Unshelved Week: Soon I Will Be Invincible
November 6th, 2007 by Laura Moncur in Literature
How about a superhero book that is not a comic? That’s what Soon I Will Be Invincible: A Novel by Austin Grossman is:
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. Meanwhile, Champions leader Corefire goes missing, and Fatale has to learn the ropes of superherodom as the conventional climactic showdown draws near. However fantastical, the characters 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.”
If you are a fan of superheroes, you’ll enjoy this novel with a surprisingly realistic outlook (considering all the latex involved).