The Golden Age Series: Public Domain Heroes in Prose

 I recently introduced readers to The Steel Ring, a prose novel featuring many of the characters from the Centaur Universe written by R.A. Jones and edited by Jeff Deischer of Westerntainment. As it would so happen, Jeff saw the interview and contacted me. He was kind enough to provide me with this excellent interview which introduces us to his series of Public Domain Superhero novels under The Golden Age banner.

FBU: Jeff, how would you introduce yourself to the readers of the Flashback Universe?

Jeff: I’m best known for my chronologically-minded essays, particularly the book-length The Man of Bronze: a Definitive Chronology, about the pulp DOC SAVAGE series. It is a definitive chronology, rather than the definitive chronology, because each chronologist of the DOC SAVAGE series has his own rules for constructing his own chronology.

 Adventure fiction made a lasting impression on my creative view as a child, and everything I write has Good Guys and Bad Guys – in capital letters. As an adult writer, I try to make my characters human, as well.

I primarily write fiction, and, combining my twin loves of superheroes and pulp, began THE GOLDEN AGE series in 2012. This resurrected, revamped and revitalized the largely forgotten characters of Ned Pines’ Standard, Better and Nedor publishing companies.

These characters, drawn from superhero, pulp and mystic milieus, fill the “Auric Universe”, as I call it.

FBU: Why you enjoy working with Golden Age characters?

With the characters already created and possessing backgrounds (and foes), it provides a great base to start from. Ideas just start flowing. That’s true of any “resurrection” of old characters (at least for me). I specifically wanted to try golden age superheroes because superheroes are my first love, and I thought that they’d work really well with my style, which is pulpish. They’re not far removed from the pulp era, and really, they’re the next step in pulp – visual, long on action and short on characterization.

I looked through the various defunct comic book companies and saw that Ned Pines’ companies (Standard, Better and Nedor) had the most characters. That gave me a lot to work with, which fit into my plan of introducing an entire universe of characters in the book – which turned out to the first in a series. I also didn’t want to use characters that other writers were using, like R. A. Jones and the Centaur THE PROTECTORS. It wasn’t until I’d finished the first volume, The Golden Age, that a friend of mine said, “You know, Alan Moore’s using some of these characters. Tom Strong is Doc Strange.”

 D’oh! I found that he’d used very few characters and had altered them even more than me!


FBU: What new things have you brought to the characters

Jeff: Anyone who’s read golden age comics knows that the characters don’t have much personality, so that was my primary goal – giving the characters personality. This included detailed origins for them (which many didn’t have). I also did some revision to make the Auric Universe a more cohesive whole, altering a few names and such. Mostly, readers have liked this, though a few think I went too far in a couple of cases. That’s one reason I call it my Auric Universe – Ned Pines’ universe is still there, exactly as fans remember and want it. That said, I did as little revising as possible. Some of this was due to my lack of knowledge about the characters, relying on a couple of internet sources. I was over halfway through the first volume when I discovered online archives, and later books reflect my greater knowledge of the characters as I worked my way through the stories. I started to use more villains from the actual comic books in later volumes, and they are much more “comic booky” as a result (from Dark of the Moon on).

Here is a list of the books in the series so far:

	The Golden Age (Volume I) In 1942, the world is at war. Spies and saboteurs seem to lurk around every corner in America. But, in the shadows, real danger awaits. Following the Battle of Midway, the Dragon Society of Imperial Japan sends agents on a secret mission to knock the U.S. out of the war. And only the superheroes of the Auric Universe can stop them.
	Mystico (Volume II) 1940: The Nazis are obsessed with mystical artifacts. Believing one was hidden in America centuries ago by the mysterious Knights Templar, the black wizard Nacht sends a party led by the sorcerer the Baron to find it. He is aided in his quest to gain one of the greatest prizes of all by Reinhard Heydrich, the infamous “Hangman”, who now controls the dreaded Vril power, becoming Nietzsche’s Ubermensch.
	Dark of the Moon (Volume III) The Auric Universe's oddball, fringe and civilian heroes get play here as Dr. X, an “occult scientist”, sends his team, which includes his niece Cynthia, her fiancé Bob Stone, Judy of the Jungle and her companion Pistols Roberts of Europol, and a patchwork giant called Jobe, to investigate as cities are being destroyed by mysterious tidal waves.
	Future Tense (Volume X) Like many other heroes of the Auric Universe, Major Future seemed to come from nowhere. In his case, it was more true than in others’. In 1943, a man with superhuman powers that included strength, agility and the ability to see radio waves, found himself in Los Angeles. How he got there and why he had these special abilities, he did not know. Impelled by some inner drive to help others, he took the name “Major Future” and became a superhero.
	Bad Moon Rising (Volume XI) The spotlight is on Major Wonder, my homage to the fun (i.e., smartass) superheroes of my youth. In this volume containing six independent but interrelated short stories adapted from his series in MYSTERY and WONDER, he faces dark times that run the gamut from superhero to horror to Sci-Fi.

Included in each volume are End Notes, which describe the factual or historical basis for things in the story, as well as a documentation of the changes I made in original story or characters. There is also a timeline of events of the book, and a lexicon of characters used, as well as an Afterword.

My webpage is jeffdeischer.blogspot.com, where I post the first chapters of the first novel of each of my series, so that potential readers can peruse my work without having to spend several dollars on a trade paperback to find out if they like it or not. The publisher’s website is westerntainment.blogspot.com.

Thank you Jeff!

Books: The Superhero Genre continues to grow!

I've mentioned the new wave of Superhero novels that have popped up on kindle in previous posts. It seems to me that this genre is growing in a few interesting ways.

First we are seeing a significant number of sequels to some of the more successful novels:

Jim Bernheimer (a great guy who I interviewed about this time last year ) has released a sequel to his Origins of a D-List Super-villain called Secrets of a D-List Supervillain.

Here's the description from Amazon:

Cal Stringel may be dead to the world at large, but a select few know that he's still alive and in control of the most powerful suit of battle armor ever created. He's part of a rogue super team taking the world by storm and changing the dynamic for both heroes and villains alike. With change comes resistance and those holding control and power are not ready to just hand it over without a fight.
For the former D-List Supervillain, it’s time to break out the spare synthmuscle, charge the massive railgun pistol, and bring the pain. With his new team, he thinks he can take on the world, but is Cal biting off more than he can chew? He must deal with sanctioned hero teams and power mad bureaucrats on one side and the major supervillains of his world on the other.
As Cal and his allies ready themselves to face friend and foe, he will also have to deal with his relationship with Stacy Mitchell, also known as the Olympian, Aphrodite. Separated for over a year, they’ve only just reunited and are faced with the prospect of being on opposite sides of the coming conflict. Can they find enough common ground between the secrets and half-truths to sustain their fledgling relationship, or are they doomed like the last time to crash and burn?
Find out in Secrets of a D-List Supervillain. 

Brandon Sanderson, whose Steelheart I throughly enjoyed has released a new entry in his Reckoner's series (of which Steelheart was the first.)

The quick synopsis of this series is a world where a mysterious force is imbuing humans with superpowers, with the unfortunate side effect of corrupting those gifted individuals. It's basically taking the "Power Corrupts" motif and reinforcing it to see how humanity would endure such a predicament. Coming to society's rescue is a rag-tag group of freedom fighters known as the Reckoner's. Using nothing but salvaged technology and their own quick wits, the Reckoners take on various Epics (superheroes) and bring them down in interesting ways.

The newest book in the series is Firefight

Here's the description from Amazon:

Brandon Sanderson, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Words of Radiance, coauthor of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn trilogy, presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight, the sequel to the #1 bestseller Steelheart.   
- Newcago is free.
 
 They told David it was impossible, that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet 

Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand.
 Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life simpler. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And no one in Newcago can give him answers.
 
