PurpleRanger (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} purpleranger) wrote,@ 2007-08-29 15:41:00 |
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Speeding Bullet, Locomotive, Tall Buildings
ENTRY #17
0708.29
Book Review
THE MAN FROM KRYPTON
Edited by Glenn Yeffeth
(Benbella Books, 2005, $17.95)
Do you want just one reason to get this collection of essays? Okay, how about this? Larry Niven's essay "Man Of Steel, Woman Of Kleenex" is reprinted here.
If I'm not mistaken, All The Myriad Ways has been out of print for at least a few years. And while Niven's somewhat irreverent look at Superman's sex life can be found on the Internet, there is just something about reading it in book form that makes it a little more . . . satisfying, I guess.
Okay, I did say that "Man Of Steel, Woman Of Kleenex" was a good enough reason to pick up this collection of essays (subtitled "A Closer Look At Superman") if you needed just one reason. If, on the other hand, you want more than just that one essay, there are 19 others for your edification as well. Some of the essays, like Niven's, take a look at the lighter side of the Man Of Steel. Others take a more serious, almost scholarly approach to the subject.
Lawrence Watt-Evans starts the collection with "Previous Issues." I am going to have a hard time looking at Superman's costume with a straight face for a while after reading this essay. There's a good chance that you will, too.
Adam Roberts asks the question "Is Superman A Superman?" In other words, is Kal-El a superman in the way that Friedrich Nietzsche meant when he coined the word Übermensch? As Roberts gives a cursory explanation of Nietzsche's term, he goes on to state, "But since the 1950s (roughly speaking), English-language scholars have stopped translating Übermensch as 'Superman,' generally preferring the translation 'Overman.'" Roberts seems to be more than a little amused by some of the explanations generally given for the preference, when he (and anyone with more than three functioning brain cells) knows that English-language philosophers couldn't stand the thought of having their wonderful philosphical concept compared to a mere comic book character like the Man Of Steel.
In "You Will Believe A Man Can Walk," Sarah Zettel writes about actor Christopher Reeve, both in the roles he had other than Superman, and about his life following the 1995 accident that left him paralyzed. She opens her essay by mentioning a certain scene in the movie Deathtrap (yes, that scene), and her reaction when she initially saw the movie was quite close to what mine was when I saw the movie.
Keith R.A. DeCandido takes a look not only at Christopher Reeve, but at all of the actors to portray the Man Of steel in "Actor And Superactor." At the time The Man From Krypton was published, Superman Returns was still in production, so this was taking a look at the very big red boots that Brandon Routh was going to have to fill. I agree with DeCandido on a few things. I get the impression that, like me, his first exposure to Superman outside of the comics was Bud Collyer's voice. There is something about the way that Collyer dropped his voice an octave as he said, "This is a job . . . for Superman!" that makes it quintessential. On the other hand, I like Dean Cain's portrayal of the part much better than Reeve's, and I suspect that we could get into an argument on that subject.
And speaking of the star of Superman Returns, Lou Anders has "A Word Of Warning For Brandon Routh." Anders takes a look at the so-called "Superman curse" that has befallen a number of actors to play the part. His thread of logic gets stretched very thin, especially when he draws parallels to the US Presidents who have died in office. Very thin indeed.
In "The Mirror Of Gilgamesh," John G. Hemry writes about the one person that Superman fears the most, and the one person without whom he would fall victim to that greatest fear. And yes, in the process, Hemry does make some comparisons to the ancient myth of Gilgamesh.
Chris Roberson's "Jewel Mountains And Fire Falls" takes a look at Krypton itself. The backstory of Superman's birthworld has changed as much as he has over the years, as different writers and editors have added information on the now-lost planet, edited it, and in a couple of cases completely revamped what we knew.
And as I mentioned at the beginning, "Man Of Steel, Woman Of Kleenex" is reprinted here. I was a little disappointed at its positioning in the book. It should have either been the first essay, or at the very end (saving the best for last). Instead, Yeffeth chose to put it somewhere in the middle.
This is but a sampling of the essays in The Man From Krypton. Other essays take a look at Lex Luthor, at the TV series Smallville, at the idea of Superman as modern mythology, and at the parallels between Superman and Batman, among other topics. But I won't give a rundown of every single essay, because what would be the point of your picking up the book and reading it for yourself?
The Man From Krypton presents a vast array of viewpoints -- or at least as vast as you can get in 20 essays. Even if you find the thesis of one essay to be absurd, boring, or just merely annoying, turning a few pages will bring another essay with something that is perhaps more palatable to your tastes.
There is one more piece that I wish Yeffeth had included in The Man from Krypton. That would be the lyrics to Tom Smith's filk "Superman's Sex Life Boogie." Yes, it was inspired by Niven's essay. (As I understand it, Niven was delighted when he first heard the song, and even joined Smith in singing it at a convention where the two were guests.) Perhaps if BenBella publishes another collection of Superman essays, it will be included.
And I think there is potential for another collection of closer looks at Superman. The Man Of Tomorrow has been around for almost 70 years (next year marks the 70th anniversary of Action Comics #1), and the character has become thoroughly ingrained in our culture in those seven decades. There are a lot more viewpoints out there. Finding and collecting them -- well, that might be a job . . . for BenBella Books!
