Chicago Superheroes dominate new anthology

July 15, 3:16 PMChicago Literary Scene ExaminerRobert Duffer

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With Hollywood running out of old superheroes to makeover, editors and contributors John McNally and Owen King have turned to writers to save us from clichéd plots and computer-animated heroes. Due out TODAY (July 15) from Free Press, Who Can Save Us Now? brings together 22 original superhero stories from some of our edgiest, quirkiest writers.

To help represent Chicago's super powers, south-side native McNally sent the bat-signal to Elizabeth Crane, Sam Weller, and native Michael Czyzniejewski. Chicago transplant Chris Burnham provided the haunting lead-illustrations for each story.

McNally(author of Americ'a Report Card, Book of Ralph and Troublemakers) brings us the disgruntled butler of notorious do-gooder, The Silverfish, who has been called creepy by the Chicago media.

Crane (author of story collections All This Heavenly Glory, You Must Be This Happy To Enter, and When the Messenger is Hot) introduces us to Nate Pickney-Anderson, who idolizes hitherto uncelebrated Bob Brown, the man credited for saving a boy from oncoming traffic. Otherwise, Bob Brown is an a*%hole which doesn't deter Nate P-A's obsession.

Czyzniejewski (debut collection Elephants in our Bedroom due out in 2009) cracks open the heart of small town resentment in his quickie, "When the Heroes Come to Town". The collective narrator-townfolk suspect that since the town was fine before the superheroes arrived, they must be here to steal their women.

Weller (author of Ray Bradbury's authorized biography, Bradbury Chronicles) delivers us the six employees of an Iowa interstate Quick Stop, who have anthromorphized into whatever they were holding/doing when huffing a biodiesel spill. They are dubbed the Quick Stop 5 when one of their members can no longer join them in superheroing: "Think about it. You're permanently stoned. You can't save the world."

The anthology is a lot of fun with a wide range of writers. The bios include each writer's favorite superhero.