The Stuff of Life

Let's face it: From adenines to zygotes, from cytokinesis to parthenogenesis, even the basics of genetics can sound utterly alien. So who better than an alien to explain it all? Enter Bloort 183, a scientist from an asexual alien race threatened by disease, who's been charged with researching the fundamentals of human DNA and evolution and laying it all out in clear, simple language so that even his slow-to-grasp-the-point leader can get it. In the hands of the award-winning writer Mark Schultz, Bloort's predicament becomes the means of giving even the most science-phobic reader a complete introduction to the history and science of genetics that's as easy to understand as it is entertaining to read. Mark Schultz has written for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and his scripts and illustrations--most notably for his tour-de-force series "Xenozoic Tales" (also known as "Cadillacs and Dinosaurs") and "Superman"--have garnered five Harvey Awards, two Eisners, and an Inkpot. Illustrators Zander Cannon and Kevin Cannon have worked for clients ranging from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to DC Comics, collaborating on such titles as "The Replacement God" and "Smax" and winning two Eisners for their work on "Top 10." A YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens
A "Seed" Magazine Best Book of the Year
A Texas Library Association Young Adult Round Table Recommended Graphic Novel
Let's face it: From adenines to zygotes, from cytokinesis to parthenogenesis, even the basics of genetics can sound utterly alien. So who better than an alien to explain it all? Enter Bloort 183, a scientist from an asexual alien race threatened by disease, who's been charged with researching the fundamentals of human DNA and evolution and laying it all out in clear, simple language so that even his slow-to-grasp-the-point leader can get it. In the hands of the award-winning writer Mark Schultz, Bloort's predicament becomes the means of giving even the most science-phobic reader a complete introduction to the history and science of genetics that's as easy to understand as it is entertaining to read. "With the graphic novel gaining status as a form of serious storytelling, "The Stuff of Life" makes a case for the graphic-novel textbook . . . The illustrations are simultaneously cute and explanatory, and the text's oversimplifications and techno-utopianism are justified for a cartoon treatment of one of the most complex stories in science."--"Seed "magazine "I bought this book because I am always looking for new ways to teach things to my high school students. After reading it, I went to my department head and (after he looked at the book) had little trouble convincing him to buy a classroom set to use to teach the basics of genetics . . . The students all seem to enjoy taking some time out to read (no mean feat in and of itself), and some have even said that seeing the pictures in the book has helped them with topics they were having trouble with . . . Some of the words used that are unrelated to science are a bit advanced (a great opportunity to teach more vocabulary), but the terms related to genetics are well explained and there is even a glossary to help students still having trouble."--Shawn Stewart, Science Teacher, Northeast Magnet High School, Wichita, Kansas
"With the graphic novel gaining status as a form of serious storytelling, "The Stuff of Life" makes a case for the graphic-novel textbook . . . The illustrations are simultaneously cute and explanatory, and the text's oversimplifications and techno-utopianism are justified for a cartoon treatment of one of the most complex stories in science."--"Seed "magazine
"Not too long ago, the term 'graphic nonfiction' might have referred to how-to manuals, editorial cartoons or field guides to flora and fauna. But recently, Farrar, Straus and Giroux has released several works by nonfiction writers using pictures to help tell a story--to leaven a dense topic or to help the information flow. The topics are as varied as the U.S. Constitution, modern dancer Isadora Duncan and the human genetic code . . . Genetic mutation is at the core of countless comic books, resulting in superhuman powers and responsible for heroes and villains alike. That concept gets its due in Mark Schultz, Zander Cannon and Kevin Cannon's "The Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA." But this is a serious book, not one that explores whether exposure to high doses of radiation might result in super strength, X-ray vision or the ability to stretch and flow like molten plastic. Fortunately, it's not without its comic-book conventions. It's structured as 'a detailed translation of the report of Bloort 183, interplanetary biologist of the Glargal Royal Science Academy.' The story begins five billion years ago with the formation of Earth and leaps from there to the creation of life in one page. Evolution from basic life forms to humans takes another two pages. Then Bloort 183 starts to tell the story of life on Earth and how every living thing shares the ability to pass on characteristics via what Earthlings call DNA. Mark Schultz is the star of the book, using the otherworldly naivete of the aliens to get laughs, as well as to break down facts of life into introductory building blocks, like the idea of sex--'a strategy that allows for the sharing of genetic information between individuals within a species.' The book is dense with information like a good textbook. But Schultz's wit and the alien-report device make it easier to learn what you didn't understand in high school."--Michael Gill, "The Cleveland Free Times
""What's the solution to America's crisis in science education? More comic books. In December comes "The Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA," a remarkably thorough explanation of the science of genetics, from Mendel to Venter, with a strand of social urgency spliced in . . . "Stuff of Life" is the first in a series dedicated to the hard