Poul Anderson's Joel Weatherfield and Jack Havig are two super-powered beings: a telepathic alien and a mutant time traveller. Superman is sf because his origin is extraterrestrial but he is also the transitional figure between sf and superheroes which is a distinct genre, combining sf, fantasy and action-adventure. (Frankenstein transitional between Gothic and sf.) I am reviewing this - it's all been said before - because it is that time of night when I read other things, then find connections, currently
Illuminations by Alan Moore with a sometimes hilarious parody of the history of American comic books, "What We Can Know About Thunderman," incorporating a comic script, an online fan discussion and an insane concluding vision into the text. What next?
Poul Anderson could have written a solid Superman novel, scientifically rationalizing the powers and the space journey from Krypton, but he could have done all sorts of things like rewritten John Carter and recruited Holmes to the Time Patrol after his retirement. I am trying to keep going but am fading out...
See also An Acknowledgement And A Contrast.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
As for THERE WILL BE TIME I never thought before of regarding Jack Havig as a super-being. However able and intelligent he was, he still struck me as a very ordinary man, except for his ability to will himself to travel in time to the past or future.
Caleb Wallis, of all people, despite his bad ideas, has the better claim to be called a super being, or at least a great man. It was Wallis who had the thought of gaining the means needed for founding a new nation in the wreckage left after the War of judgement. He aspired to found an entire new civilization, starting with the Eyrie.
Even Havig, who defeated Wallis and took over the Eyrie, seems to have thought that way, and didn't like turning him into a drug addled puppet. And would have preferred killing Wallis outright, because he deserved that much respect.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, to All!
The chaos and rioting in France seem to be getting worse and worse. Will there be a first-class political crisis/collapse? I've actually seen comments by some wondering if there will be a Sixth Republic, Third Restoration, or Third Empire.
Ad astra! Sean
Historic times.
Sean,
I think that a "super-being" is just someone with special powers, whether he uses them well or badly, heroically or villainously. Havig and Wallis are both super powered.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Historic and chaotic times!
But "super-being" seems to imply too much. I think "special powers" is better. Agree, what you said about Wallis and Havig.
Ad astra! Sean
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