Perry Moore Q&A

As many of you know, I am a bookseller in a mid sized city in Texas. The store I work in is the only bookstore in town. As a result, I see many GLBT people come in and browse the very small GLBT section I am allowed to carry.
Some months ago, I saw a shy young man looking over the section and trying very hard not to be noticed. I walked over and struck up a conversation with him, suggesting several books. Over the next few weeks he would come in just to talk about books and about gay life in general. We struck up a great friendship. He is 16, and living at home with his Jehovah’s Witness parents. For a long time, he struggled with trying to reconcile his sexuality and his religion. However, in the months that I have known him, I have seen him grow more confident and proud of whom he is, no matter what adversity he has faced at home. It makes me very proud to know him. His 17th birthday is coming up, and I wanted to do something very special for him. As we talk about books so much, and there are so many authors he has yet to be exposed to, I emailed Perry Moore, author of ‘Hero’ to see if he would sign a book for my friend. Not only did he agree, but offered to do a Q&A for this blog.

Although the characters in 'Hero' are originals, was there inspiration from existing comic book characters? If there was, can you match the inspiration to the character?

WHAT AN INTERESTING QUESTION—YOU GET RIGHT TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER. ALL THE OLDER HEROES IN THE LEAGUE ARE EXACTLY WHO YOU THINK THEY’RE BASED UPON.

TRANSVISION VAMP CAME FROM A ONE-HIT WONDER ALTERNA-BAND

I GUESS YOU COULD SAY A LITTLE BIT OF GORAN CAME FROM MY LONGTIME CHILDHOOD CRUSH ON COLOSSUS.

BUT EVERYONE ON THOM’S TEAM, ALL THE PRIMARY CHARACTERS ARE BASED ON REAL PEOPLE.

FOR INSTANCE, HAL IS MY DAD (a decorated Vietnam Vet who was so damaged internally by that war without anyone to speak to about it (sort of like me, we were both seeking to find our places in the universe, but for very different reasons)), MUCH MORE THAN HE IS BATMAN OR CAPTAIN AMERICA.

I DID THINK WOLVERINE—THE MOST BORING, OVERUSED CHARACTER IN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE—DESERVED A GOOD SMACKDOWN FOR KILLING NORTHSTAR IN HIS BOOK (DURING A MONTH WHERE MARVEL KILLED NORTHSTAR AT LEAST THREE TIMES IN ONE MONTH.). SO I HAD DARK HERO KICK SNAGGLETOOTH (THE LAMEST VERSION OF WOLVERINE YOU CAN IMAGINE) ON THE BUS DURING THE FIRST ACTION SCENE OF THE BOOK.

SCARLETT IS 100% BASED ON THE VOICE OF MY BEST FRIEND OF THIRTY YEARS, BRETTA ZIMMER LEWIS, OF VIRGINIA BEACH VIRGINIA.


In talking to other people who have read 'Hero' there is a lot of affinity for Ruth. Why do you think this character is so popular with your readers?

RUTH IS AN AMALGAM OF A FEW OF THE OLDER SOUTHERN FEMALE RELATIVES. THE BEST PARTS COME FROM MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER, MAMMAW, (FROM HILLSBOROUGH, NC), AND MY GODMOTHER, JUANITA.THESE WERE STRONG-ASS WOMEN WHO DID NOT MINCE WORDS. THEY HAD PASTS THAT MADE THEM THE STRONG WOMEN THAT I GREW UP KNOWING AND LOVING. LOVING THIS BREED OF SOUTHERN WOMEN WAS ALWAYS…INTERESTING. OH, THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS.

I HOPE I CAPTURED EVEN A HINT OF THE GREATNESS THAT WAS THESE OLDER WOMEN.

HER MOVIE EQUIVALENT WOULD BE GENA ROWLANDS IN “GLORIA.” ‘CEPT FOR SHE WASN’T SOUTHERN, WHICH IS A PART OF ME, AND THEREFORE AN INEXTRICABLE PART OF RUTH.

YOU KNOW THE ONLY SCENE I WROTE OUT OF SEQUENCE EVEN IN THE OUTLINING PROCESS, I ALWAYS RESISTED THE URGE TO WRITE AN ENTIRE SCENE OUT OF CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER BECAUSE I WANTED THE BOOK TO HAVE A LIFE OF ITS OWN, TO WRITE IN ORDER THAT THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR ACTIONS WOULD BE GIVEN VOICES AND THEREFORE THEY WOULD TAKE OVER AND AT THAT POINT I WAS JUST CHANNELING THEIR ACTIONS BY MOVING MY FINGERS ACROSS THE COMPUTER.

THE MINUTE THEY TOOK OVER THE STORY, HERO TRULY CAME TO LIFE. THANK GOD, FOR LETTING ME CHANNEL THESE INCREDIBLE CHARACTERS.

BUT I COULDN’T HELP IT WITH RUTH. THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT HER, THE MORE I HAD TO HOLD BACK… UNTIL ONE NIGHT. WE WERE CASTING THE KIDS FOR MAYBE THE THIRD TIME IN LONDON WITH NARNIA DIRECTOR ANDREW ADAMSON, CASTING DIRECTORS PIPPA HALL AND GAIL STEVENS, AND PRODUCER MARK JOHNSON. WE RARELY HAD A MOMENT TO OURSELVES. IT WAS WORKSHOPPING WITH THE CHILD ACTORS ALL DAY LONG UNTI WE HAD OUR FINAL FOUR, AND I REMEMBER WE WERE GIVEN SOMETHING LIKE TWO HOURS BEFORE OUR DINNER WITH TILDA SWINTON, TO CONFIRM SHE’D BE PLAYING THE WHITE WITCH. WELL, I WAS EBULLIENT BECAUSE I’D BEEN PUSHING FOR TILDA FOR TWO YEARS, AND I FELT, WOW, ANDREW’S FINALLY GOING TO SEAL THE DEAL.

OUT OF THAT HAPPINESS, I GUESS I FELT CONFIDENT, SO I STARTED WRITING IN THE HOTEL ROOM. THE SCENE I WROTE? WHERE THOM CONFRONTS RUTH AFTER THEIR FIRST PROBATIONARY TEAM MEETING. THE ONE WHERE HE ASKS IF SHE CAN SEE HIS FUTURE, THE ONE WHERE SHE PATS HIM ON THE HEAD…BECAUSE SHE KNOWS HE HAS SUCH A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF HIM.

SO I DON’T KNOW WHY SHE’S SO POPULAR WITH READERS. MAYBE BECAUSE I MYSELF LOVED HER SO MUCH. ALTHOUGH I LOVED THE REST OF THEM, TOO, SO I DON’T REALLY KNOW.

MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE SINCE SHE’S A FORESEER, SHE’S THE ONE WE ALL WISH WE KNEW IN HIGH SCHOOL WHO COULD HAVE SAID, “HEY, ALL THIS ANGST YOU’RE GOING THROUGH IS SUCH BULLSHIT, GET OVER IT. BECAUSE IF YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING THROUGH NOW IS HARD, THEN YOU’RE REALLY IN FOR IT, BECAUSE LIFE IS ABOUT TO GET A WHOLE LOT MORE COMPLICATED. EVERYTHING THAT YOU’RE DOING NOW, WELL, YOU BETTER STOP BITCHING ABOUT IT AND START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF AND LIVING THE LIFE YOU WANT TO LIVE, BECAUSE YOUR TIME ON THIS EARTH IS SO BRIEF WHEN YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT. MAYBE THAT’S THE KEY.

I HAD A HUNCH SHE’D STEAL ALL HER SCENES, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW UNTIL THE BOOK CAME OUT AND PEOPLE STARTED TO WRITE ME. I ALWAYS LIKED HOW SHE TELLS THE TRUTH. SHE MAY WITHHOLD SOME THINGS SHE SEES (LIKE THE DAY OF HER ULTIMATE FATE), BUT SHE NEVER LIES. NO ONE LIKES TO BE LIED TO.

For years now, there have been people trying to censor what kids can read in libraries, schools and bookstores across the country. Most of the time, it is 'concerned' citizens trying to pull LGBT books off the shelves. Yet, 'Hero' has been embraced by school systems and libraries. To what do you attribute this acceptance?

I WROTE IT FOR EVERYONE. I TRIED TO TAKE EVERY Cliché I’D EVER SEEN ABOUT THE MULTIPLE – SOMETIMES WELL MEANING – PORTRAYALS OF GAY CHARACTERS IN MEDIA. BUT I AIMED FOR SOMETHING SO MUCH HIGHER.

A CHARACTER THAT LEARNS TO BE A HERO, HE HAS REAL STRUGGLES THAT ARE UNIVERSAL (WANTING ACCEPTANCE FROM A HARD FATHER, LOVE FROM A MOTHER WHO’S LEFT THEM, AND A CRUSH ON TWO GUYS (UBERMAN AT FIRST, THEN GORAN), WHOM HE THINKS COULD NEVER POSSIBLY LOVE HIM BACK. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GENDER OF THE CHARACTERS HE LIKES. THOM IS A YOUNG ADULT STRUGGLING TO FIND HIS PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE. EVERYONE RELATES TO THAT. IS HIS STORY MORE COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT HE LIKES GUYS MORE THAN GIRLS? SURE, BUT THAT’S HARDLY THE BEGINNING AND END OF HIS STORY.

HONESTLY, I SET OUT TO WRITE A STORY THAT DIDN’T EXIST – AND IT WAS A STORY THAT SO DESPERATELY NEEDED TO BE TOLD.

SO HERO QUITE FRANKLY BURNED A HOLE RIGHT OUT OF ME.

IN SCHOOL, WE ALWAYS READ STORIES ABOUT CHARACTERS WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM US. AND THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE WAS THAT WHETHER YOU’RE BLACK, WHITE, GAY, STRAIGHT, OLD, YOUNG, BIG OR SMALL, ONCE YOU EMBRACE THAT WHICH MAKES YOU DIFFERENT CAN EMPOWER YOU IN WAYS YOU’VE NEVER IMAGINED. AS THOM EMBRACES WHO HE IS, THE MORE POWERFUL HE BECOMES AS A HERO.

ESSENTIALLY, THOM IS NOT DEFINED BY HIS SEXUALITY, AND I THINK THAT’S THE KEY TO THE BOOK’S POWER, AND WHY TEACHERS AND PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF GAY PEOPLE WRITE TO ME – IN ADDITION TO THE YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR OWN SEXUALITY AND THANKING ME FOR GIVING THEM A COMPANION THAT SAYS, HEY, IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY – I THINK THAT’S WHY PEOPLE DIG IT.

Do you still read comics? What do you read?

ANYTHING BY ALLAN HEINBERG. HE’S ONE OF MY COMIC BOOK HEROES BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID WITH YOUNG AVENGERS. HE TOOK A POTENTIALLY LAME IDEA AND NOT ONLY MADE IT WORK—HE LEFT US WANTING MORE. ALWAYS.

I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HIS NEXT MAXI-SERIES WITH THE YOUNG AVENGERS. THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE FEW COMICS I WOULD CONSIDER DOING IN BETWEEN ALAN’S PRIMARY STINTS WITH THE BOOK (IF HE ASKS ME TO* *hint, hint, wink, nudge…Allan, call me!)

I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT GAIL SIMONE’S WORK, ESPECIALLY WITH SECRET SIX.

Let's talk about 'The List.' It's an incredible resource. As I read it, I became aware of many LBGT characters out there that I had never heard of (admittedly, I only read DC Comics, so I am at a handicap). It's widely reported that Northstar's death at the hands of Wolverine prompted the creation of the list. Looking on comics now, has there been any progression in the treatment and/or visibility of LGBT characters in your opinion?

I THINK THINGS HAVE FORTUNATELY GOTTEN BETTER, INCREMENTALLY. I MODELED THE LIST AFTER GAIL SIMONE’S, WOMEN IN REFRIGERATORS PIECE. YOU KNOW, I REALLY COMPILED THAT LIST ONLY AS A COMPANION PIECE TO THE BOOK. I THOUGHT IT WOULD STOKE SOME INTEREST IN THE BOOK. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME COMIC FANS WOULD ONLY READ THE LIST AND, GOD BLESS COMIC BOOK FANS, THEY’D LOVE TO NITPICK THE ERRORS. BUT I WROTE IT TO INVITE THAT VERY DISCUSSION.

I PROBABLY JUST SHOULD HAVE LEFT IT AT TWO CHARACTERS:
NORTHSTAR AND FREEDOM RING. IF YOU HAVEN’T, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR A LOOK UP “FREEDOM RING.” THEN YOU’LL UNDERSTAND WHY I WROTE THAT LIST.

Ok, I don't quite know how to put this into the form of a question, so I am just going to write this out and you let me know if you have a response. Looking over the characters on The List who have been killed off: I wonder how many of them were actually killed because of their sexual orientation. I mean, some of them were probably killed off just to service the plot, or as collateral damage. If we are going to have a larger LGBT presence in comics, then it stands to reason some of these characters are going to be maimed, killed, banished to another dimension, de-powered or something. I think the retconning of sexual orientation is deplorable, and so is the gratuitous killing because of sexual orientation, but I do think that we should have LGBT villians, heroes who suffer and death. It further integrates the LGBT experience into comics. Of course it would help if some of the gay characters got laid and/or had relationships too.

I HAVE A LONG E-MAIL EXCHANGE WITH ROBERT KIRKMAN WHERE I WROTE HIM – WE’D BEEN WRITING BACK AND FORTH WHILE I WAS DOING NARNIA, BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO PRODUCE THE WALKING DEAD (I DIDN’T GET TO). AFTER READING MY E-MAILS HE WROTE BACK AND ADMITTED THAT THE WHOLE FREEDOM RING THING WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST MISTAKE HE’D MADE. AND THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT WHEN THERE ARE ONLY FIVE OPENLY GAY MALE CHARACTERS IN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE, AND YOU KILL ONE (WITH A BUNCH OF SPIKES, ONE THROUGH HIS ANUS), YOU HAVE JUST KILLED 20% OF THAT WORLD’S GAY CHARACTERS. AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BACK OF THE BUS CHARACTERS.

I LOVE APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER, BUT THEY’RE MEMBERS OF A TEAM. SAME WITH RICTOR AND SHATTERSTAR, AND THE BOYFRIENDS IN YOUNG AVENGERS.

I WOULD LOVE TO DO IN COMICS WHAT I DID I YOUNG ADULT FICTION: CREATE THE FIRST PROTAGONIST WHO IS GAY, OUT, MALE, EMPOWERED, AND UNAFRAID—HE DOESN’T SIT IN THE BACK OF THE BUS, AND HE DOESN’T NEED TO BE SAVED BY A STRAIGHT CHARACTER IN CASE OF ATTACK (SEE TERRY BERG IN GREEN LANTERN FOR MORE ON THAT ONE.)

BUT MY PRIMARY GOAL WAS TO DELIGHT AND INSPIRE AND HAVE EVERYONE WHO’S EVER FELT A LITTLE DIFFERENT BELIEVE HE OR SHE COULD BE A HERO.

BECAUSE THERE IS A HERO IN ALL OF US. BELIEVE!

Talk about your writing process a little. Do you write everyday? Is there a routine?

WHEN I DON”T HAVE TO WORK ON SOMETHING ELSE, I HAVE SACRED “WRITING HOURS”EVERY MORNING, USUALLY STARTING AT SEVEN AM AND GOING AS LONG AS I CAN BEFORE THE RESPONSIBLITIES OF THE REAL WORLD INTRUDE.

Have we seen the last of Thom Creed? Sequels?

OH BOY, THE SEQUEL IS GOING TO BE BIG. I MAPPED IT OUT BEFORE I WROTE MY LAST NOVEL. IT WILL BE BIG. THE SEQUEL WILL TEST THOM AND GORAN AND THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER IN WAYS YOU CAN’T IMAGINE. AND YOU’LL CONTINUE TO LEARN SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS. AND IT’S FULL OF SURPRISES GALORE! SOME OF WHICH – AND I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO GIVE ANY AWAY – WILL REALLY PLEASE THE FANS.

IT’S A WHOPPER OF A SEQUEL. THINGS GET BUMPED UP TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. BUT THE BASIC CHARACTER-DRIVEN APPROACH IS STILL THE SAME.

Are you working on anything new? Can you tell me about it?

MY NEW BOOK, AN EPIC NOVEL I JUST TURNED IN TO MY WONDERFUL PUBLISHERS AT HYPERION. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. THERE WILL BE AT LEAST FOUR BOOKS IN THAT SERIES, WHEN YOU READ IT YOU’LL UNDERSTAND WHY. AND IT’S SO CINEMATIC, AND YET PERSONAL. IF I LEARNED ANYTHING FROM MY WORKING WITH YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE AND WITH MOVIES, IT’S THIS: NEVER TALK DOWN TO THE AUDIENCE, DOESN’T MATTER WHAT AGE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT.

NEVER. TALK. DOWN. TO. ANYONE. YOU WOULDN’T WANT ANYONE TO TALK TO YOU.

(Note: Mr. Moore gave me a little more info on the book, but asked me not to go into it just yet. I can say that from the tidbits he shared, it sounds like a very good read)
How has it been working with Stan Lee?

