Fallout [Paperback]

Jim Ottaviani (Author), Janine Johnston (Author), Jeffrey Jones (Author), Chris Kemple (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

So, you've always wanted to learn how to build an atomic bomb? You're in luck: Jim Ottaviani is not only a comics writer...he also has a master's degree in nuclear engineering! But even though it's not a complete do-it-yourself manual (assembly required, and plutonium is definitely not included), Fallout will bring you up to speed on the science and politics of the first nuclear gadgets. Like its companion volumes, the focus of Fallout is on the scientists themselves -- in particular J. Robert Oppenheimer and Leo Szilard, whose lives offer a cautionary tale about the uneasy alliance between the military, the government, and the beginnings of "big science."

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ottaviani's nonfiction graphic novel about the two most famous "dissident" creators of the atom bomb meets and in sophistication exceeds the standards set by Art Spiegelman's Maus (1991-92), Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner's Our Cancer Year (1994), and Rick Geary's series of nineteenth-century true-crime stories. Like Pekar and Brabner, Ottaviani writes the text and plans the layout of his books; the artwork he assigns to several hands, which results in a visual variety that adds complexity and interest. This practice well suits the entwined stories of Hungarian emigre physicist Szilard, who was politically concerned well before the Manhattan Project, and American physicist Oppenheimer, who became concerned primarily afterward, when his colleagues, especially Edward Teller, pushed development of the H-bomb. Some chapters are the primary work of one artist but contain insertions by another; for example, Jeff Parker draws "Work," about the final preparations and the test explosion at the site called Trinity, in a loose-lined style much like that of the movie storyboards he does for a living, but Janine Johnston's painterly, photographic style illustrates with chilling effectiveness the explosion and Oppenheimer's famous quotation of the Bhagavad Gita, "I am become death, destroyer of worlds." More daringly, in the chapter on Oppenheimer's hearing before he was denied security clearance in 1954 and dismissed from the Atomic Energy Commission, Ottaviani runs edited texts of letters between Oppenheimer and the hearing board and of the hearing's transcript and conclusions in columns parallel to Steve Lieber's panels, in which emotional tone is altered by simply changing the backdrop from white to black. Ottaviani's notes on his sources and his deviations from them and an annotated list of references round off this immensely impressive "comic book." Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Immensely impressive. (starred review) -- Booklist, January 2002

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: G.T. Labs (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966010639
• ISBN-13: 978-0966010633
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jim Ottaviani has worked in news agencies and golf courses in the Chicago area, nuclear reactors in the U.S. and Japan, and libraries in Michigan. He still works as a librarian by day, but stays up late writing comics about scientists. When he's not doing these things, he's spraining his ankles and flattening his feet by running on trails. Or he's reading. He reads a lot. Elsewhere on the web you can find him at www.gt-labs.com .

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A light introduction to the history of one of the heaviest subjects, August 16, 2006

By 

Dan (Boulder CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fallout (Paperback)

This graphic novel, subtitled "J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the Political Science of the Atomic Bomb", is a good quick read. It's hard for my generation, raised with the fall of the Soviet Union, to appreciate how stupendous the atomic bomb really was. But this book does a great job of making the history of that period accessible. The book is not that short-around 200 pages-but, due to its graphic nature, is very easy to read.

Fallout is really divided into two major sections. The first is concerned with the idea and creation of the atomic bomb, starting from Szilard's ideas in the 1930s and ending with the Trinity test in 1945. The second is concerned with the inquiry into Oppenheimer's advisory position to the Atomic Energy Commission, which occured in the political climate of the 1950s. Both these are worth reading, but the second one, which has much more text-portions of letters are printed along with the graphics-is a chilling reminder of the craziness of that time.

With 6 different authors listed on the cover (and more in the back pages), the illustrations change often enough that you do have to pay attention to know who is speaking. Additional difficulties arise because there are so many characters. I think the book would be stronger if one author had been responsible for all of the graphic content because the characters would be easier to keep track of.

One very nice aspect of this book is the end notes. At the back of the book, extensive text outlines what parts are true and what parts are surmise. As the front of the book saysm "many of the quotes and incidents that you'll think most likely to be made up are the best documented facts." For example, Teller, one of the scientists, denies his similarity to Dr Strangelove, and another, Szilard, devises his own cancer treatment using radiation.

All in all, if you're in for a light introduction to the history of one of the heaviest subjects, Fallout is a good choice.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jim Ottaviani and Fallout, March 29, 2009

By 

M. Cerra - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fallout (Paperback)

Jim Ottaviani communicates both scientific and historical fact in a comic book way. I usually shun the reading of graphic novels, as most of them communicate nothing more than good story line with little literary skill involved in its text. However, I will read Ottaviani because, whereas he does communicate through a graphic novel, he communicates fact and he does it very well. Fallout is no exception to his writing talent. I would heavily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys graphic novels and I would recommend this book to one who do not enjoy graphic novels. This book is a superbly written with very good pictures. Without a doubt this book scores a five out of five and the author scores a five out of five as well. Along with Alan Moore, Jim Ottaviani is one of the best graphic novelists.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and interesting look at the politics of the bomb., August 6, 2010

By 

justasocialstudiesteacher - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fallout (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. Initially I bought it intending to use for an 8th grade classroom, but upon reading found the content and writing style to be more academically mature - a greater level of basic understanding of the background issues is assumed, and the historical aspects of Oppenheimer's trial were nicely portrayed in my opinion with use of actual documents and such. So in a way I was pleasantly surprised to find that the novel was a bit over the head of my students and intended for a HS-level and above audience. The illustrations are nice and while there of course is plenty of info that was not included that I'm curious about, the authors had to pick and choose and I think they've done a fantastic job. A quick and fun read.