Tor Books re-release cover spotlighting Jetboy
The first volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R. R. Martin. It was published in 1987 and contains several short stories establishing the Wild Cards universe, introducing the main characters, and setting up plot threads that continue to play out over the course of the rest of the series.
The stories that make up this book are:
- Prologue: Introduces Dr. Tachyon, the virus and its effects.
- Thirty Minutes Over Broadway: Introduces Jetboy and his efforts to stop the release of the virus.
- The Sleeper: Introduces Croyd Crenson and our first look into a world with Wild Cards.
- Witness: The rise and fall of the Four Aces in McCarthy era America.
- Degradation Rites: Dr. Tachyon's doomed romance with Blythe van Renssaeler.
- Shell Games: Thomas Tubury discovers his ace abilities and become the Great and Powerful Turtle.
- The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato: Fortunato, a high class pimp with powerful ace abilities, discovers the first signs of a Masonic conspiracy.
- Transfigurations: Wimpy Mark Meadows takes a trip into the hippie world and discovers his unique ace abilities.
- Down Deep: Introduces several characters in the sewers of New York and gives a glimpse into the mafia's machinations.
- Strings: Introduces Puppetman and Gimli at a joker political rally gone wrong.
- Comes a Hunter: Introduces Yeoman and Chrysalis and shows the gang presence in Jokertown.
- Epilogue: A young boy discovers his ace power.
A revised edition was released in 2010, and included three new stories:
- Captain Cathode and the Secret Ace: Explores jokers and aces in Hollywood in the '50's.
- Powers: Puts a different spin on the Cold War and the U-2 spy plane controversy.
- Ghost Girl Takes Manhattan: An "introduction" to Wraith as she discovers the extent of her ability in one wild night.
This book contains the following tropes:
- Alternate History Literature: To a greater extent than other novels in the series.
- Anthology
- Ascended Fanboy: The Great and Powerful Turtle.
- Mark Meadows becomes one as well.
- The Atoner: Doctor Tachyon.
- Badass Normal: Yeoman.
- Jetboy too.
- Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: The Lizard King is Jim Morrison.
- The Beautiful Elite: Aces. But only after the fall of the HUAC
- Broken Ace: Literally in the Sleeper's case.
- Ditto, Golden Boy.
- Doctor Tachyon.
- Hell, the entirety of the Four Aces.
- Camp Straight: Doctor Tachyon and, to a lesser extent, Hiram Worchester.
- Captain Ersatz: Golden Boy for the Golden Age Superman (more of a Deconstruction, however).
- Yeoman seems to be, for all intents and purposes, Green Arrow.
- The Lizard King is one of Jim Morrison, if he's not Jim Morrison himself.
- The Cape: The Great and Powerful Turtle.
- Deus Sex Machina: Fortunato and Succubus both have these powers.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The Turtle to his tormentor in college and never did it feel so good.
- For those who wonder, the future Turtle telekinetically smashes up his car after a year of collective torment.
- Doomed Moral Victor: Jetboy
- The '80s: The Yeoman story. It was also The Present Day.
- Encyclopedia Exposita: The Prologue, Interludes, and Appendix are all excerpts from fictional books, newspapers, and articles from the Wild Cards universe.
- Face–Heel Turn: Golden Boy
- Fantastic Racism: Prejudice against Jokers and Aces is a big theme in this book, involving them in many analogues to the black experience.
- The '50s: The Historical Fifties, mostly in "Witness".
- Golden Age: The postwar years with the Four Aces. It turns out to be just a Hope Spot.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Jetboy
- Human Aliens: Doctor Tachyon.
- Innocent Fanservice Girl: Ghost Girl. Due to her clothes falling off due to her intangibility.
- Interspecies Romance: Tachyon and Blythe.
- Jerkass: Croyd a.k.a The Sleeper. Due to his powers and uneasy familiar situation, however, you might consider him more of a
Jerkass Woobie.- Fortunato and the Lizard King also count.
- Mathematician's Answer: The Great and Powerful Turtle, on the question if he is an ace or a joker, simply says that his answer is yes.
- Really Gets Around: Doctor Tachyon, Fortunato.
- The '70s: The later half of the book.
- The '60s: The Mark Meadows story is the quintessential Sixties story, complete with a "Mister Sandman" Sequence in the beginning.
- A True Story in My Universe: In this world, it's thought that Klaatu from The Day The Earth Stood Still was based on Tachyon.
- Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: Jetboy vs Doctor Tod. Also the Lizard King vs Hardhat vs the Radical.
- Younger Than They Look: Succubus.
- Croyd also, goes from a 14-year old kid to a grown-up appearance.
