The Complete Future Shocks: Vol 01 (2018)
Authors + Illustrators: Various - see end of post for full list | Page Count: 320
'The 'Shocks' are the sudden twist endings that up-end the narrative, that can unnerve even as they excite and astonish.'
The first volume, in what I suspect will be a fairly long-running series, collects all of Tharg's Future Shocks from the weekly 2000 AD magazine.
Some of the stories included have been reprinted previously, in various collections over the years, but for many of the others it's the first time they've received such an honour. Crucially, the works are presented in the same order in which they appeared in the weekly magazine. Volume 01, therefore, opens with the very first self-contained Shock from August 1977, and goes all the way up to July 1981.
Recurring themes include alien invasion, ill-fated time travel scenarios, and the truth of a situation not being quite what the protagonist believes it to be.
The list of assembled authors and artists is impressive (see below), but the stories themselves often aren't as memorable as the roster of talent might imply. There's some repetition of ideas and a fair number of shock endings that are surely 'borrowed' from old sci-fi movies.
In addition to established names, the series was used as a testing ground for new creators to air their skills. (In fact, it's on Future Shocks that some of today's most notable names in British comics first got their break.) As such, the quality of work pendulums from exciting and interesting to downright plodding and insipid. The length of each varies, too. I didn't do the actual maths, but I'd estimate the average length to be around three or four pages long.
Beyond the collection's archival value, it was cool to see early work from some of the comic's greatest artists (e.g. Brian Bolland; Kevin O'Neill; Carlos Ezquerra), but there's not enough quality writing in the book to lure me back for a second reading anytime soon. I'm currently in two minds about whether or not to even purchase Volume 2 when it arrives.
Note: happily the book is the same size as the other Complete editions - TY, Rebellion!
Full list of Authors / Illustrators / Stories:
Authors: Alan Grant / Alan Hebden / Alan Moore / Barry Clements / Charles Swift / Chris Lowder / Chris Stevens / Gary Rice / Hunter Tremayne / Jan Garczynski / John Richardson / Kelvin Gosnell / Martin Lock / Mike Cruden / Nick Tufnell / Peter Harris / Peter Milligan / Philip Greenaway / Richard Burton / Robert Flynn / Roy Preston / Stan Nicholls / Steve Moore / Garry Leach / John Higgins / John Wagner / Kevin O'Neill / Unknown.
Illustrators: Brendan McCarthy / Brett Ewins / Brian Bolland / Garry Leach / Horacio Lalia / Ian Gibson / Ian Kennedy / Jesus Redondo / Kevin O'Neill / Marzal Canos / Massimo Belardinelli / Ron Turner / Steve Dillon / Carlos Ezquerra / Carlos Pino / Jose Casanovas / Eric Bradbury / Pierre Frisano / Giorgi / Jeff Anderson / Jim McCarthy / John Cooper / John Higgins / John Richardson / Jose Luis Ferrer / Mike Collins / Mike Dorey / Mike White / Pat Wright / Ramon Sola / Ron Tiner / Steve Kyte / Trevor Goring / Vanyo.
Stories included: King of the World / Food for Thought! / First Contact / Wings /
Just Like Home / Beautiful World / A Promised Land / Excursion / Fangs / The Ultimate Warrior! / Play Pool! / Robot Repairs / Space Prospector / The Runts / Time Past / Killer Car / Time Was / Enemy Agent / Substitute / Fly Guy / The Guardian / Galactic Garbage /
Solo Flip / On the Run / Stasis / Space Bug / Monkey / The Juggernaut / Tin Can / Timeless Secret / Fugitive / Many Hands / Dead Hit / The Illusion Man / Nothing on Earth / Breaking Out / What Hit Tunguska? / The Rescue / The Mote in God's Eye / The Fourth Wall / Poacher / Date With Destiny / Child's Play / Kid's Stuff / Pandora's Box / Cold Kill / Brain Drain / The End of the Universe / Dear Mum / The Four-Legged Man / A Close Encounter of the Fatal Kind! / Together / Sacrifice / Colin's Dream / Hand of Friendship / Time Trap / Grawks Bearing Gifts / Trial and Error / Easy Kill / The Last Man / The Sound of Silence / Fish in a Barrel / Final Solution / The Return of the Two-Storey Brain / The Collector / Ernesto Hornetz Must Die / Long Live the Queen / Slashman, Kowalski and Rat/ Bloomin' Cold / The Man Who Was Too Clever / The Last Rumble of the Platinum Horde / New Cruise Blues / They Sweep the Spaceways / Hen-pecked Henry / Tharg and the Intruder / The English/Phlondrutian Phrasebook.
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