Red Lightning (2021)

Synopsis

It is the morning of January 10, 2016, and thirty-year-old Samuel is ready to leave the house and live another day of his ordinary existence. As soon as he arrives on the street, he learns about David Bowie’s death. The news strikes him so hard that he is stunned, and his are not moments of bewilderment, but hours, days, years, and centuries…he finds himself catapulted across space and time. He awakens hundreds of thousands of years later, in a society of the future-in the year 200016-not so different from his own, although he is surrounded by people dressed as dinosaurs, integrated biological technologies, and there is a global well-being. Is it perhaps the utopia of the future? Samuel will have to try to find out and find his own dimension in the process, without losing himself.

From: Ablaze

Notes on This Title

This title takes place in a future setting in which notions of gender and sexuality have changed considerably. Nearly all of the world’s population is now intersex, meaning that the characters’ gender identity and sexual orientation do not neatly map onto modern day notions of these concepts. The main character is a gay man from the 21st century. A supporting character is identified as aromantic.

Awards

None.

Reviews

“This is a clever love letter to Bowie and an affirming exploration of queer desires.” (Source: Publishers Weekly)

“Letting go of the past is hard, whether its having to say goodbye to beloved icon or a place once considered home. Red Lightning explores the difficulties that comes with having to move on, but never in a cynical or melodramatic way. Red Lightning is a story about the here and now, about looking around and recognizing what’s possible in this moment. The opportunity to connect with others, to reinvent oneself, and to fall in love are some of the things that Bucci and Atzeni want their readers to keep in mind no matter the world they find themselves in. Red Lightning wants its readers to follow Bowie’s example and be their truest selves in every moment.” (Source: Screen Rant)

Interviews

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