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14th out of 471 books
—
2,475 voters
Girl Genius, Vol. 1: Agatha Heterodyne and the Beetleburg Clank (Girl Genius #1)
In a time when the Industrial Revolution has become an all-out war, Mad Science rules the World... with mixed success. At Transylvania Polygnostic University, Agatha Clay is a student with trouble concentrating and rotten luck. Dedicated to her studies but unable to build anything that actually works, she seems destined for a lackluster career as a minor lab assistant. But...more
Paperback, 96 pages
Published
August 12th 2002
by Studio Foglio
(first published 2002)
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I was both eager and reluctant to read this. Eager because girl genius steampunk adventure? With great reviews? Awesome! Reluctant because, um, well you see the same cover I'm seeing, right? But hey, sometimes the cover art on graphic novels isn't the same as-- Oh. No. It is the same. Cartoony and exaggerated, with the added distraction of lots of details that were interesting but left me with the choice of either ignoring half of them or reading much slower than the story calls for. Most of all...more
This series is *excellent*.
Its a graphic novel from Phil and Kadjia (I prob. misspelled that) Foglio.
Their art is great and the work is *really* interesting.
Essentially, its an alternative earth where Mad Science is very real. Mad Scientists are said to posses the 'Spark' and are able to build amazing things . . . unfortunately there is a reason that they are called 'Mad'. Essentially, it manifests as a complete inability to determine if they *should* build just because they can. For this reaso...more
Its a graphic novel from Phil and Kadjia (I prob. misspelled that) Foglio.
Their art is great and the work is *really* interesting.
Essentially, its an alternative earth where Mad Science is very real. Mad Scientists are said to posses the 'Spark' and are able to build amazing things . . . unfortunately there is a reason that they are called 'Mad'. Essentially, it manifests as a complete inability to determine if they *should* build just because they can. For this reaso...more
This graphic novel follows the story of a family of Sparks - people gifted with the ability to manipulate the laws of physics. It's told as history and placed in a world with a steampunk ethos. The story and illustration are only moderately involving. Nothing very interesting or innovative occurs and I found myself extremely disappointed as I really enjoy the trappings of the steampunk movement. I unfortunately bought volume 2 of this series and will probably read it just to be sure, but I can't...more
Mar 29, 2012
Marsha
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-novel,
series-entry
In a world ruled by mad science that is almost akin to magic, anything is possible. Here you will find crazed geniuses, intelligent despots, talking animals, genuine heroes and a big-breasted blond girl who’s innocent, sweet and intelligent. Yes, anything can and does happen and, when it does, you know you’re in a Heterodyne story. The Foglios have crafted a crazy quilt world that runs on its own rules. Like an engine run amok, it always seems just about to careen off the tracks when a carefully...more
The tagline for the Girl Genius series is "Adventure, romance, mad science!" and it pretty well sums things up. This isn't a story that ever takes itself too seriously, and makes for a very fun romp through an alternate history where lab coats, goggles, and sadistic cackling are all just par for the course. The creators have clearly paid attention to the rule of writing that states "tension on every page" and never just stop the plot for a gag, although there's humour aplenty in here. There are...more
Oh baby thank you so much for being short. Great story! On a day I was less busy I would've been happy to read a volume twice the size. But I am super tired and have a cover letter to write and three assorted course readings to wade through. I am really reconsidering this book and review a day goal people. Possibly it was overly ambitious. And by ambitious I mean ill thought out. And by ill thought out I mean wow did I ever overestimate my time management abilities.
ANYWAYS
Girl Genius follows the...more
ANYWAYS
Girl Genius follows the...more
I don't care if you don't like comic books, go effing read it. Now. They also put out a novel form of it in high histrionic style. This mp3, should give you the tone of it. It's brilliant. It's Phil and Kaja Foglio. It's Agatha Heterodyne, GIRL GENIUS! One of my favorite characters is ... oh hell, all of them. Every character is wonderfully exactly what they should be.
I'll try to stop gushing and give you good information. A steampunk world ruled by mad scientists whose ability to invent is cal...more
I'll try to stop gushing and give you good information. A steampunk world ruled by mad scientists whose ability to invent is cal...more
I first met Phil Foglio in the late 70's at a Science Fiction Convention. (Yes, I'm that old, but Phil is older! I was in my teens and he was probably in his early 20's.) He was drawing cartoons and had a 'zine called "Effen EssEff". I even bought a couple pieces of his art back then. So, I was thrilled to recently rediscover Phil and his work. I recognized his style immediately, when I saw it.
I started reading Girl Genius online and then found out I could get it in book form. So, I bought the...more
I started reading Girl Genius online and then found out I could get it in book form. So, I bought the...more
This series about Mad Scientists in an alternate steampunk Europe may be the most enjoyable graphic series I have ever read (I would have to reread a lot of stuff from way back when to be sure). I love the characters, I love the setting, I love the wacky plot twists and it is genuinely funny. I read them all online, but will be buying the books for sure.
I was going to subtract a star for the fact that each and everyone of the female characters has a perky cupsize 32H with no visible means of su...more
I was going to subtract a star for the fact that each and everyone of the female characters has a perky cupsize 32H with no visible means of su...more
Phil Foglio has been an inspiration of mine since a teenager. He draws in such a great cartoony-yet-realistic style, even if his young characters tend to look alike. If you have not read Girl Genius, check it out online at http://www.girlgeniusonline.com - where you can read the entire series up to the most recent update (M-W-F). Humorous fantasy in the great tradition of, um, Pratchett? Monty Python? It's very silly, but very smart stuff.
Originally published online as a Web comic (where it can be found at www.girlgeniusonline.com), this series follows the exploits of a young woman, Agatha, who discovers she is the lost heir to a long-feared dynasty. Instead of a terribly serious version of this tale, the author/artist stick to humor over horrors. Still friends and enemies die, leaving their mark on Agatha as she grows to understand who she is and what she can do.
Phil and Kaja Foglio's Girl Genius is a fast-paced, antic introduction to the adventures of Agatha Heterodyne and her world. Like the first prose novel in this series, this book feels very much like an installment of a series, rather than a complete work in its own right. That's fine, since it's clearly labeled Book One all over the cover.
The story clearly introduces the main characters (Agatha, Baron Wolfenbach, and his son, Gilgamesh) through dialogue and action. It sets up a clear, distinct w...more
The story clearly introduces the main characters (Agatha, Baron Wolfenbach, and his son, Gilgamesh) through dialogue and action. It sets up a clear, distinct w...more
One of the best - if not THE best - web comics I've yet read, Girl Genius has a long and detailed plot that incorporates a lot of inventive world-building and alternative history, all around the idea of a late 18th-, early 19th-century Europe where some people have "the Spark:" an indefinable affinity for crafting outlandish and extreme science fantasy gadgets (a bit like Rajandra Das in Desolation Road). Agatha has the opposite of the Spark: while she has enthusiasm, she has absolutely no abili...more
I really got this book from the library for my daughter to read. I think she'd like steampunk (I already know she's a big fan of books with intelligent girls) and I thought maybe she'd be more likely to read a quick graphic novel just to try it out. Well, she hasn't been willing to put down her other books enough to try this one, but my would-be-inventor son might be reading this book this week.
I found this book interesting enough that I'm planning to look for the subsequent volumes. The story t...more
I found this book interesting enough that I'm planning to look for the subsequent volumes. The story t...more
I just spent 20 straight unshowered hours reading this comic online from start to the present day.
Beautiful art style, non-stop action, romance, science and a kick-ass heroine who's a little bit dangerous. I'm hooked.
Beautiful art style, non-stop action, romance, science and a kick-ass heroine who's a little bit dangerous. I'm hooked.
1 like · like · see review
Jun 12, 2011
Raj
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Steampunk fans
Volume one of the ongoing webcomic Girl Genius, this volume gives us the background to this steampunk world of mad scientists ('Sparks') and their minions and introduces us to Agatha Clay, the girl genius of the title as she discovers her own talents.
I've been reading Girl Genius for a while now but it's nice to go back and start again, and read it in a much more compressed format, rather than three pages a week. It makes it much easier to follow the story and remember the characters, not to men...more
I've been reading Girl Genius for a while now but it's nice to go back and start again, and read it in a much more compressed format, rather than three pages a week. It makes it much easier to follow the story and remember the characters, not to men...more
This is the first of the Girl genius and I have the be honest I am hooked on Agatha now. I will now need to go and read all of them. It is so much fun to read this science-y love story (or at least I assume it will be from the way it has gone so far). The steampunk elements are so much fun and honestly I want to be Agatha. I mean, seriously, wouldn't you want to be able to build clinks (though I would want to build robots) without any supplies, formal training, or time?
