Silicon Heart: love & prejudice in Wales, in the FUTURE!
When I’m browsing the comics and graphic novels on Kickstarter, it takes something really special to pique my interest. Some people are voracious readers, but I prefer to watch out and save my cash for comics that hit me in the feels.
So, when I spotted Silicon Heart, it was an insta-pledge.
A story about love and prejudice? My little Social Justice Warrior heart is singing!
In the near future? Bring it on, show me what humanity’s been up to!
Set in in the South Wales Valleys? …crikey, how do I describe the Valleys to you lovely North Americans?
The author of Silicon Heart, Sam Roads, was kind enough to help my predicament and answer a few questions:
You can probably guess from my name, I’m not a stranger to Wales and the Valleys — so, as soon as I noticed where Silicon Heart is set, I had a very strong mental image of what January’s village and home would be like today in 2015. How would you describe the Valleys to someone who’s never heard of them, and what makes them a unique place to imagine the future of?
I assumed you had something of the Welsh in your family! 🙂
The Valleys is a collection of former mining towns. There are rows of terraced houses perched improbably on mountain slopes which are really only suitable for sheep and goats. The people are warm-hearted and very hospitable.
Storytellers almost always set their pieces either in bustling metropolises, or on the edge of civilisation. It’s not so common to site something in a place like the Valleys.
I love the commercials in the Kickstarter video! “BLINK2ACCEPT” is so reminiscent of Starship Troopers’ “Would you like to know more?” Along with January’s reference to Doctor Who, I get the feeling there might be a few homages to the classics in Silicon Heart. Who were your inspirations for the story?
One of my biggest inspirations is Shakespeare. He’s by far the best writer, and I took a lot of ideas from Romeo and Juliet, plus some of the other tragedies. Silicon Heart is also indebted to Robocop and Heathers, for quite different reasons.
January’s fellow students are douchebags. Will there be a robot uprising where they get their asses kicked? Could this be a stretch goal? I’ll pay!
One of the themes of the story is what teenagers can do to take control. If you want to know what form that takes, you need to pledge to the Kickstarter and buy all 4 issues! 🙂
If the video hasn’t convinced you to pledge then check out the free preview of Silicon Heart Issue #1.
Personally, I’m hooked. It’s a familiar story about taboo love but with an imaginative new spin. The setting is special and rarely-seen in comics. The artwork by Kat Nicholson is warm, charming and full of heart.
For only $30/£20 you can get digital editions of issues #1-4, or pay a little bit extra for printed copies and other goodies.
My money’s in! How about you? BLINK2ACCEPT.
