Tales of the Astonishing Black Spark

by Charlie J. Eskew

Overview

Trapped in a dead-end job in his Ohio hometown, watching the girl of his dreams move on to a glamorous new life in a big city—Donald McDougal's aimlessness has held him back for a long time. When a lightning strike grants him superhuman powers, he jumps at his chance to finally be somebody. But the new abilities and the pursuit of superheroic fame come with a price tag, and it may not be one he can afford.

This wry debut is at once a fanboy's homage to the history of superhero storytelling in America and a keen-eyed satire of those same stories, raising questions about race and privilege that are becoming impossible to ignore.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941360163
Publisher:	Lanternfish Press
Publication date:	09/04/2018
Pages:	374
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Charlie J. Eskew is an author from Columbus, OH. His novel Tales of the Astonishing Black Spark, winner of the Foreword Indies 2018 Multicultural award, was published by Lanternfish Press. His novella When The Light Lay Still, a prequel to the Judge Dredd universe was published in 2019 by Rebellion Publishing. He is an Assistant Editor of Fiction with BreakBread Literacy Project, an alumni of the VONA writing workshop, and a member of Phi Beta Sigma, Incorporated.

Editorial Reviews

09/17/2018
This superhero origin story zaps a scanty plot with high-voltage satire. Donald McDougal is a 26-year-old pop culture nerd whose life is going nowhere fast. His fortunes turn after a lightning strike on New Year’s Eve grants him the power to shoot lightning out of his fingers. Calling himself the Spark, Donny is quick to put his newfound talents to good use by fighting crime, and his efforts soon bag him the opportunity of a lifetime: a tryout for the elite team within PantheUS, a government superhero initiative. Induction guarantees wealth, fame, and, for Donny, the rarefied honor of becoming only the second African-American to join the squad. As the Spark becomes a household name, Donny must traverse a morally bankrupt industry of superhero agents, product endorsements, and reality TV shows. Meanwhile, close friends and the black community at large question whether Donny is severely compromising his racial identity for personal gain. While Eskew’s deconstruction of the caped crusader genre has tremendous stylistic flair, a meandering narrative that lacks a major through-line conflict ultimately renders this debut one for superhero completists only. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Tales of the Astonishing Black Spark doesn’t require extensive comic-book knowledge to enjoy, but it will especially delight superhero fans looking for something a bit different while still comfortingly familiar."—Peter Dabbene, Foreword Reviews 

"Buy it for the superheroes; read on for the humor and the wisdom. This is a rich and furious debut novel.”—Daniel A. Hoyt, author of This Book Is Not for You and Then We Saw the Flames

From the Publisher