|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HELP | |
|
  $10.50 List price:
Used Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
More copies of this ISBN:Soon I Will Be Invincibleby Austin Grossman
Staff Pick
You don't have to have action figures on your desk to appreciate Austin Grossman's novel Soon I Will Be Invincible. Sure, superheroes and supervillains clash on a galactic scale, but it's not all about fighting for Truth and Justice. The reader gets an inside look at the softer side of life behind the mask. Funny, fast-paced, and well written — you cannot go wrong with this book. I guarantee that you will be inspired to design your own villainous lair or crime-fighting logo, depending on your mood. Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Doctor Impossible — evil genius, diabolical scientist, wannabe world dominator — languishes in a federal detention facility. He's lost his freedom, his girlfriend, and his hidden island fortress. Over the years he's tried to take over the world in every way imaginable: doomsday devices of all varieties (nuclear, thermonuclear, nanotechnological) and mass mind control. He's traveled backwards in time to change history, forward in time to escape it. He's commanded robot armies, insect armies, and dinosaur armies. Fungus army. Army of fish. Of rodents. Alien invasions. All failures. But not this time. This time it's going to be different... Fatale is a rookie superhero on her first day with the Champions, the world's most famous superteam. She's a patchwork woman of skin and chrome, a gleaming technological marvel built to be the next generation of warfare. Filling the void left by a slain former member, we watch as Fatale joins a team struggling with a damaged past, having to come together in the face of unthinkable evil. Soon I Will Be Invincible is a thrilling first novel; a fantastical adventure that gives new meaning to the notions of power, glory, responsibility, and (of course) good and evil. Review:"The realm of comic book heroes and villains gets a dose of realism in this whimsical debut from game design consultant Grossman. The story shifts between the perspectives of Doctor Impossible, a brilliant scientist turned world's greatest menace, and Fatale, a lonely cyborg and the newest addition to the venerable group of heroes known as the Champions. Though he's been out of commission for a while, Doctor Impossible hatches a scheme to knock the planet out of orbit ('As the Earth grows colder, my power becomes apparent, and the nations submit,' he reasons). Meanwhile, Champions leader Corefire goes missing, and Fatale has to learn the ropes of superherodom as the conventional climactic showdown (at Doctor Impossible's secret lair) draws near. However fantastical, the characters (including a 'genetic metahuman' and 'an elite fairy guard') are thoughtfully portrayed, with Fatale — stuck in a perpetual existential crisis — bemused over the Champions' purpose, and Doctor Impossible wondering 'whether the smartest man in the world has done the smartest thing he could with his life.' Grossman dabbles in a host of themes — power, greed, fame, the pitfalls of ego — in this engrossing page-turner, broadening the appeal of an already inviting scenario. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"Since the end of the golden age of comic books in the mid-1950s, the industry has continued to reinvent itself by exploring one simple question: What would a superhero world look like if it were real? This was the major impetus behind the rise of Marvel comics in the 1960s and "70s, as well as the darker, more sobering visions presented in the "80s with Frank Miller's 'The Dark Knight Returns' and... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) Review:"Austin Grossman has a superpower himself — it's called writing. This book is a new, winning, smart and funny way of interpreting our world. It's terrific." Douglas Coupland, author of JPod and Generation X Review:"Grossman's book is frothy fun with an undercurrent of sadness and a surprisingly human universality." Chicago Sun-Times Review:"[A] full-on spoof that conjures a pantheon of cyborgs, aliens, fairies, magicians and zeta-beam-obsessed scientists." Los Angeles Times Review:"[A] fresh, warm take on comic books, science fiction and pop culture." St. Petersburg Times Review:"Soon I Will Be Invincible succeeds for the same reason NBC has racked up ratings for Heroes and comic books have such devoted followings. The characters may be superheroes, but the stories showcase their humanity." Cleveland Plain Dealer About the AuthorAustin Grossman is a video-game design consultant and a doctoral candidate in English literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he specializes in Romantic and Victorian literature. He lives in Berkeley. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 3 comments: | ||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Don't Miss
