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Grease Monkey
by
Tim Eldred
Caught in the crossfire of an interstellar war, our Earth was bombed to flinders--and then repaired. The mysterious alien Benefactors who healed the planet also offered “uplift” to our dolphins and gorillas. The dolphins turned them down. The gorillas said yes. As a result, we’re now sharing our world with language-using, tool-making simians. Tensions are inevitable, ...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
February 19th 2008
by Tor Books
(first published 2006)
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This was a great graphic novel. It’s a sci-fi story set on a space station, which is a training school for pilots and squadrons. The earth was attacked by some kind of alien species – no one really knows who or why – and what remains of humankind has received aid from other benevolent aliens. Since there were so few humans left, another earth species was allowed to choose to be augmented in order to assist them in preparing to defeat the bad aliens (should they ever return or should their poi...more
This graphic novel is actually a series of “comic book” sized stories that build chapter by chapter into a fully realized novel. An interesting science fiction variation on the typical “coming of age” story, the graphic novel focuses on teenage Robin, a literal space cadet aboard an enormous flagship base to multiple air squadrons. Robin is assigned as a trainee mechanic under Mac, a sentient gorilla. Together they maintain the aircraft of Barbarian Squadron, a team of very liberated women p...more
Reading this Graphic Novel was an interesting experience for me. I have had little experience with this type of fiction. I was fascinated by the unique, symbiotic relationship between text and illustrations in this book. Although definitely a science fiction novel, the storyline struck me as more humorous and adolescent than futuristic. I'd love to try this book on a reluctant middle school reader. It contains interesting characters with problems a middle schooler could relate to.
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I really enjoyed it.
Grease Monkey tells the story of a young mechanic on a space station and the sentient ape who mentors him. This is a coming of age story, very much along the lines of a Heinlein juvenile. In this story, much of the Earth’s population was destroyed by aliens. Another group of aliens showed up and elevated gorillas to sentience to help in the war. Currently Earth is preparing for war.
The story is well-told and the illustrations add a lot to the story. I can’...more
Grease Monkey tells the story of a young mechanic on a space station and the sentient ape who mentors him. This is a coming of age story, very much along the lines of a Heinlein juvenile. In this story, much of the Earth’s population was destroyed by aliens. Another group of aliens showed up and elevated gorillas to sentience to help in the war. Currently Earth is preparing for war.
The story is well-told and the illustrations add a lot to the story. I can’...more
Tim Eldred, Grease Monkey (Tor, 2006)
After fourteen years and a number of deals that fell through, Tor has finally brought the first collection of Tim Eldred's legendary underground comic Grease Monkey to light, and we at Goat Central are pleased indeed. For those of you unaware of it, this is a sci-fi comic about a big space station. 60% of Earth's population was destroyed during an alien invasion; a more benevolent alien race came afterwards to help humanity out of the mess it had ...more
After fourteen years and a number of deals that fell through, Tor has finally brought the first collection of Tim Eldred's legendary underground comic Grease Monkey to light, and we at Goat Central are pleased indeed. For those of you unaware of it, this is a sci-fi comic about a big space station. 60% of Earth's population was destroyed during an alien invasion; a more benevolent alien race came afterwards to help humanity out of the mess it had ...more
When I began this book I was totally not expecting to fall in love with it! The art is great, the characters and storyline are deep, and it's actually quite funny. This graphic novel is set up in episodes (like a show, almost), and I thought it worked really well. From reading the "making of" section in the back I could tell the author is really passionate about his story and I think he has a right to be- this is great! Grease Monkey is perfect for people who like graphic novels but no...more
This comic book-style story is about a space cadet named Robin Plotnik & Mcgimben Gimbensky (he prefers to go by Mac). This story takes place after an alien horde kills more than 60% of the human civilization. The Benefactors want to help Earth, so they give higher intelligence to the dolphins. They didn't want any part of it. So the Benefactors give intelligence to the gorillas. This is a sci-fi adventure that you won't want to put down.
A talking gorilla in space. Combining those two ingredients sounds awful to me. But it works.
Most of the stories revolve around Robin, a new mechanic cadet and his new boss, Mac, the talking gorilla. It'll take a few chapters before you finally understand why there is a talking gorilla on a spaceship
It's a fascinating backdrop to the story. But the heart of book is a coming of age story for both Robin and Mac.
Excellent - an all-ages comic that isn't childish. The art is extremely clean, and the story is engaging. Young mechanic signs up for work on a carrier and meets his boss, an intelligence-advanced gorilla, and his crew of hot-shot female fighter pilots. Humor, love, politics, all in a neat package.
A really enjoyable series of comics about growing up and figuring out what is important and how to work toward it.
While there's a story arc, it's also a collection. And it felt a little disjointed at times. But quite enjoyable.
I didn't really expect to enjoy this too much, but it grew on me. Still, a lot of the plot elements seem to be things I've seen before somewhere.
YA GRAPHIC NOVEL ELDRED
Following a devastating attack from space earth is rebuilt with the help of other alien powers, who enlist the survivors in their war against the attackers. Since the majority of humanity was killed in the attack, the friendly powers upgrade the intelligence of the apes to fight along side humanity. So when young mechanic Robin Plotnik reports to his squadron he finds that his chief is a very large and short tempered silverback gorilla named McGimben Gimbinsky.
This book was an archie meets sci-fi combo. In the ending comments the author states that he wanted to write a graphic novel that reflects real life issues. Sadly, in this graphic novel, real life seems to bring about boredom and dropey eyelids. NOTHING really happens. I was waiting for the story to pick up and a plot to come in play....like maybe a WAR since they are on a ship endlessly practicing for war. Battles are good. Conflict is highly appreciated.
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Fan-freakin'-tastic.
Eldred worked on this off and on for about ten years, just because he wanted to, and boy does his enthusiasm show! Well plotted, with fun characters and a fascinating future world, I loved every chapter. The pics were great, and well organized (a problem in some graphic novels), so that the story flowed along with the perfect blend of words and pictures.
So much fun, when I got to the end I wanted to scream More! More!
Eldred worked on this off and on for about ten years, just because he wanted to, and boy does his enthusiasm show! Well plotted, with fun characters and a fascinating future world, I loved every chapter. The pics were great, and well organized (a problem in some graphic novels), so that the story flowed along with the perfect blend of words and pictures.
So much fun, when I got to the end I wanted to scream More! More!
elissa
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes comic books and SF
Shelves:
graphicnovels,
my_00s_reads
A series of comic books, collected in to one large hardcover GN. I'm not sure whether the 2nd volume is out yet, but I'd read it if I ran across it. I liked the story of the book's inception at the end, and the explanations of episodes.
This book was good, though a bit simplistic at times. Actually, it's very simplistic, but then surprises you at being rather well thought out.
It would make a good adolescent read I think.
It would make a good adolescent read I think.
Cute, old-fashioned SF(but not in a bad way), a bit like a cross between Babylon 5 and Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys, with some early Heinlein thrown in for texture.
After bracing myself for a concept that on outward appearances looks cheesey, I was pleasantly surprised to find characters and storylines that kept me engaged.
My thoughts:
http://www.greenmanreview.com/book/book_...
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Sentient monkeys in outer space. Really, nuff said.
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“Language is power that gets abused all the time, Robin, but we've got real enemies out there somewhere and until they're out of the picture, I won't get knotted up over people who don't get all the words right. It's a waste of energy.”
—
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