Superheroes

By: Peter S. Beagle, Daryl Gregory, James Patrick Kelly, Kelly Link, Ian McDonald, Carol Emshwiller, Joseph Mallozzi, Rich Horton - editor

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Joe Barrett, Christina Delaine, Suzanne Toren

Modern gods and goddesses, remote, revered - and like the pantheon of heroes and heroines of ancient myth - possessing great power tempered with flaws. Now, find within this anthology great tales by gifted and award-winning authors who move superheroes from the four-color panels of comic books to the fantastic pages of fiction, stories that will remind anyone who ever wanted to wear a cape or don a cowl of the extraordinary powers of the imagination!

©2013 Rich Horton (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Fun, Adventurous, and Sometimes Profound

as a comic book fan of over 20 years I can say that it's hard to find good superhero fiction when transcending media (other than the MCU and DC animated films) I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book. I certainly didn't expect to be as impressed as I am. some of the stories in this book are fun exciting or even light-hearted. others are brutal and honest, terrifying and heartbreaking, or just good fun.

Superpowers are not always the answer

Having a superpower can change your life, but it doesn't change the world. these stories can show you whole new side to the world of superhuman powers.

So many interesting stories.

I enjoyed the variety and originality of the stories of various types of superheroes. The performances for quite good and very easy to listen to. I’m in the process of listening to it a third time.

Voice performances are fine? But stories are mostly bland

This collection of superhero stories covers angles not normally covered in other superhero stories: the people who impersonate heroes, and the people who fall for it; the societies under the rule of a supervillain ruler; the death of a hero whose body won’t let them die.

The problem is the writing itself. It’s almost too serious, too dramatic. Some of the stories were marvelous, like the one about a girl who found herself in a hotel with super heroes and dentists, looking to meet what she thought was a hero, written in the style of a confession letter. Others were so focused in their descriptions they slowdown the actual story, with the focus being more the world than the people in it.

All in all, it’s a hit-or-miss with lots of misses.

Super Hero Short Stories

The book started off with several stories that I really did not enjoy. Eventually it got to some that I enjoyed. The stories are not set in the same universe/author so do not expect a bunch of short stories as part of a series building on the characters.