#superhero fiction

[darkrose-thewriter]

At the Mercy of Hatred (WIP)

At the Mercy of Hatred is a standalone work-in-progress interactive superhero novel by DarkRose and U12.

You will play as a vigilante seeking revenge for the deaths of their family and friends, while also uncovering the identity and motive of the murderer, and also as an antihero, a former agent of the Superpowers Regulatory Agency, who was accused of murder they did not commit, and who has returned to take revenge against their former friends and employer.

Synopsis:

The Butcher Story: I’m the most wanted person in the East Federation. They want me for a murder I didn’t commit. Everyone I considered close friends betrayed me. They thought I was going to disappear, but here I am. I’m back in the High City, and this time I’m here to get revenge on those who have wronged me.

The Vigilante Story: I have nothing left. My old life, my family, my friends - all gone. Agents from the Superpowers Regulatory Agency took them away from me, right infront my eyes, and there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t save them. All that’s left is a burning hatred and a desire for revenge, and I will find the truth about why they were taken away and for what reason.

 Features:

play as male, female, or nonbinary as well as trans;

choose your sexual orientation and/or romantic orientation;

full character customization;

choose your power for Butcher or power/powers for vigilante;

play as chaotic neutral or chaotic evil characters;

The information will be added to the blog and extended. Additions will be made as we write

Butcher’s ROs:

Jester (cis female/male): ex-assassin, joined the Butcher after they defeated her/him in battle;

Noise (transmasc nonbinary / transfemme nonbinary): hacker of the Butcher team; they’re helping Butcher because Butcher saved their parents;

Poison (cis female/male; trans man/woman): ex-superhero. Seeing as the superhero community isn’t so perfect, they decided to join Butcher;

Baron / Arthur Weeks (cis male): equips the team with money, transportation and weapons.

The Vigilante RO’s:

Frost (cis female/male, nonbinary): thief and leader of a thieving gang;

Abigail Day / Firestar (cis female): novice superhero, looking for her mom, who’s missing

Neo (cis male/female, trans man/woman, nonbinary,transmasc nonbinary / transfemme nonbinary): a hacker who continues the work of their parents, who are in prison;

Psyche (cis female): agent of the Superpowers Regulatory Agency and leader of Unit Zero;

Secret ROs: Dragon and Frostfire: secret weapons in the hands of the government;

DEMO (December 24) | post about demo | | CoG Forum Thread

hashtags:

main: #at the mercy of hatred if;

for asks: #at the mercy of hatred: asks; #at the mercy of hatred: ro's asks

for RO's: #at the mercy of hatred: ro's

for update and writing updadets: #at the mercy of hatred: demo update; #at the mercy of hatred: writing update

[calvincell]

I’ve been making my way through my 3rd re-listen of the incredible podcast - Batman: The Audio Adventures & just appreciating once more not only how terrifically written it is by showrunner Dennis McNicholas but also incredibly well acted by all of the amazing cast. For any unaware, the podcast is an audio fiction blend of comedy & superhero drama that was previously only an exclusive for HBO MAX subscribers back in 2021 but now both released seasons are freely available on literally every podcast app including on MAX’s own YT Channel itself, no subscription required.

In particular, I love the Harvey Dent moment we get in Season 1 - Episode 6 - “The Whale of Damocles”:

I have to first off praise the inspired creative choice the series makes to give Two-Face the dynamic that his personas are essentially like constantly bickering twin brothers - arguing, name calling & posturing but still inseparable at the end of the day.

In the scene in question, Harvey’s binary obsession has allowed The Penguin to easily lure Dent to his favorite pier on the Gotham Wharf, Pier 2, to prevent a planted bomb from destroying it. Batman arrives soon after as Dent’s desperate search brings him to the most perilous part of the pier. Batman is so earnestly trying to appeal to Harvey to stop that he almost can’t prevent slipping into his Bruce Wayne voice when we then get an excellent memorable moment (@ ~31:50) where we get a glimpse at the tortorus psychosis Harvey is living through:

Harvey gives this tragic peek into his mind as he extols the awe-inspiring & nightmarish gospel he shares with his violent other half. It’s not only a very well written torrent of mad thoughts but also brilliantly & emotionally performed by Harvey/Two-Face’s VA: Ike Barinholtz. Batinholtz truly makes Harvey sound simultaneously mesmerized, terrified & sorrowful - on the verge of tears as he tells his former friend about the completely fractured way he views the world now & Batman’s actor Jeffrey Wright matches it with his desperate pleas to Harvey’s true self colored by the unflinching compassion he has for Dent.

