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301st out of 1,500 books
—
3,021 voters
Ministry Of Space
by
Warren Ellis (Goodreads Author)
This is the story of how we could have gone to space. Maybe how we should have gone to space. This is the story of the Ministry of Space: The black budget that financed the move into space. The deaths of the test pilots taken from the surviving Spitfire flyers of the Battle of Britain. And in 2000, the end of the Golden Age, as America and Russia begin moving into space. T...more
Paperback, 96 pages
Published
(first published March 8th 2005)
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Jun 01, 2008
Jesse
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Space Exploration and Warren Ellis
Shelves:
graphic-novels,
alt-history
this is an excellent, if short, story of alternative history and space exploration. In this story, the British get their hands on the nazi V-2 rocket engineers and scientists. Because of certain decisions and riks, they achieve goals in space ahead of those made in real history.
This book reminds me of an alternative history "The Right Stuff" as well as a movied titled "Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise" by Hiroyuki Yamaga. Its essentially the same story framework but set in an alternate wor...more
This book reminds me of an alternative history "The Right Stuff" as well as a movied titled "Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise" by Hiroyuki Yamaga. Its essentially the same story framework but set in an alternate wor...more
The space race, the first man in space and the first man to set foot on the moon. Events from decades ago that, despite being great accomplishments, have seemingly fallen by the wayside and become somewhat forgotten today. Imagine that at the end of World War II the German scientists, led by Dr. Wernher von Braun, had went over to the British instead. Imagine that nation, its empire fading into history, using those scientists to extend that empire into space and changed history in the process. T...more
A slight but fun comic book.
I'm not a huge reader of comics, so I'm no expert. However, I am not completely immune to their charms.
This is an alternate history short story (I believe the original comic was only 3 issues) which posits timeline where Britain captured the German rocket scientists, rather than the US. The upshot is, that rather than the American's making it into space first, Britain does. It's not completely barking: at the end of the war there were plenty of people who wanted to se...more
I'm not a huge reader of comics, so I'm no expert. However, I am not completely immune to their charms.
This is an alternate history short story (I believe the original comic was only 3 issues) which posits timeline where Britain captured the German rocket scientists, rather than the US. The upshot is, that rather than the American's making it into space first, Britain does. It's not completely barking: at the end of the war there were plenty of people who wanted to se...more
Dec 12, 2009
Jason Mills
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
space buffs, SF and comic lovers, people with colour vision
The schtick behind this short graphic novel is an alternate history in which it was Britain that scooped up all Germany's Peenemunde rocket scientists at the end of WWII. With funds from an obscure source, the Ministry Of Space rushed ahead, creating a 50s-flavoured, British RAF-looking space programme that builds space stations, goes to the Moon, and eventually sends a fleet to Mars. At the centre of all this 'progress' is a ruthless air officer full of secrets.
The triumphal adventures in space...more
The triumphal adventures in space...more
A what-if book, in which Britain steals Werner Von Braun and the Peenemunde rocket team before the U.S. can get to them, and then uses the German scientists to kick-start an ambitious space program. Ellis reminds me how sad it is we stood on lunar soil, and for a brief minute stretched towards the stars, and then decided to go back home.
In the introduction, Mark Millar insists this is Warren Ellis' best creator-owned comic - including Transmetropolitan. He also insists it's Chris Weston, the penciler's best work ever. I don't see what the big deal is. Millar must just be abusive with superlatives. This is certainly right up Ellis' alley, and is an interesting brief alternative history, imagining what would have happened if England had been the winner in the race to space, but that's all it is. "Ministry of Space" contains almos...more
Absolutely delightful. As a fan of Biggles, Dan Dare, space-age fiction, WW2 history and fiction, alternate histories, dying Empire and sci-fi in general (especially the political Earth universe painted by Who in the seventies), there's a lot here to love. Genuinely interesting take on the "what-ifs" of where and how rocket science could have gone after WW2, with only the will and the right conditions for it to thrive - evocative, powerful and nostalgic, especially to those of us who grew up on...more
No one does the last panel gasp like Warren Ellis does.
