The Supernaturalist
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| Front cover of The Supernaturalist in Europe | |
| Author | Eoin Colfer |
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| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Sci-Fi/Adventure |
| Publisher | Puffin |
| Released | 2004 |
| Released in English | 2004 |
| Media Type | Print (Softcover) |
| Pages | 291 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-14-131741-8 |
‘The Supernaturalist’, by Eoin Colfer (author of the ‘Artemis Fowl’ series) is a children’s science-fiction novel (influenced in many ways by film noir and other predecessors of the cyberpunk science fiction movement, resulting in what could be termed a children’s cyberpunk novel).
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[edit] Plot summary
‘The Supernaturalist’ is set in a near-future city owned by a large corporation. A low-orbit satellite (50 miles high) controls traffic, communication and sanitation, and hence the city is named Satellite City. Cosmo Hill is an orphan, and lives at the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys, a Dickensian environment in which the orphans are used for product testing. Cosmo and his friend, Francis, better known as Ziplock, escapes, and in doing so are severely injured from a rooftop incident. Ziplock dies immediately, but Cosmo observes, for the first time, a cryptozoid species which appears to suck his life-force and makes him devoid of pain.
He is rescued by a group of street children who can see and battle these organisms (called Parasites), and upon joining them has to deal with many twists and confusions.
In the group, who call themselves "The Supernaturalists", there is Stefan Bashkir (a name which is mentioned in the second Artemis Fowl), the leader whose mother was killed in a car crash and and was supposed to be helped on by the Parasites. Then there is Ditto, a child with a genetic disorder meaning he appears six at the age of 28. Mona Vasquez is the only girl in the group, and it is fairly soon after Cosmo joins the group when it becomes apparent that she and Cosmo like each other.
As in ‘Artemis Fowl’, there is heavy emphasis on humor, tough-guy posturing and technology. One of the main characters of The Supernaturalist is named Stefan Bashkir, used by Fowl as an alias in Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident. Also, the corporation that owns the city, Myishi (presumably linked to the scientist of the same name who sold his soul to the devil in the Wish List), mentions beating Phonetix, a company that was also mentioned in Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code. The dystopian near future is in many ways similar to Blade Runner and to a lesser extent Neuromancer, but Colfer's influences are older; rooted in Raymond Chandler and other hard-boiled writers.
The surprising ending leaves enough room for a sequel, as there seem to be even more supernatural creatures around.
[edit] Characters
Cosmo Hill - Was sent to the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys. Was almost killed along with his best friend (known as 'Ziplock' Murphy), but Cosmo was saved by the Supernaturalists.
Stefan Bashkir - The de-facto leader of the Supernaturalists. Use to be part of the police force but after having his mother killed by the parasites he makes it his mission to destroy them. Tragically he dies at the end of the book after getting shot in the chest.
Mona Vasquez - One of the main characters in the Supernaturalist. Former member of the Sweethearts, a street racing gang. She was freed from the gang when Stefan Bashkir gave up his car to the street gang. In her words he saved her life so she owes it to him to fight along side him.
Lucien Bonn (A.K.A. Ditto)- A "Bartolli Baby" being the product of the gene splicing experiments done by a Dr. Bartolli 28 years before the story began. He suffers several mutations because of the experiments such as arrested physical development (Ditto is 28 years old but appears to be about 6), healing hands (the ability to take the pain from a person's or animal's body) and being a spotter. He is the medic of the group.
[edit] Locations
[edit] Clarissa Frayne Institute
The Clarissa Frayne Institute for the Parentally Challenged (referred to as "Clarissa Frayne") is a orphanage in which all of the orphans are used as guinea pigs for various untested medical/military/etc. solvents and other materials. Plus, the masters there are often twisted and evil. By the end of most days, the orphans are exhausted, bleeding, and often sick (the average maximum age for orphans is fifteen years old). Cosmo was one of these orphans, along with Fence and his friend, Ziplock. Ziplock has trouble keeping his mouth shut; his nickname came from him "talking too much to the wrong person" and getting a ziplock from a plastic bag superglued to his mouth. He died near the beginning of the book, after he is electrocuted on a rooftop - the same disaster that opened Cosmo's supernatural spectrum.
[edit] Abracadabra Street
[edit] Booshka
In Booshka, "The Supernaturalists" take place in a car race using a stolen high-tech concept car. However, shortly after their victory, "paralegals" from the Myishi Corporation come to retrieve the stolen car. The Supernaturalists are arrested and taken into Myishi custody after putting up an almost effective fight.
