Planetes, Book 1 [Paperback]

Makoto Yukimura (Author)

Book Description

Series: Planetes | Publication Date: October 7, 2003

In the 2070's, mankind has established a mining base on the moon and dispatched men to explore Mars. The first manned mission to Jupiter is also in progress. As a result of this interplanetary activity, space debris is increasing and its collection has become a new profession. In the 1st volume of Makoto Yukimura's Planetes, we meet Yuri, Hachimaki, and Fee. Hachimaki's dream is to buy his own spaceship. He thinks he can earn money quickly by joining the crew of the first expedition to Jupiter. Yuri lost his wife in a space travel accident, and became a debris collector out of a desperate desire to discover some remembrance of her. Fee takes great pride in her profession and works very hard, having left behind her husband and young son on earth. In a dark and cruel universe, each of these space junkers grapples with his or her own personal problems.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop (October 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591822629
• ISBN-13: 978-1591822622
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #430,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The vastness and loneliness of space, October 10, 2003

By 

Peter Oksman (Bronx, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Planetes, Book 1 (Paperback)

As a 25 year old, and a voracious reader of manga, I find that most manga today is aimed at teenagers and kids, so it is always a pleasant surprise to find a story aimed at someone my age. Planetes (that's the correct spelling)reminds me of the stories of Arthur C. Clarke - this is intelligent science fiction with a humanistic bend, combining hard science, personal stories of loss and yearning, and the wonder at the vastness of the cosmos. Don't get the impression that it is all bleak though - the author has a good sence of humor and some stories are actually quite funny, but as with Cowboy Bebop, the humor is mixed with pathos. Planetes follows Hachimaki, who along with co-workers Yuri and Fee works as a space "garbage man", getting rid of dead sattelites, discarded fuel tanks and other junk that clutters earth orbit. It does not have an overarching plot but instead consists of seperate stories about the life and adventures of all 3 of them (although Hachimaki is the main hero).
This book is very strongly recommended - I read it yesterday in one sitting, and I still can't stop thinking about it. I just hope that it sells well, so that Tokyopop can bring more stories like this over here.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first real HARD sci-fi manga I've found, May 20, 2004

By 

Randy Beamer (Kirkland, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Planetes, Book 1 (Paperback)

This book is amazing for a number of reasons. First, it is unique among space manga in being rather realistic: The physics works, for the most part, and the technology and social arrangements seem to stem logically from the current situation.

But on the other hand, this book avoids the pitfall that so much hard sci-fi falls prey to: It doesn't spend all its time describing the technology and such to the detrement of characters and plot. In fact, the realism of the science and the technology is matched and even maybe exceeded by the realism of the characters. Yukimura's amazing ability to balance scientific realism with humanistic realism brings to mind Heinlein or Clarke, and definitely earns the name "graphic novel" in a way that manga does not always achieve.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read for any Sci-Fi fan., April 5, 2004

By 

Nathaniel Herring (Mystic, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Planetes, Book 1 (Paperback)

First off, this is my first Manga. I used to be a comic book reader but I was still apprehensive. I have, however, watched various anime series and movies.

What a wonderful find this series is for me. This series is like an Arthur C. Clark comic. Space is the main character and how it affects the story's main characters is the main common thread. The characters are well developed and the environments and situations all feel plausible and real. The chapters are more like episodes or vignettes than a continuous series. Historical references to space flight innovations are often used as well. Give this a shot if you are someone interested in space and human space flight.