cover design by Opal Roengchai
illustrated by Jose Pimienta
THIS NIGHT, WITH THESE FRIENDS, WILL BE EVERYTHING.
Ty and Burger have known each other since before they could walk. But this shared history is nothing compared to their plans for the future: step one, make a killer documentary about humanity’s recent brush with extinction; step two, apply to film school together; step three, achieve legendary status as the next great filmmaking duo. But Ty has a secret that will ultimately shake the foundations of their friendship and force them both to wonder if growing up means letting go of the people they once were.
With heads full of bioluminescence and hearts full of fury, “squizzies” have one thing on their tiny rodent brains: global annihilation. Their reign of terror may be a thing of the past, but Ty and Burger are determined to chronicle the perseverance of the human race in the wake of the “squirrel-pocalypse.” With friends Miles and Fib, they embark on an overnight excursion through rowdy nightclubs, once-familiar neighborhoods, perilous castles, and off-grid RVs, all the while, recording quiet lives of love and loss in a strange new world.
Set over the course of a single day, Luminous Beings explores the many facets of friendship and love, the heavy burden of a well-kept secret, the boundless tenacity of the human spirit, and, yes, the furriest of all zombified mammals. But don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. Just the end of the squirrel.