Benjamin - by Ben H Winters (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

IN ONE L.A. MOTEL ROOM, A COSMIC QUEST IS ABOUT TO BEGIN . . .

More than just a writer, more than just a science-fiction icon, Benjamin J. Carp was a cultural revolutionary. Over the course of 44 novels and hundreds of short stories--including the counterculture classic The Man They Couldn't Erase--Carp pushed the boundaries of literary respectability for the sci-fi genre and his readers' perception of reality itself . . . until decades of amphetamine abuse and Southern California excess finally ended a mind-bending career that always just escaped mainstream success. He died in 1982.

Until 2025 . . . when Benjamin J. Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel on the fringes of Los Angeles. He remembers dying. He knows he shouldn't exist. Is he a dream? A robot? A ghost? A clone? A simulation? In his own time, Carp pondered all of these scenarios through his fiction--and now, as he treks from Studio City to Venice Beach and onward into the paranoid sprawl of 21st-century Los Angeles, he will be called to investigate his greatest mystery yet: himself.

From Edgar Award nominee and Philip K. Dick Award winner Ben H. Winters (EC's Cruel Universe, The Last Policeman trilogy) and rising star Leomacs (EC's Epitaphs from the Abyss, Ghostlore) comes a uniquely fascinating and hilariously deranged excursion into the metatextual nexus where existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, and glitter and grim reality all meet just beyond Hollywood Boulevard.

Review Quotes

"The premise is original and their various adventures are fascinating... Artist Leomacs certainly elevates the piece with perfectly tone-matched artwork in a vibrant palette and dynamic page layouts... An engaging, entertaining journey, especially for fans of classic sci-fi."-- "BOOKLIST"

"A thoughtful and humorous psychedelic science-fiction romp, elevated by Winters's sharp characterization. Recommended for readers interested in metafictional tales about the cost of artistic ambition."-- "Library Journal"

"Benjamin is cosmically brilliant. You have never been on a trip like this." --Lev Grossman (The Magicians, The Bright Sword)

"A sci-fi mind-bender... For fans of cerebral high-concept science fiction, this series is quickly becoming essential reading. It is a true standout among the many latest comic releases... A must-read story.-- "Comic Book Addicts"

"[Benjamin's] got heart, laughs, and enough of that classic pulp fiction to easily keep readers around." -- "Comics Beat"

"A vivid, thought-provoking debut that explores identity, friendship, and sci-fi legacy with a surreal wink and stellar artwork... Leomacs is putting in his best work yet. Known for his incredible horror books like Basketful of Heads, the art is highly detailed, expressive, and beautifully colored by Luca Bertele. ... It's safe to say comics like this don't come around very often, and publishers like Oni Press are the scant few who would publish it."-- "AIPT"

"Expect the unexpected is an understatement with Benjamin. Winters crafts a tale of defiance and delusion via the mind of Benjamin J. Carp. Leomacs, Bertelè and Carey give readers multiple exciting visions of an ever-evolving world. Buckle in for what is sure to be a one-of-a-kind experience."-- "Nerd Initiative"

"The interior work [is] as close to the label of 'masterpiece' as possible in terms of quality."-- "Comicon.com"

About the Author

Ben H. Winters is the New York Times best-selling, Edgar Award-winning, and Philip K. Dick Award-winning author of Big Time, The Quiet Boy, Golden State, Underground Airlines, the Last Policeman trilogy, and the mash-up novel Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Ben has also worked extensively in television. He is the creator of the smash-hit CBS show TRACKER and has served as a writer/producer on the FX cult hit Legion as well as Manhunt on Apple TV+, and he is the creator of the upcoming CBS drama Tracker. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, three kids, and one large dog.