This book has sat on my shelf for almost a year now whispering. I finally answered and love it.
It presents an alternate time line beginning with the end of World War II, where England got ahead of the US on Project Paperclip, and thus, developed their own space program.
And then there's that last panel that just takes your breath away. You know, or think you know what the twist is. It isn't hard to figure out. And I was right.
But then the...more
This book has sat on my shelf for almost a year now whispering. I finally answered and love it.
It presents an alternate time line beginning with the end of World War II, where England got ahead of the US on Project Paperclip, and thus, developed their own space program.
And then there's that last panel that just takes your breath away. You know, or think you know what the twist is. It isn't hard to figure out. And I was right.
But then the...more
Criada por Warren Ellis e ilustrada por Chris Weston, Ministry of Space é uma série de três edições sobre uma realidade alternativa em que os ingleses e não os russos e americanos se apoderam dos segredos da tecnologia de foguetões alemã no final da II Guerra Mundial. Sob a direccção férrea de um oficial da RAF, o ministério do espaço desenvolve as ideias de Von Braun e catapulta o Reino Unido para o domínio do espaço, da Lua e de Marte.
O puro divertimento do argumento completa-se com as ilustra...more
O puro divertimento do argumento completa-se com as ilustra...more
Ministry of Space is a short alternate history comic by Warren Ellis where the Brits got to the german rocket scientists first after WW II and created their own space program long before the Americans. The plot is not quite at the usual Ellis level but it's still good. This comic shines more in dialogue and social criticism, which both work pretty well. Chris Weston supports with art ranging from decent to good.
A fine comic that doesn't break the Ellis-is-worth-your-time rule.
A fine comic that doesn't break the Ellis-is-worth-your-time rule.
This graphic novel assumes that the British gained rocketry knowledge after WWII instead of the Americans and Soviets. The British Empire prevails and establishes a substantial space presence. The art is crisp and brings to mind of 1950s space visions. The plot and characters are caricatures of the British. Lots of daring and stiff upper lip. Plenty of fun but it felt a little short.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=686
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=686
Obviously comics can tell intelligent stories, we are past that. But, still it is rare to find thoughtful, somber tales like this. A what if?/alternative history story familiar to scif/buffs, perfected by the likes of Ian R. Macleod or Howard Waldrop, but now presented in a comics format. It’s a bittersweet evocation of man’s exploratory urge with Britain pursuing a space program with greater success than their cold war brethren did in actuality, but rather than simple glory or fantasy there are...more
MINISTRY OF SPACE is a marvel. It is, at its heart, a peon to the dreams of the past: to the wonder of the Space Age, when all seemed possible... and to Britain's lost Golden Age of empire, which had its last and glorious gasp in that great nation's resistance and ultimate defeat of the Nazi threat.
This is alternate history at its best: not merely a twist on history, with a clever or fun result, but a twist that holds profound meaning and resonance, not only for Brits but for all who love the br...more
This is alternate history at its best: not merely a twist on history, with a clever or fun result, but a twist that holds profound meaning and resonance, not only for Brits but for all who love the br...more
I don't generally go in for comic books...errr...I mean graphic novels , but I was pleasantly surprised. Ministry of Space uses gorgeous pictures to drive an what if story, exploring Britain's successful colonization of space, after World War II. If you're a space buff, I highly recommend it.
Dammit, this is the sort of thing that science fiction (SF? Sci-fi? Geek-erature?) is supposed to do all the time: show us what the world could be like.
Are there cool-ass drawings and reasonably plausible ideas? Yes.
Does it drag out a forgotten character from the past and slap the nostalgia clean off his face? Yes.
Are there space-Nazis? Well, yeah. But that's not why it's cool.
It's cool because it works. The details in the art and the details in the words all give you something to come back to....more
Are there cool-ass drawings and reasonably plausible ideas? Yes.