Babylon Restored, the city formerly known as the borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic Regalia, Babylon Restored is flooded and miserable, but David is sure it's the path that will lead him to what he needs to find. Entering a city oppressed by a High Epic despot is risky, but David's willing to take the gamble. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight. And now he will go on a quest darker and even more dangerous than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

Finally, one of my favorite series in this genre (Peter Cline's Ex- series) returns with a intriguing new chapter in the series; Ex-Isles


Here's the description from Amazon:

The heroes are overjoyed when they discover another group of survivors, living on a man-made island in the middle of the Pacific ocean. But there’s something very, very wrong with this isolated community and its mysterious leader—a secret that could put every survivor in the world at risk.

I would strongly suggest that if you find yourself tiring of the Constant Meaningless Events that seem to be plaguing comics these days to check out one of these books (or at least the first in the series) All of them provide an interesting alternative to your superhero-fix. The 3 I've picked out are all written not by comic writers, but by traditional authors, so their approach to storytelling is a good bit different (in a good way!)

If you have discovered the joys of prose superhero novels, I invite you to share your favorites in the comments below!

- Jim

Origins of a D-List Supervillain

Today, I'm proud to present an interview with Jim Bernheimer, author of the smash hit superhero novel Confessions of a D-List Supervillain (which I reviewed here.) Jim has just published a prequel to that novel called Origins of a D-List Supervillain. which brings back Cal Stringel, the vengeful engineer from Confessions and shows us how he got his start as a supervillain.

Shelley: I’m always impressed with the wit and charm of your writing. At times, it reminds me of Robert Asprin or Keith Laumer. Yet, the only modern writer you list on your website as an influence is CT Westcott. What authors influenced your style?

Bernheimer: I enjoy wit in my novels. One of the novels I always think about when it comes to that is Peter David’s Howling Mad. The premise is what happens to a wolf bitten by a werewolf. Stories like that which take something familiar and give it a new twist. The late Aaron Allston, who I was fortunate to meet had a very inventive novel called Galatea in 3D that had a real, “Wouldn’t it be cool if?” story behind it.


Shelley: Superhero novels have not always fared well in the publishing industry. In the 80’s George RR Martin’s Wild Cards series did pretty well, but by and large other authors ignored the genre. It wasn’t until the past few years with the Indy publishing boom that they really seemed to take off. What made you decide to write a superhero novel?

Bernheimer: I was looking for something that wasn’t being overdone and I’ve always like superheroes. A modified novella version of Confessions of a D-List Supervillain (basically the first five chapters with an alternate ending) appeared in the short story collection where I was testing the waters of what direction I’d like to go. The novella got all the reviews and so I decided to expand it into a larger piece, which is why I get so many, “It seems like two separate stories” reviews.

Shelley: Why did you chose to write from the point of view of a Super-villain?

Bernheimer: Villains are more fun. Plus, I wanted to do the anti-hero. With a hero like Spiderman, you always have the struggle to do what is right. An anti-hero can fight their inner demons or invite them out to play.

Shelley: Confessions has an amazing Amazon rating (177 5 stars, 79 4 stars, 4 3 stars and only 1 2 and 1 star ratings!) That’s not only a testament to your skills as a writer but it also suggests your novel connected with readers. At this point, it appears to be your most popular book (at least on Amazon).  Did the success of this novel surprise you?

Bernheimer: I knew it was a good story. Timing was on my side because superhero movies were becoming hot. So, the success was more enjoyable than surprising. I could say that sales numbers don’t matter to me or some other type of altruistic rubbish, but my obsessively tracking them kind of flies in the face of that. What is surprising is when I’m looking at the reviews of other novels in the genre and the reviewer references my story. That’s humbling and encouraging when people like my writings enough to discuss it.

Shelley: One of the things I enjoyed about Confessions of a D-List Supervillain, the first published book in this series, was the number of interesting heroes (Ultraweapon, Aphrodite, The Biloxi Bugler, ect...) you introduced. It was good to see The Biloxi Bugler show up again in Origins. Might we one day see a novel told from the viewpoint of one of your Superheroes?