For how invested the show is in genuinely trying to revive a bit of the Adam West era charm and fun camp & IMO successfully making the show legitimately funny, I believe it’s also equally in touch with the aspects of the franchise exemplified in shows like BTAS ie the darkness of the setting & emotionally resonant tragedy of both Batman himself and the different members within his rogues gallery. The show is not just sharp on a comedic level but also earnestly intriguing & engaging dramatically as well.

I have no doubt sung this show’s praises before but I don’t plan to stop anytime soon because I truly believe that the series is a must listen for every fan of Batman, superheroes & audio fiction/audio dramas generally. From top to bottom, the series is a brilliant production and stands to me personally as amongst the best content within the umbrella of DC Comics at least within the last decade.

[noxious-fennec]

Hero agency fighting superpowerful anomalies, but its a government 9 to 5

Takeda Mizuki (codename "Merlin") is a 29 year old corporate accountant who was discovered, by accident, to have a suit of terribly powerful abilities; faced with an ultimatum, she joins HAWK to train her powers and help their world-saving mission, but mostly to not be sent to prison.

[surroundedbypearls]

Untouchable like a distant diamond sky I'm reaching out and I just can't tell you why I'm caught up in you I'm caught up in you. -Untouchable, Taylor Swift

“Stop moving. You’ll ruin it.” “Sorry.” Catherine’s voice was light and bubbly as she tried to stifle her giggles, a streak of dark eyeliner across her cheek. It was a little sparkly for Margot, but it was Catherine’s favourite, so Catherine got it. She reached for the makeup wipes and picked up her shiny coral compact mirror, wiping the black mark away. A half-full glass of white wine sat on her vanity, next to Margot’s stout glass of vanilla rum and ice. Margot was against the whole party idea from the beginning, but it beat staring at her family all night. Catherine took a delicate sip of her wine, her manicured nails drumming against the vanity when she put the glass back down again. “Okay, okay. I’ll behave.” She turned back to her, and her eyes were like liquid gold. Margot leaned in close as the light on the vanity flickered, tilting Catherine’s head to the left and stroking the liner carefully across her upper lid. She kept it slim, with gentle and delicate touches here and there, finishing with the tiniest of wings. Everything with Catherine had to be delicate, pristine. It had to be perfect for her.

The whimsy of this song is very Catherine-adjacent, even if the above excerpt is from Margot's POV. It's the same relationship.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

[themollyjay]

Celebrate the 4th of July with Queer Superhero, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books By Molly J. Bragg

Order now at: Desert Palm Press Tantor Media Amazon Smashwords

[kbkirtley]

Renegades Series - Marissa Meyer

This was my favorite series I read this year. All my life I’ve looked for superhero novels, but there weren’t really any in the mainstream. And while I’ve learned to enjoy Graphic Novels this past year, I still don’t fall into those the same way I do with books. Finding Marissa Meyer’s Renegades series was such a fun experience for me because of that.

Nova being a villain at the start shifts the perspective of the book and raises a lot of questions as to whether the heroes are actually the good guys. Moving from Renegades to Arch-Enemies to Supernova, Meyer creates a really interesting world of superpowered people and the struggles that go with keeping people safe in such a world, especially when the government is being run by people with powers.

The characters are really where the series shines. Nova/Nightmare/Insomnia and Adrian/Sketch/Sentinel are the two main characters whose perspectives we see. Both of them have secrets that they’re keeping from each other and the Renegades as a whole, leading to much of the tension in the book. They are one of the best pairs I’ve read in YA in a long time and both of their desire to see the Renegades be better than they are is the driving catalyst for the series.

