December 6, 2013
We can all use a good superhero now and then, right? Maybe especially at this hectic time of year. That’s why I’m pleased to announce a new audiobook that’s stuffed to the gills with ’em–Six Superhero Stories. Here’s the cover by the one and only blazing Ben Baldwin his own bad self:
This book includes some of my favorite stories of any genre (don’t miss Forced Partnership). It also features some of the best narration I’ve ever had the pleasure to listen to, by the great Craig Jessen. It’s a project that honors the superhero tradition while taking it all several steps further into a more literary (but still action-packed) zone.
Here’s a great blog by Craig Jessen, talking about the stories he narrated for this audiobook. You can order the audiobook right here on Amazon, here on Audible, and here on iTunes. Not to mention, the original print edition is on sale here at CreateSpace, here at Amazon, and here at Barnes and Noble.
Here’s a rundown of what you can expect once you plop yourself in an easy chair, pull on your headphones, and crank up the volume on Six Superhero Stories:
“Forced Retirement”: What if Alzheimer’s struck the World’s Mightiest Hero? His daughter, heroic Hericane, finds out the hard way. Gripped by dementia, godlike Epitome tears apart a city, and no one can stop him. Will his madness destroy the entire world? Not if Hericane recruits the one big gun who stands a chance in Hell of stopping her father in his tracks. But the battle of the century between the super-charged titans might just kick-start the Apocalypse instead of stopping it.
“Heroes of Global Warming”: The world’s hottest hero has gone rogue! In an age of global warming, super-heated hero Skillet looks like a lukewarm loser. But when his teammates, the Castigators, turn their backs on him, he turns the Castigators into prey. Let the hunt begin! Skillet becomes public enemy number one as he rounds up his former allies. But the secret plan behind his hunt might just save the world.
“Forced Betrayal”: Who murdered the girlfriend of the World’s Mightiest Heroine? Super-powered Hericane will stop at nothing to find out who killed the woman she loved. But when she teams with Bonnie Taggart, internal affairs investigator for the Superhuman Protectorate, the search leads in unexpected directions. Fighting their way through the darkest corners of Isosceles City, Hericane and Bonnie tear the truth from criminal chimpanzees, crooked promoters, and hateful cops, only to fall prey to a terrible trap.
“The Wife Who Never Was”: What happens when a truly super hero loses the love of his life in the continuity overhaul of his fictional universe? Mighty Pinnacle’s super memory won’t let him forget his lost marriage to Doris Dane, and his aching heart drives him to search everywhere for a way to bring her back. But all his power might not be enough when he runs up against a force from beyond his world, an enemy with the secret to his suffering.
“Forced Partnership”: Hero-on-sidekick violence explodes in this hard-hitting super-hero tale. Why does Partycrasher, dark avenger of the night, give his sidekick the beating of a lifetime? Could it be the cowled crusader has fallen under the influence of sexy reformed bad girl Linda Loveblind, aka Partygirl? Or has the sidekick truly committed a heinous crime for which there can be no forgiveness? Maybe the answer is none of the above.
“A Matter of Size”: Who is killing the world’s smallest super-heroes? Down-on-his-luck masked avenger Man-Child takes the case, but can he save the remaining Small Wonders from a killer with a twisted crush fetish? Man-Child takes on villainous Mammon and Stigmata without missing a beat, but his own dark secret might be enough to bring him down for good.
