Benjamin J. Carp is a science fiction writer who is a bit of a cult icon. Though he doesn't like that label. Much like the author he is modeled on, Philip K. Dick, he died in 1982. He's now awoken in a motel in 2025 and assumes that he has been brought back because he is A MAN OF CONSEQUENCE! What's more, his resurrection appears to be modeled on one of his own stories. But is it the published one or the unfinished one? Going on a journey with one of the employees from the motel, Marcus, he must find out the answer to his resurrection. The answer might be surprisingly humbling because this might not be Benjamin's story after all. The loquacious verbosity and pomposity make Benjamin a protagonist not soon forgotten, and not least because his visage resembles the great Nick Offerman, as does his circumlocutions. This is peppered with Easter Eggs for the true science fiction aficionado and I truly adore the room of robot heads, Isaac Asimov and in particular Ursula K. Le Guin being wonderful additions. This book is a keeper for sure.

A surreal, clever, and sharply imaginative sci‑fi mystery — a strong 4‑star read.

Benjamin is an inventive, meta‑textual graphic novel that blends mystery, science fiction, and dark humor into a story that feels both classic and refreshingly strange. The premise alone is irresistible: Benjamin J. Carp, a legendary but troubled sci‑fi author who died in 1982, suddenly awakens in 2025 in a burned‑out L.A. motel, fully aware he shouldn’t exist. From there, the book becomes a trippy, self‑investigative quest through Los Angeles as Carp tries to understand whether he’s a ghost, clone, simulation, or something even stranger.

The writing by Ben H. Winters leans into the surreal with confidence — identity, memory, and reality all blur together in ways that echo Philip K. Dick while still feeling distinct. The tone balances paranoia, humor, and melancholy, and early editorial reactions describe it as “cosmically brilliant” and a “psychedelic science‑fiction romp.”

Leomacs’ artwork is another standout. His expressive linework and atmospheric compositions give the story a gritty, dreamlike quality that fits perfectly with Carp’s disorientation. The visuals carry much of the emotional weight, grounding the stranger moments in something tactile and human.

If there’s a drawback, it’s that the book’s ambition occasionally makes it feel dense — the layers of metafiction and existential questioning can overshadow the emotional throughline. But even when it’s at its most chaotic, it’s never dull.

Overall: a bold, imaginative, and stylishly executed sci‑fi mystery that earns its 4 stars with originality and heart.