What if the Space Race had been even more absurd than history remembers? That’s exactly the premise behind The Conquest of the Cosmos from writer Alexandre Fontaine Rousseau and artist Francis Desharnais. This wildly irreverent new graphic novel takes readers on a wildly irreverent journey through one of the twentieth century’s defining rivalries. From the launch of Sputnik to the Moon landing, the duo reimagines history as a parade of oversized rockets, galaxy-sized egos, political theatre, and spectacularly bad decisions, asking the questions history books have long ignored: How do you convince a dog to volunteer for a one-way trip into orbit? Wouldn’t it be easier to fake the Moon landing? And shouldn’t someone design a commemorative logo before we spend billions of dollars?

Winner of the BDGest’Arts Award for Best Comic, The Conquest of the Cosmos is a sharp satire of politics, ideology, propaganda, and human ambition. Gleefully poking fun at historical figures on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the book feels remarkably timely as governments and billionaires once again race toward the Moon and beyond. Early Praise

With Alexandre Fontaine Rousseau’s razor-sharp writing and Francis Desharnais’s expressive minimalist cartooning, The Conquest of the Cosmos balances deadpan humour with meticulous visual storytelling. Fans of Tom Gauld, Kate Beaton, and Monty Python will find plenty to love in this delightfully offbeat graphic novel.

THE CONQUEST OF THE COSMOS
Written by Alexandre Fontaine Rousseau
Illustrated by Francis Desharnais
Translated by Pablo Strauss and Mary Thaler
Purchase: Amazon – Bookshop
ISBN: 9782925114611