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If you have not read it and don't mind reading, I'd like to direct you to Worm: https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ People with

by arkh 7y ago

If you have not read it and don't mind reading, I'd like to direct you to Worm: https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ People with powers have their behavior explained, the good guys are far from perfect. The world is a dark place, dead protagonists stay dead (and it's not the worse which can happen) and the cause of the powers is explained. This kind of take on superheroes make the Marvel and DC universes bland.

fullstop 7y ago
I'm about 72% of the way through so far, and I'm really digging it. I was a bad person and converted it to ePub so that I could read it on my Kindle. I should send Wildbow some love with Paypal, given the sheer number of hours of entertainment I've received so far.
asokoloski 7y ago
Seconded! Also, the criticism in this article about lack of diversity doesn't apply very much to Worm (and its sequel, Ward). To give some examples -- one of the protagonists of Ward is gay, as are two of the antagonists. One of the protagonists is trans. One is black. Two are Hispanic. One of the side characters (a hero) is a recovering homophobe. Another side character is a white supremacist who's trying to turn over a new leaf. One of the main villain groups in Worm are white supremacists -- and one of the heroes is a kid who leaves that life. Two of the protagonist villains (brother and sister) are black. There's a lesbian couple -- one a hero, one a rogue/villain. There's a character who I think would be called genderqueer? One of the protagonists is asexual. It sounds like a lot, but there's a huge cast of characters, and it never felt tacked-on to me. And so much of the story is about really, really traumatic stuff. It's really dark, sometimes horrifying, sometimes tragic, sometimes awesome, and overall really gripping. It's sort of ruined mainstream superhero media for me -- it seems so flat and predictable in comparison. Highly recommended.
- fullstop 7y ago
  One half of the lesbian couple is of Arab descent as well. That part of her, as far as I have read, is only important with respect to her backstory / trigger event and helps the reader understand her behavior and actions better.
at_a_remove 7y ago
I often cite Worm as being one of the largest factors in my abandonment of the conventional Marvel/DC movies. They're so stale and ill-conceived by comparison.

by arkh 7y ago

fullstop 7y ago

I'm about 72% of the way through so far, and I'm really digging it. I was a bad person and converted it to ePub so that I could read it on my Kindle. I should send Wildbow some love with Paypal, given the sheer number of hours of entertainment I've received so far.

asokoloski 7y ago

Seconded! Also, the criticism in this article about lack of diversity doesn't apply very much to Worm (and its sequel, Ward). To give some examples -- one of the protagonists of Ward is gay, as are two of the antagonists. One of the protagonists is trans. One is black. Two are Hispanic. One of the side characters (a hero) is a recovering homophobe. Another side character is a white supremacist who's trying to turn over a new leaf. One of the main villain groups in Worm are white supremacists -- and one of the heroes is a kid who leaves that life. Two of the protagonist villains (brother and sister) are black. There's a lesbian couple -- one a hero, one a rogue/villain. There's a character who I think would be called genderqueer? One of the protagonists is asexual. It sounds like a lot, but there's a huge cast of characters, and it never felt tacked-on to me. And so much of the story is about really, really traumatic stuff. It's really dark, sometimes horrifying, sometimes tragic, sometimes awesome, and overall really gripping. It's sort of ruined mainstream superhero media for me -- it seems so flat and predictable in comparison. Highly recommended.

fullstop 7y ago
One half of the lesbian couple is of Arab descent as well. That part of her, as far as I have read, is only important with respect to her backstory / trigger event and helps the reader understand her behavior and actions better.

at_a_remove 7y ago

I often cite Worm as being one of the largest factors in my abandonment of the conventional Marvel/DC movies. They're so stale and ill-conceived by comparison.