Seeds: comic-book memoir of father's cancer is moving, sweet

Ross Mackintosh's debut graphic novel Seeds is a wrenching, first-person account of Mackintosh's father's last months as he died of lung cancer. It's not exactly upbeat, but it's also not merely an existential misery -- rather, it's a moving tour of Mackintosh's emotional journey as his father slipped away, filled with regret and love, sorrow and humor, exasperation and sweetness. I ended up crying in a restaurant as I finished it, but I spent the rest of the day turning it over and feeling good for it. Mackintosh's father -- a no-nonsense engineer who was gruff but loving -- went well, as these things go, and Mackintosh's experience of his father's cancer brought him to terms with all sorts of father-son stuff that many of us think about. I recommend it without reservation, but bring a box of tissues with me when you're reading it.

Seeds

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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bokonon

Sadly, it’s good timing at my house too, Cory. Thank you for the recommendation.
Filthy

Hi Corey

Your timing was amazing, I read this 30 minutes before I went to see the Oncologist with my parents.
My dad has stage 4 small-cell lung cancer.
This is going to sound really odd but while I was watching the oncologist tell my parents I felt like I was watching the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
when her mother died.

Sooo, do you think I should get the book?
- Cory Doctorow
  
  I’m terribly sorry to hear about your dad, Filthy. Yes, I certainly think that this would be a great book.