This was not quite as advertised but that doesn’t mean it was bad. I think, before it comes out, a better description could be written to not make some readers upset. Like all short story collections, some shine brighter than others.

This collection is unlike any graphic novel collection I’ve read, as it was a mix between genuine education on said 'Ill-fated futures' and playful storytelling, which keeps you reading.

If you find yourself drawn to the history of innovation and the concept of inventions changing the course of the future, then this is the perfect graphic novel for you.

I was initially drawn to this one due to the cover art and title. The art within is varied as it is from multiple creators. I felt that each artistic style matched the tone of its story well, although some art styles and their corresponding stories were not for me.

As someone who doesn’t have a keen interest in innovation to the degree that some may, I found some of the stories lacking in engaging content and therefore found myself skimming through those that appealed to me least.

That being said, this didn’t impact my rating too much as I felt that those that did hit the mark really hit it. My favorites in this collection were 'The Second Extinction of the Pyrenean Ibex' by Erin Roseberry and 'Little Islands' by Blue Delliquanti, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Letter Better Publishing Services for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Couldn't finish it -- too depressing. All these failures just wasn't what I wanted to see right now, even though the creators were talented.

Not every story will be of interest to every reader but there's such diversity in the work here that I think most readers will find something they enjoy. It's great to see creators I normally associate just with fiction try something different

The idea was there but the execution was lacking for me. I could not stay engaged during the stories and found myself having to go over pages because I would zone out.

I expected a collection of futuristic stories from the cover, but it is more about scientific explorations of the real and alternative past. I really enjoyed it for the interesting facts it contained, and more than once I checked to see if everything was as it had been told. In places they even reference sources, which is very rare for a comic book. We get a space station shaped like a bagel, plastic bicycles made by Volvo, Dolly the cloned sheep, a prison with constant surveillance, electronic waste, Sony's AI dog, virtual celebrities, a rain machine, the dawn of blood transfusions, the power of wireless networks, but also a white-dominated world's fair and a Venezuelan utopia powered by wind turbines and wave energy. I really liked the way the book uses the past to reflect on the problems of today. Like all collections, there were some less compelling stories, but overall I ended the reading with a very good experience.

I like the ideal behind this graphic anthology but it didn't really engage me like I expected. I love exposure to different illustration styles but overall the stories themselves fell flat to me.

A very interesting read, lovely collection. I enjoy these type of graphic novels., showcasing different creators styles of comics, it can lead to discovery of new artists.

I loved the idea of this graphic novel. Stories of discoveries that were ALMOST amazing...
What bothered me was that it seemed to take a left turn from this premise. There are some stories of Almost Anson inventions and 'discoveries', but the larger part of the book was about politics (I actually agree with the politics presented, but it was off-putting given the book premise), and hoaxes. I feel like this could have been split into two works with different themes and been more effective.
The artwork was generally very good and the stories were interesting, the lack of theme was a bit too large of a hurdle for this work though.

**Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.  This was an interesting collection.  The stories all had to do with an interesting theme, and were mostly things I knew very little about.  I liked the discussion and covering of these various moments in history that I personally didn't know very much about.  I also liked how each had a different art/illustration style.  However, some of the stories were less interesting than others.

This graphic tour of humanity's past attempts to improve society through technology is as fun as it is informative. From the early blood transfusions to the dawn of the Luddites, each chapter comes from a different creative team and tells a different story most readers will probably not be aware of. The diversity of styles and topics makes this a unique and worthwhile read for fans of books on technology, history, or just good graphic novels that use the form as well as can be done.

This was a really interesting way to learn about the history behind certain inventions. I even saw a mention of my hometown, which was unexpected. I definitely learned some stuff, no idea if it will stick in my brain though as history was always my worst subject in school.

I would definitely recommend this if you love history or innovation or both.

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was SO interesting with so many styles and stories to tell, I think it's a great way to get to know incredible and talented people in the world of graphic novels.

When I read the description, I became pretty excited to read it because I enjoy graphic novel short stories. The description was curious, as I don't often hear of writing about technological failures in this way. These failures, however, tended to predict the future. Most were eventually made to work alternative ways, but they always imagined their inventions solving the world's problems. When, in reality, they only spurred the need for more, "better" things. Therefore, if no one could tell, it has been very fun and enjoyable learning more about the history of technology through the lens of a graphic novel. Each story uses a different style of artwork, which is really cool to see all the various ways a story can be told. Will definitely get this for our library.

What an interesting concept! If you’re interested in learning about the unsuccessful side of history, look no further than the graphic novel ‘Failure to Launch.’ From the cover image you would think that this was a fiction-based story maybe centered around robots or a teen of superheroes defeating robots, but you would be wrong (to an extent). I truly had no idea that these historical moments or failed inventions ever existed until now. School focuses on successful inventions because who doesn’t want to talk about the brilliance of the human mind when creating completely new things. To say that is was informative would be an understatement.’Failure to Launch’ is written and illustrated by a collection of different artists/writers, giving you quite a wide range of artistic styles.

As they often state, history is written by the winners. Not in the case of the graphic novel anthology, Failure to Launch. With stories of inventions that never came to be, technology that never got past the planning phase, and other such disasters, this collection of comics shows the educational and sometimes humorous side of failure.

I enjoyed the variety of art styles (if not always all of the stories). There is a little bit of something for everyone in this colorful grouping of comics.

Fun anthology about the ideas and inventions that never hit it big. When reading through these, it’s easy to see why! Funny, surprising, and interesting stories with varying art styles. I highly recommend it if you’re interested in some lesser known aspects of history and inventions. Thank you NetGalley and Letter Better Publishing for the arc.

History is often only told from the perspective of the "winners," or at least the successful, and so a majority of the inventions and dreams in this book were ones I'd not heard of before. Seeing them alongside a variety of art styles added up to an adventurous and sometimes amusing journey through ill-fated futures.

I didn't realize this would be an anthology, but I enjoyed that aspect. The pacing was well done, and I enjoyed the different art styles. The historical element of inventions was also quite fun. I did jump around a little based on interest and art style, but this is an anthology where you can do so with clarity. There wasn't the clearest separation between stories, especially due to varying lengths (some separated with a stylistic page, whereas some begin on the next page). Still, the difference in art styles was helpful. My favorite was To Be Believed to Be Seen, for the art style and storytelling.