“An outlandish, outrageous tour de force by the most innovative prose stylist in the field.”
–Robert J. Sawyer, author of Homi... read full description
–Robert J. Sawyer, author of Homi... read full description
reviews
Feb 05, 2012
Zeo
rated it: 
This book reliably gets compared to "Soon I Will Be Invincible", which I feel is kinda inappropriate. Grossman's novel was an homage. It wasn't there to do anything new, and do nothing new is exactly what it did: it was silly, made jokes we already knew, made the punches we've seen in comics we've read put out by publishers who are still recycling those same ideas over and over in an industry that is terrified of doing anything different so they just get people who are very talented te
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Nov 15, 2009
David
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 04, 2011
Jim
rated it:
The Notebooks of Dr. Brain chronicles the therapy sessions of the superhero team, F*O*O*J - The Fantastic Order of Justice. While the book is hilarious, it digs deep into topics that many writers have trouble finessing.
Meet The Flying Squirrel, Omnipotent Man, Iron Lass, X-Man, Brotherfly, and Power Grrrl, as they tackle racism, sexism, relationships, all while Dr. Eva Brain helps them work through their issues with each other, superheroing, and the world around them.
Minister More...
Meet The Flying Squirrel, Omnipotent Man, Iron Lass, X-Man, Brotherfly, and Power Grrrl, as they tackle racism, sexism, relationships, all while Dr. Eva Brain helps them work through their issues with each other, superheroing, and the world around them.
Minister More...
May 03, 2011
Daniel
rated it:
A clear departure from Minister Faust's first novel, "Dr. Brain" demonstrates an incredible range from the author. The novel is at once a hilarious satire of superheroics and psychology, and a complex, multi-layered analysis of the forces at work in our own world.
The novel reads like a self-help book for superheroes, which allows its fictional and eponymous author to deconstruct the superhero mythos in a way barely hinted at in Moore's Watchmen. At the same time, Faust infuses these fa More...
The novel reads like a self-help book for superheroes, which allows its fictional and eponymous author to deconstruct the superhero mythos in a way barely hinted at in Moore's Watchmen. At the same time, Faust infuses these fa More...
Feb 12, 2011
Raq
rated it: 
I loved Coyote Kings. I pretty much hated this book. At over halfway through, there was no discernable plot, and no character I cared about at all...it was more "if one of these characters survives, will I be OK with that? If so, which one?"
I think partially my dislike is because Faust wrote it from the perspective of the most annoying character. Which is saying a lot. Maybe she's only the most annoying because the reader's forced to be in her head, and forced to spend e More...
I think partially my dislike is because Faust wrote it from the perspective of the most annoying character. Which is saying a lot. Maybe she's only the most annoying because the reader's forced to be in her head, and forced to spend e More...
Nov 03, 2009
Stargrave
rated it:
this was a fun read though i didn't like it as well as The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad. it did a good job of capturing the modern psych comic and mythological, incestuous nature of comic heroes and villains interrelations. however like any deconstructionist work, i periodically doubted the merits of reading it rather than drawing my own conclusions. in fact i was frequently motivated to stop reading and pick up a comic instead--reminiscent or inspired. and the constant referen
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Feb 13, 2007
Erin
rated it:
Ok, maybe not actual conspiracy theorists, but if you've ever been accused of being one, you'll enjoy this novel. Never has a book kept me so totally in the dark about how it was going to end, yet still managed to have a proper, satisfying (well, frustrating, but REAL) conclusion.
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Jan 24, 2009
Todd
rated it:
A superhero novel written in the style of a self-help book for caped crusaders...I know, but trust me, it works. If you're even marginally familiar with superheroes, you won't have to stretch your imagination too far to recognize who the fictional heroes are based on (especially the big three). But the book is far more than a parody, the characters are all flawed with various degrees of narcissism, racism, sexism, and just about every other "ism" you can come up with -- but it's not
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Jun 26, 2008
vladimir
rated it:
My essential ethos with book recommending has been to let bad book fall into the obscurity they so richly deserve--any kind of attention a terrible book gets fans that spark of interest in it... and there are so many good books out there deserving of attention and praise.
So, I hardly (I think never) rate a book 1 star. I just leave it off the radar-you won't know I even read it.
But in the case of this book I have to make an exception.
Having read the delightful " More...
So, I hardly (I think never) rate a book 1 star. I just leave it off the radar-you won't know I even read it.
But in the case of this book I have to make an exception.
Having read the delightful " More...
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Nov 19, 2009
Jason
rated it: 
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegal.)
I've mentioned this before, but for those who missed it and still don't know, the 1980s and '90s saw within science-fiction the development of what's now known as the "Dark Age;" informed equally by punk and postmodernism, it was a time of brooding introspection in the genre, when More...
I've mentioned this before, but for those who missed it and still don't know, the 1980s and '90s saw within science-fiction the development of what's now known as the "Dark Age;" informed equally by punk and postmodernism, it was a time of brooding introspection in the genre, when More...