Note: though all of these...more
Note: though all of these...more
I discovered Girl Genius online several years ago, and was immediately hooked not only by the Foglio's artwork, but their complex storyline comprised of many intertwining subplots.
Girl Genius is technically "steampunk," but with intriguing differences revolving around "sparks," who are people blessed - or cursed, depending on their results - with the "mad scientist" gene. The story takes place in a Europe transformed by the sparks, with "clanks" (large semi-intelligent usually steam-driven robot...more
Girl Genius is technically "steampunk," but with intriguing differences revolving around "sparks," who are people blessed - or cursed, depending on their results - with the "mad scientist" gene. The story takes place in a Europe transformed by the sparks, with "clanks" (large semi-intelligent usually steam-driven robot...more
Saw an advertisement for this somewhere and thought it looked really interesting. I got it through interlibrary loan and loved it. I was beyond excited to realize that it's available online as well.
Agatha lives in a possibly Bavarian world circa 200 years ago where mechanics and magic collide. Those with a spark have phenomenal inventing and mechanical prowess. Agatha appears totally hopeless but is kept at the college anyway b/c the Head really likes her. She's sweet but seems a little bumbly....more
Agatha lives in a possibly Bavarian world circa 200 years ago where mechanics and magic collide. Those with a spark have phenomenal inventing and mechanical prowess. Agatha appears totally hopeless but is kept at the college anyway b/c the Head really likes her. She's sweet but seems a little bumbly....more
Dec 18, 2011
Caitlin W.
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
comic-book,
female-protagonist,
school,
science,
si-624,
teenaged-protagonist,
webcomic,
robots,
steampunk,
hidden-talent,
grade-6,
grade-7,
grade-8
Agatha Clay is a student at an engineering college, where they build and use robots. The comic starts out with her having a rough morning, running late, getting mugged, and witnessing an odd electrical disturbance. Her hidden talents, unknown even to her, start to make an appearance in this book, the first of the series, though the book is too short to get into much detail or offer much more than tantalizing hints. The world has a very steampunk vibe, and the art seems to be influenced by Disney...more
Ok, people. Phil Foglio was doing steampunk comics WAY before the teenagers caught on. This was published in 2001. 2001. (Yes, it needed to be said again.)
ANYWAY... So yeah, this is pretty groundbreaking. The library edition I read is printed all in brown&white, except for an excerpt of the next volume at the end. And I know this shouldn't be my firstish comment about the book, but OMG, this is SO MUCH BETTER in color. Which, I know, is a total DUH. The Foglios (which always throws me off b...more
ANYWAY... So yeah, this is pretty groundbreaking. The library edition I read is printed all in brown&white, except for an excerpt of the next volume at the end. And I know this shouldn't be my firstish comment about the book, but OMG, this is SO MUCH BETTER in color. Which, I know, is a total DUH. The Foglios (which always throws me off b...more
2 likes · like · see review
The kickoff for a truly delightful and famously enjoyable graphic series, which is up to eleven volumes as I write this. All of them are available at the Girl Genius web site, so you don't have to buy the paper books until you're hooked. Plan to have several free hours before you start in, because they're very addictive! And, just to enable you, after you suck through all the comics on line, there is a wiki, a yahoo group and several livejournal groups.
Because it's PG, this is a great webcomic t...more
Because it's PG, this is a great webcomic t...more
A wonderful start to a delightful series. This first volume is in black & white, and, aesthetically speaking, I think it fits the tone of the series better than the later color volumes (not that they aren't gorgeous in their own rights). It's a "Gaslamp Fantasy", a steampunk comic-- a vision of the world in a psuedo-Victorian era, where mad scientists (called Sparks) rule the world. And our erstwhile Heroine, Agatha, is a Spark, all unbeknownst to herself. I've loved Foglio's work for years....more
I've followed this comic online for quite some time, but it was an absolute joy to be able to hold it in my hands and turn pages instead of clicking NEXT on a computer screen. While the first volume of Girl Genius is by no means my favorite, it is witty, intelligent, and oftentimes hilarious, introducing readers to Agatha Heterodyne, my absolute favorite mad scientist.
When we meet her, Agatha is toiling as a student (a remarkably untalented one) at the local university. But when Baron Wulfenbac...more
When we meet her, Agatha is toiling as a student (a remarkably untalented one) at the local university. But when Baron Wulfenbac...more
People have been telling me to read these for ages, and I'm very glad that I finally listened. Studio Foglio's artwork is brilliant, but it's the story and the characters that utterly sucked me in. Agatha starts out as your standard young, game protagonist with a mysterious past, but what puts the story over the top is the, well, over-the-top nature of it. Monsters! Airships! Monsters on airships! Pirates! Circuses! Well, just... everything! All the larger-than-life elements somehow make a mixtu...more
I found out about this series from Jeff VanderMeer's awesome The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature.
This is a brilliant series so far - it's funny, witty and just a little weird (but in a very good way). I'll definitely be reading the rest of these comics.
I've been reading the web-comic version of this, which the authors make available for free on their website: Girl Genius Online. I think that thi...more
This is a brilliant series so far - it's funny, witty and just a little weird (but in a very good way). I'll definitely be reading the rest of these comics.
I've been reading the web-comic version of this, which the authors make available for free on their website: Girl Genius Online. I think that thi...more
Apr 16, 2010
Kris
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
girls, sci fi fans, manga fans
Shelves:
own-it
Hey, how could I not like a book with this title?? ;-)
This is a graphic novel, that seems to be a combination of manga and steampunk. Our plucky heroine is being raised by relatives, after the mysterious disappearance of her father. She's studying at Transylvania Polygnostic University, trying to learn the secrets of science, but apparently has no aptitude for it. Events transpire to put her in danger, and bring her into contact with a cute boy (natch) and her hidden talents become less hidden.
A...more
This is a graphic novel, that seems to be a combination of manga and steampunk. Our plucky heroine is being raised by relatives, after the mysterious disappearance of her father. She's studying at Transylvania Polygnostic University, trying to learn the secrets of science, but apparently has no aptitude for it. Events transpire to put her in danger, and bring her into contact with a cute boy (natch) and her hidden talents become less hidden.
A...more
This is a fun steam-punk graphic novel and I especially think tween girls would really like it. I think 13 -15 year girls would find it cool, although I don’t know if cool is the right word for their generation. But in my day this would have been really cool. It's black and white, great art work, but there's a full color short story in the back, The Electric Coffin, that's brilliant colors. The heroine is a young university student, a girl, of course I love that.Girl Genius Vol. 1 Agatha Heterod...more
At first, I felt kind of sheepish listing a graphic novel in a book collection—but then I looked around a bit and realized that Phil & Kaja Foglio's Girl Genius is far more intellectually stimulating than much of what passes for "literature." *cough* *Twilight* *cough*
The first volume of Girl Genius introduces the steampunk-like universe in which Sparks—or, less flatteringly, Mad Scientists—rule with barely restrained genius. Many of the leading characters make their début, and although the...more
The first volume of Girl Genius introduces the steampunk-like universe in which Sparks—or, less flatteringly, Mad Scientists—rule with barely restrained genius. Many of the leading characters make their début, and although the...more
This review covers books 1-5 in the series.
This comic is actually available online, but has been published in book format. It's definitely a webcomic that deserves the treatment. Great art, an immersive world with deep characters and non stop action and fun all around! A kind of gas light sci fi adventure featuring a gifted young woman who suddenly finds herself being pursued at every turn. One of the interesting aspects is that as a reader, I really wasn't sure who to trust as Agatha suddenly f...more
This comic is actually available online, but has been published in book format. It's definitely a webcomic that deserves the treatment. Great art, an immersive world with deep characters and non stop action and fun all around! A kind of gas light sci fi adventure featuring a gifted young woman who suddenly finds herself being pursued at every turn. One of the interesting aspects is that as a reader, I really wasn't sure who to trust as Agatha suddenly f...more
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A popular science fiction fan artist in the 1970s, Phil Foglio began writing and drawing cartoons and comics professionally in the 1980s. His work includes "Magic: The Gathering," "Buck Godot," and the popular series of comics and novels, "Girl Genius," cowritten by his wife, Kaja Foglio.
Awards:
Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist (1977 and 1978)
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2009, 2010, 2011)
More about Phil Foglio...
Awards:
Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist (1977 and 1978)
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2009, 2010, 2011)
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“Any plan where you lose your hat is a bad plan.”
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6 people liked it
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Dec 03, 2011 07:20am
updated May 02, 2013 01:50pm