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Wild Cards #21.2
When We Were Heroes
George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards multi-author shared-world universe has been thrilling readers for over 25 years. Now, in addition to overseeing the ongoing publication of new Wild Cards books (like 2011's Fort Freak), Martin is also commissioning and editing new Wild Cards stories for publication on Tor.com. Daniel Abraham's "When We Were Heroes" is an affecting examination of celebrity, privacy, and the different ways people deal with notoriety and fame--problems not made easier when what you're famous for are superpowers that even you don't fully understand.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 16, 2013
14 people are currently reading
416 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Abraham
268 books3,063 followersDaniel James Abraham, pen names M.L.N. Hanover and James S.A. Corey, is an American novelist, comic book writer, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known as the author of
The Long Price Quartet
and
The Dagger and the Coin
fantasy series, and with Ty Franck, as the co-author of
The Expanse
series of science fiction novels, written under the joint pseudonym James S.A. Corey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 13, 2022
Severely, not my cup of tea. DNF at 35%
May 4, 2023
Two intersecting stories. Curveball meets a guy, who--wonder of wonders--doesn't recognize her. And an agonized Bugsy recounts the job that led him to quit the Committee; his failure as a leader allowed innocent people to be killed.
I like these quiet stories, the ones that take place in between the action scenes. Kate and Jonathan are characters here, not superheroes.
I believe this was the first of the Tor Wild Cards ebooks and I can see why it led to a bunch more.
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https://www.tor.com/2013/01/16/when-w...
I like these quiet stories, the ones that take place in between the action scenes. Kate and Jonathan are characters here, not superheroes.
I believe this was the first of the Tor Wild Cards ebooks and I can see why it led to a bunch more.
-------------------
https://www.tor.com/2013/01/16/when-w...
January 18, 2025
Getting ambushed by a paparazzo is bad enough when it's because of your job, but when it's simply because of what you are - an Ace - then something needs to be done.
There's a sadness in this short story and an inevitable loneliness. The cards are literally stacked against having a private life when you're a hero. Abraham's modern noir style suits this story - which has been going on in one form or another for decades.
There's a sadness in this short story and an inevitable loneliness. The cards are literally stacked against having a private life when you're a hero. Abraham's modern noir style suits this story - which has been going on in one form or another for decades.
February 4, 2014
Long before A Game of Thrones and the rest of the immensely popular book series in which that book is the first, and its television counterpart, George R.R. Martin and a group of comic book fans/roleplaying game enthusiasts, now some of the more notable authors of science-fiction and fantasy, got together and launched a shared world series with one question in mind:
How would people with superpowers act in a real-world setting?
In the years after World War II, an alien virus, dubbed the "Wild Card" was unleashed on the Earth. 90 percent of those who got the virus died instantly. 9 percent became disfigured, some horribly, some not so much. These 9 percenters were known as "Jokers". The remaining 1 percent acquired a superhuman talent or ability and were called "Aces". And for the next 25 years, books were written and stories were told about these Wild Cards and their impact on the world. And the one thing fans like myself took away from the books: superpowers don't always make it better.
When We Were Heroes is the first of a series of short stories that takes place in the Wild Cards universe, and written by long time Wild Cards scribe Daniel Abraham.
Blogger/journalist Jonathan Tipton-Clarke, a.k.a. Jonathan Hive a.k.a. Bugsy, has left the United Nations peacekeeping task force known as the Committee and is now working for Aces! magazine, and it's in that capacity that he finds and takes photos of ex-Committee member and celebrity Ace Kate Brandt, a.k.a. Curveball, out on the Manhattan town with a new beau.
Kate sees her love life splashed across the tabloid and angrily confronts Jonathan in his apartment. What follows is a poignant and cautionary tale about the price of fame, privacy, responsibility, and the continuing undertone that superpowers don't always make it better.
This doesn't have to be read with the others in mind and if anything, if you aren't a fan, maybe it will encourage you to check out What Has Come Before. A long and venerable series that, thanks to its contributors, who now include new authors like Cherie Priest, never becomes stale and is always evolving.
Great story, four stars. If you're a fan of GRRM, you have to check out Wild Cards.
How would people with superpowers act in a real-world setting?
In the years after World War II, an alien virus, dubbed the "Wild Card" was unleashed on the Earth. 90 percent of those who got the virus died instantly. 9 percent became disfigured, some horribly, some not so much. These 9 percenters were known as "Jokers". The remaining 1 percent acquired a superhuman talent or ability and were called "Aces". And for the next 25 years, books were written and stories were told about these Wild Cards and their impact on the world. And the one thing fans like myself took away from the books: superpowers don't always make it better.
When We Were Heroes is the first of a series of short stories that takes place in the Wild Cards universe, and written by long time Wild Cards scribe Daniel Abraham.
Blogger/journalist Jonathan Tipton-Clarke, a.k.a. Jonathan Hive a.k.a. Bugsy, has left the United Nations peacekeeping task force known as the Committee and is now working for Aces! magazine, and it's in that capacity that he finds and takes photos of ex-Committee member and celebrity Ace Kate Brandt, a.k.a. Curveball, out on the Manhattan town with a new beau.
Kate sees her love life splashed across the tabloid and angrily confronts Jonathan in his apartment. What follows is a poignant and cautionary tale about the price of fame, privacy, responsibility, and the continuing undertone that superpowers don't always make it better.
This doesn't have to be read with the others in mind and if anything, if you aren't a fan, maybe it will encourage you to check out What Has Come Before. A long and venerable series that, thanks to its contributors, who now include new authors like Cherie Priest, never becomes stale and is always evolving.
Great story, four stars. If you're a fan of GRRM, you have to check out Wild Cards.
April 5, 2014
this is another of the Wild Card short stories - and where before the stories have centred on what the wild card gift (or curse) has changed their life or outlook upon it, this story centres on the fact that even with these gifts there are some aspects of their lives which are painfully familiar (and to those without such gifts) and even to our lives as well. This really is what makes the series so appealing - you have the ability to mix the extraordinary and the ordinary and still make it totally compelling
March 23, 2023
Written by one half of Expanse author James S.A. Corey, this short story is set in the downtime between the more obvious action pieces of George R.R. Martin's superhero world. It's a reflection on the price of fame and failure for those who have powers - in this case, Curveball and Bugsy, both former members of this world's equivalent of the Avengers or the Justice League. (Although the nature of the world is such that that's rather a strained analogy).
It's not a jumping-on point for the wider series, relying as it does on knowing the characters and their backgrounds, but it's a well-written emotional piece about the sort of strains that having superpowers can't help you with.
It's not a jumping-on point for the wider series, relying as it does on knowing the characters and their backgrounds, but it's a well-written emotional piece about the sort of strains that having superpowers can't help you with.
October 12, 2019
I've decided to catch up on the Wild Cards universe-to that end I am systematically seeking out every bit of unread Wild Cards fiction I can get my hands on. When We Were Heroes is the first work I've read by Daniel Abraham and I think it's a good little story. This features three interwoven tales: Curveball's spontaneous attempt to have a normal life, Hive's tragic past experience as a UN peacekeeper in Africa, and the interaction of these two characters when Hive invades Curveball's privacy for the sake of gossip journalism.
August 18, 2019
I'm a fan of Abraham in general, so I figured this would be a Wild Cards story I'd actually enjoy. And I did!
This one doesn't really need any super knowledge of the universe to enjoy, as it's one of those tales as old as time. It was kind of funny though - I just finished watching The Boys and found a little smidge of parallel with this story as well. Lovely little story intertwined with a more scarred one.
This one doesn't really need any super knowledge of the universe to enjoy, as it's one of those tales as old as time. It was kind of funny though - I just finished watching The Boys and found a little smidge of parallel with this story as well. Lovely little story intertwined with a more scarred one.
January 30, 2021
I really like the idea behind this story. Even though the super human angle is an old hat by now. But the way Abraham is writing is just too jumpy, it is all over the place and doesn't fit the story in my opinion.
February 5, 2018
Confusing
October 1, 2019
Fan of Wild Cards universe? If so, there are quite a number of Kindle shorts/novella-length works available. Collect them all. No box tops needed to complete your set.
April 9, 2023
Where does public and private meet
An interesting short looking at what can happen when celebrity culture meets the need for a private life. A good read
An interesting short looking at what can happen when celebrity culture meets the need for a private life. A good read
March 25, 2016
Kate has a night free in NY when a guy asks her to join him and his friends for dinner after a particularly … I’ll go with interesting play. It is not until half way through the meal that his friends realise he has mistaken her for someone else. She’s not just Kate, she’s Curveball the wildcard who can throw explosions and that’s why she looks familiar.
Within hours, a shot of her kissing the man, Tyler, appears on a gossip web-page.
She knows who spied on her, the question is why and will Tyler still want to see her? Does she get a chance to be even a little bit mundane?
***
I often think being recognisably famous would be awful. Especially these days when there are entire websites devoted to those privacy invading shots. Maybe if Kate didn’t care, she’d be tossing fireballs at them like Hunter S Thompson shooting at helicopters, but she does still care. What she finds is that her old friend Bugsy, so called because he can produce spy insects that connect to his body, has left the fold and gone to web journalism. In an attempt to control the Wildcards, there are committees set up to oversee and catalogue them. Kids who go through the change are still lost in the cracks, though. Bugsy tells her what happened when a few of them were sent off to guard a humanitarian project that some of the locals objected to.
Having superpowers really doesn’t make any part of your life easier.
Another Wildcards story from George RR Martin’s multi-author shared-world universe. It’s been going for more than 25 years now. And is one of the reasons why he’s too busy to write that other thing.
Read it here:
http://www.tor.com/2013/01/16/when-we...
I always adore the Tor covers, too.
4 stars
Within hours, a shot of her kissing the man, Tyler, appears on a gossip web-page.
She knows who spied on her, the question is why and will Tyler still want to see her? Does she get a chance to be even a little bit mundane?
***
I often think being recognisably famous would be awful. Especially these days when there are entire websites devoted to those privacy invading shots. Maybe if Kate didn’t care, she’d be tossing fireballs at them like Hunter S Thompson shooting at helicopters, but she does still care. What she finds is that her old friend Bugsy, so called because he can produce spy insects that connect to his body, has left the fold and gone to web journalism. In an attempt to control the Wildcards, there are committees set up to oversee and catalogue them. Kids who go through the change are still lost in the cracks, though. Bugsy tells her what happened when a few of them were sent off to guard a humanitarian project that some of the locals objected to.
“We had Snowblind and a couple of new guys. Stone Rockford and Bone Dancer.”
“Stone Rockford?”
“Yeah, well. Be gentle with the new kids, right? All the cool names are taken.”
Having superpowers really doesn’t make any part of your life easier.
Another Wildcards story from George RR Martin’s multi-author shared-world universe. It’s been going for more than 25 years now. And is one of the reasons why he’s too busy to write that other thing.
Read it here:
http://www.tor.com/2013/01/16/when-we...
I always adore the Tor covers, too.
4 stars
February 7, 2013
(This is a Wild Cards Short Story)
As the rain pelts down on New York City, Kate (Curveball) pays Jonathan (Bugsy) a visit at his brownstone, and she is not happy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to tell you so much about this story, but it would spoil it.
If you are up on the latest WC stories, this is another green, buzzing gem addressing the price of fame, the limits of power, regrets and hopes.
Ok, ok! One spoiler! I think Bugsy announced his presence more than once, there. She should have figured that out. Wasps and bees do not fly in the rain! So, Fair Game! Phew. Oh, I feel so much better, now.
As the rain pelts down on New York City, Kate (Curveball) pays Jonathan (Bugsy) a visit at his brownstone, and she is not happy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to tell you so much about this story, but it would spoil it.
If you are up on the latest WC stories, this is another green, buzzing gem addressing the price of fame, the limits of power, regrets and hopes.
Ok, ok! One spoiler! I think Bugsy announced his presence more than once, there. She should have figured that out. Wasps and bees do not fly in the rain! So, Fair Game! Phew. Oh, I feel so much better, now.
February 7, 2013
pretty good story that switches between what happened last evening and what is happening now. Of course the what's happening now also contains a retelling of a story from a while back.
First foray into this new world of Aces and heroes with extraordinary abilities. I have to say it is very intriguing and makes me want to actually read the first book. On the other hand, having not had this introduction, i was a bit lost for much of the story as i had to fill in the gaps about the why and hows of the Aces.
First foray into this new world of Aces and heroes with extraordinary abilities. I have to say it is very intriguing and makes me want to actually read the first book. On the other hand, having not had this introduction, i was a bit lost for much of the story as i had to fill in the gaps about the why and hows of the Aces.
March 22, 2016
What a great short read! The story really had depth and there was enough action and emotion that took this reader there, and maybe I've never been to Manhattan and smelled the rain, but I certainly feel like I have. It's not overly long, and the premise is based on a mutation that isn't quite rare, but it doesn't affect everyone, and the mutation gives the individual some random super-power. The issue of privacy underlines the storyline, but it's a familiar thing for people these days in which our own privacy is often at risk.
August 2, 2022
When We Were Heroes (ebook)
by Daniel Abraham
A look at the heroes of the American Hero television show after all the events in the Inside strait, Busted flush and Suicide Kings. Bugsy has come to realize that despite all his powers he is not invulnerable. He has lost parts of himself as the events cost him his nature and capacity. Curveball, reminisces her role in changing the world, and what it costs her. The story shows the human nature of the Aces and the cost of being a role model and ideal.
by Daniel Abraham
A look at the heroes of the American Hero television show after all the events in the Inside strait, Busted flush and Suicide Kings. Bugsy has come to realize that despite all his powers he is not invulnerable. He has lost parts of himself as the events cost him his nature and capacity. Curveball, reminisces her role in changing the world, and what it costs her. The story shows the human nature of the Aces and the cost of being a role model and ideal.
January 26, 2013
A very nice addition to the Wild Cards canon, this novella tells two intertwined, bitter-sweet stories on the consequences of fame. Presented in flash-backs and reminiscences the plot still remains easy to follow, with a framing story to give some context. The characters are well-drawn and I especially liked the exploration of Kate's emotional reactions.
Note that this story is particularly good if you've read the most recent Wildcards Triad but still recommended without.
Note that this story is particularly good if you've read the most recent Wildcards Triad but still recommended without.
July 22, 2013
Having read the first five wild cards novels and half way through the sixth, I was looking forward to this short. I wasn't disappointed. It's a very poignant story about loss of privacy and regret and about living with secrets that are thrust upon you rather than chosen. I love the way this is written. You can feel the lump in your throat growing as the story unfolds.
Wonderfully done. Highly recommended.
Wonderfully done. Highly recommended.
January 23, 2013
I enjoyed this story a lot. It was a neat trick contrasting the current lame lives the lead characters led with their epic superhero past. Also, the characters were nicely drawn, seeming like genuine people. It's cool how in this universe superheores eventually seem to sell out and become, well, prosaic.
February 14, 2015
Another Tor.com short story
I liked it, but I think I would have liked it more if I'd read other things in this Universe. Apparently there comics? I also felt that this story was just a little sad, and it also touches on other things that we look at in the news today, unfix-able problems that make people of good sense feel melancholy and helpless.
I liked it, but I think I would have liked it more if I'd read other things in this Universe. Apparently there comics? I also felt that this story was just a little sad, and it also touches on other things that we look at in the news today, unfix-able problems that make people of good sense feel melancholy and helpless.
August 10, 2013
Short story set in a universe with an X-Men-ish sub-population. Perhaps if I had read the works from which this was derived first (which originated in the mind of George R R Martin, so it's gotta be pretty good) I'd have rated this higher. Still, a good brief tale of a superheroine dealing with a new fling in the public eye.
January 17, 2013
My first Wild Cards story, but likely not my last, especially if Daniel Abraham is writing them . . .
July 29, 2013
I have never read any Wild Cards books, so maybe this short story is lost on me. The writing was great, loved the quickness of the pace and its ability to portray emotions without too much detail.
September 11, 2014
Loved it. Especially that line Tyler says about how it's not just aces, it's everyone, who wants to escape the roles people expect of them now and then.
March 3, 2015
heroes are another kind of celebrities. this short story tells us that their personal lives are a source of entertainment to others. nothing new…
May 7, 2015
OK story. Perfectly understandable as a stand alone short story, but it lacks punch. Maybe it would have been more exciting if I understood the characters' backgrounds. Mild and forgettable.
May 9, 2015
One of my favorite Wild Cards stories so far. It's like Young Justice and Watchmen put together. And, well, Bugsy is great.
June 14, 2015
introspection into privacy vs public need to know, celebrity news...for superheros. Interesting?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews