Robo Sapiens: Tales of Tomorrow (Omnibus)

by Toranosuke Shimada

Overview

In this Eisner-nominated science fiction saga, enter a world where artificial intelligence is thriving—and human culture is dying.

In the future, robots are more than machines. Autonomous "cyber-persons" with A.I. brains are now part of society, interacting with humans while developing their own culture. In fact, they may be surpassing humans, as biological homo sapiens have begun to die out and give way to robo sapiens. But are humans truly disappearing, or are robots becoming the newest form of humanity?

This millennia-spanning, speculative fiction manga of interconnected stories, both human and robotic, was awarded the Division Grand Prize at the 2020 Japan Media Arts Festival and was nominated for a 2022 Eisner Award.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781648275982
Publisher:	Seven Seas Entertainment
Publication date:	12/07/2021
Edition description:	Combined volume
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	337,910
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 5.80(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Toranosuke Shimada is an award-winning Japanese manga creator best known for Traumerei and Robo Sapiens.

Editorial Reviews

★ 11/01/2021

Shimada’s contemplative manga, his English-language debut, winds through a thoughtfully developed world where humanoid robots are commonplace. Through interconnected vignettes, an ensemble cast of androids and other humans go about their lives. Sachio, an android, continues to live among humans even after his companion’s death; while Toby and Chloe, also androids, are sent to search deep space for planets that could support human life. The most frequently recurring character is Maria, an ultra-longevity robot who keeps a facility running for thousands of years as the humans who check in on her are replaced by ever-more advanced robots. The evocative, sparsely illustrated sequences are reminiscent of alternative American comics, such as Freddy Carrasco’s Gleem or Sophia Foster-Dimino’s oeuvre, than mainstream sci-fi manga. Shimada creates an image of a potential future full of understated love and empathy: robots transfer data between themselves by touching each other’s cheeks, replicating a human gesture of intimacy and affection, and the doctor in charge of Toby and Chloe’s mission asked for the robots to be happy if they couldn’t return to Earth, a mission they do their best to fulfill. Shimada upends the notion that survival of androids over humanity must essentially be dystopian, depicting a future where human traits of love and care endure, even if humanity does not. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly