Doppelgänger

A hilarious, scathing, and absurdist critique of contemporary culture set in a fictional university town in the near future where a contagious "twinning" trend has swept across the student body

At Northwick Author Development Academy, an elite incubator for the creative class, originality is both fetish and mandate. Its candidates arrive ravenous for distinction—only to discover, after a year of carefully engineered “disorientation,” that their work has converged into something eerily uniform.

When a student in the sophomore cohort, Carl Sample, announces his intention to provoke a stranger into punching him—an act pitched as both personal exorcism and artistic experiment—the action seems grotesque, comic, and vaguely prophetic. Before Carl can enact his plan, another student is assaulted in town. This emerging crisis of coincidence binds the cohort in a tightening web of surveillance and mythmaking, as intention and event fall fatally out of sync. Watched constantly by the Academy’s hidden media unit, the students begin to resemble copies of one another—twinned in fear, ambition, and aesthetic drift.

Doppelgänger is fiction at its most clever, most engaging, and most self-reflective. The reader embarks on a quest with an uncertain outcome, and Riviere keeps us on our toes throughout with his wit, his stylistic brilliance, and his matchless mind. Is this a scathing critique of contemporary culture or a virtuoso game of cat and mouse? Who’s to say? A bit of both, probably.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs