Now here's something I wish Unshelved did more often.

For those not in the know, Unshelved, the hit library-themed comic, does a weekly feature called "Unshelved Book Club" where they tease an interesting book. It's a great feature, and a perfect fit for the comic. Incidentally, I interviewed the creators for io9 a while back, and included some sci-fi samples from the Book Club.

Today, the Book Club was a guest comic, with characters from Christopher Baldwin's new webcomic Spacetrawler discussing Alastair Reynolds' Chasm City. As much as I love Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes' take on all sorts of books, I wish they'd have guest cartoonists review books with themes similar to their own comics'. First, it would be a great way to promote new and little-read webcomics, and second, the effect is pretty freaking cool.

And while we're on the subject of new webcomics, Spacetrawler is definitely one to watch. Christopher Baldwin is just wrapping up Little Dee, his family-friendly, syndication-style strip. And then there's his masterpiece, Bruno, a beautifully rendered strip chronicling eleven years in the life of a nomadic young woman. Although I never found the central character terribly likable, Bruno is undeniably riveting and impressive in its realism, like reading the diary comic of a fictional personal. With Spacetrawler, Baldwin tries his hand at an entirely different brand of storytelling, a comedic space opera about a group of humans kidnapped by abolitionist aliens hoping to enact social change.

Spacetrawler just launched on New Year's Day, so the archives are currently a quick read. I'd recommend getting caught up now before Baldwin creates another decade-long epic.

Unshelved Book Club: Chasm City [Unshelved]