Dr. Biju Parekkadan is an award winning biomedical engineer with a number of published works in the field of stem cell and genetic engineering. But it's safe to say he never got anything tattooed on his body from any of his science journal publications!
In what he calls his most 'creative expression of science’ yet, Dr. Parekkadan and BFF indie film industry leader, Jay Webb, have gone all-in on their promotion of science and fiction as a combined way to get the general public interested in cutting edge tech that may potentially impact people's lives. The book tackles some hard topics like precision medicine, social genetics, and planetary colonization, though these two newly bonded ‘blood brothers’ are most excited about the more human elements of identity, family, and evolution that the story hopes to reveal. Their "5-minutes into the future" graphic novel Legend of Sumeria will touch on an alternate reality where society is already immersed in these technological transformations.
“We have been best friends and started writing together about 20 years ago,” Webb said. “If this trilogy of books can introduce even a few more people to the importance of natural sciences or get a discussions going about how we can shape our future lives in a more harmonious way, then the symbols on our arms can become way more than just ink on skin.” Webb has produced indie films that have been distributed by the likes of Lionsgate & HBO and recently co-founded a distribution cooperative (Indie Street), but he calls Legend of Sumeria the “most personal of his passionate life projects.”
This free spirited film producer and bioengineering duo were a bit cryptic about the actual meaning of the symbol and you'll have to read more to find out. All they leave us with, is to "Follow the Symbol" which has been starting to make its mark in the Twitterverse: #followthesymbol
Dr. Parekkadan did give some background on one of the story's main themes when he pondered, “what would happen if the only evolutionary pressure on humans - infectious disease - was eliminated? How would our genetics evolve? In Legend of Sumeria we follow the lives' of a few characters with genetic anomalies who struggle to find great strength and uniqueness in how they understand their place in such a world.”
Legend of Sumeria’s first book Life·Blood·DNA is now available on Kickstarter for pre-order through June 30th. It is a 250 page graphic novel that will have you intrigued on how quickly our society can turn on the heels of real discovery.
Learn more about their story!
Follow on Twitter and Instagram @legendofsumeria
More info: kickstarter.com
Real Science sketches are sprinkled throughout the book
#FollowtheSymbol
Pre-orders available on Kickstarter
