The Eightfold Path: A Graphic Novel Anthology

by Steven Barnes, Charles Johnson, Bryan Christopher Moss (Illustrations)

From award-winning authors Charles Johnson and Steven Barnes comes a graphic novel anthology of interconnected Afrofuturistic parables inspired by the teachings of Buddha

Eight strangers looking for enlightenment from an ancient spiritual teacher are trapped in a cave high in the mountains on their way to his temple. One of his acolytes directs them to each tell a story that the group can learn from as they wait out the horrible snowstorm that rages outside the cave’s entrance.

One by one the travelers each share a story that, unbeknownst to them, is actually a morality tale representing one of the aspects of final enlightenment as taught in Buddhism. As the wind howls through the night, they tell symbolic stories of horror, dystopia, high adventure, cyberpunk, and urban fantasy. Each story is a spoke on the symbolic Dharma wheel, and each interlocking tale gets the travelers closer to their true destiny—unveiling the future of the entire human race.

This remarkable collection borrows heavily from the traditions of pop-culture morality anthology series such as The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Night Gallery, Lovecraft Country, and the publications of E.C. Comics. Heavily influenced by the science fiction pulps of the 1950s and 1960s, this brilliant collection remixes classic social narratives such as Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, and The Arabian Nights, through an edgy, contemporary, yet spiritually centered lens. In The Eightfold Path, our destinies lie in heeding the lessons given in every one of these entrancing tales.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Buddhism, Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Comix, Art

240 pages, Hardcover

Published April 12, 2022

About the author

Steven Barnes (born March 1, 1952, Los Angeles, California) is an African American science fiction writer, lecturer, creative consultant, and human performance technician. He has written several episodes of The Outer Limits and Baywatch, as well as the Stargate SG-1 episode "Brief Candle" and the Andromeda episode "The Sum of its Parts". Barnes' first published piece of fiction, the novelette The Locusts (1979), written with Larry Niven, and was a Hugo Award nominee.

Reviews

[KB Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different. Thought provoking. A creative means by which to convey the dharma and Noble Eightfold Path, as well as socio-cultural commentary.

[Alisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title and cover art make promises that, at least for me, weren't delivered on.
First and least important, the art style inside - very different from the cover art. While this aesthetic is not my cup of tea, it definitely serves to amplify the horror element of the stories told. Yes, I said horror.
Modelled after The Canterbury Tales, there is a caveat at the beginning they're telling cautionary tales but the stories turn out to be violent and gruesome. It feels like more like Tales from the Crypt. Whatever tenet is supposed to be conveyed is usually lost or buried under too much gore for my taste.
That said, a few stories were palatable for me, and often raise excellent questions about society and choice, but it's not a graphic novel I would ever want to come back to.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fables showing how cruel we are as a human species and that we need to get our humanity back after destroying Earth. It was a struggle to get through because every story was depressing. I only finished it because as a graphic novel it was a quick read.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what I thought this was going to be, but since it does have a super Buddhist title, I guess I expected it to be less Tales from the Crypt. Now, that sounds like a criticism, but it isn't. These parables are like zen koans where the reader has to find their way through samsara with H.P. Lovecraft as their guru. Goid luck. The art is brain twisting, and the settings are all fairly nonsensical. Also, this is gory af. That said, life is suffering, so welcome aboard.

[the plot master · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this and thought, "WTH did I just read!!!???" I mean, I love the twist ending, but, I still have sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many questions. Anyway, I did enjoy all the horror stories told in graphic novel form, so it was an enjoyable read, I just think that it needs a sequel to answer all the questions.

[Marc]

Another DNF. I’m getting good at this. Just wasn’t really working for me on any level. Mostly felt like the stories were rushed and not paced/developed well. Very incongruous feel overall.

[Jonathan D McMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully hard to describe

Like reading a dream, it's difficult to put into words what this graphic novel is and does to the reader. Bravo!!!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and it was very interesting and beautifully drawn. The concept is that a group of travelers stranded in a snowstorm each tell a story that illustrates one prong on the Eightfold Path of Buddhism. There is a short chapter at the end that explains this concept, and I wish I had read that first. I’m sure I will read it again as it seems like a book that you will gain something from each time you read it.

[K.a. Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUN TO READ AND THROUGHT PROVOKING

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH written by DR CHARLES JOHNSON and STEVEN BARNES and illustrated by BRYAN CHRISTOPHER MOSS published by ABRAMS COMICARTS MEGASCOPE.

In my title, I wrote ''fun'' first. To me, reading a work of fiction (and I apply the same idea to watching movies and series) should first and foremost be about being entertained. It should be a distraction. If it so happens that I learn something or grow, that is an even better experience, but I must be entertained.

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH brings that. It uses the ''strangers gathered around the camp fire and trade stories'' structure and provides us with a variety of genres of tales: crime, hard sci-fi, cyberpunk, space opera, horror...And in this graphic novel, the artist adapts his style to each genre. The stories are quite enjoyable and go from funny, scary, action packed, NEVER boring.

But, my title also has the words ''thought provoking''. Each of the narrators are travelers seeking understanding of themselves and of the world surrounding them. And the EIGHTFOLD PATH is a Buddhist concept to reach that kind of understanding. The stories they tell are morality tales about self knowledge and self improvement. It never gets preachy or boring. The book brillantly uses genre storytelling to give us food for thought. One doesn't need to be a Buddhist or a philosopher or any kind of religious practioner to enjoy this book.

I stand by my title. FUN AND THROUGHT PROVOKING. Horror, sci-fi, crime, action to help us understand more about ourselves and each other. Well worth the time and money spent.

[Chrisman · Rating 4 out of 5]

## Why I Picked It Up ##

Saw it lying there on the shelf and I'm on a Buddhism/mindfulness kick right now, so I was like, "Hey book, would you like to come home with me?"

## What I Liked About It ##

This totally defied all expectations. Stories within stories within stories that weaved in and out of horror, sci-fi, Afrofuturism, and more. They were nearly all cautionary tales inspired by the life and teachings of the Buddha about how NOT to live a good life. Lots of being trapped in karmic cycles of greed and desire.

The artwork is kind of jarring and takes some getting used to. It visually communicates the dissatisfaction inherent to existence.

## Who I Would Recommend It To ##

Not to anybody actually expecting the story of the Buddha. This sits firmly in "inspired by" territory. But anybody familiar with the basics of Buddhism will find many layers to these stories and a lot to think about.

And it's a great standalone work, so I think just about anybody would enjoy it.

[Julesy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like reading sci-fi.
I don't like reading horror.
Therefore, this book seemed counterintuitive to the theme of the Eightfold Path.
I didn't really "get it". I was looking for something to reduce my stress and anxiety, not add to it.
The only stories in this collection that I enjoyed were the present day ones, but even then, the violence was incredibly excessive.
If you are looking for a book that is more along the lines of the eightfold path or 4 noble truths, then skip this one because they won't be there.

[Jennifer Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprising combination of Buddhism, The Canterbury Tales, and modern horror/scifi, THE EIGHTFOLD PATH illustrates the teachings of Buddha in a unique manner. Be reminded - Not all graphic novels are designed for children. This one has adult content and may not be appropriate for younger readers.

[Chris Aylott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but most of the Buddhist themes of the stories went over my head and the art style is so heavily inked that it was sometimes hard for me to read it. I enjoyed the nods to the Canterbury Tales, but I don't feel like I got to know the tellers in the same way that I did with Chaucer. Glad I read it, wish I had gotten more out of it than I did.

[DoMonique Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories in here were better than others. A solid 3.5, and I also think that the author's note about the tone of the stories/the concept of Buddhism should have been at the front. It was really jarring to think that I was going to get some light spiritual fare, and the first story is Tales of the Crypt-esque. But overall, an engaging read!

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far more fun than I thought it was going to be... basically a bunch of short horror/sci-fi/futuristic stories, a little bit Tales of the Crypt, a little bit Ray Bradbury, all of which tie into the eightfold path (which I hadn't heard of previously). Different artistic and story styles but a coherent book.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was challenging to read. I didn't buy in to the characters' dialogue at all points, and the drawings weren't always clear. Some of the short stories never seemed fully resolved. But I think maybe all that was part of the point?
In any case, it made me think and want to be a better person in the end, so I'll give it 4 stars. :)

[Ziyan Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the short stories within this anthology were difficult to understand and could have been fleshed out some more, but all of the stories were thought-provoking and original. I enjoyed the art style (though sometimes it was difficult to tell which character was which within a story). The ending definitely ties it all together and felt satisfying!

[The_J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buddhism filtered through the lens of Horror Comics and African-Americanism. Non-compelling, as though in the transformation it became instead a transmogrification. I would like to say that it was a good effort... but

[Crisanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't get the moral of the stories here, it was way too graphic for my liking but I could see it maybe appealing to more people who enjoy graphic novels. The illustrations are pretty cool but the writing is hard to read in some of the stories.

[Allen Herring · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I expected more to this. I enjoyed it, but I wanted more and different.

[Michael Kitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost gave it a five, but the ending was confusing. Maybe another read through will change my opinion.

[Landin Chesne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful, sexy, and horrific artwork, but without very coherent plot, or personalized characters.

[Emma]

Concepts:
- Dharma (P.J. tattoo 👀)
- Noble Eightfold Path: Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was hard for me to engage with.
I found the stories boring, frankly.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange graphic novel, the format is similar to the older 50s comics while the gaudy artwork reminds me of 60s comics. A decent read once.

[Graisi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very light social commentary, recommended only for young people who are discovering spirituality for the first time. Very little actual Buddhism.

I saw and read nothing in this graphic novel which would have compelled me to buy a copy when I was a teen, and I studied regular world religion books then as a hobby.

Others may enjoy it.

[Landon Schmidt-Warnecke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Score: 77
Art: 16/20
Story: 16/20
Characters: 13/20
World-building: 16/20
Writing: 16/20