Ayomiku “Yomi” Adegbile, a 2021 St. Cloud high school graduate and now a dual-enrolled undergraduate in Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), is now a published science-fiction author.
His graphic novel, “Seul Au Monde: Alone in the World”, blends culture, language, and technology into a adventurous story seen through the eyes of a robot named Billy.
Yomi, who’s currently studying Cultural Anthropology and Illustration, said the book invokes a passion he’s had for his whole young life.
“I’m an artist,” Adegbile said. “I’ve been writing ever since I was kid. Writing was always a big part of my life and I’ve always wanted to publish a novel when I was older.”
In December 2024, Adegbile combined his two passions, alongside his love for France and its culture, to self publish his unique trailblazing story of a character he felt reflected the difficulties that Adegbile was facing. He said he chose Brown University because he knew that the dual enrollment program between it and RISD would be perfect for his future goals of becoming an visual anthologist and illustrator.
“Sadness, not really knowing what to do when you reach that specific stage in your life. You’re not living the life you’ve been striving to live,” Adegbile explained that his mindset when creating ‘Seul Au Monde’ was of uncertainty, sadness, and finding one’s place in adulthood. His characters, in their own way, reflect Adegbile own questions and conflicts about life and rediscovery.
“Seul Au Monde: Alone in the World”, available on Amazon, is set in the future in Marseille, France a city that has experienced technological advancements. Created during the robot boom, Billy, is sent to live with a French-Algerian family to help them in a time of crisis. Built by world renowned scientist, Aboubakar Diop, Billy is different than other robots. As Billy helps raise young Ahmed, they develop an inseparable bond. Billy’s uniqueness will forever change the lives of those he loves and cherishes, sending him on a journey of self-discovery and existentialism.
“France is a really diverse country, lots of West African, North African, and Caribbean migrants. When I went to Marseille, specifically, it was so diverse.” Adegbile expressed. “I was so inspired by the exchanges I had.” What started as a class assignment slowly become its own world as Adegbile spent weeks, researching and paneling each individual page and slowly creating Billy’s and Ahmed’s story throughout each panel he drew and inked. As an art student, he said he felt that he needed to incorporate art into his story. Adegbile emphasized the importance that seeing the character’s expressions and emotions and how they reacted to the situations that occur in the story plays an integral part in the overall story.
“I think that was important for this story,” Adegbile said. “The reader becomes more emotionally attached to the characters through the images.”
