Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero

  • Type: Audiobooks
  • By: Larry Tye
  • Age Category: Adults
  • Genre: Non-Fiction
  • Recommended by: Eric S.
  • ISBN/UPC: 9780307990136
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This book is a great read for fans of comic books and the superhero film genre.

In Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero, author Larry Tye presents “The Man of Steel” as the undisputed Godfather of the superhero fantasy fiction genre. The Superman character was born out of the fantasy world of Jerry Siegel, a teenage boy trying to overcome the sudden loss of his father who suffered a fatal heart attack during a robbery at their family business in Cleveland, Ohio. Jerry was a science fiction pulp magazine enthusiast who worked with his friend, illustrator Joe Shuster to develop the Superman story during the early 1930s. Finally, in 1938 the two sold their idea for $130 to National Allied Publications, which later grew into DC comics. And the rest is history.

Superman, also known as “The Last Son of Krypton,” spawned numerous stories of characters with amazing powers and abilities such as Superboy, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Green Lantern which would give rise to what is referred to as the Golden Age of Comic Books. The Superman Story has survived and thrived over seven decades. With each innovation in media technology the story morphed to appeal to a new audience. Whether it was in the form of comic books, radio programs, movie serials, television dramas, Saturday morning cartoons or feature films on the silver screen, each new generation of writers and producers crafted the story into an incarnation that kept fans engaged and invested in the Superman fantasy universe.

But according Tye, Superman is more than a science fiction story and a cultural icon. He is an important fixture in the mythology of the 20th century America. This story of an alien from a dying planet who has to make a way for himself in a new world is a uniquely American tale which continues to resonate in our society today. In the book, readers will learn about the character’s origin, which is firmly rooted in Judeo-Christian theology and the American immigrant experience. It discusses how the character and the story has served as a symbol of hope to legions of fans during some of the most difficult periods of 20th century American history including World War II, the McCarthy Era, the Vietnam War and the Cold War. Also readers will get the scoop on the real life struggles of the creative talent behind the stories and their conflicts with the corporate interests who strove to control and profit from the Superman brand.