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A review by jdhacker
Wild Cards by George R.R. Martin
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a lot of fun. I never read these back when they were coming out, though I have a distinct memory of seeing them on the bookstore shelves. I was a big comicbook fan, and probably would have loved them had I realized the connection. Its a shared world, only loosely organized by George R. R. Martin and a host of other famous genre writers, originally based on their role playing game sessions. This is in the height of the era of some gaming systems which would later get labeled as 'slipstream'...things Rifts, GURPS, and others (of which this particular game is).
The world of Wild Cards, is, well, *wild*. An alien comes, to try to save us from an alien virus, that a bunch of organized criminals decide to release for profit. It kills many people, mutates others (giving some powers and others not) into a variety of disturbing forms ala Marvel's morlocks (jokers), and gives others wondrous powers of various kinds without the terrible downsides. This first book skips through decades of time from World War 2 up through the end of the 70s and early 80s, giving us a very Watchmen-esque (but predating Watchmen) narrative of how these power afflicted individuals and one human effect the course of modern human history. We also get some pretty interesting and more personal stories. Definitely recommended.
The world of Wild Cards, is, well, *wild*. An alien comes, to try to save us from an alien virus, that a bunch of organized criminals decide to release for profit. It kills many people, mutates others (giving some powers and others not) into a variety of disturbing forms ala Marvel's morlocks (jokers), and gives others wondrous powers of various kinds without the terrible downsides. This first book skips through decades of time from World War 2 up through the end of the 70s and early 80s, giving us a very Watchmen-esque (but predating Watchmen) narrative of how these power afflicted individuals and one human effect the course of modern human history. We also get some pretty interesting and more personal stories. Definitely recommended.