SIMPLY A DREAM. WHEN HE CALLED FOR THE FIRST TIME, I DIDN’T EVEN BELIEVE IT WAS REALLY HIM. BUT IT WAS. THE STAN LEE! AND I ASKED HIM TO COME TO THE GREAT LGBT PANEL AT COMICON IN SAN DIEGO….AND HE CAME! THE CROWD CHEERED, APPLAUDED, CRIED. SUCH AN AMAZING AFFIRMATION.

NOW WE JUST NEED A NETWORK… OR A STUDIO… TO BELIEVE IN HERO THE SAME WAY WE DO.

OR BETTER YET A STAR, LIKE SOME I’D ALWAYS ENVISIONED.

GEORGE CLOONEY (THE PERFECT HAL, HELL, HE EVEN PLAYED BATMAN ONCE…), PLEASE WRITE IN OR CALL. YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

SAME WITH BRAD PITT, WHO WAS MY IDEAL FOR UBERMAN! YOU GUYS HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

USE THOSE POWERS. PLEASE! HELP!

THAT MUCH I’VE LEARNED, TOO. IT TOOK FIFTY YEARS FOR HOLLYWOOD TO TAKE NARNIA SERIOUSLY. WHAT KIND OF SHOT DO I HAVE WITHOUT TALENT LIKE STAN LEE OR GEORGE CLOONEY OR BRAD PITT.

PLEASE, ALL FANS, LET’S GET TOGETHER AND LOBBY TO GET THEM INVOLVED.

YOU CAN WRITE ME—IN FACT, PLEASE WRITE ME, I WILL MOST DEFINITELY RESPOND – AT perrymoorestories.com

Playing Catch Up, Part II

Wow, has it really been 6 months since we posted anything? Bad bloggers...BAD bloggers!!!

While David and I decide what to read in 2010, I thought I might give a shout out to a couple of books I read over the holidays on my own.

1. Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon. This is, without a doubt, the best book I read in 2009. A collection of 3 distinct and separate stories, Reply is a study of the meaning of identity, disguised as a thriller. The novel begins with a severed hand and a frantic rush to the hospital and doesn't let up until the dizzying last 50 pages. I was so amazed at the way Chaon's climax tied the three stories together ( one concerning a man's quest for his missing twin, a second following the life of a college dropout who is reunited with his birth father, and a third tale of a high school graduate fleeing her small town with the History teacher), that I ended up re-reading the book to try and pick out the clues Chaon drops throughout the book. It is in hardcover right now, but if price is an issue, the trade paperback will be out in June, just in time for some beach reading.

2. Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon. As I was telling Dave just this morning, I forget how much I like Michael Chabon until I read one of his books, and then I fall in love all over again. Chabon LOVES language and his works are peppered with very lovingly crafted sentences, supported by extravagant words. Sometimes that can get in the way of a good story, but not with Wonder Boys. I had seen the film not too long ago. I remember enjoying it. My friend (we'll call him James Leer) is a Robert Downey Jr. fanatic, so he had seen the film, but had no idea it was based on a book. We decided to read it together. I was surprised at how well the film had followed the book, with one notable exclusion (Grady Tripp's passover dinner with estranged in-laws). Although I could not help but picture Toby Maguire in the James Leer role, all of the other characters took on a life and appearance quite different than their screen counterparts. I attribute this to Chabon's descriptive writing and a healthy dose of my overactive imagination. 2 days after finishing this book, Netflix delivered The Mysteries of Pittsburgh to my doorstep. Another film adaptation of a Chabon book, Mysteries reaffirmed the love for Chabon's work that will always live in my soul.

Playing Catch Up

First, let me address Hero, albeit in brief. I certainly enjoyed the story, especially the gay aspects of it, and the superhero storyline just adds to the package. Unfortunately, it has been a while since I read it (and I should have blogged about it sooner, I know). I think any gay man can certainly understand Thom's plight (the gay part, not necessarily the superhero part), and Moore makes this story accessible to young adults and older readers alike, primarily by attaching archetypal superheroes with alternate names (you can tell which character is based on Wonder Woman, for example). I wish I had more to say about the book, but I'm not one for explanatory posts, rehashing plot elements (sorry Randy!). I'd rather this not become akin to an essay my students would write, using parenthetical citations or quotes from the novel. Suffice it to say, Hero was a great read for me, and I would certainly read other books by Moore.