Bernheimer: Probably. I have Cal’s story plotted out, but there is room for expansion.

Shelley: I started with Confessions but now that Origins of a D-List Supervillain (the prequel), what book would be best for new readers to begin with?  

Bernheimer: It doesn’t really matter to me. Most of the reviewers are recommending that people new to the universe start with Origins now.


Shelley: Did you read comic books when you were growing up? If so, did you have a favorite comic or superhero?

Bernheimer: Yes. I stopped collecting in the early 90’s. Sad that seems like a long time ago now. I was more of a Marvel guy as opposed to DC. I read a lot of Xmen, but for some reason I always had a soft spot for Alpha Flight.


Shelley: If Hollywood called you up tomorrow and said they wanted to make a movie out of Origins of a D-list Supervillain, who would you want to play Mechani-Cal?

Bernheimer: I used Randall from Clerks as a mental model for Cal when I was writing the story – so Jeff Anderson.


Shelley: You write very convincing Engineering details in your book. Do you have an Engineering background?

Bernheimer: I was nuclear power plant technician during my stint in the Navy. After I got out, I went into computers after a stint as a Radcon tech. I would never claim to be an Engineer, since usually that requires a degree in that field and professional licensing, but I do have a technical background and try to make my science at least somewhat grounded in reality.

Shelley: With Origins completed, what are you working on now? 

Bernheimer: I’m clearing my plate so I can start the next D-List books. I have a finish listening to the audiobook of Spirals of Destiny Book 2, the audiobook for Origins is in production and should be done in July, there is a short story written in the D-List universe about the Semi-Transparent man (In Origins, Cal mentions him briefly during his prison stint). It’s a stretch goal in an anthology, but it might not make it in.

I will probably try to write the 3rd and 4th books in the D-List universe and release them together.  As I started laying out the 3rd book, I figured that I’d have Stacy wanting to know the details behind Cal’s sleight of hand. The problem was as I was doing this, I realized there was enough for a “Companion” piece to Confessions that covers Cal’s time with the Gulf Coast Guardians in more detail and the time period between the last chapter of the book and the two epilogues contained in Confessions.  So, the third book has the working title of Secrets of a D-List Supervillain (or perhaps Omissions of a D-List Supervillain) and the fourth book will be either Rise of a D-List Supervillain (or Trials of a D-List Supervillain).

Guess I’d better get writing. 

Shelley: Thank you for participating in this interview!

Bernheimer: Thanks for having me!

Super Born: Seduction of Being Interview

Months ago, I posted some reviews of some superhero novels I had enjoyed. This post put me on the radar of new novelists who wanted to let me know about their new Superhero novels. Today, I present an interview from one such novelist, Keith Kornell, the author of Super Born: Seduction of Being

FBU: What is Super Born: Seduction of the Being about?

KK: The Super Born are a group of normal average women born during a time of Cold War performance enhancing experiments who develop super powers in their thirties challenging the lives that had come to know. This book revolves around a Journalist's obsessive search for one of the Super Born who has chosen to risk her existing life to use her powers in public service.

FBU: What are the powers of your main character?

The woman the Journalist searches for is known as the B.I.B. and her powers are similar to that of superman; speed, flight, strength with the addition of fashionable shoes, nurturing motherhood, and vulnerability.

FBU: If you had to compare her to other super-heroines, who would you say she's most like? (Personality, Powers)

It would be a tough stretch to compare her to other super-heroines who are typically women given male characteristics and stylized female bodies. Being that she had an average life for 30+ years and only recently has developed powers she can't understand or sometimes control, she is some what uniquely feminine and somewhat real compared to other heroines.

FBU: What comics inspired you to write this book?

I think a super hero novel is a natural extension of the roots of super hero in the comics. The book was a work of inspiration whose source is mostly unknown even to me.  It's source was a simple conversation I overheard about women complaining about the childlike nature of the local men and how they felt very powerful and strong compared to them.  

FBU: Were you a big comic fan growing up? If so, what comics were among your favorites?

I was more of a James Bond Novel fan at a young age, writing secret agent style stories. However, a great respect for women has always put strong female characters in my stories.  I think making them Super Heroes is just a natural extension and maybe exaggeration of that concept.

FBU: Do you read comics now? If so, which ones do you like?

Sorry, I am not much of a comic reader. I prefer writing novels and making film productions.  We have numerous Super Born videos.

FBU: Do you plan on writing more superhero themed books?

Yes, Super Born is a multi-book series.  This is the first and concerns the search by the Journalist for the B.I.B.  The second book concerns the Journalist's relationship with the B.I.B. and the B.I.B.'s relationship with the other Super Born.  I would like to turn the complete series into a feature film or possibly a TV series.

FBU: Have you read any other superhero themed books that have come out now or in the past?

When I went to a Barnes & Noble and asked where the Super Hero Novel's were, I was directed to the graphic novels section.  Most super hero characters have come out of the comics and graphic novels. So even finding a super hero themed book is difficult.  When I wrote Super Born I had no idea that would be the case.

FBU: If they were going to make a movie out of Super Born: Seduction of the Being, who would you see cast as the main characters?

Now you are talking, because I have given a great deal of thought to producing Super Born and have made a low budget film version of the book's first chapter for promotional reasons. Logan, the journalist is a humorous romantic lead, so my first thought for him has been Ashton Kutcher as he can do comedy and is attractive enough to be a lead.  I have a great deal of trouble with the B.I.B. mostly because of age.  If Elizabeth Banks were younger she would do well and if Gillian Jacobs were older she would do well. The woman who starred in my video was Amy Brenckle.  She did an excellent job in the film, is the right age, and has moved out to Hollywood just recently to work on a project. Of course I have been spoiled by the model who did my book cover.  She is not an actress but embodies the look of both the Super Hero side and the single mother side of my book's main character.  Anyone playing the B.I.B. in my film will have to live up to that.

FBU: Thank you for this interview. Is there anything else you would like to tell people before we go?

KK: I think the relationship between super hero comics and novels such as mine, is a natural extension of the same base.  Writing the novel gives me the opportunity to add depth and humanity to the characters by showing all the sides of the character via their thoughts and feelings. Doing this has allowed me to make the B.I.B. a heroic yet 'real' character. She has to deal with the eternal questions that define all true heroes, as well as practical real life concerns Superman never had to concern himself with, such as if I go into this death defying battle what happens to my daughter if I don't come back out? In that way extending the comics with a novel adds depth and a more real, less fantasy, sense to the work for the reader to enjoy.

- Jim

The New Wave of Superhero Novels

Last week, I started a discussion on superhero literature over the years which resulted in quite a number of commenters adding to the discussion in the comments section. I found their replies very rewarding as several people mentioned novels I had not considered or, in some cases, never even heard of.

This week may find me returning the favor as I review three newer superhero novels I’ve read so far this year.Whether as a result of the current superhero movie craze or the more democratic self-publishing climate, there seems to be quite a number of new off brand superhero novels being published now. Here are three more popular ones that I've read.

Confessions of a D-List Supervillain
Jim Bernheimer

What it's about:
This is a fun story from the view point of a working class supervillain named Mechani-Cal who finds himself with a chance for redemption (and love) after he manages to save the Earth from certain destruction.  Imagine if your classic old school armored villain like the Beetle or the Porcupine suddenly found themselves working alongside the Avengers and that's the premise here. Cal is an interesting mix of ingenuity, bravery, insecurities and anti-authoritarian attitude. His struggle to balance his old school villain ways with the expectations of his comrades provides a lot of fun and challenging conflict in the book.

What is does best:
Character interaction is the highlight of this book. Also, watch the clever ways that Cal solves problems the heroes encounter.

