Examiner's Daniel Pool Reviews The Wonderboy Serials
Charles Martin and Will Weinke of Literati Press have created something of true beauty, and it's called Wonderboy. This is not exactly a novel, a bird or a plane—it's a serial. If you are a fan of superheroes, urban fantasy, science fiction, or just like experimental literature in general then I would say this is your next ebook purchase.
Wonderboy (not this one but the other one) was once just an Okie Joe Blow with nothing but truth, justice and the American Way in his heart until he gained his fantastic abilities of flight, super strength, teleportation, telepathy, duplication, and a host of other powers (which could all be just one ability used in different ways). He uses these powers to clean up the streets of the world and elevate his fame to the top of the chats. However he has a dark secret that the world is about to learn.
The Wonderboy Serial is the story of a real life superhero and the effect he has had on the world around him. It's Superman but with consequences. This first issue is actually made up of short stories of people talking about Wonderboy from their personal perspectives (all surrounding a single televised Wonderboy interview with a talk show host). Speakers include his bastard daughter/public relations manager, his greatest nemesis/performance artist, one of his girlfriends/biggest fans, and others.
This is a delightfully insightful story that will leave you thinking about the purpose and limits of religion and government in your life. Like Wonderboy, these sorts of powers out of our control soothe us into a mind set of inaction—why should we worry? The powers that be will protect us, right? Much alike to Zizek's thoughts in his book Violence or Badiou's Being and Event, Martin has created a world in which man does not need to worry, work hard, or even be concerned with our own well being.
This is not an easy book to get into however. The start is a little slow and the concept is experimental (which can be too weird to some people). This is not your average high adrenaline superhero read. It picks up (especially when it gets to the villain—my favorite character!) later in the work but the start is not gripping. If this story develops the ideas it has laid out however it could become amazing. I think the real issue here though is that this would be a great movie or comic, it has a very visual feel to the read.
So check it out on Literati Press or Smashwords.com today!
The author duo of Wonderboy, Charles Martin and Will Weinke, are as interesting as the work itself however. Martin is a native Oklahoman and free lance writer for the Oklahoma Gazette. He is also the founder and editor for Literati Press, an indie press that specializes in works of local creative minds (such as Eric Gorman of Eggs). In his spare time he helps organize the Oklahoma Small Press Association.
Weinke is a mysterious journalist who has kept himself out of the limelight. He was the reporter who covered the Jim Jacobs Cult.
In conclusion this serial is a lot of fun and if given a chance would make an incredible film (as would some of Martin and Weinke's other works). Give Wonderboy a chance and you won't regret it. I give it three dancing hamsters out of five.