Now, on to Soon I Will Be Invincible. First, let me say that I think this novel is creative in its use of two narrators, Fatale (a female cyborg) and Jonathan (aka Doctor Impossible), which certainly adds to the personalizing of the story for the reader. I teach many books with narrative shifts, and they do make the book a more interesting, captivating experience. That said, I enjoyed the novel quite a bit, but I did find it a little predictable, and perhaps that was its intention. Similar to Hero, it's not a dark, complex read like American Gods by Gaiman, but rather an almost tongue-in-cheek look at the quintessential hero/villain story. CoreFire (a Superman character) ultimately fights against Doctor Impossible (a very Lex Luthor-like individual, especially in the past years of Justice League/JLU), but the story is anticlimactic in that it's not CoreFire who takes down his arch foe, but rather Lily, the Lois Lane character who knew both CF and DI before they were CF and DI. Certainly a fun read, especially some of the over-the-top comments made by Jonathan as the "supervillain." Also, Grossman uses archetypal characters who resemble more established heroes (Blackwolf reminds me of Batman) which also connects with readers who can identify someone from another publication.

Both novels were a welcomed change from the literature I read for school and provided me with the necessary distraction from the day-to-day experiences of a teacher on summer break. I look forward to reading books by Moore and Grossman in the future, and I plan on suggesting them both to my students, for the emerging homosexual or archvillain in all of us ;)

Soon I Will Be Invincible

Translating one genre into another is difficult, and more often than not, you end up turning off the fans of genre one while failing to capture genre two. Instead of crossover appeal, you have lost an audience. This is especially true with cult genres like comic books. Comic fans are very protective, and wary of outsiders. Likewise, the general reading public gives little weight to the literary merit of the ‘Funny Papers.’
In the last few years however, comics have attracted the talents of established fiction writers like Brad Meltzer, Greg Rucka, and Jodi Picoult. The comic fans have found their way to sample fiction works by these authors and fiction fans have begun to pick up their comic work.
Austin Grossman has taken this a step further in Soon I Will Be Invincible, his debut novel. A work of fiction with no interior art, the story is none the less a perfect comic caper. Invincible is the story of Dr. Impossible, the world’s greatest villain, and the superhero team known as The Champions. Grossman employs a first person narrative, but from opposing sides; half the novel is told from Dr. Impossible’s perspective, while the other is told from the point of view of Fatale, the newest member of The Champions. Zigzagging back and forth between the two, the plot is tight, and fast paced, sucking the reader in from page one. The action sequences are superb and show Grossman’s command of language.
Grossman’s secret weapons, however, are his characterizations. People with ridiculous names like Damsel and Blackwolf (and crazy outfits to match) are revealed to be all too human, with inner conflict, socialization issues and occasionally a sense of humor. Damsel and Blackwolf come from the Fleetwood Mac School of Relationship Adjustments. Divorced and still fighting on the same team, they try to adjust to working with someone you don’t want to be around anymore. While there aren’t any Top 40 hits penned by them, the duality of their situation does permeate the exchange they have, and create a more realistic portrait of both of them.
Dr. Impossible is exactly what you would imagine a Super Villain to be: Maniacal, Hyper-Intelligent, and Theatrical. Underneath the surface however, he is a grad school flunkie. More intelligent than his instructors, he nevertheless screws up his one chance at his greatest experiment and in the process creates his nemesis: Core Fire. Impossible’s inner monologue is filled with jealousy, rage and a lot of humor. He wants the world to take him seriously, but sometimes he admits the ridiculousness of his occupation. It’s an insight rarely found in a traditional comic book.
These are the things that will appeal to the general reader, a great story told through a fast paced plot and excellent characterization.
Invincible does not abandon its comic roots though. Many comic fans will rejoice in the plot itself (the team is trying to thwart Impossible’s latest scheme to take over the world) and the wry wit comics are becoming known for. Without spoiling a major scene, there is a hilarious exchange between Impossible and his arch-nemesis CoreFire.
A tough balancing act is accomplished as the novel winds to its inevitable conclusion. The reader cannot help but marvel at how completely Grossman has created a new world. It’s kind of jarring to come back to reality when it is all over. That is the hallmark of a great writer. One hopes Soon I Will Be Invincible will usher in a slew of new books by Austin Grossman in the future.

