John McNallyCritiques

I was really excited when I found this book. I am such a superhero junkie and I was really looking forward to an entire anthology of superhero short stories. What a letdown. Most anthologies are a mixed bag but this one contained more stories that I didn't really enjoy than most. Honestly, I can probably only remember a few of the stories - and the one I remember most vividly I hated. I should have checked this out of the library instead of buying.

2 1/2 It was ok. It was very self-absorbed. Amusing, but kind of nasty (probably knowingly so, but still full of people you would never want to meet.)

This book is a collection of short stories all connected in some way to the theme of superheroes. It is not published by DC or Marvel, so characters from the "big two" aren't found in these pages. Instead, these are original creations with a variety of supernatural powers ranging from flight to communing with ghosts to being able to gush copious amounts of Slushee out of one's hands and feet.

Being a compilation, the writing styles vary as much as the supers' abilities. There were some stories that were humorous ("The Quick Stop 5"), some that were beautifully poignant ("Bad Karma Girl Wins at Bingo"), some that were frankly bizarre ("In Cretaceous Seas"), and some that were just dull and meandering with nothing resolved or even fully explained ("The Meerkat"). Even with those I liked, the endings off left me sort of "eh." However, that is a common feeling for me with short stories -- they always seem to end just as I am getting into them.

Each story is preceded with a title page including an illustration done in black-and-white. These are a nice add-on, although not strictly necessary to understand the story.

To be completely honest, even after mulling on the contents of this book, I'm not sure that I would recommend it to others.

John McNally has been a writer for over thirty years, but it hasn't been easy, and this collection of essays is proof. He likens the relationship between a writer and his stories to -

"... that of an analyst to her patient. Our job is to meet regularly with our patient (the story) with the hope that each session will bring about a series of illuminations that lead, ultimately, to an epiphany. The process of revision is that meeting ..."

And, like therapy, sometimes these revisions only take a month or two, but sometimes they can go on for years, and sometimes, if a story "has no subtext," it will never take shape, will be " like chasing a mirage."

And McNally admits to having had more than his share of such chases, after stories and novels he worked on for years, and, finally, just had to "let them go."

THE PROMISE OF FAILURE is much more than just an instructional handbook for aspiring writers - although it certainly IS a fine specimen of that. It is also a brutally honest memoir, revealing the growing-up difficulties of always being the fat kid, the child of blue collar parents, moving around between trailer parks and crappy apartments. He also tells of his lifelong struggles with depression, a father who couldn't understand him, two failed marriages, dieting, drinking, drugs, and crushing debt, mostly incurred from student loans for advanced degrees, and from bad decisions.

But McNally has had his successes too, having written or edited more than a dozen books. (One, THE BOY WHO REALLY, REALLY WANTED TO HAVE SEX: THE MEMOIR OF A FAT KID, I really, REALLY want to read.) Reflecting on a couple early successes, he admits that "Being 'on top' ... wasn't all it was cracked up to be." And he lets us in on publisher advances that don't go far, poorly planned book tours, sometimes finding only a few in attendance, getting sick in hotel rooms in strange cities, and other stresses and expenses of being on the road. He writes too of petty feuds , jealousy and hurt feelings within the ranks of fellow writers, all struggling to make a living, many - like McNally himself - teaching.

One of the pleasures of reading these essays is the wry, self-deprecating sense of humor sprinkled throughout. We hear, for example, about "Chunkyobdangle," a play McNally wrote in the fourth grade in which he starred as an overweight superhero. Or a science fiction story attempted with a hero named Nidfo.

On the other hand, the final essay, "194 Days, " about the final weeks, months and days of a dear friend from high school, may reduce you to tears. It is raw, direct and straight from the heart.

McNally says he's spent most of his life in fiction, dabbling some in TV and film writing, and that essays are something new for him, that writing these pieces was hard work. Well, he made them look easy. I was quickly caught up in every one of them. And I suspect writers of every stripe will feel the same way. Very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER

I am the custom-made audience for this book. MFA from Columbia. Stuck on a novel. Worked with insufferable publicists. Familiar with the drudgery and lack of respect media escorts get. Primed to laugh at self-conscious, pretentious literary types, writers with undeserved success, the obsessive quest for literary agents. Everything about this book was utterly familiar, and yet I found no joy in reading it. Perhaps I was too familiar. But there was absolutely zero nuance in any of the characters. All of them were stock. The narrator was intensely unlikable. I literally found nothing redeeming in him, even up to the end. The only well-drawn character was the reclusive older writer. I'm almost gutted by my level of disappointment with this book. It's crucial that even the antagonists have one redeeming characteristic for them to be fully human. And the amount of coincidental encounters make this book seem like the setting was a 8x8 foot room, not a medium-sized city, like Iowa City. Also, the thread with Alice, his former fiancee, is not resolved. The way the narrator encounters her for the last time in the book is outright unbelievable. I simply could not suspend disbelief for a book in which, in my case anyway, suspension of disbelief should not even have been necessary. Maybe all the four-star reviews here have to do with the delight we writers take in trying to parse out to which obnoxious writer-of-the-moment this or that pseudonym refers. I also could not believe that his treatment of poets actually evoked compassion in me, rather than laughter. Having gone to school at Columbia University's School of the Arts I am, again, the perfect audience to laugh heartily at the earnestness of poets. But his characterization rang false because it was so exaggerated at every turn. I mean, including a scene in which Naropa students go head to head with Iowa MFA'ers is like shooting fish in a barrel. Too easy, too predictable (down to the poet with the "Janis Joplin hair" and the poet named "Dusty Rhodes" and the unexpected poet located among Iowa City's laboring classes). The only thing I connected with in this book was his treatment of what it feels like to fail.

Damn. I wanted this to be so much better. I just didn't like the writing and I didn't think the farce-like nature of the book held up, even as meta-fiction. I feel that, as a writer, you have to tread that line carefully, where it's just absurd enough to keep the reader engaged, but not so unbelievable that the writer loses faith and begins to feel as if the writer is insulting her intelligence. That's where I was for almost the entire book. Boo.

"Most people fail to recognize the moment they've touched the ceiling of their potential, that point at which they've reached the height of their intellectual prowess or the summit of their popularity. It can happen anywhere, at any point in their life - away at college during a study session the night before a final, or on a high school football field while catching the game winning touchdown. For some poor souls it happens as early as grade school, often inconspicuously: surrounded by friends on the blacktop on the first day back to school, or saying something funny in class that makes even the teacher smile. And then, after that, it's all downhill." (pg. 9)

So begins After the Workshop, a satirical and humorous (and often sad) look at the post-grad life of an Iowa Writers Workshop writer. (No matter that Jack Hercules Sheahan graduated a mere 12 years ago.) After publishing one short story ("The Self Adhesive Postage Stamp") in The New Yorker, Jack's novel-in-progress continues to collect dust while he works as a media escort for writers (mostly of the prima donna variety) visiting Iowa on their book tours.

Jack's encounters and interactions with these writers make up most of the action in this entertaining novel. (Many of them are well known, as McNally isn't afraid of name dropping in a good way. Others are fictitious - I think - which makes one wonder who they really are. As I said in my Sunday Salon post, After the Workshop is like the "You're So Vain" of the literary world.)

Any book that mentions BEA (Book Expo America) and blogs within the first chapter - and the former on the first page - is a book that you know is one that knows its stuff about the writing life. And McNally, who like his character Jack is also a graduate of the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop and also once worked as a media escort to writers on their book tours, isn't afraid to give his reader a peek into this world that he knows very well. In doing so, he shows us that it isn't as esteemed and glamorous as we might have originally thought.

Amid the bumblings and stumblings of Jack Sheahan's somewhat depressing existance as a wannabe writer escorting less-talented types around town, the reader begins to understand the reasons behind Jack's self-doubt. Just like the frozen landscape of Iowa's prairie, Jack too remains frozen in time.

"We were drunks and crazies, pissers and moaners. But my longing was both deeper and darker than a yearning for barracks. It was a desire to live in a time that I couldn't possibly live in, a wish to meet people at a time in their lives that had already come and gone, a need to be part of history in a way I could no longer be. I suffered from what C.S. Lewis called sehnsucht, an inconsolable longing in my heart for I knew not what. Sometimes, the sehnsucht's grip was too strong, and it was all I could do not to curl up in bed and remain there for weeks on end." (pg. 222-223).

I mentioned in my Sunday Salon post that I was almost scared to review this one because McNally, through Jack Sheahan, appears to be familiar with book blogs. He (the character of Sheahan) refers to leaving comments on blogs early on in the book (as well as being involved in a hostile exchange of opinions on one), as well as offering commentary on who exactly (in Jack's mind) actually writes blogs.

"The younger writers - and even some not so young - maintained lengthy blogs about their writing lives. If a writer didn't have a blog, he or she was being blogged about, often viciously, usually by wannabe writers who wielded their blogs like swords. Part of the appeal of being a writer was the anonymity, but the Internet had pretty much ruined that. Almost always when I read blogs by young fiction writers whose work I admired, I ended up feeling embarrassed for the writer. Frequently, they revealed too much personal information, or they felt compelled to share all of their opinions. There appeared to be no filter between what popped up into their heads and what showed up on their blogs, and I wanted to beg them to reconsider being so public, but instead of dropping emails to them, I simply never read their books again." (pg. 233-234).

Yikes. I'm hoping that this is exclusively the view of Jack Hercules Sheahan, and not John McNally, but it's kind of hard to tell, isn't it?

Regardless, I don't think John McNally needs to worry about my review because after all, I'm a nobody and I liked his book. Granted, it's not the best book I've read all year, but it is entertaining and a fast and funny read, in the dark humor appeal kind of way that made me enjoy The Financial Lives of the Poets and Then We Came to the End. If anything, I thought perhaps there were too many characters in After the Workshop and that at times, the narrative wandered a bit into the campy and farsical arenas.

But you know what? Sometimes campy and farce isn't all bad. Sometimes it is exactly what we need.

3.5 stars. Not that compelling, overall, and mostly authors with whom I'm not familiar. Also, far less teen appeal than I'd have expected. Some of it's funny, some is just bland.

Ghosts of Chicago is the best short story collection that I have ever read. The author is John McNally, a Chicagoan currently in exile at Wake Forest College where he teaches English. Each of the 17 stories show a different side of The Windy City from the viewpoint of the kind of people that you will find here. I found it humorous as I recognized characters that are exactly like people I know here in my hometown.

There are stories about local children's programming that every middle aged person watched when they were young. The Goose is one of my favorites. It took me back to one afternoon when Frazier Thomas read one of my jokes on TV and laughed like he thought it was funny. Garfield Goose was a show that every kid I knew watched and one of the show's features was to read a joke submitted by a viewer. I was popular at school for a week after that episode. Yep. Just a week. Whoever said fame is fleeting knew what they were talking about.

Stories about celebrities such as John Belushi, Walter Payton and former Mayors Daley are included as well as one about railroad tycoon George Pullman. Inside this collection you will meet characters who are in love with men on death row, who write inaccurate memoirs and a tattooed female bartender. The final story, "The Contributor's Notes," reads like the notes McNally may have written were it not for this short story.

I cannot write enough positive words about the Ghosts of Chicago. You need to experience it for yourself and you will probably thank me.

The Iowa Writers' Workshop has one of the most prestigious MFA programs in the country. Many famous authors - John Irving, Jane Hamilton, Flannery O'Connor, Kurt Vonnegut, and many more - have attended or taught at the Workshop. But what happens to the graduates who aren't so successful. John McNally's novel explores the path taken by one fictional graduate, Jack Hercules Sheahan. Sheahan publishes a story in the New Yorker while a student, but halfway through his novel, his writing flounders. To make ends meet, he takes a job as a media escort for authors visiting Iowa City.

McNally writes with a dry humor that I quite enjoyed. The story is grounded in reality (McNally himself is an Iowa Writers' Workshop grad and a former media escort), so the reader is left wondering just how many liberties McNally has taken as he pokes fun at MFA programs, writers, the publishing industry, and even Iowa City itself. I especially enjoyed this book because I teach at the University of Iowa, so I could nod knowing as McNally poked fun at Iowa winters and at the bars and other Iowa City institutions that feature prominently in the story. A quick witty read!

This is a fun little collection. All of the stories within somehow relate to superheroes and extraordinary powers, be it by satire, parody, send-up, or homage. Some are fun and funny romps, while others touch upon the super only tangentially, focusing on people who are somehow different from the rest of the world. Perhaps my favorite use the superhero only as a metaphor for the struggles of everyday life. If you happen to come across this book in the remainder bin -- as I did -- please pick it up and give it a chance. You'll like it.

This novel feels more like a collection of short stories, as there is often no continuation of the narrative between the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next, and sometimes details are repeated as if we had not previously been told about it.

The book is in three parts. I like the first two parts of the book as I have a particular nostalgic preference for stories about being a kid in the seventies - even across completely different countries and cultures to the one I grew up in there are prevailing themes of the zeitgeist and social behaviour in the pre-information age.

The third part however jumps 25 years forward to 2001 and we see how the characters have turned out. This is a completely unnecessary addition because a) it adds very little to the previous stories of mischievous school kids and b) the plots are ridiculously implausible.

Some of the plots appear to be constructed around gags and there are some funny moments in the novel, but in general I wish the author would have kept the story in 1976-9 as the adult section falls flat.

I love the idea of being an "unrepentant" novelist. So many creative writing books fall into one of two categories: 1) publishers don't like new authors and you won't get published unless your brother-in-law owns Random House, and 2) Let the words flow and worry about quality later, at a time not covered by this book. McNally, who is both a published author and veteran of the academic side of the trade, offers a refreshingly different viewpoint. He works from the assumption that his readers are "young" (that is, inexperienced) writers seriously considering making their pastime passion into a full-time gig. Though there is almost no discussion of the actual craft of writing, he does cover various educational options and goes through the publication and employment processes with equal parts encouragement and realism. If you're serious about writing as a career, this is an excellent resource.

I recieved this book and read the introduction and found it VERY entertaining. The author is both witty and humorous. Then, I had a friend down who is in the middle of writing her first YA ficiton book and happened to notice it on my coffee table.....needless to say I handed it over with a smile, knowing full well she would be able to put this book to much better use then myself.

Recommend this book to unpublished writers and those thinking about writing.

While full of information this book doesn't tell you how to write but guides you (at times with humor) as the title says, to (hopefully) survive in the publishing world.½

Before I typed out my review I skimmed over some of the others, and I was surprised at how much other people liked this book. I guess it just wasn't for me, then.

The no-frills brutal honesty contained in this book might be a huge help to some people (and was obviously liked by some readers), but not me. I actually had to stop reading more then once because I got so disheartened and frustrated by it all. Reading repeatedly that being an author will never be easy, it will still be a struggle even after getting published, most people eventually give up because it takes so long to even get a toe in the door, it's no longer realistic to expect to make a living out of writing, etc etc.... It's like ".... help?" *little pathetic squeak*

I was hoping for more guidance on *how* to *be* a creative writer, how to write, how the creative process works, tips/advice on how to write well, etc, but 90% of this book is about what happens after the writing is over. A good THIRD of the book focuses on colleges, what colleges to apply to, what programs/degrees to focus on, what to *teach*, why colleges are important, why creative writing classes are important, etc etc, and frankly a lot of people (me included) simply don't have the *option* of college for whatever reason, so all of that just didn't apply to me at all.

I have to admit I did like the small section on the future of publishing, and that the author dislikes e-readers and sees that sort of technology as a threat to the publishing industry and to writers; I know many writers embrace the technology, but I agree with this author here.

Overall opinion of this book: Well, I already knew before reading this book that I probably will never seriously pursue traditional publishing (my books are... in a very small specific niche), but this book really cemented it. Despite all the great advice in this book, the overall tone of negativity and hardship is a real turn-off to an inexperienced, unsure novelist.½

The Creative Writer's Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist is a handbook full of practical and - at times - humorous advice on how to get paid for your creative writing efforts. This book contains not only the how to get your novel published, it also contains information regarding the ways you should not present your work, and yourself, to publishers and agents. The alternate ways to be paid for your writing experience if you're not quite finished with that great American novel, as well as how to find the job that will buy you the writing time you're looking for are discussed in this easy to read, fast-paced book.

The self-publication avenue is also explored, along with the reasons that such a choice is not right for every book or every writer. Pros and cons of placing your novel with a major pubisher, a independent small press, a university press or a print-on-demand type publisher as well as the amount of control the author has with each type of publisher are discussed. Last but not least, the author provides advice on promoting your book once you have a contract and after publication.

Mr. McNally wrote this book as if giving advice to a friend, so much of his personality comes through in the succinct and well-written chapters. Each topic naturally leads to the next in smooth transitional steps, making this guide a pleasure to read and an asset that belongs on the reference shelves of all aspiring creative writers. Once again, the addenda at the end of the book prove to be as interesting as the main portion of this excellent guide. Authors notes, recommended reading lists and a short bibliography at the end of the book contain material to further explore the concepts discussed in this book.

Recommended for writers and wanna-be writers looking for advice on selling the products of their hard work. This review was simultaneously published on Dragon Views and LibraryThing.

If you are searching for a book with a subjective look at what one needs to survive the writing life, this is the book for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a how-to book on writing plot, characterization, or grammar, this is not for you. Author John McNally brings his personal experiences as a writer in his self-described "quasi-self-help" book for those of us who are interested in the writing life. McNally's advice is loaded with anecdotes. He is brutally honest and blunt as he shares his experiences of navigating the publishing industry and the stories of success and failure that come with that pursuit. Written with wit, humor, and sarcasm, this book is both educational and great fun.

This practical book is divided into six parts: The Decision to Become a Writer; Education and the Writer; Getting Published; Publicity; Employment for Writers; and The Writer's Life. While McNally covers the different paths one can take to become a writer, a considerable amount of time is dedicated to the different types of programs available and the MFA controversy. For those interested in further reading, McNally also includes a list of titles in the Recommended Reading section. Note: The Index was not seen in the uncorrected proof.

The Bottom Line: Whether you're considering becoming a writer or you've already written a novel and are looking for an agent, John McNally provides a wealth of information in his new book. "The Creative Writer's Survival Guide: Advice From an Unrepentant Novelist" is an eye-opening look into the world of a writer and what it takes to become one. It's like a Writers' Workshop in a book. It's a quick read from start to finish, but the great thing is that the reader can choose to read only the parts that apply to her situation. I plan to keep this book in my personal library so I can refer to it as needed. Highly recommended for anyone who has ever considered pursuing a life of writing. Also, highly recommended for public libraries.

THE CREATIVE WRITER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE by John McNally

This book delivers more than I expected. As the title suggests, it isn't a “how-to-write” book. McNally warns the reader right up front in the first section: “If you're looking for a book so that you can learn how to write a short story, a novel, or a poem, you definitely need to look somewhere else.” Rather, it is “a highly subjective and idiosyncratic take on the writing life. ...using my own life as well as the lives of other writers I've known as anecdotal support for my opinions on a wide range of subjects.”

McNally built an instant trust with me with such honesty. And he keeps that trust throughout. There are six main sections in the book, each with its own series of 1-3 page essays. The sections are, 1)The Decision to Become a Writer 2)Education and the Writer 3) Getting Published 4Publicity 5)Employment for Writers 6)The Writer's Life.

In each section, McNally's strong desire to give an honest view of the writing life and to help aspiring writers succeed shines through. I also believe I detected a reluctance on his part to suffer fools gladly, that is, beginning writers who think they know everything already, stuffed shirts, and the like. This isn't done in a hateful way, but more in a cranky, headshakingly, amused and baffled way. Funny stuff.

Many of the topics he writes about could be dry and downright boring, especially since few writers will be at the stage of a writing career where every section would be pertinent to them. McNally finds a way to make each section interesting. Most of his anecdotes are fascinating and often funny, including an accidental, surreal, near feud with Ursula K Le Guin, who had been one of his “childhood heroes.”

Besides the unexpected humor, he delivers unexpected moments of poignancy when telling tales from his own life. In Part One, “This Writer's Beginnings,” is both hilarious and touching. It's a gem, alone worth the price of the book. If I could talk to McNally, I'd say, with affection, “Write a memoir, you big dummy!”

If you don't have a successful writer whose brain you can pick, “The Creative Writer's Survival Guide”, is probably the next best thing.

There are numerous books on creative writing, but “The Creative Writer’s Survival Guide” by John McNally is unique. This practical guide to writing portrays the reality of a writer’s life, and in addition, provides suggestions for navigating the literary world.

The book is divided into 6 parts and each is covered in depth:
• The decision to become a writer
• Education and the writer
• Getting published
• Publicity
• Employment for writers
• The writer’s life

If you’re writing a book, “The Creative Writer’s Survival Guide” will help you get your book into readers’ hands.

Review based on ARC.

There is an abundance of information in this small, quick read. It is well written, funny, and even moving at times. Wait, am I talking about a nonfiction "how-to" book directed at creative writers? You bet. Somehow, McNally entertains while giving golden nuggets of ... well, gold. I hesitate to call it advice or information because those words do not seem to quite cover how valuable the information contained within this book is.

I signed up to read the book on Early Reviewers because I'm a "someday, maybe" sort of hopeful writer who has several (so many severals...) actual-hopeful writers within my immediate circle. I thought that I would enjoy the read, but that my friends/family would (hopefully) benefit from it. I was spot on.

The book, as implied by the subtitle, will not inspire the weakly-motivated, somewhat ambiguous, would-be writers to take on the enormous and often disheartening world of writing and/or publishing, but it proceeds to give information (gold) upon information (gold) upon information (and more gold) to those writers who legitimately could not imagine a life without writing. I appreciated the honesty... the sometimes very brutal honesty that McNally employs to impart his "guide." And, really, it appears as if it is all there.

For those of you who are tentatively considering writing: read the book. It will not dissuade you, but it will allow you to consider the many different aspects of publishing and, perhaps as it did with me, spark an idea for a slightly-alternative career path. Or it might convince you that writing really is the path for you. Either way, it will inform you. Read it.

For those of you who have no choice but to write: read the book. It provides a logical, practical, manageable path, with advice about how to tackle every step along that path. It is realistic without dashing hopes. It is hopeful without permitting starry-eyed naivety.

For those of you who aren't interested in a career in writing: read the book anyway. It is a fascinating view of the life-of-a-writer and the world of publication. It is eye-opening and, somehow, inspiring, even to those without intention to write.

The only criticism I have is *very* minor. There occasions where I felt that McNally was just a *little* bit snarky about the academic snobs. While I agree that there is no need or even use for that type of academic snobbery (whether it applies to what kind of degree you have, what you have published, with whom, where you are in the writer "hierarchy", etc.), McNally came off as just a little bit bitter despite his successful career. Most of the book is straightforward, optimistic, realistic, positive. But every once in a while, I got just a little hint of a tone of "bounces off of me and sticks onto you" ... but it never lasted long and it's certainly no reason to disregard such a useful tool.

The book is also chock-full of good reading ideas. And I look forward to reading The Book of Ralph...

Overall, excellent. Highly recommend.½

John McNally gives us a great look into the world of writing with his book [The Creative Writer's Survival Guide]. A surprisingly honest look that I found refreshing. Even though he has been successful in many different writing arenas, he has had more failures. He tells us very personal details, warts and all, (cliche', sorry Mr. McNally), and I believe that just by doing that alone, he will encourage writers.

The message I got from the book was to stay dedicated to the words by having a consistent schedule for writing, continue to learn from good and bad authors and books, never underestimate who you're dealing with, always be open to new information, and keep learning and investigate things thoroughly before accepting them blindly just to get yourself published. A person must be realistic about themselves and their abilities and weaknesses on all aspects of the writing trade. But by working hard and giving 100%, magic can be made. A very useful reference book for established writers as well as beginners.

I signed up to receive an advanced release of this book and was very excited when chosen for it. (You know, because I have several shelves filled with books on writing already... I sort of collect the genre.)

I highly recommend this book to any aspiring writer, any current writer, any student of writing. Mr. McNally has packed this book from cover to cover with sound advice, starting with the first and most important nugget: Know why you want to write. The book is broken into six separate sections discussing the decision to become a writer, education, getting published, publicity, employment, and the writer's life. Because he is a published writer with three novels, two short story collections, has edited six anthologies and has had fiction, book reviews and essays appearing in over a hundred publications, he has the experience and knowledge for writing just such a book. He is an associate professor of English at Wake Forest University, so he is also an educator. He has skills. He showed his skills in this book.

He stated in his preface that this book is "meant to be an honest book about what it takes to be a writer today." So I set out reading from that point expecting just that. It is so much more. This book is a treasure trove of information for writers at all stages. He's included the works.

In my notes taken during reading I had one minor complaint. I felt he spent too much time arguing the MFA: Waste of Time or Not? debate. It seemed to get a disproportionate number of pages, but perhaps this debate has a ridiculous amount of time spent wasted on it. He gave it a thorough discussion.½

supposedly YA, but i see adults enjoying this more. freaking hilarious. that is all.

This is a more-enjoyable-than-not collection of mostly superhero stories. It tends to showcase the tried and true tropes (no alliteration intended) of contemporary comic books. We have a lot of mistrust of government, quite a bit of angst caused by superpeople seeing themselves as different than non-superpeople, musings about the nature of heroism, and a few stories told from the perspectives of supporting characters. You've read this before. But if you like comic books, you're probably used to stories that you've read before.

It's been a while since there was any new ideas in comic books, and this collection does not present much in the way of innovation. It's an enjoyable read if you like the genre and have a few half-hours to kill here and there. I highly recommend "Bad Karma Girl Wins and Bingo" for anyone and "The League of Justice (Philadelphia Division)" for anyone living in Philadelphia who loves to point out proof that the author hasn't spent a whole lot of time in the City-of-Brotherly-Love-So-You-Don't-Have-To.

A really original collection of short stories about "super-heroes" loosley defined. Some are really pretty great, a couple are really pretty boring, but an enjoyable book overall.½