The Impostor, A new series in the grand tradition Options

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Hi, everyone,

I'm writing and electronically self-publishing a new series called The Impostor. It's either a modern attempt at a hero pulp or a superhero story in prose, depending on one's frame of reference. If you'd like to read the first story, it's available free for all e-reader platforms here:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/rleebyers

Best,

Richard Lee Byers

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Check out the cover for the first regular issue:

http://rleebyers.livejournal.com/10118.html

[Derrick]

A lot of times I’ll get asked can a superhero be a pulp hero and vice versa. And I say sure. Take Batman. To me, he’s a pulp character who happens to inhabit a superhero universe. Or the Challengers of The Unknown who to me are also pulp characters. The lines can get blurry, especially with guys like Thor who is both a legitimate epic fantasy character (or at least he used to be back in the day) and well as being a superhero. Now guys like Spider-Man, Superman and The Flash, I call them straight up superheroes.

What does all of this have to do with THE IMPOSTOR #0: “Suiting Up” by Richard Lee Byers? Not much, to be honest with you. But it was thoughts like that bouncing around in my melon of a head while I read the story. There’s a lot of New Pulp as well as Classic Pulp for that matter that can also classified as prose superhero fiction. When it’s done well, it can be just as much fun and as satisfying as a well-drawn or well-written comic book.

The story is as uncomplicated as a glass of milk: Working stiff Matt Brown is on his way home after a hard day of labor when the Earth is invaded by aliens. But Matt’s Earth is protected by superheroes who valiantly throw themselves into the defense of their planet. Not all of them survive and Matt himself is captured by the aliens. He manages to escape and in the process, acquires some of the equipment and powers of the slain superheroes. Now it’s all up to Matt to take on the invaders.

That’s it. But considering that it’s an origin story, how much more do you need? Mr. Byers sets up his character and the premise of the series in a neat, tight bundle that I found highly enjoyable Old School superheroics with a fine Silver Age DC feel to it. While reading the story I was visualizing the action as if it were drawn by the 60’s Gil Kane. I dunno if that was the vibe Mr. Byers was going for but that’s the one I got. And I liked it.

Should you read THE IMPOSTOR #0: “Suiting Up”? I don’t see why not. At 23 pages it makes for a quick, exciting read, just the way all good pulp should go down. Mr. Byers has promised further adventures of his hero and I’m looking forward to them.

This post has been edited by Derrick: Jul 24 2011, 11:11 AM

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Thanks for the kind words, Derrick. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[novaburst]

I just read the first issue and I really enjoyed the story.
Great job!

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Thank you! I appreciate it.

And on that note, let me announce that The Impostor #1: Half a Hero is now available. It contains the first four Impostor adventures plus a bonus story for just $.99. You can get it for all e-reader platforms here:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/rleebyers

[Richard Lee Byer...]

You can now get The Impostor #1: Half a Hero on Amazon for the Kindle as well. Once again, the price is a mere $.99.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url...amp;x=0&y=0

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Oops. It has been brought to my attention that at the moment, you can't really get The Impostor #1: Half a Hero on Amazon. I thought you could because my top secret Amazon authorial dashboard lists the book as "live." But it doesn't appear in the shopping area of the site.

I've reported the glitch to the secret masters of Amazon, and I hope they'll have it fixed soon. Meanwhile, anyone who wants to buy The Impostor #1 for the Kindle can do right this very second at Smashwords.com

[Richard Lee Byer...]

If anyone is going to Gen Con, you may conceivably be interested in the following:


Behold my GenCon seminar schedule. I am not doing a signing or a stint in Author's Alley, so if you want to get an autograph, say hi, or whatever, this is the place to catch me. All the seminars are in either ICC 244 or 245.
Thursday:
2 PM: I've Finished a Novel. Now What?
3 PM: Writing RPG Short Stories and Novels ***
Friday:
8 AM: The Name Game
9 AM: Why Your Book Needs an Invisible Orangutan ***
Saturday
3 PM: How I Met My Hero
4 PM: Trends in Terror ***
Sunday
10 AM: Pub-Pourri
11 AM: Genres: What Are They and How Do You Mix 'Em? ***
*** This panel will be followed immediately by a T-shirt Giveaway Mini Contest. It will only take a minute to play, and if you do, you could win a semi-unique T-shirt (semi-unique meaning you will have the only one in the universe like it except for the one I'm keeping for myself.) You don't have to attend the seminar to play, but hey, why wouldn't you? The writing seminars at Gen Con are always worthwhile.


Three of the four T-shirts I'll be giving away are Impostor T-shirts.

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Some of you may enjoy reading my first column for Airlock Alpha, the online fantasy and SF news magazine. The subject is "Great Scott! Why Do I Still Love Superheroes?"

http://airlockalpha.com/node/8686/astrojiv...uperheroes.html

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Some pulp fans may be interested in this:

My review of the new Conan movie treads the jeweled thrones of Hollywood under its sandalled feet.

http://rleebyers.livejournal.com/

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Some of you might be interested in this:


Which superhero plays the best poker? My analysis is on 365DaysofPoker:

http://www.365daysofpoker.com/the-daily/it...superhero-poker

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Check out a very kind review of The Impostor #1: Half a Hero.

http://travizzt.wordpress.com/2011/09/03/t...hard-lee-byers/

[Derrick]

Had a lot of fun talking to Richard last night about THE IMPOSTER for an upcoming PULPED! episode. I hope everybody will have as much listening to it.

[Richard Lee Byer...]

This doesn't relate directly to The Impostor, but if you'd like to read a free sword-and-sorcery story by me, check it out here:

http://www.storyportals.com/stories/index.....swf&user=0

[Richard Lee Byer...]

This doesn't relate to The Impostor, either, but some of you may be interested. I have a sword-and-sorcery short story in the new anthology The Crimson Pact Volume Two:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_1...x=Crimson+Pact+

[Richard Lee Byer...]

This doesn't relate to The Impostor, but it does relate to superheroes. If you'd like to read my thoughts on the DC Comics reboot, they're in my new column at Airlock Alpha:

http://airlockalpha.com/node/8712/astrojiv...u-with-you.html

[Richard Lee Byer...]

I had the privilege and fun of being a guest on the PULPED! podcast. You can get the episode for free on iTunes or here:

http://pulped.libsyn.com/

[Richard Lee Byer...]

This doesn't relate to The Impostor or even to pulp except kinda sorta, but for those who are interested, my thoughts on Shark Night 3D:

http://rleebyers.livejournal.com/

[Richard Lee Byer...]

Just in case anyone's interested, here’s my convention schedule for October. I will be at Spooky Empire in Orlando on Saturday the 8th only.

http://www.spookyempire.com/

I will be at Necronomicon in St. Petersburg on the 21st through the 23rd.

http://www.stonehill.org/necro.htm