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50books_pocIn a steampunk version of 1897 Texas, singing “tutors” for a giant computer called Cathedral (because it’s housed in one) try teach it self-awareness. The computer was built by Europeans on land belonging to the Latino/a “natives;” many years later, Latina tutor Glory and Sumner, the white son of one of the inventors, fall in love. Their romance becomes even more complicated than it would be anyway when Cathedral finally breaks through to sentience… and wants to incarnate in a human body. And then wishes become reality and it all gets very complicated.
The best elements of this comic are the atmosphere – Texas steampunk with people of color! – and the art, which is stylized, expressive, and often quite beautiful. The characters are more sketches than fully-realized personalities, and the story, particularly toward the end, devolves into a lot of confusing rushing around back and forth from the real world to virtual reality.
If my description sounds appealing to you, you should enjoy this. I did, despite its flaws.
Though Cathedral Child
stands on its own, there is a sequel of sorts, though it sounds more like a loosely related story set in the same world: Clockwork Angels
The best elements of this comic are the atmosphere – Texas steampunk with people of color! – and the art, which is stylized, expressive, and often quite beautiful. The characters are more sketches than fully-realized personalities, and the story, particularly toward the end, devolves into a lot of confusing rushing around back and forth from the real world to virtual reality.
If my description sounds appealing to you, you should enjoy this. I did, despite its flaws.
Though Cathedral Child
stands on its own, there is a sequel of sorts, though it sounds more like a loosely related story set in the same world: Clockwork Angels
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Date: 2009-10-29 06:20 pm (UTC)FYI
Date: 2009-10-29 08:34 pm (UTC)Re: FYI
Date: 2009-10-29 08:44 pm (UTC)If I misidentified her ethnicity, I apologize and will take down the post.
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Date: 2009-11-17 02:20 am (UTC)Don't worry about any offense, and please leave the entry up. I'm delighted people are still reading and enjoying Cathedral Child.
I am divorcing from a half-Hispanic man, and have two 1/4 Hispanic children.
I identify as Hispanic mainly because I've been part of the culture because of marriage, and for my kids' benefit. I want then to understand that they have heritage to be proud of. I've certainly been treated as such, both for better and worse. (Pretty much worse until I moved to San Antonio from Alameda, CA, which is just about the Hispanic-hatingest please I've ever been.
In fact, the racial, gender and social conflicts that Cathedral turns on were informed by being a wife and mother in a mixed race marriage in a place where being indentified as non-white was a social death sentence. (Not to mention renting, schools and employment.)
I was also treated like crap in hospitals and stores.
Here in San Antonio, where pretty much everyone has a name ending in "ez", including Asians, it's very different, and I like it. A person is who they are, without their name coloring the opinions of people who can help or hurt them.
That was awfully long, but I hope it clears things up.