Less Than Hero

by S.G. Browne

With the razor-sharp satire that earned him rave reviews for Big Egos and Lucky Bastard, among others, S.G. Browne delivers another irresistible read, about an unlikely band of heroes who use their medical complications to gain fame, confront villains, and bring their own unique brand of justice to New York City.Faster than a spreading rash! More powerful than dry heaves! Able to put villains to sleep with a single yawn! Convulsions. Nausea. Headaches. Sudden weight gain. For the pharmaceutical soldiers on the front lines of medical science—volunteers who test experimental drugs for cash—these common side effects are a small price to pay to defend your right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of antidepressants. Lloyd Prescott, thirty-year-old professional guinea pig and victim of his own inertia, is the first to notice the bizarre, seemingly implausible consequences of years of testing not-quite-legal his lips go numb, he becomes overwhelmed with exhaustion, and instantly a stranger crumples into a slumbering heap before him. Under cover of night, Lloyd and his guinea pig friends band together to project their debilitating side effects onto petty criminals who prey upon the innocent. When a horrible menace with powers eerily similar to their own threatens the city, only one force can stop this the handful of brave men who routinely undergo clinical trials. “One of America’s best satiric novelists” (Kirkus Reviews), S. G. Browne fills the prescription for a hilarious and biting commentary on our overmedicated society. Citizens, rest assured that tonight, no matter your ailment—anxiety, depression, super villains—there’s a pill to save the day.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Superheroes, Humor, Satire, Adventure, Novels

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2015

About the author

S.G. Browne is the author of the novels Less Than Hero, Big Egos, Lucky Bastard, Fated, and Breathers, as well as the eBook short story collection Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel and the heartwarming holiday tale I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus. His new short story collection, Lost Creatures, blends fantasy, science fiction, dark comedy, and magical realism.

He's an ice cream connoisseur, Guinness aficionado, cat enthusiast, and a sucker for dark comedies. You can learn more about S.G. Browne and his writing at www.sgbrowne.com

Reviews

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions)]

Pages read: 187

I've been struggling slowly through Less Than Hero for a number of days. It was one of the books contributing to my slump. Still, I wanted to finish it, because there's a lot that's very clever about this book. I really like the concept, which is superheroes as a social commentary on our pharmaceutical culture. That part is top notch.

My problem lies in the characters. They're all flat and stereotyped, aside, maybe, from the first person POV MC, Lloyd, who is just kind of boring and unmotivated. Just now, I was thinking about this book and I realized that, not only was it a book with a whole lot of dude feels (which, believe me, I picked up on immediately), but that there is only one female character of note halfway through the book. That female character is Lloyd's girlfriend Sophie, who is almost literally a manic pixie. Like, she actually plays a fairy in the park and throws pixie dust on everyone. She's every bit the fairy, flower child who works at an organic grocery. THE ONLY FEMALE CHARACTER. It's not like there couldn't have been a couple of women in their group of drug testing friends.

Some people like penis feels novels, but I'm not one of them. Peace out.

[Mali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty unique concept for a superhero book. I liked the dry humor and the way it wraps up is pretty good too!

[Cassandra Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW ALSO ON: http://bibliomantics.com/2015/03/16/w...

Less Than Hero is a fun new look at the superhero genre inspired by ridiculous drug side effects, human pharmaceutical testers and outcast superheroes like the Mystery Men, the X-Men and the duo in M. Night Shyamalan's only other good film: Unbreakable.

It was also originally a short story entitled "Dr. Lullaby" in Browne's collection Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel.

Have you read Browne's second novel Fated? The two tales take place in the same universe -- modern day New York City-- and are occurring at the same time so be on the lookout for crossovers! Browne revealed that oddly enough he came up with ideas for both books at 10PM "exactly 30 days apart."

Less Than Hero's narrator is Lloyd Prescott, a man with no ambition who enjoys living a non nine to five lifestyle testing drugs for pharmaceutical companies (called guinea pigging) and panhandling for money on the streets of New York City, which includes taking money in exchange for being insulted by strangers.

We also get a few interludes from the other guinea pigs Lloyd regularly keeps in contact with through a guinea pig support group, all of whom have been forced to test drugs for companies that pray on "the poor, uneducated, and desperate" so that those who can afford new drugs get them.

There's Charlie, the high school student who was forced to drop out to take care of his dying father and stepmother. A mishap with their wills left Charlie with no inheritance.

Frank is the patriarch of the group who lost it all when his wife left him and took their joint business with her. He spent his entire divorce settlement at the racetrack.

Next is the classic rock guru Randy, the horny flirt (get it? you get it) whose knee injury and lack of insurance led to high medical bills and eventual bankruptcy.

Vic was a middle school teacher who threatened the principal, putting him on a black list of all the school districts in the area.

And Blaine was the victim of payday advances after identity theft left him in a bind. To earn extra money to pay off the cash-advance fees, Blaine turned to guinea pigging.

Finally, there's Isaac, the stuttering wannabee thespian who can no longer get work due to his speech problems.

Before getting into testing, Lloyd was an independent contractor who lost his job. Unable to gain unemployment, he drained his life savings and took on two part-time minimum wage jobs to make ends meet before falling into the guinea pig life.

Unlike his fellow guinea pigs, Lloyd could return to the world of marketing -- his career five years prior -- but he lacks ambition, drive and instead chooses to sleepwalk through his existence, unsure of his place in the world, a fact which upsets his longtime girlfriend Sophie.

Eventually, the individual members of the group begin to realize that they have developed the uncanny ability to cause spontaneous vomiting, seizures, rashes, erections, tiredness and sudden weight gain in others -- common side effects of on the market pharmaceuticals, which leads them to believe their years of drug testing has literally empowered them.

With their super powers combined, the guinea pigs form a not-so elite group, first punishing the rude (loud cell phone talkers, people who don't hold open doors, those who are rude to food service workers) before moving onto protecting those who can't protect themselves: the homeless citizens of New York City.

As with any superheroes, they eventually must deal with mighty foes: supervillains causing hallucinations and memory loss, and Lloyd must deal with the realization that he may have finally stumbled across his destiny as the very symbolic Dr. Lullaby.

[Carl Alves · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Less Than Hero, S.G. Browne presents an entirely different take on the superhero genre than anything I have ever read before. Typically, superheroes have cool powers like the ability to fly, or super strength, or speed. In this novel, Lloyd and his band of heroes do things like put people to sleep, make them develop rashes all over their bodies, and blow up like human version of the Goodyear blimp. Not exactly an astounding array of powers. Not to mention the way they obtain their powers is quite odd, being the guinea pigs of pharmaceutical company clinical trials. And what would a superhero novel be without supervillains to counter them? In this case, the villains can steal people’s memories and create hallucinations. One thing is certain, Browne will never write a novel that isn’t entirely fascinating and interesting to read.

As usual, Browne writes in an easy going and professional manner. It’s always a breeze to read his books, something I appreciate. The premise is full of intrigue. I like the development of the characters’ powers and how they go about using it. These are unconventional heroes so it’s fitting that they should have an unconventional way of developing and using their abilities. There’s a lot to like in this novel. One area that I thought it falls short is that there is a lot of social commentary about the role of pharmaceutical drugs and how they are used in society. I don’t have a problem with that, but I did think it was a little heavy handed, and it often took me out of the story because those sections were lengthy. This is a cool novel that you will want to read.

Carl Alves - author of Reconquest: Mother Earth

[June Kramin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this novel. Just like with Fated, I wanted to keep notes from almost the first page so I could try to do a review some justice. I didn’t and really regret it, but maybe too much detail would make for spoilers. There is just so much to love about Lloyd. His personality is hysterical, yet so real I’m sure everyone will see a bit of themselves in him. His friends are a ton of fun as well. The one-liners are endless – I couldn’t count all the LOL moments. Less than heroes indeed, but what a fun story. I loved it from cover to cover. I really have to get on track & buy more of Scott’s books!

[Lisa Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this tongue in cheek book about pharmaceuticals, among other current issues. I thought it was hilarious & also sad at times.

[joey (thoughts and afterthoughts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

[See the full review at thoughts and afterthoughts.]

Rating: 3.5/5

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:
— Features the everyday apathetic hero fueled by ridiculous abilities (i.e. makes people vomit on will)
— Narrative follows a first-person POV, character vignettes, and snippets of news articles
— Socioeconomic diversity in characterization albeit non-descript nature of a [mostly] male cast
— Well paced, dialogue-driven page turner that can often find itself struggling with expositive info-dumps (e.g. listing side effects of certain drugs); bantering is full of sarcastic LOL-worthy wit
— Revelations feel a bit too neat and tidy; characters don’t experience steep growth





Initial Thoughts:
Whenever I see fantasy a la superhero, I will wave that wormy arm in the air holding a “sign me up banner”. I quite enjoy them; and this book is like the adult-ish take on all of the pew pew super power goodness without the actual inhumane abilities.

Full disclosure: I received a finished copy of Less Than Hero through PAI Media. I extend thanks to Gallery Books and the contact at Pai Media for providing me the opportunity to review this title.

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.


Premise
Imagine this: you’re a newly born adult, the owner of a solid degree from whatever college, and you’ve started the job you’ve always dreamed of. Then life kinda shits on you–and bam—you’re 30 years old, basically unemployed, lack a sense of direction and motivation, and are a public servant to rule them all: a guinea pig for pharmaceutical drug tests. Good trials are fortuitous and leave no lingering side effects. Then there are other times when…well, let’s just say you’ve had better days. You’re kind of society’s unsung hero. But after a recent clinical trial run, you start feeling rather bizarre. You make bank—so that’s good—but something feels off this time; something extraordinarily ordinary, and it only gets weirder when your yawn knocks a kid out in public with the zzz’s.

Setting
The narrative takes place in the state of New York and gives shout-outs to the hole-in-the-wall communities, food joints, and the various iconic landscapes within Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens’s. Regarding diversity in particular, Less Than Hero does reiterate the sentiments of “first world, white-people problems” but the caveat is that Browne’s characterizations are keenly self-aware and provokes a nuanced portrayal over and beyond the non-descript, white-skinned traditionalist.

See: embracing diversity extends beyond racial profiling. It can be visualized through socioeconomic portrayals on the rudimentary premise of simply walking a different life. Yes—the majority of the cast is white males. But because it’s set in America and follows the near-impoverished average bloke living the middle ground, I’ll challenge that the nature of these characters are vividly imagined and quite tangible as a representation of a key demographic.

There’s also something sublime about exposition that’s largely satire-based taking jabs at the pharmaceutical industry. Being in Iglooland (that’s Canada to you), I’m fairly certain that drug advertisements are banned. To read about it in a gritty, matter-of-fact style was actually amusing to me and it’s where the writing shines best. It’s jokingly honest in its portrayal of the obscene baggage that comes with the small caplets that are supposed to better the culture of lifestyle and choice. You can’t tell me you’ve never thought twice about the repercussions of substance use.

Narration
Less Than Hero follows the first-person account of Lloyd Prescott and incorporates vignettes of news reporting and the perspective of his friends (referred to as an interlude) to prop up the character-driven nature of this story. While there isn’t much of urgency in conflict to say that Less Than Hero has a prevalent plot, it’s the nonsensical life objectives (or lack thereof) enjoyed by the guinea pig misfits that keeps the ball rolling.

While the exposition may be refreshing for those who rarely hear about these advertisements aside from when they need a pop a pill, it can feel like an onslaught of info-dumps a la “this is drug a; the side effects include word-vomit-here”. I was okay with it for the most part though.

That being said, the writing maintained a good pace and does follow the conventions of superhero 101 (if I can call it that) from training to the final boss fight. The most obvious thing about the writing is in the conversational wit Browne is able to weave into the story. Imagine kicking back with your buds with a refreshing glass of your-choice-of-alcoholic-beverage and throw in genuine randomness of sarcastic banter where you’re chirping each other without discretion. That’s the meat and strength in this particular narrative. But then again, I’m a guy who finds a lot of things funny—so maybe I’m a terrible sample size.

Characters
Aside from the many laughs and the great deal of empathy I had for these characters, what stands out is the ridiculousness to which their new found abilities meld with each personality. At first, their voices do sound the same—I’ll admit confusion on my part—but that comes with not having explored their stories. It’s only until their tattered rags become unravelled that I begun to appreciate the immaturity and dynamics between this close knit group of friends.

Dialogue has a heavy hand in their respective growths. With socioeconomic diversity ranging from high school dropouts to divorcees, there’s a story representative of the struggles of the common stakeholder to life. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that some of these characters are hollow because they lack the aspiration throughout most of the book to be more than what they are. Although if you can write a story where their exchanges are some of the things you look forward to—character development itself can be passed as an afterthought of sorts.

The two characters that did matter from a growth standpoint are Lloyd and his girlfriend, Sophie. As the sole female voice in this story, she was definitely a no-nonsense type of lady (even if she scatters pixie dust everywhere). Their relationship struggles through the common tropes of miscommunication but it isn’t so much as a contrivance as it is simply Lloyd not knowing wtf to do to save exposure of his abilities. I mean, why scream something into the world unless you’re certain? You’d just look crazy at that point…and Lloyd has taken enough pills to go past crazy.

Overall
I’m unsure with how this story ended and the revelations therein. It just felt kind of easy. I enjoy the treatments of open-endedness and while it works to a certain degree for Less Than Hero, the fulfillment felt rather empty.

But of all the ridiculousness in the contemporary-inspired sci-fi superpowers given to these characters, the criticism this book offers is something to look forward to. I might be pulling for straws here but the storytelling feels like a knack on social cultures of big-box institutions influencing the everyday. By rooting the story in a hero-versus-villain mentality, the drugs (and abilities) take on a metaphorical pretense of encouraging a better way to live; to fit into that particular cookie-cutter mold. Through the abilities of the “villain”, there’s a sense that propaganda is used in subtle ways to immediately force snap judgments. It reasons that the certainty we hope for isn’t something that is self-justified but rather influenced by extraneous factors. That to move past the ordinary, the hero needs to create their own path.

Without a doubt, I had a good time with this book. It’s been a while since I laughed this much and if you can write a book where I’d be okay with just reading continual bickering, then I have to give you props for succeeding in that regard. Otherwise, the plot can be considered thin and not all character revelations worked for me. So come for the story but stay for the characters—that’s all I can really offer.

[See the full review at thoughts and afterthoughts.]

[Math le maudit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deuxième roman de cet auteur publié en moins d'un an, après l'excellent "La Destinée, la mort et moi : comment j'ai conjuré le sort" , sorti en fin d'année 2016.

On y retrouve les qualités d'écriture du Monsieur : dialogues ciselés, personnage forts, humour sous-jacent (bien qu'il soit un poil moins présent que dans ses romans précédents).

L'histoire se déroule à New-York, et on y suit un groupe de cobayes volontaires qui testent des médicaments pour les labos pharmaceutiques. Chacun d'entre eux y trouve son compte, les essais étant bien payés et permettant, à condition de mentir effrontément lors des entretiens préalables, de ramasser un joli pactole.

En effet, il est théoriquement interdit de cumuler plusieurs tests en même temps, ou de les enchaîner de manière répétée. Mais les choses étant ce qu'elles sont, et le coût de la vie à New-York étant ce qu'il est, notre bande de joyeux lurons a fait des tests pharmaceutiques son travail à plein temps.

On suit donc cette joyeuse bande de paumés qui sont prêts à mettre leur santé en danger moyennant finance, et qui se refile entre eux leur bons tuyaux sur les tests "rentables" du moment et les labos avec lesquels il est bon de bosser. Jusque là, à part une critique larvée du système de santé américain et de ses dérives (un thème qu'on rencontre de plus en plus régulièrement dans les textes d'auteurs américains de ces dernières années, et je pense notamment à "Les enfermés", de John Scalzi), le roman paraît plutôt gentillet...

Et puis, un événement vient tout chambouler. Le narrateur, un gars pas bien dans sa peau nommé Lloyd, se découvre un super-pouvoir, celui d'endormir les gens rien qu'en les regardant. Et il ne semble pas être le seul à avoir développé des pouvoirs puisque la presse ne tarde pas à parler de crimes d'un genre nouveau...

À partir de là, le roman devient plus délirant, Lloyd et ses amis devenant une ligue de super-héros s'étant fixé pour but la défense des SDF et marginaux de New-York. Tout cela n'allant pas, on s'en doute, sans quelques problèmes.

La découverte de ses pouvoirs va évidemment changer la vie de Lloyd et de ses amis cobayes, et l'amener à se poser moult questions sur sa relation avec sa compagne, Sophie, sur ce qu'il doit faire de son pouvoir et, plus largement de sa vie. On retrouve donc des préoccupations et des thématiques qui étaient déjà très présente (et même au cœur) de son texte précédent.

S. G. Browne situe d'ailleurs son récit dans le même univers, et le lecteur attentif reconnaîtra aux détours des pages, des personnages ou des scènes qu'on lui aura déjà dépeintes (avec un autre point de vue) dans La Destinée, la Mort et moi : comment j'ai conjuré le Sort. C'est assez intelligemment fait, pas gênant pour quelqu'un qui n'aurait pas lu le livre (les deux histoires sont indépendantes l'une de l'autre), et l'équivalent d'un sourire complice pour les autres.

Plus sombre que son texte précédent, Héros secondaires (c'est le titre VF), est un roman agréable, bien qu'un ton en-dessous à mon goût. L'humour y est moins présent, la situation dépeinte et sa conclusion plus douce-amère aussi.

[Casey Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unique take on superheroes that is fun and witty with some biting satire on Big Pharma. What if a bunch of guinea pigs (not literally) for new prescription drugs develop super powers that echo common side effects? The powers are fun and gross and not what you typically think of when you think about superheroes. These powers (narcolepsy, vomit, rashes, seizures, hallucinations) would be relegated to the D-List of the X-Men or really more like Minor Threats. But even with these powers, they still are able to do some good, like help homeless people from douchebags. Browne does a good job of keeping it, more or less grounded in reality. Almost to a fault, though. There are some parts of the book that read like "fun with research" - spouting out facts about pharmaceutical companies, drugs, the homeless and other aspects of the world. It doesn't quite take you out of the narrative, but it can become like a tangent that you wish would end sooner than it does. The cast of characters are all endearing and the romance between Lloyd and Sophia is charming and the ending is satisfactory. If you like your superheroes quirky, more Mystery Men than Marvel, you'll enjoy this book.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

It was very easy and quick to read since the chapters were so short... I loved the premise of the book - a socially critical, but funny / sarcastic tale of some not-really-super-heros 😂
The book touches on a lot of subjects that kind of make you think about how we handle some things in society today... but again not in a really heavy way, which I liked.

The ending is very "adult-book" in my opinion... if you're looking for a guaranteed HEA, maybe skip this one. Also not sure how to describe this: it was exciting, but not very gripping? I liked it and the pacing was good too, but I never felt totally sucked into the story.

[Kirsten Reay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one.. Lloyd is the Everyman who wants to make a difference in a world gone to doo-doo. I especially enjoyed the cameo of Fate and Destiny and the more I think about it the more I'm sure it was my own Destiny to read Mr. Browne's books in this particular order so I could appreciate the crossover between books. Makes me wonder what path I'm on... I like to think it's Destiny, but more times than not I envision my path being Fate. I guess only time will tell.

[Aiko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lloyd gagne sa vie en avalant différentes sortes de médicaments, pas toujours homologables, afin de faire avancer la recherche (ou plutôt l’industrie) pharmaceutique. Alors rien d’étonnant au fait qu’un jour, lui et ses amis cobayes se rendent compte que, peut-être, les nombreux tests ont laissés sur leurs corps un effet secondaire assez exceptionnel. Comme à son habitude, S.G. Browne parle de sujets sérieux d’un style satirique et léger, que ce soient l’hypocrisie de la pharmacologie ou les « dessous » du rêve américain avec sa violence et ses pertes de repères, il nous ouvre les yeux sur la réalité d’une époque avec humour et cynisme. Nous y retrouvons également des clins d’oeil à la culture populaire et une réflexion sur le karma et la destinée, thème déjà présent dans son roman précédent, La Destinée, la Mort et moi, comment j’ai conjuré le sort, dont de nombreuses références sont plus ou moins cachées dans ce nouveau texte. Héros secondaires est donc un roman de super-héros original et surtout très drôle !

[KateAlissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really offbeat book, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. The story itself is a little strange, but very inventive and unique, which always left me wanting more when I had to put it down. The narrator is an incredibly likeable character, and his situation spoke to me on a very personal level. I would highly recommend to anyone who is more into odd books.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for new-to-me authors at my public library. This book was the first I found.

I loved it! It amused me. It has some killer stats. It reminded me that there's a fine line between a hero, a superhero, and a villain. It's about slackers who become more. It's about fate. It's about karma.

It kept me reading all afternoon.

[lia · Rating 2 out of 5]

maybe 2.5, while reading it had very interesting points of views ab drugs but then the whole plot line cahngde into like oMg we are superheros like ik its fictional but the guys didnt have to be like omg we are like superheros the whole entire time like it got v repetetive and it was predictable that the guy who gave ppl boners was the villian

[Chuck McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bunch of guys sign up to receive payment in exchange for testing new drugs and find themselves exhibiting a range of unforeseen (and in some cases truly disgusting) abilities. As with so much of Browne's writing, this book is extremely funny, and serves as a great palette-cleanser to those sick of the same old DC and Marvel superhero tales. Highly recommended.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Less Than Hero to be mostly hilarious and occasionally insightful. It was just what I needed. Randy's use of band names to convey meaning was amazingly fun to play along with. To me, this book was almost The Humans by Matt Haig meets The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loveable loser Lloyd, a college graduate with a marketing degree, unable to find a job in his chosen field, cobbles together a livelihood from participating in drug trials and panhandling in Manhattan after being rescued from the clutches of abject poverty by a living pixie statue who hurts everything and everyone she loves by blowing glitter all over the place. Lloyd adores Sophie, but he’s not really sure what to do with her—he doesn’t feel successful or grown-up enough to make a long-term commitment and wonders whether she might be better off without him. A handful of Lloyd’s like-minded colleagues gathers regularly to play poker and compare notes on various drug studies, and after five years of being pumped full of chemicals, they all begin to experience something odd: each one has the ability to project one of their side effects onto others. The group of guys—all in their late-twenties to –thirties—seem to have something else in common: they are all searching for some kind of meaning in their lives, some higher purpose. They share a desire to live up to someone’s expectations (even if just their own); they want to do good. Thus, an unlikely band of superheroes—one for a new, less ambitious, chemical age—is born.


While the guys roam the streets of New York, controlling petty crime through making bullying punks vomit, fall asleep, suffer seizures, and other such contrivances, something is rotten in Denmark. Real criminals are somehow robbing citizens and tourists of their valuables and then erasing their memories. Lloyd, aka Dr. Lullaby, and his gang are on the case. Can they bust the bad guys, find their true destinies, and pick the right colored capes? Tune into Less Than Hero and find out.


S.G. Browne is the only writer I know who would dream of combining human guinea pigs, panhandling, and superheroes, and then somehow make it all work. His conversational tone, wit, and satire are a rare find on today’s literary landscape. Fans will enjoy the nods to Browne’s earlier work, while new readers won’t feel like they’re missing any inside jokes (but, they might be encouraged to seek out the author’s novel, Fated). While the writing is good, and the story is fully developed and told with style, I wanted to know more about Lloyd’s feelings of depression and inadequacy—call it schadenfreude, but I wanted to know more about why the guy had so decisively given up on life and couldn’t believe in himself. In any case, Less Than Hero is a fun satire worthy of wide attention.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

S. G. Browne has written a contemporary, change of pace novel that packs a strong message in a wrapper of fun.

"Less than Hero" is a social commentary introducing Lloyd Prescott, a thirty-year-old professional guinea pig. For the past five years he's participated in over 150 clinical trials.

The pharmaceutical companies have volunteers who test experimental drugs for cash. In a typical month, Lloyd can make over $3,000. He also has a part-time job where he stands in Central Park with various signs for handouts. One states that he will accept money for abuse. People call him all sorts of things and he just thanks them as he accepts their money.

Lloyd and a group of five friends who are also human guinea pigs. They wonder if all the drugs they put in their bodies could have any effect. This is answered in a humorous fashion as Lloyd and his friend, Randy, are on the J train to Manhattan. Three punks enter the train and begin harassing a homeless man. Eventually Randy tells them to leave the man alone. Lloyd is expecting the worse but stands beside his friend facing the punks. Lloyd nicknames them Cue Ball, Cornrows and Soul Patch.

As the train pulls into Essex Street station, Cue Ball's skin turns bright red and blotchy and he becomes covered with hives. His friends back away from him and Lloyd and Randy casually depart from the train.

There are many parts of the story that had me laughing out loud. Lloyd and his friends all exhibit various powers. Lloyd has the ability to fall asleep before him, another in the group causes diarrhea and vomiting.
The men decide to use their powers to protect the innocent. Examples of this are funny and funnier.

To add to the uniqueness, Lloyd's girlfriend is a human statue. She stands in Central Park as a Fairy, sprinkling pixie dust on those who leave her a contribution.

The characters are well described, the scenes are most entertaining and the story is a fun romp and is a critique of a broken and corrupt pharmaceutical industry.

For those wanting a good story and something different, this is the book I recommend.

I received a free book for my honest review.

[Andrea Blythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I wasn't as in to Less Than Hero as I have been with other books by S.G. Browne (and when I say that keep in mind that I LOVED Breathers and Fated). This was in part my own fault, as I went into reading this expecting more of an action-packed style superhero satire and was presented with more of a character driven pharmaceuticals satire. I should have expected this having read other books by Browne.

Lloyd Prescott is a professional guinea pig — that is, an otherwise healthy person paid to sign up for pharmaceutical trials in order to test for side effects. All this mixing of drugs, though, ends up having an unexpected consequence for Lloyd and his guinea pig buddies, when the group begins to develop the ability to project their side effects (such as narcolepsy, vomiting, seizures, rapid weight gain, etc.) on to other people — which of course leads them into trying to be superheroes. However, it there are super villains out there too, with their own abilities.

A large portion of the book deals with Lloyd's life as a guinea pig, how he feels without direction, and with his mostly happy relationship with his girlfriend. It's deep into the novel before the guys start to figure out that they have supernatural abilities and they joke around with their powers for a while before they find enough direction to become heroes. There's a pondering quality to the story and something almost, but not quite, plausible about these heroes, which makes it fun.

Although, Less Than Hero doesn't have the spectacular stunts featured in a Marvel movie, there is definitely a stand off and a "great power comes with great responsibility" feel to it. I rather liked how things wrapped up (or didn't wrap up). Plus, there was at least one cameo from a character in Fated, which was unexpected and awesome (you don't have to read Fated to get this story, but it's a fun reference for those who have).

[Alex Telander · Rating 4 out of 5]

It usually only takes a reader a couple of pages to know they’re reading an S. G. Browne novel, as they wrap their minds around a weird and wacky story, and Less Than Hero is another great, prime example of this. Here’s your one-sentence premise: what if some guys who have been human guinea pigs for years, testing new drugs and medications, suddenly developed stranger super powers?

Lloyd Prescott has been in the guinea pig program for a number of years now and it’s what he makes his living from. For a relatively decent wage, all he has to put up with are some uncomfortable, unsettling side effects. He meets up weekly with a group of guys who are also fellow guinea pigs to hang out, chat about their lives and share info about upcoming trials.

At one of these meetings Lloyd tells everyone about his new-found ability: he can make people fall asleep on command. And then the rest of the group – except one – reveal their strange new powers that they can cause unto others: violent vomiting, seizures, and erections, to name a few. The group decides to use their unusual powers for good and set out to help those in need. Meanwhile in New York there are two super villains – if you will — who can make people hallucinate and steal their memories.

While the main cast of superheroes could use a little diversity and maybe a female, Less Than Hero has to be the most bizarre yet entertaining superhero story out there. And in true Browne fashion, the reader doesn’t really know where it’s all going to go and what the ending will be like, they just keep going, enjoying the ride all the way.

Originally written on April 8, 2015 ©Alex C. Telander.

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[Jason Donnelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read this beast before it was released and am I glad I did! While, Scott said that there are a few differences between the advanced copy I read and the final, I still loved it. AND, the visitations of characters from past novels was a tip of the hat to fans of his previous work.

Hopefully I don't spoil anything, but this is your only warning...

The superheroes are awesome. You've NEVER seen a superhero like this, I mean, amnesia? Rashes? Freaking hallucinations? I loved it.

He also captured the intricacies of a relationship perfectly. It's all about the little details throughout the book that shows what people are willing to do to be in a relationship. I mean, the last time I put a cat to sleep, no one was happy... I guess bacon really can cure anything.

The arc of the story is perfect and it's a super fast read. ESPECIALLY if you know NYC. I live in the city and I felt like Scott had to have lived here at some point in his life, because he nails it. We were at the Whole Foods at Union Square, we walked through the parks, we were in Brooklyn. He didn't only hit on the big ones like Time Square and Central Park, it was awesome.

I wanted to say that the end felt like it was rushed, but in reality, I think I just didn't want it to end. After thinking about it over night, the end is the perfect super hero ending... or is it? ;-)

You did it again, Scott. Thank you!

[Jenevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review first published on My Blog.

What happens when your life doesn't end up going the way you expected and instead of being a highly successful businessman, you end up as a "professional" guinea-pig for the pharmaceutical companies? What does taking that many experimental drugs for years do to a person, both physically and mentally? Lloyd has been doing this for 5 years now and his life is just drifting along until he starts noticing that when he feels super tired and then let's out a big yawn, whoever was in the path of the yawn falls asleep and he feels instantly refreshed. When he starts discussing this with his other guinea-pig friends, they mention similar strange occurrences with different effects such as vomiting, rashes, and incredibly rapid weight gain. They start experimenting and find that they can learn to control these powers and decide that they must use them for good. The only problem is that they aren't the only ones who have been testing these drugs.

I enjoy S.G. Browne's generally sick sense of humor and satirical look at society and this did not disappoint. The commentary on society's use of pills to treat everything and then all the pills they have to take to counteract the side effects of the pills they are taking is brilliantly done.

[William Bentrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less Than Hero by S.G. Browne

This is black humor at it's peak. The main protagonist is an aimless young man who panhandles and sells his body for drug trials. The travesty of his life is illustrated by his lack of ambition and his less than stellar personality. How he and a band of not so merry misfits impact New York City is the basis of the story.

Lloyd is an unlikeable protagonist with a sub-teen level of ambition and maturity. The author has a distinctly different look at life. In the last book of his I read, I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus, I was struck by how his unique sense of humor can arouse intellectual humor. The contrast of the loser squad and their attempts to be more than they could be are poignantly painful. Lloyd and his pals are so pathetic that you bleed for them as you stifle your laughter. Stifling due the fact that is just seems wrong to find their lives and actions funny.

Don't despair, the ending will be better than you think.

This is a book for thoughtful reading as it casts light on a segment of society that for most of us is totally foreign.

Site: http://sgbrowne.com/novels/less-than-...

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a superhero story with a side of moral outrage. Lloyd and his buddies are the guys who have slipped through the cracks, who live in the ether between the economic classes, hanging on my the skin of their teeth (and the pharmaceuticals in their blood). When the drug trials they are endlessly volunteering for somehow result in their gaining bizarre superpowers, each has a reaction unique to his identity: denial, childlike enthusiasm, resigned acceptance, delusions of grandeur, and supervillainy. For those who enjoy obscure short-lived Canadian comedies, this book is like Testees combined with Mystery Men. It's not a terrible combination, hence what stars I've given it. But Browne's insistence on wedging rants and soapbox monologues in every nook, crevice and quiet moment is tedious and off-putting, turning a 250 page light-hearted romp into a 350 page indigent rant on the evils of big pharma, economics, city planning and anything else that is even remotely related to the narrative. Without the heaping pile of self-righteousness, this would have been a minimum four star book, with the ranting, it gets (a generous) three stars.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

S. C. Browne introduces us to a group of human guinea pigs who earn enough money by testing prescription drugs to float through life. Lloyd is one of them. He also panhandles in central park with funny signs like “Will take verbal abuse for money.” He has a permanent girl friend, Sophia who is a manager at an office, but also moonlights as a living statue of a fairy in the park. Then his small group of Less Than Hero (trade from Gallery Books) guinea pigs develop the ability to send drug side- effects to other people. Lloyd puts people to sleep, one of his friends gives people a rash, and a third causes rapid weight increase. But there’s some bad people out there. One erases memory and another causes hallucinations. Somehow this low ambition group gets the idea to protect the homeless from threatening thugs. It’s hard to read this tale without a smile on your face. Very enjoyable. Review printed by Philadelphia Weekly Press

[Kruunch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less Than Hero is a superhero yarn with a neat twist; the superheroes are products of a group of professional pharma guinea pigs.

Overall the author spins a decent superhero yarn, including everything from origin stories, to moral angst of what to do with super powers, concluding with handling super villains. It hits all of the basics of a superhero tale and does is in an entertaining enough fashion to merit 3 stars.

However, the book can be a little plodding at times which is a shame considering its short length. The pacing is uneven, and most of the time there is less satire, than heavy handed lecturing. While the book is entertaining, the read felt unsatisfying in the wit department and the characters themselves weren't the most interesting of human beings.

Overall, if you have a jones to read a superhero novel with a little bit of a twist, Less Than Hero will work. If you're on the fence about reading it, you're not missing much.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less Than Hero is certainly an off-beat superhero story, with a very original origin story for it's bumbling would-be saviors and villains. I found it to be a pleasant read, but not very gripping or earthshaking. The pace is leisurely with a few brief bouts of action, and the main character is a bit of a non-entity. Too much of the book is given over to his internal monologues, and as is often the case with superheroes, the villains are much more interesting than the protagonist. However, they receive very little time or attention. I don't know if this is an intended series, but the ending leaves lots of room for a sequel.

[Lemar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lloyd Prescott, the hero of Less Than Hero, is a guy who says, "I haven't so much participated in my life as I've watched it like a spectator, hoping my team finds a way to win". I like this guy, it's safe to say he's not pretentious. He has another positive attribute, he has trouble ignoring the suffering of people around him, including those he doesn't know, the homeless, the lonely. He would invite Eleanor Rigby over for dinner. He just can't turn away and this makes him an important hero of our time

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the crowded, hit-or-miss genre of misfit superheroes, Less than Hero settles comfortably in the middle of the pile. Millennials will no doubt appreciate the core group of young-ish New Yorkers who become professional pharmaceutical guinea pigs (and Central Park panhandlers/buskers) for lack of any better job opportunities. The book races along, amusingly if somewhat predictably, to a fairly enjoyable conclusion. It manages to avoid the dark tone of most superhero chronicles, though at the expense of any real sense of danger (for the main character, at least).