The supporting characters are maybe even more enjoyable. Max/The Bandit is my favorite character in the story. The rest of the team Oscar/Smokescreen, Ruby/Red Assassin, and Danna/Monarch are a delight. The council as a whole is fantastic, but Adrian’s dads Hugh/Captain Chromium and Simon/The Dread Warden, do a ton of the heavy lifting in helping to understand what the Renegades are and what they stand for. The other Anarchists, especially Leroy/Cyanide, help to humanize the other side of the Renegade’s battle and allow for Nova’s story to carry the weight that it does.

The Renegades series is one that I would absolutely recommend and it’s one that gives me hope there is an audience for books like mine!

[ritabs]

NEW STORY: Mirage Manhattan — WxW Superhero Romance

So, I found out about the Kindle Vellys like entirely too late but a challenge never stopped me and I've had this quick novella idea in my head for months. I literally outlined it July 30 and started writing August 1st. Welcome to my crackpot NaNoWriMo, but instead of a month, I have about 3 weeks and I'm expecting it to be about 30k instead of 50 :)

I'm a little stressed.

So, if you want a gay superhero story, this is for you. Imagine MHA style quirks with the Boys media/government system and a Wanda Maximoff/Atom Eve Queer MC. I'm so hype for this and I feel like a lot of other people will be too.

For Kindle Vella, the first 3 episodes are free, I have 2 episodes available right now, so if you'd like to tune in and watch me churn out 8 more episodes in 2 weeks, feel free to follow along! I really want to win this thing and I put myself in the absolute worst situation to do so, but we're here!

If you want to read and follow along, I've put the link below. Thanks for your support! XOXO - Rita BS

Mirage Manhattan

SYPNOSIS: In the year 2105, the world has adapted to the ravages of climate change. Ninety-nine percent of all living creature has developed unique powers to survive in this new reality—except for Samirah Hayes. As a young, newly debuted YA fantasy author, she belongs to the 1 percent of the population who remains unevolved, with no affinity to her name.

Samirah's ordinary life takes a dramatic turn when her brother mysteriously vanishes, and her mother refuses to reveal his whereabouts. Overnight, Samirah discovers she possesses insanely powerful illusionary abilities. With an uncontrollable affinity and a missing brother, she falls under the supervision of Flux, a hero of the Cape Corps, a military branch dedicated to training heroes who respond to global missions.

From a recent graduate author to a fledgling superhero, Samirah’s life undergoes a radical transformation. She must navigate her new powers, the search for her brother, and a developing relationship with her superhero roommate.

[ahb-writes]

"It is fateful and ironic how the lie we need in order to live dooms us to a life that is never really ours."

Ernest Becker, quoted in: Alaniz, J. 2015. Death, Disability, and the Superhero: The Silver Age and Beyond. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. 376 pp.

[dvandom]

Superhero Fiction: Academy of Super-Heroes

Back in 1994, after getting kinda burned on a shared universe superhero writing thing that started bending in directions I disliked, I decided to launch one that I was in charge of. I based it on the "Academy of Super-Heroes" Champions campaign I ran in college (with a few other GMs running games set elsewhere in that world), with some bits from the Modern Knights (a game I wrote and had up on DTRPG for a while) campaign I ran in grad school. After taking out all the stuff that the Champions people owned, I launched it as a near-future post-apocalyptic (July 6, 1998 was a Very Bad Day) version of the Academy of Super-Heroes set in the year 2022.

Yeah, last year, at this point. In the almost 30 years that I and others have written stories in the setting, the timeline has advanced to 2027, which about tracks with Comic Book Time.

At its peak in the late 90s, I had several other writers working in the ASH universe with me, culminating in an insane crossover idea that ate up an entire year to write. Since then, the other three writers involved in that crossover have all gone on to become published SFF writers or essayists, and while there's been a couple of people getting involved since then, it's been mostly me, which meant the output tended to fit my mood...and during my job-hopping years I spent so much of my writing energy constantly revising curriculum that it took me years to finish a single six issue arc. But finish it I did, and took a break from the main ASH series and all the world-spanning intrigue and suchlike.

I didn't abandon the setting, though, but I backed off to a smaller stage, picking up on one of the locations largely left fallow since its main writer left over twenty years ago, and decided what it needed was Magical Girls.

