Alternate takes on superheroics: Cory Doctorow, Greg Van Eekhout

I’ve been reading a lot of Cory Doctorow lately, and the man makes it easy for readers to get into his work, as he has released most of his work free under Creative Commons license on the internet.  Check it out for yourself at www.craphound.com.  Doctorow is the co-editor of Boing Boing, and is well-known for his opposition to digital rights management.

Doctorow mixes his take on superheroics with a take on activism in “The Super Man and the Bugout,” in which the world’s pre-eminent superhero grew up a Jewish boy in Toronto.  Doctorow captures the dilemma of the super man in a world that no longer needs him for his physical strength — but may still need his courage.

If you like alternate superhero stories — and I do — you might also like “Last Son of Tomorrow” by Greg Van Eekhout, hosted at Tor.com.  It’s also got a skewed look at the relationships and difficulties of being a superhero that I enjoyed.

- Matt Price