The Heavy Bright

In this allegorical, fantastical graphic novel, a queer young woman aims to dispel the greed and cruel masculine energy that has consumed the world.

Publisher Marketing: Malkasian's "once upon a time" parable infuses a Handmaid's Tale -type set-up with surrealistic charm and bittersweet resolution, reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's work. Highly recommended for fantasy connoisseurs.-- "Library Journal (Starred Review)" Review Quotes : This smart, surrealist work has the appeal of Handmaid's Tale crossed with Tim Burton. ... Endlessly imaginative worldbuilding.-- "Publishers Weekly" Review Quotes : Chronicles of Narnia meets The Handmaid's Tale in this gorgeous allegorical epic.-- "Electric Literature" Review Quotes : In a bit of juxtaposition with the hardness in the state of the world, the events of [ The Heavy Bright ] play out in a soft, impressionistic landscape among animated characters in a style recalling Malkasian's work on shows such as Rugrats . For readers who enjoy philosophy in their graphic novels.-- "Booklist" Review Quotes : What works is the world Malkasian has created: soft, swooping vistas seen from a variety of perspectives and frames as rich as the diverse and eccentric cast of characters, and epitomizing the message of the small and local and true being truly the biggest things.-- "Broken Frontier" Publisher Marketing : Once, the world lived in harmony. People trusted and aided each other, dreamed freely, and communed with their ancestors. And then one day the eggs appeared. One thousand black eggs, heavy as pure lead, which by some mystical property, provoked greed and violence in all who came in contact with them. A family of brutish men managed to hoard the eggs and build a misogynistic dynasty that held all of the land in an iron grip. Years later, Arna, an orphaned young woman immune to the beguiling power of the eggs, is charged with a monumental mission: hunt down these formidable men, pilfer their eggs, and release the bright from the heavy. Along the way, she falls for the enchanting Sela, who shows her how beautiful the world can be.

Format: Hardcover | Pages: 340 | Publication Date: 2023-03-28