Great Pacific Volume 1: Trashed!, by Joe Harris, illustrated by Martin Morazzo

Chas Worthington is the heir to a powerful Texas oil fortune.  Although he fits the bill as the young, spoiled playboy, he has ambitions beyond simply continuing the family's energy company.  He has his eyes on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which he claims and renames New Texas.  In the meantime, he has sabotaged the family business and ticked off a bunch of people.  Then he discovers that the island is well-known to some Pacific Islanders, as well as a band of pirates and a giant squid.

Great Pacific, nicely illustrated by Martin Morazzo, has just enough reality to make Joe Harris's story really engaging.  I love the libertarian/environmentalist mashup that informs Chas's actions.  He's representative of a generation that is sick of intrusive government, corporate welfare, and environmental neglect, and he's uniquely positioned to do something about all three.

Nation building on a floating garbage heap: I know, it's far-fetched, maybe even a little silly, but I enjoyed Great Pacific Volume 1 and will be eager to read Volume 2.

Interestingly enough, the idea of creating living space out of the floating garbage heap has been explored in real life.  Check out this web site: http://www.recycledisland.com/.  Maybe Harris's story isn't so far-fetched after all. . . .

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!