—Frank Fradella, author of Swan Song, Valley of Shadows, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing Basics, and founder of iHero Entertainment and Cyber Age Adventures
...More fully-rounded, more realistic and, as a direct result, more human than all but the best superhero comic book work."
—From the introduction by Dwayne McDuffie
“Sean Taylor’s stories focus less on the obvious trappings of the genre, instead homing in on the conflicted, flawed human beings for whom greater-than-mortal powers don’t convey greater-than-mortal morality.”
—Tom Brevoort, Executive Editor, Marvel Comics
“Show Me a Hero delivers a series of stories that are dangerous, intriguing, fun and lathered with that sense of character readers will be sure to love. Once you’re done reading, you’ll know you read a well-crafted, fully rounded piece of work.”
—Dan Jurgens, author of The Death of Superman
“Hitting a heavy beat on the ’human’ in superhuman, Taylor’s stories pulse with a visceral reality. The biggest villains his heroes face might be their own bad habits; their greatest challenges are working through relationships—not surviving the battle. Show Me a Hero lives in the place where modern fiction meets mythology.”
—Barbara Randall Kesel, author of Alien vs. Predator, WildC.A.T.s, Rogue Angel: Teller of Tall Tales
“’Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy.’ Sean Taylor takes F. Scott Fitzgerald to heart in a selection of stories that reveal the high price even super heroes often pay to do the right thing. If there are any tears in these riveting tales— and, I’m afraid, there are—they do not diminish the courage of Taylor’s champions or the power of his writing. These are the quiet pains that stay with the readers and, hopefully, help them appreciate the heroes in their own lives.”
—Tony Isabella, author of 1000 Comic Books You Must Read, Star Trek: The Case of the Colonist’s Corpse
“I’ll sum it up as simply as I can: you’re going to care. That’s what Sean does with his characters and the stories they inhabit. He makes you care.”
—Erik Burnham, author of A-Team: War Stories, Ghostbusters Infestation, Nanover, Civil War Adventures
“Show Me a Hero is not about powers, costumes or catchy code names. It’s about heart and soul, and the choices that make heroes out of ordinary lives.”
—Bryan J.L. Glass, author of Mice Templar, Thor: First Thunder
“A lot of writers talk about trying to introduce superheroes into the real world, but Sean Taylor does it better than most. Perhaps because his stories don't just have plot, they have a point. They're not about a series of circumstances and events, but about how those circumstances and events make the people living through them feel. You may not like every story in Show Me A Hero, but I defy you to finish one and be indifferent. You may love them or hate them, be inspired or unsettled, but they're going to get inside your head and gut and make you think and feel.”
—Paul Storrie, author of Gotham Girls, Justice League Unlimited, Captain America: Red, White & Blue
“Sean Taylor’s work is gripping, sincere and relevant.”
—Dwight MacPherson, author of The Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allan Poo, American McGee’s Grim
“Full of dynamic action and a range of intriguing characters, Sean Taylor gracefully delivers moments of dimension and depth in his stories that explore what being heroic is truly about.”
—Stephen Zimmer, author of the Rising Dawn Saga and Fires in Eden Series
“What will certainly surprise new readers of Sean Taylor’s work is how mature and entertaining the story lines are, not to mention the amount of realism he injects into each and every one of his characters. If you’re on the fence about super hero fiction—if you think it’s just kid stuff—then pick up Show Me A Hero and find out how glad you’ll be to learn you were wrong.”
—Tom Waltz, Editor, IDW Publishing; author of Silent Hill: Sinners Reward, Gene Simmons Zipper
“Instead of the all-powerful visitor from another planet or the millionaire with crimefighting devices that cost more than my house, Taylor shows us a more human hero—and more often than not, a less than perfect one. Show Me A Hero reminds us that heroes come in all shapes and sizes as it takes us down the less traveled path to see just what defines a hero.
—Bobby Nash, author of Evil Ways, Lance Star: Sky Ranger, Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell
“Guaranteed to pull at your emotions—a must read!”
—Shane Moore, author of the Abyss Walker series
“Show Me a Hero is a great mix of super hero stories that appeal to every reader—dark, sweet, strong and funny, each story has a unique take on the super hero setting. Taylor has done a fantastic job, enticing me every step along the way to draw me into the worlds and become passionate about the characters.”
—Christina Barber, author of Seely’s Pond and Spirits of Georgia’s Southern Crescent
"Sean Taylor’s stories are in-your-face, emotional, and immediate. In this collection, he examines from all angles the odd yet undeniable impulse that drives some people to put on a costume and fight crime in the streets. No kid stuff here—this is serious, intelligent drama and deep, human introspection spiced with plenty of action and intensity (and often a nice twist along the way). Well worth your time."
—Van Allen Plexico, author of Assembled! and the Sentinals series
Reviews
"I just read about them and others in a real page-turning collection of short stories, news releases, and essays published by New Babel that was written by Sean Taylor. "Show Me A Hero" was the title of what has to be 514 pages of non-fiction. Yes, each had an exaggerated gift - one was little more than a collection of light `bubbles'--but they were so human, so flawed, so fragile in many ways despite their enhanced powers. They suffered heartbreak and celebrated joy. They gained lovers and lost to death. They cried. Laughed. All of that human stuff. ... So, I'm left with only two conclusions. They live somewhere, on some level. And, if the principal purposes of any book are entertainment, enlightenment, or education, then "Show Me A Hero" is entertainment at its best." -- Michael Vance (Amazon)
"Sean Taylor, however, is a writer that can really make superhero prose work. And, like any of the best comic book writers, he focuses on the human nature of heroes, making them genuinely relatable which makes it easy to get attached to them in each story, and by the time you finally say goodbye, you feel like you've known them forever." -- Cam Crowder (Good Reads)
"Taylor's writing is well-crafted and he handles the tragic, joyful, and surreal all with the swift grace of a seasoned writer. The story that lingered with me the longest is "Sin and Error Pining" and the tragic Ms. Future, the superhero who never was. From the opening line, "The man who killed me wore a tattoo of Santa Claus across his chest." I was hooked. Ms. Futura's view is strong and steady and the story follows a countdown of the final moments of a life. The tragedy of the superhero that never was lingered with me for hours after I had put the book back down. It's something I've never read or even thought about before ... Show Me a Hero is a unique addition to my collection of superhero readings and I know that I will read and re-read it. The variety of stories and characters available will hold my interest for years to come. Most of all what I enjoyed in this collection is that these are more than just tales of heroes, and villains fighting it out; these are stories about people that aren't always good, aren't always bad, but are always searching, fighting and aching just like us." -- Judy Black (Good Reads)
No comments:
Post a Comment