Does it drag out a forgotten character from the past and slap the nostalgia clean off his face? Yes.
Are there space-Nazis? Well, yeah. But that's not why it's cool.
It's cool because it works. The details in the art and the details in the words all give you something to come back to....more
The stiffness of the art bothered me at first, but I stopped noticing it quickly. The story is a bit like a Twilight Zone episode, complete with a twist ending final panel. Or maybe it wouldn't have been a twist if I'd been paying more attention. Anyhow, worth reading once.
Pretty good. The Big Terrible Reveal the book tip-toed around seemed predictable and par for the course -- in the grand scheme of Things Britain Should Answer For, stealing from the dead doesn't seem all that shocking. Still, interesting and enjoyable overall.
If, like me , you grew up reading Dan Dare in The Eagle, and similar comics you'll love this tale of an alternative post-war world where Brtain led the space race. Like all Ellis, imaginative, beautifully illustrated. With a nasty sting in the tail at the end.
Oh my goodness, the artwork in this is amazing. So much detail. It's worth taking the time to thoroughly look over each panel to see all the details. The story is great too. A classic what if scenario. There's not enough of this kind of imagination...
What a great premise-- the graphic novel starts and it feels like another Martha Washington. But then it falters, and ends too soon, with a gimmicky conclusion that makes this grandiose fresco feel pretty useless. A wasted chance.
Okay, here it is: (view spoiler)
When you read the book's blurb, specifically "This is the story of how we could have gone to space. Maybe how we should have gone to space. This is the story of the Ministry of Space: The black budget that financed the move into space.", are they seriously suggesting that going to space would've been faster/better if they'd had a black budget like the one in...more
When you read the book's blurb, specifically "This is the story of how we could have gone to space. Maybe how we should have gone to space. This is the story of the Ministry of Space: The black budget that financed the move into space.", are they seriously suggesting that going to space would've been faster/better if they'd had a black budget like the one in...more
A comic series of 3 volumes, Ministry of Space is set over a period of 60 years or so from after World War II to the present day. It's literally a race for space with England dominating the field. The actual story I would give a 6.5/10, though the art is really quite spectacular, so a 9/10 for that. All in all a good read, but more so to admire the spacey illustrations of Warren Ellis.
Warren Ellis does it again! This comic is a tribute to space, a look down a road not taken and a love-letter to lost opportunities. It also features wonderful art, and great storytelling. Highly recommended!
Picked this up at the height of my Warren Ellis mania, and it had one of those real "a-ha!" moments for me. 1 panel on 1 page that I can't get out of my head, and even re-reading the book doesn't have the same effect, but it's still always in there. The scene in question is a minimal one, but I'm not going to name it here, as this was a magical moment in reading for me, and if you've read it, let's talk about it. I'm curious to know if you saw the same thing I did. It's one of those rare books (...more
Captivating and chilling perspective on how England might have gone into space after WWII. Highly recommended, even if you don't usually read graphic novels.
Ellis articulates human yearning for space exploration better than maybe anyone. This story is full of science bastards; the best and worst of Britannia.
excellent sci-fi "parallel dimensions" story - spaceships during WWII type of deal. you never know where it's headed until the very last page. awesome.
Excellent short gnovel of an alternate history where England went to space. Great images and a ripping story.
This is ok. Warren Ellis uses this run to play on the British Empire with a "What If?" narrative.
a short story about what would have happened if the british had been space pioneers
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Has written comics & graphic novels, books, journalism, animation, tv, film, videogames and anything else that looks like it might pay a bill or buy whisky.
Second novel, GUN MACHINE, due from Mulholland Books in autumn of 2012.
First non-fiction book due from FSG in 2014.
Currently a weekly columnist for VICE UK.
Hello. WHERE AM I
More about Warren Ellis...
Second novel, GUN MACHINE, due from Mulholland Books in autumn of 2012.
First non-fiction book due from FSG in 2014.
Currently a weekly columnist for VICE UK.
Hello. WHERE AM I
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