Hero by Perry Moore

It’s been recounted in almost every conversation about gays and comics; that we relate to the duality of the super hero; having to keep a secret from the rest of the world, finding camaraderie in others with ‘special’ abilities, wearing stylish outfits after dark, etc. As obvious as it is, we still have to read between the lines to put our experiences into a heterosexual context. As hunky as Kyle Rayner is with his spandex and the accessory with unlimited power, he still has a girlfriend to talk to about the change in his life when he becomes a Green Lantern (or Ion, or Parallax, or whatever he is this week).
Perry Moore’s debut novel Hero seeks to address this. Written for the young adult crowd, ‘Hero’ tells the story of Thom Creed, a 2nd generation Super who discovers he has powers about the same time he discovers boys. Moore does an exceptional job of winding a gay coming of age story in with a great Silver Age feeling comic action story.
Thom is living with his father, the former Major Might, a disgraced former hero who doesn’t like to talk about his past. Thom’s mother disappeared years ago, and no one has seen her for a very long time. Thom is playing a basketball game when an opposing player is injured. Thom runs over to help, and that’s when he discovers he has the ability to heal people at an accelerated rate. It’s at the same game that a player winks at him and stirs emotions Thom had never felt before.
Through a series of events, Thom ends up having to use his powers in front of The League (an impressive Justice League/Avengers pastiche). The leader, Justice, asks for Thom to try out for a League membership. Thom makes probationary status, and now he has 2 secrets to keep from his dad.
Thom’s probationary teammates are so D List, they make Kathy Griffin look like Black Canary: Typhoid Larry (can induce sickness), Scarlett (control of fire, but with dire consequences), Golden Boy (a speedster in the Kid Flash-as-an-asshole mold) and Ruth, a senior citizen with minor precog abilities (think Raven of the Teen Titans collecting Social Security). Training together, all the members of this ragtag team have their own secrets, but even here, Thom feels like an outsider.
Like many of us, Thom often sits outside the local gay bar daring himself to go in. Finally he meets a guy and shares his first kiss in the parking lot outside the bar. Just as in real life, it ends up costing him in ways he could never imagine.
Through all of this, Thom is followed by Dark Hero, a vigilante on the outskirts of the hero community. Dark Hero’s identity is easily figured out, but hey, this was written for teens so what do you expect?
Moore’s writing is crisp and fluid, never sacrificing character for plot, or vice versa. His action sequences flow in such a way you can almost see them in a panel to panel in your mind. Thom’s anguish at his dishonesty with his father is real but it adds to the story without overpowering it. It’s a tough balancing act, but Moore pulls it off with panache.
I would have given anything to have a book like this given to me at the age of 15; it would have really made a difference in my life. I can only hope it finds its way into the hands of those who need it now.

Fool by Christopher Moore

Well, we are onto our next book, Fool by Christopher Moore. You will note that this book is not on our to read list. However, I spotted it on Amazon a few days ago. I am a big fan of Mr. Moore. I think Lamb is one of my all time favorite books. In Fool, Moore takes his singular wit and sarcasm and aims it squarely at The Bard. I knew this would be a book David and I could both sink our teeth into.
Check back as we post our progress...

I'm finished...

reading the novel, American Gods. I have always been fascinated by the many pantheons of deities in the world, mostly Greco-Roman gods, but this novel brought back knowledge from my childhood when I read about Egyptian gods as well as the Norse. I found myself thankful to my high school teachers for perpetuating my desire, nay... passion... for reading through things like Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythologies.

In one scene in the novel, I found myself smiling about a particular reference to a character needing a mistletoe stick in order to kill another character who, apparently, is a son of Odin, the king of the Norse gods. I smiled because I knew the reference was to Balder, Odin's son, who is paralleled with someone in the book. It just reinforces the idea of what I tell my students that they need to know "things", like mythology, because you never know when you'll need to be "in" on the joke or understand the obscure reference.

In any event, novel exceeded my expectations, namely because of the complexities of the plot development. The main character, Shadow, has his life redirected so many times, it's a wonder that he didn't lose his mind with everything he had to do for Mr. Wednesday. Another interesting fact is that "Wednesday" comes from "Woden's Day," and Woden is a name used by Odin... so, I guess you can figure out who represents the king of the Æsir (one of the principal groups of the Norse pantheon). I remain fascinated by Gaiman's personification of various gods and goddesses, namely Thoth, Ibis, and Easter (which is more of a festival than a true divine figure, unless you consider her personified as Ishtar, a goddess of fertility, love, and sex).

More to come!