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The Many Deaths of Dynamistress
Reckoning
There is much disagreement about when super-powered metahumans began to appear. Most scientists believe the first births were in the '40s, perhaps the '30s, although there is a small (but vocal) minority claiming they have always been among us. More than anything else, young Dinah Geof-Craigs wanted to be one of them, to be famous, to be on the cover of Supers magazine. But puberty came and went without the meta-mutation that would imbue her with superhuman abilities. Mother Nature had cheated her of what she deserved. And that would simply not do.
In Reckoning - the first volume of a trilogy about the metahuman known as Dynamistress - award-winning author Vincent M. Wales ( Wish You Were Here, One Nation Under God ) gives us the memoir of the world's first self-made metahuman. But it is less a story of becoming a superhero than it is the story of a flawed woman becoming whole.
In Reckoning - the first volume of a trilogy about the metahuman known as Dynamistress - award-winning author Vincent M. Wales ( Wish You Were Here, One Nation Under God ) gives us the memoir of the world's first self-made metahuman. But it is less a story of becoming a superhero than it is the story of a flawed woman becoming whole.
274 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2013
20 people want to read
About the author
Vincent M. Wales
5 books10 followersVincent M. Wales was raised in the small town of Brockway, Pennsylvania, where he frequently complained about the weather. Since then, he has worn many hats, including writing instructor, suicide prevention crisis counselor, essayist, Big Brother, freethought activist, wannabe rock star, and award-winning novelist.
He spends most of his writing time in coffee shops, since his cats fail to grasp the entire concept of “writing time.”
He currently lives in Sacramento, California, where he frequently complains about the weather.
He spends most of his writing time in coffee shops, since his cats fail to grasp the entire concept of “writing time.”
He currently lives in Sacramento, California, where he frequently complains about the weather.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 10, 2016
This book is well written, well edited, enjoyable to read. It is also a top notch entry in the genre of superhero fiction, with a unique autobiographical format and style. The main character's story is not primarily a super hero story, though there is a hero story in there, it is the story of who she is and how she got to be who she is "today".
I absolutely loved reading Reckoning.
I absolutely loved reading Reckoning.
December 30, 2017
So, being that I’m not a woman, or a lesbian, I need to find out just how well this was written. Because from my perspective, the author did a decent job of writing a coming-of-age lesbian superhero story.
Coming of age was just part of it. It was part science, part philosophy, and it even spent a decent amount of time on social issues. I really liked getting into Dinah’s head. And I’ll definitely be picking up the next volume.
Coming of age was just part of it. It was part science, part philosophy, and it even spent a decent amount of time on social issues. I really liked getting into Dinah’s head. And I’ll definitely be picking up the next volume.
June 25, 2015
A huge disclaimer: I know the author, and we roleplayed together in the now gone City of Heroes MMO. I was grateful to know him and play with him and his character, Dynamistress.
That being said, I enjoyed the book, and I believe I did without feeling the pressure of reviewing the book of someone who's a friend -- or having to be too harsh to compensate for my perceived bias. I liked the character, the writing style, the incredible amount of research that went into the book, and there was a taste of nostalgia that sent me again to the streets of Paragon city.
However, this book lost a star because I don't like biographies. They bore me, and this is not a superhero book -- this is a book about a young woman with a complicated life... who happens to be a metahuman\superhero. It's marketed as a biography, it reads as one, and while I enjoyed it (I devoured it in a couple of hours) I still can't say that I like the genre.
The second lost star is because... well, Dynamistress is a very interesting, very warm, very real character, but she is not particularly... inspiring. Her motivations, while real, are still petty (she wants fame, so she uses science to mutate herself!) she has a complicated life with heartbreak and lack of money, and bigot parents who disapprove of her homosexuality -- but those issues quickly take a backseat, so I was sorta disappointed by the prefacium, which promised me something different from the other "Superhero Biographies" out there, that it wasn't just vapid pontificating about the meta's thoughts and achievements...
... except that that was exactly what it turned out to be. Dyna is not faced with difficult choices, or ethical dilemmas that come from her condition as both a meta, a self-made superhero or a lesbian. She's just there, spoon-feeding us what she did.
And whatever you do, don't play a drinking game with her love life (Take a Shot Whenever Dyna Finds A New Love Interest). You'll be dead by the end of the second book.
That being said, I enjoyed the book, and I believe I did without feeling the pressure of reviewing the book of someone who's a friend -- or having to be too harsh to compensate for my perceived bias. I liked the character, the writing style, the incredible amount of research that went into the book, and there was a taste of nostalgia that sent me again to the streets of Paragon city.
However, this book lost a star because I don't like biographies. They bore me, and this is not a superhero book -- this is a book about a young woman with a complicated life... who happens to be a metahuman\superhero. It's marketed as a biography, it reads as one, and while I enjoyed it (I devoured it in a couple of hours) I still can't say that I like the genre.
The second lost star is because... well, Dynamistress is a very interesting, very warm, very real character, but she is not particularly... inspiring. Her motivations, while real, are still petty (she wants fame, so she uses science to mutate herself!) she has a complicated life with heartbreak and lack of money, and bigot parents who disapprove of her homosexuality -- but those issues quickly take a backseat, so I was sorta disappointed by the prefacium, which promised me something different from the other "Superhero Biographies" out there, that it wasn't just vapid pontificating about the meta's thoughts and achievements...
... except that that was exactly what it turned out to be. Dyna is not faced with difficult choices, or ethical dilemmas that come from her condition as both a meta, a self-made superhero or a lesbian. She's just there, spoon-feeding us what she did.
And whatever you do, don't play a drinking game with her love life (Take a Shot Whenever Dyna Finds A New Love Interest). You'll be dead by the end of the second book.
July 9, 2020
Parellel universes, fringe science and superheroes. Three of my favorite things.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews