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Club Zero-G
Douglas Rushkoff, author of eight books on media and culture, as well as the novels Ecstasy Club and Exit Strategy, marks his graphic novel debut with Club Zero-G. Teaming with Canadian independent comic artist Steph Dumais, Rushkoff has delivered America’s answer to Japan’s animé: a mind-altering journey into a universe where consensus reality is up for grabs.
The story follows Zeke, a gangly, unpopular, 19-year-old college student—a townie who also happens to attend the elite college in his community—who has discovered a terrific new club where he is accepted and popular. There’s only one catch: everyone at the club is dreaming. It only exists in the shared dream consciousness of its participants. If at all.
For there’s the rub: Zeke’s friends think he is simply going crazy. His girlfriend in the club won’t even acknowledge his existence in real life.
As Zeke descends further into the Club Zero-G reality, he learns that this shared dream space is actually a psychic field created by four mutant children from the future—the last of their kind, conceived by human space travelers in zero gravity and exhibiting strange deformities and abilities. Living in a future where independent thinking is considered a threat to “consensus,” they are hunted by the authorities, and seek the help of teens from the 21st century who, they hope, can still alter the course of reality.
But Zeke eventually learns this is all a setup, and he is being used by the militaries of the present and the future as a portal into the psychic field of the Zero-G kids, so they can be destroyed. Unless, of course, he is just going mad.
The battle for Zeke’s mind becomes an interdimensional battle for reality itself, in this daring, adult, American, animé adventure.
The story follows Zeke, a gangly, unpopular, 19-year-old college student—a townie who also happens to attend the elite college in his community—who has discovered a terrific new club where he is accepted and popular. There’s only one catch: everyone at the club is dreaming. It only exists in the shared dream consciousness of its participants. If at all.
For there’s the rub: Zeke’s friends think he is simply going crazy. His girlfriend in the club won’t even acknowledge his existence in real life.
As Zeke descends further into the Club Zero-G reality, he learns that this shared dream space is actually a psychic field created by four mutant children from the future—the last of their kind, conceived by human space travelers in zero gravity and exhibiting strange deformities and abilities. Living in a future where independent thinking is considered a threat to “consensus,” they are hunted by the authorities, and seek the help of teens from the 21st century who, they hope, can still alter the course of reality.
But Zeke eventually learns this is all a setup, and he is being used by the militaries of the present and the future as a portal into the psychic field of the Zero-G kids, so they can be destroyed. Unless, of course, he is just going mad.
The battle for Zeke’s mind becomes an interdimensional battle for reality itself, in this daring, adult, American, animé adventure.
128 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
41 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Rushkoff
108 books1,006 followersDouglas Rushkoff is a New York-based writer, columnist and lecturer on technology, media and popular culture.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 9, 2018
Douglas Rushkoff is a media theorist I've been following since about 2004. I've enjoyed his documentaries immensely, some of his books; and his comic series "Testament" is one of my favorite series (it's a weird synthesis of The Invisibles, Sandman and Promethea--very high praise from me). It also hits a bit of Warren Ellis and Jack Kirby (Eternals) too.
That was my first exposure to his fiction work--which unfortunately has had diminishing returns. I was extremely disappointed with his follow-up works, A.D.D and Aleister and Adolf. As such, I was quite keen to find a cheap copy of "Club Zero-G", his first comic.
Club Zero-G is very much a first effort, perhaps even a first pass at the ideas that would later seed Testament. The art is sadly horrendous and very amateur here. I've always been a fan of Liam Sharpe's work, but the comparison just reiterates how much rarefied air he works in (next to JH Willams III, Frank Quitely, etc.)
This is a quick book about the collective unsonsciousness, but instead of coming off like an interesting mini-series, this OGN feels like a bad Twilight Zone episode. Actually scratch that--an Outer Limits episode.
That was my first exposure to his fiction work--which unfortunately has had diminishing returns. I was extremely disappointed with his follow-up works, A.D.D and Aleister and Adolf. As such, I was quite keen to find a cheap copy of "Club Zero-G", his first comic.
Club Zero-G is very much a first effort, perhaps even a first pass at the ideas that would later seed Testament. The art is sadly horrendous and very amateur here. I've always been a fan of Liam Sharpe's work, but the comparison just reiterates how much rarefied air he works in (next to JH Willams III, Frank Quitely, etc.)
This is a quick book about the collective unsonsciousness, but instead of coming off like an interesting mini-series, this OGN feels like a bad Twilight Zone episode. Actually scratch that--an Outer Limits episode.