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Apr 23, 2008
Ryan
rated it:
I approached this book with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. On one hand, the idea of superheroes undergoing therapy is interesting, and great for comedic potential, but in the wrong hands, it could be a terrible foray into stereotypes and too-broad humour.[return]Thankfully, the author managed to avoid all of that, creating a book that is simultaneously a critique and love letter to comic book heroes, while at the same time lampooning self-help books as well, and providing some contemp
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Dec 09, 2011
Lumpenprole
rated it:
Amusing premise, cute twists on superhero and villain stereotypes, and even more amusing pokes at pop psychology. Unfortunately this one seemed to fall apart in the last fifty pages. The plot became increasingly confused, and confusing, ceased being amusing and candidly became a chore to finish up. Which is a pity, since the first 200 or so pages had more than their share of chuckles.
Aug 11, 2011
I found the book hard to get into at first,due to the narrators rather florid style,but it picks up after a while. There's some nice comic book references too. ("Crisis of infinite dearths","Cosmicus and the Gold Glider").And some surprisingly relevant political allegories towards the end. If you enjoyed this,you might like "Soon I Will Be Invincible" by Austin Grossman.
Mar 25, 2009
Robert
rated it:
This book has several entertaining and interesting moments, but its ending leaves much to be desired. Toward the end the book takes a strange twist that may alienate many readers, though the climax is not really very surprising.
Aug 11, 2009
Joe
rated it:
A brilliant satire on superheroes--Faust's prose crackles with wit and a deep understanding of his subject matter. But underneath the parody of caped crusaders and pop culture, a deep political commentary can be unearthed like the contents of the Hawk King's Blue Pyramid. Highly recommended, and now I really want to seek out Faust's first novel, "The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad".
Apr 30, 2009
Cassie
rated it:
Not what I was hoping for. I don't think I'll finish this book, actually. I only got through the first 30 pages or so. If you want a tongue-in-cheek superhero novel, read Soon I Will Be Invincible.
Aug 01, 2010
Alesia
rated it:
Started out interesting, but dragged on too long, and with too much of the idiomatically written dialog for my tastes. Knaw wa imyn? Jes sayin'.
Jul 09, 2010
Dave
rated it:
Psychotherapist to no-longer-in-demand superheroes. Sounded fun, but snarky in the extreme, couldn't convince myself to care. Didn't get far.
Jun 13, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
This is the first book in my life that I've given up on, but it was too painful and annoying of a read to be worth my time.
May 12, 2010
Jack
rated it:
I wanted to like this a lot more than I actually did. The bummer ending didn't help.
Jan 16, 2010
Michael
rated it:
Some of the most irritating characters and dialogue I've ever encountered. Stay Away.
Oct 29, 2008
Mayet
rated it:
Fausts' sophomore novel, to the Cayote Kings. Here Minister Faust makes commentary on the socioeconomic, cultural, political and racial issues of todays society by using classic super hero archetypes. Characters everyone would recognize from both DC and Marvel comics, but with considerably more issues. And while he pokes fun of and creates decidedly more flawed versions of these characters, at the same time he pays homage to all comics and great hero's. A good read, though the divisiveness and h
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Sep 17, 2008
Proditor
rated it:
I learned that it's possible to do a worse job than Mark Millar in deconstructing the heroic genre.
In fact, I disliked this book so much, I'm tempted to ruin the ending by giving away the BIG surprise, but nah, I'll spoiler it.
Spoiler:
After basically making mock of the entire genre and all associated with it, it then lets the bad guy win. It lets him completely and utterly destroy the good guy down to disgracing his name and legacy forever. Seriously, I More...
In fact, I disliked this book so much, I'm tempted to ruin the ending by giving away the BIG surprise, but nah, I'll spoiler it.
Spoiler:
After basically making mock of the entire genre and all associated with it, it then lets the bad guy win. It lets him completely and utterly destroy the good guy down to disgracing his name and legacy forever. Seriously, I More...
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Dec 21, 2009
Theanonymousafro
rated it:
Funny and showed another look at societies and was original in seeing problems that could come up if superheroes were real. Want to read Faust's other book now.
Jan 21, 2009
J.
rated it: 
Faust understands our current "deconstruct the superhero" mode of thinking about the genre perfectly. This book, in fact, not only was well written, and quite insightful about some of our oldest supherhero archetypes, it was also a very interesting metaphor about how the 2008 election could have turned out. Just a fantastic novel.
Aug 21, 2009
D.J.
rated it:
Sorry to say this did absolutely nothing for me; in fact, the language and self-indulgent style turned me off within the first dozen pages -- and I'm usually a superhero nut. Glad I borrowed this from the library instead of buying it.
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Sep 02, 2008
Seth
rated it:
In every way that "Soon I Will Be Invincible" succeeded, this book failed. It falls under the too-stupid-to-read category, I don't think I made it more than twenty five pages.
