Orphan of the Stars

Orphan of the Stars is volume seventeen in the French comic book (or bande dessinée) science fiction series Valérian and Laureline created by writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières.

Outline

What to do when one has the responsibility of looking after a young imp who is the object of a vast reward that attracts all the criminals of the universe, at the head of which lies the impeccable Mortis Quartet?

What to do on the Asteroids of Shimballil when one has no spacecraft, contacts, money but burdened with a Caliphon as affectionate as he is disastrous?

Relentlessly pursued by the events, Valérian and Laureline will traverse this form of California of the stars where pouzzouf salesmen cohabit with wealthy producers, needy professors, private schools, prestigious universities and cyberkinomax studios.

Breathless space opera, critical social satire: Valérian is certainly the French science fiction comic strip that is always light years ahead!

Synopsis

Principal characters

• Valérian, from Galaxity, lost capital of Earth in the 28th century, formerly a Spatio-Temporal Agent, now working on a freelance basis
• Laureline, from 11th century France, formerly a Spatio-Temporal Agent for Galaxity, now working on a freelance basis
• The Caliphon, fugitive son of the Caliph of Iksaladam
• The Mortis Quartet, a criminal gang who specialise in trafficking, smuggling, extortion, attacks, commandos, infiltrations and abductions
• Glü, a student of Interplantary Commercial Law at the University of Shimballil and part-time pouzzouf delivery boy
• Ty Koün IV, cyberkinomax producer, owner of Paradise Studios
• Julius, Ty Koün's scriptwriter
• Professor Scharz-Metterklume, Department of Pedagogy, University of Shimballil, specialist in the celebrated method of Gonzo-Psycho-Pedagogy
• Mistress Karlä-Varlä, headmistress of the Star College

Setting

The Asteroids of Shimballil, time unknown. The asteroids are clustered close to a sun that provides warmth and are close enough together to trap a breathable atmosphere enabling inhabitants to travel between the asteroids without extensive life support equipment. We see many parts of the Asteroids in this album including:

• The hangars at the unfashionable end of Shimballil where Valérian and Laureline park their astroship and where the pouzzouf delivery business that Glü works for is located.
• Ty Koün IV's personal asteroid which contains his luxury home and grounds that include a lake and forest.
• Zakitab-The-Great-Market, where the population of Shimballil converge to trade their wares.
• The Free University of Shimballil. Each floor has a Department assigned to it. When a new Department is created a new floor is added. It is connected to the rest of the asteroids via a regular shuttle service and is supplied constantly by automated delivery trucks. The subjects it offers include:
  • Antimatter Lifeforms
  • Theological Biology
  • Poetry
  • Interplantary Commercial Law
  • Pedagogy
• The Cyberkinomax Studios including Mindmax Studios, Mega Kolossus Studios and Ty Koün IV Paradise Studios. They are very similar to movie studios with sound stages, actors, wardrobe, make-up etc. Each kinosaga episode is written and filmed once the market surveys are in and are tailored accordingly. Two days after distribution each episode is junked.
• The Diplomatic Quarter which is made up of impressive buildings protected by geostatic domes. Located in this quarter is the Star College which is modelled on the English public school Eton College right down to the uniforms. Its headmistress is the formidable Karlä-Varlä.

Notes

• The Asteroids of Shimballil was originally the title of a proposed animated Valérian project in the early 1980s and the location was reused for this album. The Great Market at Zakitab is used in both stories. However, in The Asteroids of Shimballil, Shimballil is more primitive and the inhabitants have not discovered space travel. Orphan of the Stars appears to be set many years later – Shimballil has been colonised by the wealthiest denizens of the galaxy who have brought their sophisticated technology with them. The concept art and plot outline for The Asteroids of Shimballil were published as an appendix to the album release of Bad Dreams.