Farewell to 2011... and Blogspot.

As we close out 2010, Take the Helm fades to black. Yes, I am closing down this blog (though it will remain as an archive). Don’t worry though, because...

the Super-Powered Fiction Files are far from over! All the articles you know and love will continue along with new content on our new full-fledged website: www.superpoweredfiction.com!

So please follow us over to the new, fully functional site, and thanks for following Take the Helm for all these years!

Super-Powered Prose: Virals by Kathy Reichs

Super-powered fiction in prose form has come along way from Weird Heroes and Wild Cards first made the idea work in the seventies and eighties. Many writers have tried their hands at characters with super powers since, but it took even me by surprise when one of those names was Kathy Reichs.

If you do not recognize the name, you’ve probably not read too many forensic mysteries. Ms. Reichs has a successful series of books focused around the character of Temperance Brennan. Tempe sometimes goes by the nickname of Bones, or in the case of the successful television show based on the series, always goes by the name Bones. I have never really been a fan of the series in either form, but when I heard the concept for her new young adult book I knew I needed to give it a read.

Virals is the story of Brennan’s grand niece (she’s older in the books by a bit) Tory, a young girl living on a small island off the coast of Reichs’s home city of Charlotte. Tory only recently moved to the city following her mother’s death, but quickly finds herself embroiled in a mystery.

The story takes two interconnected paths as she finds a dog tag on the island where her father works for a scientific facility. It is while she investigates the tags that she discovers and rescues a captured dog in a remote lab of the facility. That rescue will alter Tory and her three friends Hi, Shelton, and Ben forever.

The dog has been infected with a lab-created parvovirus, designed to infect not just dogs but humans as well. The virus has unintended consquences for the four teenagers, as they all suddenly end up with powers closely linked to the animal they rescued.

While they all suffer through the transformation their new power brings to them, the dog tags lead them in to a murder mystery with huge ramifications for them and their city. In the end, only their powers will allow them the freedom and skill needed to uncover the secrets of the crime.

Ms. Reichs uses her background in forensic science to help shape the continuing story, but unlike the Bones novels never lets it overwhelm the tale. While I could nitpick about a few sudden (if minor) leaps in logic or the skills of the four teenagers being just a bit much to believe, none of that really matters in the end. Ms. Reichs crafts a quick, easy to read story that just flashes by page after page. The tale flows extremely well and makes the entire book hard to put down. I actually read the last two hundred pages in one sitting, an odd occurence for someone so used to reading different things at once. But Tory and friends’ tale is just compelling enough to keep you turning that page.

This book seems clearly set to be the beginning of a series (and maybe a set up for another TV pilot as I could definitely see it easily turned in to a overly-pretty-cast mix of Gossip Girl and Veronica Mars. Still on its own, Virals is an enjoyable read and that’s why it is Recommended.

Pulp Empire closes out 2010 with a special Christmas story!

Over at Pulp Empire, Libby Cudmore has written a wonderful little Christmas noir short called “Merry Christmas, Mr. Taylor” just in time for the holidays! PE will be taking next week off so this is your last chance to get some holiday pulp cheer in before the end of the year!

And remember that all three Pulp Empire books are still available at our Lulu Store. Ms. Cudmore's tale is featured in our most recent edition. If you're interested in doing some Christmas shopping a little late or just want a good deal on great books, also remember that Lulu is running all kinds of great holiday sales with their Daily Deals. So feel free to pick up a copy, won't you?

Thor's Day 10: The Wild Hunt

Mighty Thor 346 opens with Roger, the old man (the son of Malekith’s victim last issue) as he contemplates his given task. He’s attacked by Malekith’s servants but escapes.

Meanwhile, Thor starts to investigate the fate of Eric Willis (the aforementioned victim). He meets with the police, but learns they are the same servants of Malekith. They try to poison him with the cookies from previous issues, but he uses his hammer to incapacitate them. After all, “Gods are made of sterner stuff”.

Roger recovers the hidden Casket of Ancient Winters and hides it in a Macy’s back to travel with it.

Malekith arrives too late to retrieve the Casket, but instead pulls out a great horn and blows it in to the air. The horn cannot be heard by human ears, but Thor can make it out: the sound of the Wild Hunt.

And they don’t take very long to show up.

Someone should call the Ghostbusters for these Hellhounds

Roger fights them off with his handgun, but the Master of the Hunt arrives to challenge him more closely. Which is always a good time for a timely hero intervention.

Must suck to have a Barroom dropped on you.

Malekith goes all kill crazy at the site of a god and sends the dogs after Thor.

Oh, and unless we forget him this guy is hard at work as well.

Build one sword and apparently an entire army shows up.

The dogs take their toll on the heroes, but Thor knows the weakness of those of the faerie realm (like elves). One well aimed iron girder is enough to seriously injure Malekith and send him and his hunt in to retreat.

The Casket and Roger are rescued, only for the two men to walk in to another trap at the hands of Melodi (Lorelei) and Malekith!

But that’s a story for next week as we go “Into the Realm of Faerie!”.

New at Metahuman Press!

This may be the most story heavy week in Metahuman Press history, and it’s just in time for Christmas.

David Kachel’s five part weekly story reaches its penultimate chapter with “Saints and Sinners”!

The bi-weekly tale of our other David, a.k.a. Mister Perlmutter, continues as well with its fifth chapter.

Finally, Mark Oldfield’s Invasion continues with “Rescuer”.

As always, the previous chapters are available for new readers! So give yourself a (free) Christmas present and go read some superhero stories!