Steve Rice, the author of "League of Superheroes," graciously answered a few questions that I had about his book, his views on writing superhero fiction, and his other works in a brief, but entertaining interview.
What inspired you to write a Christian based superhero novel?
I wrote a few short stories at school with a superhero theme, and certain parts of LoS arose from being annoyed with how superpowers were portrayed in movies and TV shows. For example, Allen's kidnapping dates back to the late 80's, as I recall.
At that point I considered a story about some kids who encountered a supercomputer called Unity Five that somehow gave them superpowers. Unity Five was a holdover from some high school stories: whenever a character or plot required improbably high tech, Unity Five was the source.
But I never developed that superhero storyline. Then, in 2003, I moved to Colorado. I hoped to resolve a family problem swiftly and settle in eastern Colorado, where there are writing and editing jobs, but instead I found myself marooned in western Colorado, where such jobs are less common. I was staying with friends from church with no job in sight, and in January 2004 I had a strong urge to write a story about a mysterious girl named Genie.
I knew who and what Genie was, but I had no clue about the rest of it. I was making up names as I went, and I didn't even know what Charlie's superhero was until I got there. But it flowed easily and quickly; I wrote the first draft in about two weeks, and the story arc changed considerably. When I was plotting it initially, the first story ended much as it does now, but with Tom seeing a young woman who looks a lot like Genie's avatar. She smiles at him and loses herself in a crowd. It was a good ending, but not counter-cultural enough. In _Genie at Large_, something vaguely similar happens ("I turned and once again looked into eyes that God had never formed"), but the whole concept is strikingly at odds with what our secular culture assumes.
What comic book characters are your favorites?
Mom banned superhero comics when I was fairly young, so I didn't get into them much. (This was in the period when they were getting especially weird, so she was probably right.) There were certain ideas that I liked: Green Lantern was imaginative rather than just super-powered--this was the Green Lantern who created things on the fly, not the more recent version. Batman had no actual super powers, though he used gadgets a lot. And while I never read Iron Man, I liked the concept.
In my teens I started reading the old pulps--mostly The Shadow and Doc Savage--and I quickly realized that Batman was the same sort. But I watched some superhero TV shows and sometimes movies later.
What did you admire about these characters?
I generally prefer characters who lean on brains rather than brawn. I also want someone with a strong moral and ethical sense, which is why I tend to ignore the newer superheroes and the movies.
You use a lot of science in your novel. Can you tell me where you do your background research for your book?
Mostly it derives from reading a lot of science books and magazines over the years. My older brother has degrees in physics, math, and so forth, as well as a strong computer-science background, so I picked up a fair amount by osmosis. When researching something specific, I often use Wikipedia as a starting point, though I also go beyond it: the links below the article are there for a reason. I also sometimes find it useful to read the articles in other languages--you can get a different viewpoint and usually different links. But thinking about it--understanding the implications--is probably the most important thing.
Are there any other writers or currently doing Christian themed superhero novels?
There's A. P. Fuchs and his Axiom Man series, though I haven't read it, and Adam Graham does superhero fiction in his Laser & Sword e-zine, some of which I have read.
Are there any other writers in this genre that you would recommend for further reading?
Adam Graham's work is good, and I imagine that Fuchs' Axiom Man is too.
What do you want your readers to get from reading your book?
I hope they gain a vision of what Christianity is supposed to be: not perfect, but serious about pursuing God and thinking biblically. I also hope it builds some bridges between denominations.
What advice do you have for people who are thinking about writing in this genre?
The most important task for any Christian writer is to know the Bible well and always try to think through the implications. But the superhero genre probably has an above-average tendency to conform to secular ideas of right and wrong, so Christian writers must be especially careful there. In the "Pandora's Lamp" sub-series, there's a question only briefly raised in the first story: where does their authority to act come from? The answer grows over time and sometimes goes in unexpected and unpleasant directions in later stories:
"If that's true, then I've just killed a lot of people."
"No, Darklight. I have. Or rather, I have opened a door for the wicked to destroy each other. And believe it or not, I am authorized to do that."--_Dark War_
Will there be any potential sequels or spinoffs from this book? If so, when?
The timing is uncertain, but _League of Superheroes_ is the first installment of the origin series "Pandora's Lamp," followed by other story arcs and eventually culminating with the "Excalibur" arc. The next story is _Genie at Large_.
I want to thank Steve for his time and insightful interview answers. Please check more of his work at http://ansric.pbwiki.com/
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