System Preference - by Ugo Bienvenu (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Critically-acclaimed creator Ugo Bienvenu (director of Oscar-nominated Arco starring Natalie Portman) presents a beautifully illustrated graphic novel which takes a dark introspection on the future of the world of social media.

Set in a bright dystopian future, fans of the sci-fi genre will love exploring the story of a man on the run for protecting cultural treasures in his robot surrogate, Mikki, who stars in the shared universe of Arco.

A Black Mirror-esque future-shock satire.

In the near future, society lives in a social media metaverse where data storage is at a premium and historic works of art are simply deleted to make space for holiday photos. Appalled by this way of life, an archivist risks everything by stealing and hiding culturally important artefacts inside the robot acting as the surrogate carrier of his unborn daughter. However, he's soon discovered, and the family are forced to go on the run, with tragic consequences.

Fans of dystopian sci-fi will love sinking their teeth into this cautionary tale.

Review Quotes

Featured in "The Beat's Best Comics of 2025"

"Best Dystopian Read of 2025" BORG

"Fahrenheit 451 for the Instagram age. [Bienvenu] delivers an empathetic and powerfully emotional ending that finds hope in both nature and technology." SFX Magazine

"System Preference is a brilliant allegory that amuses, intrigues, frustrates and leaves you lost in thought after the final page." Comics Beat

"Not only is System Preference an engaging, insightful read -- but it's also a timely and important book. I can't recommend it enough. 4.5/5" Comics Bulletin

"System Preference is a brilliant dystopian sci-fi cautionary tale about what makes us human. [...] A stunning tale and one that sci-fi fans should not miss!" Grimdark Magazine

"Highly recommended." BORG

"It is a glorious book to look at, the illustrations are wonderful and the colouring is perfect, evoking a brightness, but also a sense of vintage science fiction." SF Book Reviews

"If you are looking for a speculative fiction story that looks at social media from a unique perspective then this is definitely the story for you!" Ram's Rambles

"Follow Bienvenu's winding path for a thoughtful and engaging experience with a very human heart." Slings & Arrows

"This is magnificent and innovative graphic science-fiction." Jildy Sauce

"System Preference is a fantastic read, one that has a lot more to say than you first think. 4.5/5" Trans Scribe

"The artwork is very well done, really unique. This is a really good read." Drop the Spotlight

"A visual masterpiece. 5/5" Kabooooom!

About the Author

Ugo Bienvenu is a French illustrator, director, publisher and producer based in Paris. Because his father was a diplomat, Ugo grew up in Guatemala, in Tchad, in Paris and in Mexico. His comic credits include: Fog, Sphere of existence, Paiement accepté, L'entretien, Premium+ and System Preference. He has also written Appel en Absence and B.O, Comme un Dieu. As well as comics, Ugo has produced short movies, music videos and advertisements out of his studio Remembers, publishes content from his own publishing house Réalistes, and directed the Oscar-nominated animated feature movie Arco starring Natalie Portman.