Akutezoïde

Akutezoïde — A Sci-Fi Graphic Novel on Collective Intelligence and the Erosion of Individual Will

Set in a distant future where Earth absorbs and exploits peoples from other galaxies, Akutezoïde is a space opera that operates as political critique. Ludovic Lalliat's debut graphic novel works within the tradition of 1970s critical science fiction to interrogate the promises of ultra-communication and the coercive logic that underlies social consensus.

Narrative

Jérémy and Gabriel have adopted an Akutezoid child without understanding the psychic network that structures the child's species — a system of thought communication binding individuals from birth. Those whose telepathic capacity is diminished are cast out irrevocably. Orace is one of these exiles: volatile, feared, defined by the rage of exclusion. It is Orace — the sociopathic outcast — who will uncover the reasons behind the sudden forced repatriation of the Akutezoids to their home planet.

Themes

The book uses collective intelligence as both premise and target. Where the psychic network promises connection, it produces conformity; where ultra-communication is presented as democratic, it functions as control. Akutezoïde asks what remains of free will and individual identity in a society where the mind is permanently networked from birth — and whether the outcast, stripped of that network, might be the only one capable of clear sight. The political critique extends outward: the space opera frame becomes a vehicle for examining Western societies that invoke democratic necessity while sustaining structural inequality and an absurd pursuit of profit.

Published by Éditions Cornélius in August 2024, the book comes from a Paris-based house known for its rigorous selection of authored comics at the edge of the form. Akutezoïde is part of Lokator100's catalogue of Surreal & Experimental Comics — titles chosen for their formal ambition and critical substance.