a wonderful imagination make this book successful. There’s a really limited storyline, but the descriptions of these futuristic hybrid creatures is sure to capture the interest of scientific/technically-minded readers.

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Companion piece to Mechanica is equally as inventive and interesting, I would still like to see this fleshed out into a full novel, with more illustrations.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aquatica: A Beginner’s Field Guide
Incredible mind to engineer these futuristic hybrid creatures. ***