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Originally Posted by MikeB1972
Moving the goalposts, how very dare you  |
I am just "clarifying" (
) that I don't consider it entirely impressive that a known existing hit (comic books) received enough publisher attention that someone took a chance on a novelization.
Anyway, I never said there are zero such tradpub books, just that they seem to be sufficiently rare that I can't really think of any.
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Mostly you have a problem of what you class as a superhero novel though. You can't just use superhuman abilities or the entire Urban Fantasy genre probably gets counted, along with genetically/technologically modified characters. You could easily include Doc Savage, The Shadow, The Spider and a ton of other material dating back to the 50's. Do they need to have some superhuman abilities - If so explain Batman  .
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Well, Batman *is* a superhero, of a kind.
I think you can often tell the difference between Urban Fantasy and Superhero fiction, based on the way the characters behave.
It might really just be a matter of authorial fiat. If it is all in the characters' behavior
It is a superhero story if characters are expected to live up to the characteristics of the superhero archetype.
It is a superhero story if people gain their powers through radiation, strange Takisian/other viruses, "breakthroughs", etc... it is not a superhero story if people are born to a generic segment of the populace that have xxx hereditary powers.
As for the genetically modified, that in and of itself doesn't seem to be strong proof for or against.
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Off the top of my head for new characters you have :-
Larry Correia's Grimnoir series.
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Funky magic system, but seems to be fairly standard Urban Fantasy otherwise.
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Kelly Meding's Metawars Series
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Yes, and this is actually on my TBR.
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Christopher L Bennett's Only Superhuman
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This seems to be genetically-modified-breasts + paramilitary... something.
I don't think I would want to read it, it may lose a few points for whatever genre it gets categorized as.
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Brandon Sanderson's Reckoners Series
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An amazing inversion, and trust Brandon to write an amazing series about an unconventional topic!
Inversions count.
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Kathy Reichs' Virals (Not read it)
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Sort-of-werewolves detective/forensic mystery
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G T Almasi's Shadowstorm Series
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Genetically modified spies, not sure this counts...
Sounds like Urban/Military Fantasy, not superheroes.
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Not sure if these should be classed
Steven Gould's Jumper series
Deborah Christian's Mainline
Peter Clines Ex-Heroes
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Nope. Dystopian and one-person-has-a-weird-ability-but-isn't-a-hero.
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You can usually tell the difference by the way people act, most of this stuff is better classified as UF.
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What self-pub ones would you recommend BTW
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Honestly, I haven't read a lot of it, but it is an interesting topic.
I'd love to hear what other people recommend, if anyone has any recommendations...
But I have read a few things.
- Marion G. Harmon's Wearing the Cape series is fabulous!
- I also liked Chelsea M. Campbell's Renegade X series.
- And Richard Roberts' Please Don't Tell My Parents... (I'm a Supervillain, I Blew Up the Moon, I've Got Henchmen).
- High on my TBR (I will probably start it sometime this week or next week) is Lexie Dunne's Superheroes Anonymous, which sounds quite interesting. But this is pulished by HarperCollins, whoops!
- I am taking a small gamble on C. J. Carella's New Olympus Saga.
- I also have my eye on Logan Rutherford's The First Superhero (the first super was a villain
). Sounds like an interesting premise.
- Tom Reynolds' Meta was not bad, but nothing special. I may have to read the next book to see if it got any better, but it just didn't strike a chord in me.
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I like my lighthearted, possibly-comedy superheroes. Now,
Wearing the Cape manages to be a very serious book while also being lighthearted. Err, assuming that is possible of course...