Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2014 March 1

= March 1 =

Hard Science Fiction Comics
Dear all.

I am looking for well drawn, hard science fiction comics (or graphic novels). I am asking you because most Sci-Fi works seem to be very soft and seem to lack a realistic portrayal of the far future. I would prefer a very hard sci-fi comic or graphic novel which is set in a highly advanced vision of the far future.

Thank you for your help.

All the very best.--92.105.189.138 (talk) 16:10, 1 March 2014 (UTC)


 * Without a time machine of your own, how do you know what is and is not a 'realistic portrayal of the far future'? AlexTiefling (talk) 00:51, 2 March 2014 (UTC)


 * That's not what is meant, and I suppose you know that. Our article at Hard science fiction mentions a few manga titles, including 2001 Nights, which looks promising. I'm drawing a blank for Western-style comics that match your criteria; they can't seem to avoid adding superheroes and other standard tropes. Matt Deres (talk) 02:50, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

That is too bad. Hard science fiction (which I would define as more hypothetical and scientifically accurate) seeems really missing in our Western civilization. I have read most of the Japanese titles that deal with hard sci-fi, but aside from German and Polish books, hard sci-fi is nowhere to be found. I have nothing against unrealistic, soft sci-fi like superhero comics or Star Trek, but I would prefer much harder stuff.--92.105.189.138 (talk) 08:43, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

Hard SF is very rare in comics and graphic novels. Some of Robert Heinlein's work has been adapted for comic strips. In particular, Space Cadet was used as the basis for comic strips in the Tom Corbett, Space Cadet series. Red Planet was made into an animated miniseries. Between Planets was famously serialised in Boys' Life in 1978. I don't know of any more recent examples of hard SF in comic form; this may be in part due to its general decline within the broader SF genre. RomanSpa (talk) 22:00, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

Thank you very much for your response. Your tips are great! Thanks a lot for the titles!--92.105.189.138 (talk) 08:49, 3 March 2014 (UTC)


 * Warren Ellis is a comics writer with a taste for hard science fiction. Of his comics, I'd suggest Global Frequency, Ministry of Space, Ocean and Orbiter, all scientifically-plausible science fiction stories. --Nicknack009 (talk) 12:56, 5 March 2014 (UTC)

@Nicknack009: thank you very much for the tip.--92.105.189.138 (talk) 16:46, 5 March 2014 (UTC)