I finally got around to reading this, by Austin Grossman. A very good
book, although it's got the usual problems of a superhero-verse with
too many superpowered individuals in it happening to almost exactly
resemble our own. And with interplanetary travel so much easier, why
aren't there more economic ties? Etc.
But he at least has a much easier time of it than any of the DC/Marvel
tie-in novels, and the pace was quick enough, that I didn't waste much
time worrying about it. He didn't waste a lot of time setting up the
origins for the characters, letting us know about them through heavy
narrative incluing and relying on clear homages to help shape our
image of the characters. It was certainly enjoyable, and I've already
re-read certain parts of it. There's room for more in that universe
should he wish it, but it's itself nicely standalone. (And identifying
the homages was quite fun; I had almost expected it to end like
a reversed Infidel and Samaritan, given that one of the characters
claims to have come from the 35th century).
Some parts of it don't make a whole lot of sense, though, I don't
think, even when just looking for internal consistency. Perhaps that's
because it tries to straddle multiple Ages of comicdom; he's kept in a
mostly regular jail cell, but the guards evidently don't care to
protect him from abuse and he's almost ineffective (until he escapes,
which he has regularly done). Why doesn't somebody in the (or any, given
his attempts at conquering the entire world) government pay to have
him eliminated? Apparently this is a world that truly values human
life.
And yet when he's interrogated, he's interrogated by "heroes" who he
believes would be willing to kill, and that the guards would cover
for. Presumably a shot at wolverine and similarly "edgy" heroes of the
90s, but at odds with the jail situation and a later horror that
someone actually died in a superhero fight.
There were some other inconsistencies (the villain's opinion of
Einstein, for example; his lover claims he hated Einstein, whereas his
internal monologues seem to indicate admiration. Intentional
dissonance, or editorial mishap? I even toyed briefly with the idea it
was a clue that this was an alternate dimension analogue, but I don't
think there were enough other clues to sup****t it).
One of the more frustrating parts I had was a desire to see more
interaction between Dr. Impossible and other supervillains; but a solo
mad scientist he is, and a solo mad scientist he remains. (What about
the other supervillains? He's only the 4th most famous
supervillain... who are the top 3? What about ones looking to make a
reputation for themselves?). The book teases us with the possibility
that he'll unite with his former lover-turned-hero or slacker friend,
but in the end, disappoints. And, near the end of the book, there is a
throwaway line about "henchmen" that almost made me throw the book
down in disgust. It's as fannish an injoke as the D&D adventuring
group in _Perdido Street Station_, and as destructive to suspension of
disbelief.
Also, the book's website makes reference to _Fortress of Solitude_,
which seems to be a 2003 novel by Jeremy Lethem. Anybody read it and
have opinions?
--
I'm awfully glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard.
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