Wild Cards

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For other uses of the term "wild card", see wild card.
The cover of the first "Wild Cards" book, Wild Cards. Pictured on the cover is Dr. Tachyon.
The cover of the first "Wild Cards" book, Wild Cards. Pictured on the cover is Dr. Tachyon.

Wild Cards is a science fiction and superhero anthology series set in a shared universe. The series was created by a group of New Mexico science fiction authors, and mostly edited by George R. R. Martin. There were 12 volumes published between 1987 and 1993 before it switched publishers, which released three new volumes between 1993 and 1995; a fourth appeared belatedly in 2002, and a fifth in early 2006.

Contents

[edit] History

The series relates an alternate history of the earth after World War II. In 1946 an alien virus that rewrites human DNA is accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It kills 90 % of those who come into contact with it (referred to as 'drawing the Black Queen'). However, 9 % mutate into deformed creatures (known as 'Jokers') and 1 % gain superpowers (known as 'Aces'). There is also a class known as 'deuces' - Aces who have acquired useless or ridiculous powers, such as the ability to levitate up to two feet, or to grow bodily hair at will. The airborne virus eventually spreads all over the world, affecting tens of thousands.

Wild Cards was inspired by superhero comics, and many of the authors play with the conventions of the medium, while some characters are based on existing heroes (eg, Jetboy was modelled on the Hillman Periodicals' character Airboy). Many of the original authors were also inspired by a long-running Albuquerque, New Mexico campaign of the role-playing game Superworld, gamemastered by George R. R. Martin, and many modelled their characters on their in-game persona. [2]

The Wild Cards universe is distinguished from most superhero comic book fiction by several thematic elements. Early on the authors decided to pursue a more realistic, or naturalistic approach to storytelling. Few of the Ace characters in Wild Cards have secret identities, or are traditional crimefighting superheroes in the mold of Spider-Man or Batman. Wild Cards remained set within a recognizably real world with recognizably real people and pop culture and, because of the historical setting of many of the stories, had characters who aged realistically during the course of the series. The majority of Wild Card victims live in the run-down ghetto of Jokertown, while the fortunate Aces become glamorous celebrities. In addition, Wild Cards took a more graphic approach to violence, and particularly to sex, than most superhero stories do.

Another aspect of the series is its use of real people, such as Buddy Holly, Grace Kelly and Richard Nixon. Unlike most superhero universes, the events of Wild Cards alter history in many ways - a notable example being Fidel Castro remaining in New York to play baseball, and the lack of a Communist takeover in Cuba thereafter. As of 1986, Castro was the pitching coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who never moved to Los Angeles, and still play at Ebbets Field. Thus, L.A, not New York, got an expansion team called the Stars after the Giants moved to San Francisco. In the Wild Cards universe, the Dodgers are the equivalent of the New York Mets, with their history after the 1950s coinciding with the Mets' history, including victory in the 1969 World Series over the Baltimore Orioles. The Los Angeles Stars are the equivalent of the real Dodgers.

Other notable changes: Mick Jagger is a lycanthropic ace. Frank Zappa became a general in the US Army rather than a musician. Buddy Holly did not die in a plane crash, becoming a washed up has-been, working in dingy venues, covering Prince and Billy Idol. Thomas Marion Douglas (an analogue of Jim Morrison), lead singer for the rock group Destiny, was an ace called the Lizard King, and died not of an overdose in France, but from a dose of the experimental trump virus, which cured him and removed his immunity to many years of drug abuse. The botched Iranian hostage rescue of the Jimmy Carter adminisitration was bungled by a team of aces (including Popinjay and Carnifex) rather than Marines(and was later proven to be part of a conspiracy to prevent Carter's reelection due to his pro-wild card stance). President George H. W. Bush promised "no new exotics (a politically correct term for wild carders) laws" rather than "no new taxes," but still went back on his word.

While most of the books were made up of individual stories, they generally focused around a central theme or event. There were also several "over arching" storylines which encompassed several of the books.

The third volume in the series marked a departure from previous formats. While the first two books followed a standard anthology format of several separate stories collected in one volume the third book used the format of a mosaic novel. This involved several writers writing individual storylines which were then edited together into one novel length story.

Major contributors to the series included Roger Zelazny, Lewis Shiner, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Walter Jon Williams, Leanne C. Harper, Chris Claremont, Victor Milán, John J. Miller, and Martin himself.

[edit] Main characters

Main article: List of Wild Cards characters

The series features a large and ever-changing cast of characters. A minor character in one story can become a major, or even the viewpoint character, in another, or vice versa.

[edit] Books

[edit] Original series

Double Solitaire and Turn of the Cards were actually full-length novels rather than anthologies, written by Snodgrass and Milán, respectively.

[edit] New Cycle

Death Draws Five is another solo novel, this time by John J. Miller.

[edit] The Future

According to George R. R. Martin's website[1], Tor Books has picked up a contract to produce three new Wild Cards books. Tor hopes to release the first in 2007; the others will follow up a year apart. The new trilogy will feature the next generation of Wild Cards, although there will be some familiar faces.

The projected titles are:

  • Inside Straight[2]
  • Busted Flush
  • Suicide Kings

Each is slated to be released in hardcover format.

[edit] Wild Cards in other media

Portions of the series were adapted into a graphic novel. Short stories based on the series appeared in the anthology-format comic book Epic: An Anthology. The setting was also adapted into role-playing game format twice: once as a stand-alone game, and again in the form of two GURPS sourcebooks that made use of the GURPS Supers rules. The first of the GURPS sourcebooks was published between the publications of Down and Dirty and Ace in the Hole, in 1989. It is currently outdated, providing a snapshot of the universe at that time, but does contain biographical and power data on about 60 characters from the first five books along with details on current storylines and organizations.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ http://www.georgerrmartin.com/archive06.html#06-05 George R.R. Martin's Official Website]
  2. ^ [1]

[edit] External links

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