Anyway, if you're interested in checking out a few million words of free if professional-quality (in that just about everyone involved has been paid to do fiction, me included, even if I didn't try to make it my career) geopolitically charged superhero science fiction, check it out at http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/ASH. There's over 300 stories, plus loads of information files, a wiki, and plenty of art (most of it by me, but some by actual pros).

[world-of-fire-and-flight]

Fantasy Indies April Day 20: Saturday Snippet

Theme: Secrets

There are LOTS of secrets in BPM, making it the perfect choice for today's Saturday Snippet:

It was a small thing, but it made me feel better in this moment as I walked out to my car and turned the key in the ignition.

My family didn’t know how many lies I’d told them over the last [year and a half]. And with any luck, they’d never have to know what I’d been doing with my life since Bren died and I’d turned eighteen.

I just had to survive. I had to outlive any threat that this job posed. I needed to somehow take [main-villian] down, and live to tell the tale.

[darkrose-thewriter]

Not the official demo / changed the prologue a little. /

1st and old post here - please read first // Link here.

Changed the prologue a little bit. Added a new character and RO for Butcher's story. (it is Sarah). Added choose of gender for Butcher in prologue.

I am not sure whether I have improved the text or not. I tried my best.

[pale-horse-writing]

intruding on a fruity villain and his simp second in command (they're not dating) (totally not dating)

[thenerdsofcolor]

Class Dismissed for the Stars of 'The Umbrella Academy'

Class Dismissed for 'The Umbrella Academy' Stars David Castañeda, Justin H. Min, Aidan Gallagher, & Ritu Arya @netflix @UmbrellaAcad #UmbrellaAcademy

Yesterday, we brought you part one of our final interviews with the cast of The Umbrella Academy. Today, to commemorate Season 4 hitting Netflix, we’re proud to bring you our conversations with David Castañeda, Justin H. Min, Aidan Gallagher, & Ritu Arya. Continue reading Class Dismissed for the Stars of ‘The Umbrella Academy’

[surroundedbypearls]

Someday I'll be fallin' without caution But for now I'm only people watchin'. -People Watching, Conan Gray

The walk to Catherine’s place was one Isaac had made before. Throughout his high school years, he’d only dragged himself to a select number of her extravagant gatherings. Before that, he’d been over for a lot of playdates, and to all the birthday parties. His mom had usually walked him to and from the house; the walk had been longer then, on his shorter legs, but he never minded. Even now, he liked the walk. When he arrived at Catherine’s house, the lights on the front driveway lit his way up the path towards the front doors. As he stepped onto the porch painted in pristine white and opened the door, the sound of the music playing inside washed over him. The living room stretched out from the front of the house out towards the extension at the back, leading into the open-plan kitchen. The couches and carpets were crowded with his schoolmates, their voices echoing around him all at once and overwhelming his senses. He swallowed, shook his head and tried to clear it. Sometimes, crowds made him dizzy. He didn’t know what it was; he suspected maybe he had sensitive hearing or some kind of undiagnosed vertigo. But as long as he found somewhere to sit, he’d be fine. As long as he tried not to listen. People-watching was one thing, but he hated to feel like he was eavesdropping. And it felt like he was always eavesdropping.

When I first heard this song I thought it was very Isaac-coded and had to add it to the playlist.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

[themollyjay]

Celebrate Pride with Queer Superhero, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books By Molly J. Bragg

Order now at: Desert Palm Press Tantor Media Amazon Smashwords

[kbkirtley]

Nightwing (2011) Issue #29

Nightwing is the biggest inspiration in my own superhero stories. Dick Grayson is the heart and soul of DC Comics and I try to put the same kind of hope and light in my stories as I fell in love with in his. While the Nightwing ethos touches every part of my writing, no where is that touch stronger than in my first series of shorts and in my first character, The Street Rat. I didn’t even realize how much Eddie was inspired by Dick until I read the final edits before posting. I can only hope Eddie makes someone else believe in the potential and goodness of people the way Dick has done for me. I made this account to talk about my own writing, but it’ll also be a place where I share what I’m reading, my general superhero thoughts, and, most likely, this will end up being primarily a Nightwing fan account.