• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780375424861
• ISBN-13: 978-0375424861

Synopsis:

Dr. Impossible is the worlds smartest super villain. When Corefire, Earth’s mightiest hero, goes missing everyone believe’s that Dr. Impossible is somehow involved. But Impossible is safely behind bars…until he hears that Corefire is MIA.  Upon breaking out, Dr. Impossible begins planning his 13th attempt to take over the world. And with Corefire out of the way, nothing can stop him.

Fatale is a cyborg and the newest recruit to the New Champions: the greatest superhero team in the world. She’s new to the superhero game and feels way out of her depth among her teammates. It doesn’t help that she’s a replacement for the beloved android, Galatea who died stopping an alien invasion. Can she prove to her teammates that she’s up to the challenge, or will she forge her own path to acceptance among Earth’s greatest heroes?

Welcome to a new feature at Scifi Mafia called Retro Book Review. Here’s how it works. Every once in a while I will look back at a novel I have read that is 2+ years old and review it for your reading pleasure. I know, 2 years isn’t exactly “retro” in a trendy sense. Think of it more as a retrospective. The idea behind this is kind of a “remember this?” or even a “you might have missed this and you’re life is suckier because of it!” kind of thing. Truth be told, we all fall into patterns with the things we read. We follow certain authors, or genres of literature and in doing so miss out on some great stuff. Sadly, there are a LOT of great books out there that don’t hit the New York Times best sellers list. Retro Book Review is a way for me to revisit some older stuff and hopefully help you guys find something new to fall in love with. All clear? Okay, let’s do this.

I mentioned in my Broken review that Super Lit is a sub-genre of scifi that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Soon I Will be Invincible by Austin Grossman is the book that made me discover my passion for the genre in the first place. Dr. Impossible is an incredibly developed character and every time I read this book, I fall in love with his witticisms and insights all over again. He’s an incredibly complex middle-aged man full of regret for the choices he’s made with his life, but unapologetic about his own superiority; he is smarter than everyone else, and knows he can do the best job at ruling the world.

I’m the smartest man in the world. Once I wore a cape in public, and fought battles against men who could fly, who had metal skin, who could kill you with their eyes. I fought CoreFire to a standstill, and the Super Squadron, and the Champions. Now I have to shuffle through a cafeteria line with men who tried to pass bad checks. Now I have to wonder if there will be chocolate milk in the dispenser. And whether the smartest man in the world has done the smartest thing he could with his life.

Fatale’s perspective in this novel gives you a very candid look at the men and women behind the masks, and shows you just how damaged the heroes of Earth really are when they aren’t smiling for the cameras. From a mutant feline and the debilitating effects of trying to appear human when his humanity is long gone, to the mildly autistic vigilante whose obsessive nature makes him a superior crime fighter, but a lonely and paranoid man.

The building quiets down. Mister Mystic retires back to wherever it is he lives, no doubt to contemplate the infinite. Feral drops to all fours when he’s alone, and sleeps curled in a ball. I think he has back problems from trying to stand on two legs all the time. There is an object inside Blackwolf that transmits when he’s sleeping. In the bathroom of her suite to my left, Damsel goes immediately to the toilet and vomits in a neat, businesslike fashion. Not that she needs to worry about her figure, but I guess that’s her affair.

Grossman really takes the “super” out of his heroes and the effect is a sad but beautiful narrative that is surprisingly human in spite of the capes and tights. Plot is actually secondary, leaving much of the novel’s meaning in the character interactions and insights. Because of this, there are a couple of underdeveloped plot points, and the ending feels a little rushed. At the end of the day, however, it is so well written that it makes for a very enjoyable and meaningful read.

I give Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman 4 out of 5 Stars

Pick up a copy of Soon I Will Be Invincible at Amazon.