August 3, 2008
This graphic novel is about Zeke, your average unpopular, 19-year-old college student. He is a townie who happens to attend the local Elite University. One night, he discovers a hip, new club, Club Zero-G, where he is popular and accepted. The catch is that everyone is dreaming. The club exists only in the shared dream consciousness of its participants. Zeke remembers the club the next day, but he is the only one.
As time goes on, Zeke discovers that the shared dream space is actually a psychic field produced by four mutant children from the future. Conceived in zero gravity, they are the last of their kind. They live in a world where independent thinking is a threat to “consensus,” and are hunted by the authorities. The four seek the help of 21st century teens who, perhaps, can still alter the course of reality.
Then Zeke learns that he is being used, by the militaries of the future and present (including Zeke’s father), as a portal into the field of the Zero-G kids, so they can be removed, once and for all. Of course, there is a much simpler possibility. Zeke could just be losing his mind.
I confess to not being much of a comic/graphic novel reader, but I loved this story. It is sufficiently strange and influenced by Japanese anime, the drawings are easy to follow, and it will give the reader plenty to think about. Two strong thumbs up.
As time goes on, Zeke discovers that the shared dream space is actually a psychic field produced by four mutant children from the future. Conceived in zero gravity, they are the last of their kind. They live in a world where independent thinking is a threat to “consensus,” and are hunted by the authorities. The four seek the help of 21st century teens who, perhaps, can still alter the course of reality.
Then Zeke learns that he is being used, by the militaries of the future and present (including Zeke’s father), as a portal into the field of the Zero-G kids, so they can be removed, once and for all. Of course, there is a much simpler possibility. Zeke could just be losing his mind.
I confess to not being much of a comic/graphic novel reader, but I loved this story. It is sufficiently strange and influenced by Japanese anime, the drawings are easy to follow, and it will give the reader plenty to think about. Two strong thumbs up.
December 25, 2019
2.3/5
Douglas Rushkoff's first outing feels like a first outing. It's half-baked, exploring themes of collective unconsciousness and conformity on a surface level only, while pretending to be deeper than it really is. The story whizzes by--it only took me fifteen minutes to read this cover to cover--with no breathing room to develop its characters or its ideas. It feels like a fever dream that came and went between the hours of 3 and 6 AM. The artwork is also pretty bad, unfortunately... it looks like Bryan Lee O'Malley tried to draw it after someone smashed both of his hands with a sledgehammer. It brought down what little story there was, unfortunately. The ending also feels like a last-ditch effort to salvage the story with a fourth-wall break that isn't poignant or intriguing or anything except lazy, as if Rushkoff couldn't decide how to finish the story, or just didn't want to write it anymore.
Shame, because the ideas presented, though scarcely explored, are interesting. It just so happens that they're the only interesting part of the whole thing...
Douglas Rushkoff's first outing feels like a first outing. It's half-baked, exploring themes of collective unconsciousness and conformity on a surface level only, while pretending to be deeper than it really is. The story whizzes by--it only took me fifteen minutes to read this cover to cover--with no breathing room to develop its characters or its ideas. It feels like a fever dream that came and went between the hours of 3 and 6 AM. The artwork is also pretty bad, unfortunately... it looks like Bryan Lee O'Malley tried to draw it after someone smashed both of his hands with a sledgehammer. It brought down what little story there was, unfortunately. The ending also feels like a last-ditch effort to salvage the story with a fourth-wall break that isn't poignant or intriguing or anything except lazy, as if Rushkoff couldn't decide how to finish the story, or just didn't want to write it anymore.
Shame, because the ideas presented, though scarcely explored, are interesting. It just so happens that they're the only interesting part of the whole thing...
April 7, 2022
I like what the book was going for, but feel like the execution is poor.
January 1, 2026
Interesting and recursive in a way, but somehow the characters remain distant.
October 8, 2007
Despite an interesting last-page rhetorical move, this book feels a little too unfinished. Some themes that Rushkoff will develop further (and to greater effect) in Testament are present here, but ultimately this one wasn't quite ready for publication.
I got this copy for free, but if I'd payed money for it I'd be pissed.
I got this copy for free, but if I'd payed money for it I'd be pissed.
February 12, 2010
Brief and sketchy and vivid as a fever dream -- I went into it expecting more depth of story and so finished it a little disappointed, but I think now it was more what I brought to the story than what was inside it.
September 25, 2009
Inteesting take on time travel, alternate reality, and the psychic realm, written by a media professor who once played in a band called Psychic TV! Duuuuude!
June 24, 2015
Gah! Classic mind-blown conspiracy book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews