Okay, so I’ve been meaning to dive into the world of “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” but not the movie – the original books! I’d heard so much about how the movie was visually stunning but maybe didn’t quite capture the magic of the source material. So, I decided to go straight to the source. Here’s how it went down:
Finding the Right Book
First things first, I had to figure out which book to start with. Turns out, “Valerian and Laureline” is a whole series of French comics, originally called “Valerian, agent spatio-temporel”. I did some digging and found out “The City of a Thousand Planets” movie is mostly based on the volume called “Ambassador of the Shadows”. Luckily it did not take to long to get it.
The Reading Experience
I finally got my hands on a copy. It’s totally a different vibe from what I expected, it took me a few pages to get a hang of the style.
The artwork? Man, it’s something else. It’s got that classic, slightly retro sci-fi feel, But it’s so detailed and imaginative, it’s like an explosion of imagination. It gives a kind of a vibrant and bustling, alien city.
The story itself? It’s a wild ride. We’re talking about Valerian and Laureline, these two spatio-temporal agents, getting caught up in all sorts of political intrigue and cosmic shenanigans on this massive space station, Alpha. I won’t spoil anything, but there are tons of different alien races, cool gadgets, and some pretty mind-bending concepts.
My Takeaway
I’m officially hooked. This book, it’s like a doorway into another universe. It’s not just about spaceships and laser guns (though there’s plenty of that!). There’s a depth to the characters and the world-building that really surprised me. And also made me feel how could the movie adaptation miss so many good points.
Here is what I do after finishing reading:
- Started hunting down more volumes: Yep, I’m officially on a mission to collect the whole series. It is a must-have, it’s a pure visual feast.
- Recommended it to all my sci-fi-loving friends: Seriously, if you’re into sci-fi, comics, or just awesome storytelling, you gotta check these out.
So, yeah, that’s my “Valerian” book adventure so far. I’m super glad I finally took the plunge. It’s a whole new world, and I can’t wait to explore it further!