Daniel Clowes's 'Monica' Merges Sci-Fi and Realism in a Tale of Generational Regret

Daniel Clowes's new graphic novel 'Monica' explores the life of its titular character, who searches for her mother, a 1970s flower-power casualty who vanished into a cult. The narrative spans from Monica's grief as a teenager raised by grandparents to her success as a 1990s entrepreneur and later as an aging Gen Xer. Clowes interweaves bizarre chapters featuring supernatural and demonic incursions into everyday life, such as communication from a dead grandfather via an old radio. These elements collide with the mundane frustrations of contemporary existence, reflecting on the baby-boomer generation's optimism fading into 21st-century American decline. Published by Jonathan Cape, the hardcover is priced at £20. Clowes, known for 'Ghost World' (1997), blends sci-fi tropes with emotional complexity, creating a cryptic reflection on human aspiration and disillusion. The book serves as an elegy for a radical past, juxtaposing fantastic and realist comic traditions.