Electric Life

Alara’s incredible gaming skills bring her to the attention of Estrella’s leaders. She is chosen to go on a dangerous mission to London Under , the original older, long-deserted and distrusted city on top of which Estrella ( the Star city ) was built, to gather ‘vital’ intelligence. Estrella is the perfect society, an immaculate, sanitised, connected environment where everything is channelled through the digital medium. There is no dirt, no pain, no disease, no natural world, even feelings like boredom are frowned upon and discouraged. Alara is dropped down to London Under and into a “new” world which bewilders her and disorientates her. How will she survive in a society where noise dirt and sometimes pain are everyday experiences and where food is not synthetic and tastes real? Will she accomplish her mission? Who can she trust? How will she get back to Estrella and her family and her life without worry?

Alara’s incredible gaming skills bring her to the attention of Estrella’s leaders. She is chosen to go on a dangerous mission to London Under , the original older, long-deserted and distrusted city on top of which Estrella ( the Star city ) was built, to gather ‘vital’ intelligence. Estrella is the perfect society, an immaculate, sanitised, connected environment where everything is channelled through the digital medium. There is no dirt, no pain, no disease, no natural world, even feelings like boredom are frowned upon and discouraged. Alara is dropped down to London Under and into a “new” world which bewilders her and disorientates her. How will she survive in a society where noise dirt and sometimes pain are everyday experiences and where food is not synthetic and tastes real? Will she accomplish her mission? Who can she trust? How will she get back to Estrella and her family and her life without worry?

From subatomic particles to the solar system we’re all part of, electromagnetic forces have long formed the building blocks of reality as we know it. Yet the full extent of their impact is only just beginning to come to light. Electric Life invites readers on a breathtaking journey into this unseen world, revealing how electricity and magnetism affect not only us humans but also our planet and the universe at large: How does lightning influence communication among fish? Can plant electricity be translated into music? Do Earth and the sun charge the moon like a solar battery? Does your heart’s magnetic field surround your entire body? Can the electrical properties of microbes be used to heal our bodies, or even reverse environmental damage? With a fresh perspective and an accessible tone, Electric Life breaks down recent scientific advances and emerging technologies to answer these questions and more. Sander Funneman brings his many years of research to bear to create a cohesive and essentially hopeful look at the interconnectedness of life, complemented by the clarity and humor of Peter Brouwers’s spectacular illustrations. Together, they challenge readers to take a closer look at this incredible electrical world we are all part of.

"A jolting perspective changer." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review Did you know that bees charge themselves like batteries? That frogs float on magnetic fields, and seals use radar? This groundbreaking nonfiction graphic novel explores the vital but often unexpected roles that electricity and magnetism play in the natural world. From subatomic particles to our solar system, electromagnetic forces have long formed the building blocks of our reality. Yet the full extent of their impact is only just beginning to come to light. Electric Life invites readers on a breathtaking journey into this unseen world, revealing how electricity and magnetism affect not only humans but also our planet and the universe at large.