We use water, electricity, and the internet every day – but how do they actually work? And what’s the plan to keep them running in years to come? This nonfiction science graphic novel takes us from the development of the most essential systems in our lives to their future in our world today.

What was the first message sent over the internet? How much water does a single person use every day? How was the electric light invented?

For every utility people use each day, there’s a hidden history below the surface – a story of intrigue, drama, humor, and inequity. This graphic novel provides a guided tour through the science of the past – and how the decisions people made while inventing and constructing early technology still affect the way people use it today.

Full of art, maps, and diagrams, Hidden Systems is a thoughtful, humorous exploration of the history of science, and what needs to be done now to change the future.

Diagrams. Maps. “Sketchbook.” Author’s notes. Selected bibliography. Full-color illustrations were planned out with pencil, drawn with ink, and then lettered and colored digitally. 

POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS

Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism