Wild Cards: Suicide Kings

George R. R. Martin & Daniel Abraham

Book 20 of Wild Cards

Language: English

Amazon Goodreads ISBN

Action & Adventure Anthologies Contemporary Fantasy Fiction General Science Fiction Speculative Fiction Superheroes

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: Dec 22, 2009

Pages: 448

Description:

Suicide Kings, Wild Cards Novel, George R.R. Martin

From Publishers Weekly

The 20th Wild Cards shared-universe novel (after 2008's Busted Flush ), written by six authors, continues developing an alternate present while killing off characters right and left. An alien virus released in 1946 killed 90% of humanity and turned 1% of the rest into superpowered aces. Now many aces, like Noel Double Helix Matthews, want out of the superhero gig, but they reunite to challenge evil idealist Tom The Radical Weathers, possibly the world's most powerful ace. Noel and his comrades also discover children forced into experiments that will make ace soldiers of a few, while being horrendously lethal for the rest. Martin and his stable of authors have created a relentless story that will appeal to readers who like action gritty to the point of ruthlessness, cynical politics and only fragile bubbles of hope. (Dec.)
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From Booklist

The latest Wild Cards anthology-novel is even grimmer than its predecessors, thanks to the choice of Africa as principal setting, for the Wild Cards’ Africa is much grimmer than its counterpart in our world, thanks to greater use of child soldiers, killing and being killed in abundance and devastating the future prospects of their homelands. The Wild Cards (most of them represented here in one story or another) have their hands full and their powers strained to the limit by the sheer magnitude of the conflicts, but make at least a little progress. They also give readers more intelligent entertainment. --Roland Green

About the Author

George R.R. Martin is the author of the acclaimed, internationally bestselling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, adapted into the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. He is also the editor and contributor to the Wild Cards series, including the novels Suicide Kings and Fort Freak , among other bestsellers. He has won multiple science fiction and fantasy awards, including four Hugos, two Nebulas, six Locus Awards, the Bram Stoker, the World Fantasy Award, the Daedelus, the Balrog, and the Daikon (the Japanese Hugo). Martin has been writing ever since he was a child, when he sold monster stories to neighborhood children for pennies, and then in high school he wrote fiction for comic fanzines. His first professional sale was to Galaxy magazine, when he was 21. He has been a full-time writer since 1979. Martin has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

SUMMARY: From the #1 New York Times bestseller, the third of a new generation of Wild Cards tales In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected. Nine percent survived to mutate into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited since 1987 by New York Times #1 bestseller George R. R. Martin (“The American Tolkien”—Time magazine) along with Melinda Snodgrass, is the tale of the history of the world since then—and of the heroes among the one percent. Ranging from New York and New England to ravaged Africa and New Orleans, encompassing war, devastation, and stubborn hope, Suicide Kings advances the story of the Wild Cards, and their struggle to be fully human in a world that fears and mistrusts them. SUMMARY: From the #1 New York Times bestseller, the third of a new generation of Wild Cards tales In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected. Nine percent survived to mutate into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited since 1987 by New York Times #1 bestseller George R. R. Martin (“The American Tolkien”—Time magazine) along with Melinda Snodgrass, is the tale of the history of the world since then—and of the heroes among the one percent. Ranging from New York and New England to ravaged Africa and New Orleans, encompassing war, devastation, and stubborn hope, Suicide Kings advances the story of the Wild Cards, and their struggle to be fully human in a world that fears and mistrusts them.

From the #1 New York Times bestseller, the third of a new generation of Wild Cards tales

In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected. Nine percent survived to mutate into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited since 1987 by New York Times #1 bestseller George R. R. Martin (“The American Tolkien”—Time magazine) along with Melinda Snodgrass, is the tale of the history of the world since then—and of the heroes among the one percent.

Ranging from New York and New England to ravaged Africa and New Orleans, encompassing war, devastation, and stubborn hope, Suicide Kings advances the story of the Wild Cards, and their struggle to be fully human in a world that fears and mistrusts them.

The return of the famous shared-world superhero books created and edited by George R. R. Martin, author of A GAME OF THRONESThe heart of the world is bleeding, the People's Paradise of Africa is having it out with the Caliphate, and the Sudan is a charnel house. The powers-that-be aren't doing anything. The UN might set up a committee. But the time for action is now. So, one by one, the aces join the fight, each for their own reasons ...The Wild Card virus kills 90 percent of the folks who catch it, but those who survive gain special powers. Some become grotesque mutants like the half-man, half-rhino Denys Finch. They're the jokers. Some get trivial powers. They're deuces. And some - the aces - develop wild superpowers. Like Bubbles, who can absorb any amount of energy. Or Bugsy, who can turn his body into wasps. Or Double Helix, the shape-changing, teleporting assassin.And Tom Weathers, the Radical. The strongest, most versatile of the aces - he can fly, he's strong enough to rip the turret off a tank, he can shoot heat rays from his hands ... but his greatest strength is his total conviction in the rightness of his cause. Whatever the cause is at the moment.At this particular moment, he's found a way to get more aces for the People's Paradise. Lots more aces. And that's where the trouble starts ...