Strange Bedfellows
Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries is a graphic novel published by HarperCollinsPublishers in 2025, featuring 288 pages in English. This work follows Oberon Afolayan, who, after a series of personal setbacks, discovers he can bring his dreams to life, including a version of his long-lost high school crush, Kon. Set in a near-future utopia on the alien planet Meridian, the narrative explores Oberon’s struggle to balance his newfound powers with the chaos of his personal life.
Readers will find a blend of fantasy and social issues as Oberon navigates his relationships and the complexities of his abilities. The story delves into themes of love, identity, and the consequences of living in a dreamlike state. As Oberon grapples with the challenges posed by his dream version of Kon and the emergence of nightmarish creatures, the narrative raises questions about the nature of happiness and the sacrifices one must make to achieve it.
Official synopsis Publisher
In this stunning graphic novel by two-time Ignatz award-winning graphic novelist Ariel Slamet Ries, Oberon must choose between fantasy and reality when he develops the ability to conjure his dreams in real life–including the facsimile of the boy who got away.
In the not-too-distant future, most of humanity resides on its last-ditch effort at utopia: Meridian, a remote alien planet where you’re more likely to be born superhuman than left-handed.
None of that is important to Oberon Afolayan. Since his mildly public breakdown, his whole life seems to be spiraling out of control–from dropping out of university to breaking up with his boyfriend, it seems like only a karmic inevitability when he wakes up one day with the ability to conjure his dreams in the real world.
Oberon’s newfound powers come with a facsimile of his high school crush, Kon, who mysteriously dropped off the face of the planet almost three years ago and who is a little more infuriating (if not also infuriatingly hot) than Oberon remembers.
Kon makes it his mission to turn Oberon’s life around, and while they struggle to get a handle on his powers and his disastrous personal life (not to mention the appearance of strange nightmare creatures), it turns out this dream version of Kon has secrets of his own–dangerous ones.
Oberon might have more on his plate than he originally thought, but is giving up his dreams–even the one he might have accidentally fallen in love with–the only way to find happiness in reality?
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