-30-
ENTRY #17
0708.29
Book Review
THE MAN FROM KRYPTON
Edited by Glenn Yeffeth
(Benbella Books, 2005, $17.95)
Do you want just one reason to get this collection of essays? Okay, how about this? Larry Niven's essay "Man Of Steel, Woman Of Kleenex" is reprinted here.
If I'm not mistaken, All The Myriad Ways has been out of print for at least a few years. And while Niven's somewhat irreverent look at Superman's sex life can be found on the Internet, there is just something about reading it in book form that makes it a little more . . . satisfying, I guess.
Okay, I did say that "Man Of Steel, Woman Of Kleenex" was a good enough reason to pick up this collection of essays (subtitled "A Closer Look At Superman") if you needed just one reason. If, on the other hand, you want more than just that one essay, there are 19 others for your edification as well. Some of the essays, like Niven's, take a look at the lighter side of the Man Of Steel. Others take a more serious, almost scholarly approach to the subject.
Lawrence Watt-Evans starts the collection with "Previous Issues." I am going to have a hard time looking at Superman's costume with a straight face for a while after reading this essay. There's a good chance that you will, too.
Adam Roberts asks the question "Is Superman A Superman?" In other words, is Kal-El a superman in the way that Friedrich Nietzsche meant when he coined the word Übermensch? As Roberts gives a cursory explanation of Nietzsche's term, he goes on to state, "But since the 1950s (roughly speaking), English-language scholars have stopped translating Übermensch as 'Superman,' generally preferring the translation 'Overman.'" Roberts seems to be more than a little amused by some of the explanations generally given for the preference, when he (and anyone with more than three functioning brain cells) knows that English-language philosophers couldn't stand the thought of having their wonderful philosphical concept compared to a mere comic book character like the Man Of Steel.
In "You Will Believe A Man Can Walk," Sarah Zettel writes about actor Christopher Reeve, both in the roles he had other than Superman, and about his life following the 1995 accident that left him paralyzed. She opens her essay by mentioning a certain scene in the movie Deathtrap (yes, that scene), and her reaction when she initially saw the movie was quite close to what mine was when I saw the movie.
Keith R.A. DeCandido takes a look not only at Christopher Reeve, but at all of the actors to portray the Man Of steel in "Actor And Superactor." At the time The Man From Krypton was published, Superman Returns was still in production, so this was taking a look at the very big red boots that Brandon Routh was going to have to fill. I agree with DeCandido on a few things. I get the impression that, like me, his first exposure to Superman outside of the comics was Bud Collyer's voice. There is something about the way that Collyer dropped his voice an octave as he said, "This is a job . . . for Superman!" that makes it quintessential. On the other hand, I like Dean Cain's portrayal of the part much better than Reeve's, and I suspect that we could get into an argument on that subject.
And speaking of the star of Superman Returns, Lou Anders has "A Word Of Warning For Brandon Routh." Anders takes a look at the so-called "Superman curse" that has befallen a number of actors to play the part. His thread of logic gets stretched very thin, especially when he draws parallels to the US Presidents who have died in office. Very thin indeed.
In "The Mirror Of Gilgamesh," John G. Hemry writes about the one person that Superman fears the most, and the one person without whom he would fall victim to that greatest fear. And yes, in the process, Hemry does make some comparisons to the ancient myth of Gilgamesh.
Chris Roberson's "Jewel Mountains And Fire Falls" takes a look at Krypton itself. The backstory of Superman's birthworld has changed as much as he has over the years, as different writers and editors have added information on the now-lost planet, edited it, and in a couple of cases completely revamped what we knew.
And as I mentioned at the beginning, "Man Of Steel, Woman Of Kleenex" is reprinted here. I was a little disappointed at its positioning in the book. It should have either been the first essay, or at the very end (saving the best for last). Instead, Yeffeth chose to put it somewhere in the middle.
This is but a sampling of the essays in The Man From Krypton. Other essays take a look at Lex Luthor, at the TV series Smallville, at the idea of Superman as modern mythology, and at the parallels between Superman and Batman, among other topics. But I won't give a rundown of every single essay, because what would be the point of your picking up the book and reading it for yourself?
The Man From Krypton presents a vast array of viewpoints -- or at least as vast as you can get in 20 essays. Even if you find the thesis of one essay to be absurd, boring, or just merely annoying, turning a few pages will bring another essay with something that is perhaps more palatable to your tastes.
There is one more piece that I wish Yeffeth had included in The Man from Krypton. That would be the lyrics to Tom Smith's filk "Superman's Sex Life Boogie." Yes, it was inspired by Niven's essay. (As I understand it, Niven was delighted when he first heard the song, and even joined Smith in singing it at a convention where the two were guests.) Perhaps if BenBella publishes another collection of Superman essays, it will be included.
And I think there is potential for another collection of closer looks at Superman. The Man Of Tomorrow has been around for almost 70 years (next year marks the 70th anniversary of Action Comics #1), and the character has become thoroughly ingrained in our culture in those seven decades. There are a lot more viewpoints out there. Finding and collecting them -- well, that might be a job . . . for BenBella Books!
-30-
