SciFi Annotation - Steelheart

 

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Title: Steelheart

Genre: Science Fiction

Publication Date: September 2013

Number of Pages: 400

Geographical Setting: Chicago

Time Period: Modern setting, slightly in the future

Series: Book 1 of a projected "Reckoners" series

 

Plot Summary:  More than a decade ago, a mysterious event known as Calamity created Epics—powerful beings straight out of the comics, complete with both incredible abilities (invulnerability, illusion, transmutation) and silly weaknesses (smoke, UV light, being attacked by someone exactly 37 years old). Thus far, the Epics appear to be wholly corrupt, with villains rising up to subjugate humans and take over the world. David’s father was killed by a ruthless Epic named Steelheart, and David, now 18, has waited 10 years for revenge, certain that he holds the key to Steelheart’s weakness. Hooking up with a ragtag group of rebel Epic-killers, David and crew knock off Steelheart’s subordinates and lure him out. Although readers may not be surprised at the twists that arise, the near-constant action, Sanderson’s whiz-bang imaginings, and a fully realized sense of danger (the brutal opening scene alone will hook many) make this an absolute page-turner. (Publishers Weekly, vol 260, issue 28, p)

 

Subject Headings: 

Superhuman abilities 

Coming of age

Dystopias

Revenge 

Teenage boys

Imaginary wars and battles

 

Appeal: 

Fast-paced

Compelling

Suspenseful

Action packed

Intricate world-building

Similar Authors and Works: 

 

• Subject Seven -  by James A Moore : Subject Seven--the dangerous alter-ego living inside a teenage boy--has escaped the government lab in which he was created in order to seek out others like him and build an army capable of destroying their creators.

•   Little Brother - by Cory Doctorow :Computer hacker Marcus spends most of his time outwitting school surveillance, until the day that San Francisco is bombed by terrorists -- and he and his friends are arrested and brutally interrogated for days. When they release Marcus, the authorities threaten to come for him again if he breathes a word about his ordeal; meanwhile, America has become a police state where everyone is suspect. For Marcus, the only option left is to take down the power-crazed Department of Homeland Security with an underground online revolution. 

• The Second Angel - by Phillip Kerr : In the year 2069, plagues and climatic changes have wreaked havoc on the world, and a new virus that can only be cured by an infusion of uninfected blood runs rampant, with the moon housing America's federal reserve of the priceless commodity.

• Blackout - by Robison E Wells : A mysterious virus is spreading through America, infecting teenagers with incredible powers--and a group of four teens are about to find their lives intertwined in a web of danger and catastrophic destruction

 

Other notes: I am, and will always be, extremely biased toward Brandon Sanderson. He is one of my favorite fantasy authors and has tremendous skill in that arena. However, this book is quite a departure from his other works. It is pure science fiction. It reads like a comic book in novel form. It is simpler than, for example, Elantris or his Mistborn trilogy. But that isn't to say that it is any less of a quality book. When I say simpler, I mean easier to read. Aimed for a slightly younger audience, or at least accessible to a slightly younger audience than some of his other works. The world he creates is just as intricate. The plot, while more straight forward than the others he has written, has enough twists and turns to keep the reader enthralled til the last page. (Then, if you're lucky like me, you get to read a bonus version of the first chapter with comments and notes included from Sanderson himself.)This would be a great book for anyone to read, but I would absolutely recommend it for those middle and high school reluctant readers. Or that kid who only reads his comic books and manga. With its comic book feel it would be a great transitional tool to wield.