The Life Eaters

I bought this for my husband's birthday, and he absolutely loves it! He is a newbie to the world of graphic novels, but Life Eaters consists of a combination of occult magic, outer space and Nazi-ism, which are all interests of ours. [...]

This is an expansion of Brin's old short story "Thor Meets Captain America", which I read about twenty years ago when it came out. The premise is that the Holocaust was black magic designed to summon the Norse Gods, and that it worked, resulting in the Allies' defeat. Brin's website has the original story, which is excellent. In fact, it leaves little room for a sequel. The Life Eaters makes the original story its first chapter, linking it to later action in the same horrible world by introducing a new character, an SS officer who was an acolyte in the initial chapter. Twenty or thirty years later (??) he is aiding the Nazis and the Aesir in their conquest of Southeast Asia, an occasion for wonderful allusions to "Apocalypse Now" as well as other Vietnam movies. A new world struggle unfolds: the Japanese and other nations have learned how to make their own "gods", and a war of the gods emerges in which each nation slaughters millions of its own people to create gods who can fight to kill the other nations' gods. (This would be a hellacious RPG setting. Emphasis on the "hell".) Of course, the major problem is that eventually the Earth's population will drop so low that the "gods" cannot still exist. Please note that these "gods" are patently not "really divine" and that Brin makes clear, abundantly clear, that they are hideous monsters. The only one even faintly friendly to Americans is Loki, and his true nature is revealed soon enough. Joe Kasting, an American soldier under the Nazis, is also a meteorologist, and when the narrator picks him off the battlefield, one of the few scholars left on Earth. Shown classified data of the Saddam-like burning of oil wells, he realizes that hot-weather "gods" are trying to force global warming, while cold-weather "gods" could fight back by spewing dust and crud into the stratosphere, nuclear-winter style. Either scheme spells doom for any living humans. Kasting is taken to the undersea base of the Hidden Good Guys (?) and Loki attacks (??). Loki has a scheme to kill all life on the planet in order to grow a tree (Yggdrasil) to synchronous orbit, and to take his "faithful" to safety in outer space (this part looks copied, honestly, from Niven's not very good Rainbow Mars.) At least Niven had the wonderful pun "Hangtree" Yggdrasil, the world-tree, was called Ygg's Horse because Ygg (Odin) hanged himself on it and stabbed himself with his spear in order to learn the Runes. This technique of self-education has not been successful since, and is not recommended. The SS officer narrator, who is a bit of a loose cannon, escapes Loki and drifts with the aid of very Brin-like dolphins to Arabia (??) where the remnants of the monotheistic religions are gathered to resist Nazi genocide. I have to say, having been to the Persian Gulf myself, that I can't think of a better place to resist Evil Snow Gods. My lord, HUMANS evolved in Africa and the heat in the Gulf routinely kills people. In this horren

A well crafted, cautionary tale set in a contemporary time utilizing the concept of real gods, of various faiths walking the Earth and interacting with their believers. So, utopia at last? No, more like Hell on Earth. This story is well crafted from the prose by SF author David Brin, to the sequential art (with excellent color choices) by the artist/illustrator Scott Hampton. The story has a large scope with global coverage as well as a compelling tale of one man's fight to save humanity from itself by demonstrating the reasons we strive for something better, something mortal. All the usual standards, such as, "if we had the gods on our side we will win our wars" are revealed to be more than a little dubious. Even renegade gods have something up their sleeve. The very reason for their existence is a high price to pay. The first act shows how the Norse gods help Germany win WWII. This is alternative history with a cosmic twist.Once I started reading this I couldn't put this graphic novel down.

Other people have dabbled around with some of the elements of the story that David Brin develops, but none that I've seen have ever done so with quite the same desire to tackle this new world head on the way he has.The world is a radically different place after the old Norse gods return to champion the Nazi cause. The early part of the story is especially captivating as this new world unfolds. The blending of mythology and technology is also handled very well. The graphics are well done.The later part of the book seems to lose a little of this magic in its drive to create the ending, and there is a definite agenda to the storyline. Having an agenda isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the way the theme is handled may come across a little heavy handed for some readers.(An aside comment with regards to an earlier review-- I think that David's reference where he is somewhat critical of the cross and the idea of redemption was blown way out of proportion. It's one little somewhat obscure frame. Agree or disagree, unless you're the type of individual that can't stand for anyone else to think for themselves, I don't think that you'll have a big problem. As a christian who believes in the fall and in redemption, I didn't. Besides, it's fiction anyway. Keep some perspective.)Although the book may fall down just a little in the second half, I think that it's still not to be missed. I enjoyed it tremendously and recommend it to anyone with a love of history, "alternate history", or David Brin's other books. Give it a chance.

I am not a big fan of graphic novels but a friend convinced me this was one I should try. Well a good choice it was. I can say I really enjoyed the story and the art work.I've only read a few of Brin's novels but of those I woud say the style is most in line with The Postman.