The Darker Mask: Heroes From the Shadows
- Posted by Johanna on September 14, 2008 at 6:49 pm
- Category: Books and Prose
- PUBLISHER: Tor Books; $14.95 US
Writer Gary Phillips and Georgetown University journalism professor Christopher Chambers have edited a new book of fiction that may be of interest to comic readers.
The Darker Mask: Heroes From the Shadows contains short stories about superheroes, but they’re not the usual comic types. The writers were selected from the fields of urban fantasy, science fiction, and crime, and the stories they tell feature others than the typical white male hero.
In this interview about their creative process, the editors refer to it as “ethnically diverse”, which is a good way to put it. Contributors include Walter Mosley, L. A. Banks, Naomi Hirahara, Lorenzo Carcaterra, Tananarive Due and Stephen Barnes, Mike Gonzales, Gar Anthony Haywood, Ann Nocenti, Jerry Rodriguez, Reed Farrell Coleman, Doselle Young, Mat Johnson, Peter Spiegelman, Alexandra Sokoloff, Christopher Chambers, Gary Phillips, Victor LaValle, and Wayne Wilson.
Aside from work by comic writers Ann Nocenti, Mat Johnson, and Doselle Young, fans may be interested in seeing the chapter illustrations by Sean Wang, Shawn Martinbrough, Jeff Fisher, and Brian Hurtt. Here’s a review, or read an excerpt.
7 Responses to “The Darker Mask: Heroes From the Shadows”
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September 14, 2008 at 8:13 PM
Cool. Something different for me, and “old school friendly” as well, according to my dad. I actually grabbed a free copy at Comic Con!
September 18, 2008 at 5:41 PM
Your readers might also be interested in a podcast interview with myself and editor Gary Philips here:
http://www.adventuresinscifipublishing.com/2008/08/aisfp-60/
Cheers.
D
September 18, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Thanks for sharing that!
September 21, 2008 at 6:13 PM
No worries.
Please let me know what you think.
Cheerio.
D
February 26, 2009 at 11:05 PM
[...] The Darker Mask, which was text, this book is comic stories. As with any anthology, the quality depends on the [...]
July 30, 2010 at 8:34 AM
I don’t like superhero comics. I really liked The Darker Mask. It’s a great read, especially for folks who want something a little deeper than the average capes and masks adventure, or who like seeing absurd genres taken apart and put back together in new and interesting ways.
April 12, 2011 at 2:17 PM
I really enjoyed the book. Some of the stories really should be done as full length features; they were just that engaging. I’ll be on the look out for more works by all of these authors.