What could be better:
If I had a complaint about this story, it would be that it seems a bit contrived at points. Not so much that it bothered me, but there are a few plot points that seemed sort of jammed in for no reason.

Overall:
The narrative of all three books is serviceable but nothing special. I think the issue here is that the authors of all three tend to write so much from a characters point of view that they don't have a lot of opportunities to dazzle you with witty word play.


Ex-Heroes: A Novel
Peter Clines

What it's about:
In a world where the Zombie Apocalypse has occurred and destroyed civilization, a handful of superheroes struggle to keep a city of survivors protected. The main characters are St. George, Stealth, Cerberus (who sort of map out as Superman/Batman/Iron Man analogues respectively) and Gorgon who has a sort of life drain/power up ability. This is the first book in a series and it jumps right into the premise. The book starts after some time has passed since the breakdown of civilization and the heroes are still learning to cope with the shift in their roles form crime fighting vigilantes to resource managing municipal leaders. They are stuck in a conflict that has them caught between normal citizens who aren’t entirely sure they need super powered caretakers and the emergence of a villainous game changer in the zombie war.

What it does Best:
Clines does a great job juggling the different character view points while delivering big screen action with some excellent plot twists. With St. George and Stealth, he's managed to take the tired old Superman/Batman archetypes and give them some new life and personality. Clines also makes great use of the THEN and NOW chapter format to give us a look at the world prior to the apocalypse.

What could be better:
Stealth, the Batman analogue, is female, and we are often told via other characters how sexy she looks in her costume. The female characters never say the same about the male characters, so each time it comes up, it becomes more awkward. Also, don’t go looking for a lot of pithy prose here. This is a very straightforward narrative that at times reads like script direction.

Overall:
Because of the workmanlike prose and the fact that Clines felt the need to tact on "A Novel" onto the title (a gimmick that always makes me a bit leary of a new book) I was initially lukewarm on this book, but I found my attitude quickly turning around as I kept on with the story.  I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a book that ever utilized the action adventure aspect of the superhero genre so well. The closest I can think of was book two of the Wild Cards series during the alien invasion chapters. Plain and simple: this is what Marvel Zombies should have been.  Bonus: There is also an excellent explanation behind the origin of the Zombies (which is usually one of those things that gets glossed over in such stories.)

You can find out more about the series at http://permutedpress.wikia.com/wiki/Ex-Heroes

Soon I Will be Invincible
Austin Grossman

What it’s about:
Starting in a prison, we meet Doctor Impossible, a notorious supervillain with a 300 level IQ and incredible strength and toughness. By all counts, he’s a deadly threat to the world at large, but he’s lost a bit of his mojo. At a time when he’s questioning his direction in life, his archrival Corefire (a Superman analogue) has gone missing. This prompts him to escape from prison and launch his grandest scheme yet. The flipside of this tale is the story of Fatale, a female cyborg who is the insecure rookie on the super team The Champions who are tasked with stopping Doctor Impossible. Through Fatale’s eyes we see that the world of the heroes is quite different than most people think.

What it does best:
The book shines when the story is in Doctor Impossible’s view point. His asides and observations on humanity and his plight are interesting and humorous. There is more action in the story that I was expecting as well. I had this pegged as a sort of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for Superheroes, but it is a good deal more serious than those books.

What could be better:
Anytime the story shifts to Fatale’s viewpoint, the story lags.  Readers will find themselves struggling to connect with her motivations as they are bit unfocused. Her interactions with the Champions don’t pick up her side of the story either as they aren’t fleshed out very well and are all a bit too similar in tone and personality.

Overall:
While written with a bit of tongue in cheek style, this is no simple Venture Bros/Monarch rip off, which is unfortunate, as if it had been mostly about Doctor Impossible, it would have been more enjoyable book. As it was, chore of listening to Fatale’s adventure brings the book down quite a bit.

If you have any suggestions of newer superhero novels you think I should check out, please let me know in the comments section!

- Jim