Anyone else dismayed that Jack is becoming a superhero? This went from weird crime/thriller to sci-fi.
I read the complete series thru nightworld years ago and was happy with it. I have been thrilled to read the new additions, but this last one struck me wrong. Part of why I love Jack is that he is an everyman. Anyone with the right training or will could be Jack. Jack was Batman. With this story and the nonsense in his blood, he is essentially Superman. IE: something the reader can never achieve. We all fantasize about being heroes in the books we read and Jack was one within the grasp of the average man.

I am going to read the newer books, but I am glad I did not get rid of my original set.

:welcome:

I'll have to think about that one for a bit. Interesting point for discussion.

You are not the first person to bring that up. We have had several board members lament the introduction of supernatural elements. They hold "Legacies" as their favorite as well as "The Tomb".

Interestingly enough, they forget that in The Tomb, the series that started it all, there was a magic necklace that kept people from aging, and mythical demons roaming the city. Granted, Jack was just a normal guy albeit a bit more adept at handling the situation.

As the story grew, a regular guy would have been unable to handle the types of situations that Jack has confronted. I never envisioned myself as Jack, could never see myself in his shoes, even when he wasn't SuperJack. So it didn't bother me when his story veered off into the realm of the impossible.

I think the stories would have become stale if it was the same fix-a-problem procedural every time. Just my opinion.

Granted, Jack was just a normal guy albeit a bit more adept at handling the situation.

As the story grew, a regular guy would have been unable to handle the types of situations that Jack has confronted. I never envisioned myself as Jack, could never see myself in his shoes, even when he wasn't SuperJack. So it didn't bother me when his story veered off into the realm of the impossible.

Agreed. What makes Jack so appealing is his average man persona but what average guy could take on a boatload of mythical creatures like Rakoshes or chew wasps? And, quite honestly, how could you put the RJ/SHOTW series in the crime/thriller category and not sci fi from the beginning?

Agreed. What makes Jack so appealing is his average man persona but what average guy could take on a boatload of mythical creatures like Rakoshes or chew wasps? And, quite honestly, how could you put the RJ/SHOTW series in the crime/thriller category and not sci fi from the beginning?

You forgot the word weird in weird crime/thriller. Like the Douglas preston's pendergast, Rollin's Amazonia, stuff like that. Where it's more supernatural than sci-fi. Anyway, that's getting off-topic...

Good points Tony and IJ!
An average guy might not be able to do it, but Wilson made me believe he did. I love his style and have read almost all his books. I just feel like Jack is losing his danger. Jack was an underdog, I always felt he had the short straw yet he pulled it out in the end. That was what was cool. Like, when he goes hunting for cash in the park at night, yeah I felt he'd be fine, but he was only human, he could still get in trouble. Now, it will feel like there's sort of a safety net. You know in the back of your mind, if things get too tough, Jack's got an easy out.
After thinking on it, I'm going to change my superhero comparison to the hulk.

I wouldn't mind more fixes, I have enjoyed the diversity of them. Wilson has not let it get stale. The incest one was a bit disturbing, but it's been a fun read every time I get one of his books.

You forgot the word weird in weird crime/thriller. Like the Douglas preston's pendergast, Rollin's Amazonia, stuff like that. Where it's more supernatural than sci-fi. Anyway, that's getting off-topic...

Good points Tony and IJ!
An average guy might not be able to do it, but Wilson made me believe he did. I love his style and have read almost all his books. I just feel like Jack is losing his danger. Jack was an underdog, I always felt he had the short straw yet he pulled it out in the end. That was what was cool. Like, when he goes hunting for cash in the park at night, yeah I felt he'd be fine, but he was only human, he could still get in trouble. Now, it will feel like there's sort of a safety net. You know in the back of your mind, if things get too tough, Jack's got an easy out.
After thinking on it, I'm going to change my superhero comparison to the hulk.

I wouldn't mind more fixes, I have enjoyed the diversity of them. Wilson has not let it get stale. The incest one was a bit disturbing, but it's been a fun read every time I get one of his books.

On the plus side, you just may get more "Pre-oDNA" Jack. Paul is working on the Early NY years trilogy. These stories will cover Jack's early days in NY, how he meets Abe and Julio and they all take place before the events in The Tomb. So, we may be getting back to the gritty fix-its before Jack healed rapidly and became a pruned spear for The Ally.

On the plus side, you just may get more "Pre-oDNA" Jack. Paul is working on the Early NY years trilogy. These stories will cover Jack's early days in NY, how he meets Abe and Julio and they all take place before the events in The Tomb. So, we may be getting back to the gritty fix-its before Jack healed rapidly and became a pruned spear for The Ally.

YAY! I would love that. I liked the teen Jack books, but I understood why he stopped them. It had to be hard not divulging things. Maybe Wilson should start another teen character. Something for kids. Mine (10&11) have trouble finding good mystery/thriller stuff.

YAY! I would love that. I liked the teen Jack books, but I understood why he stopped them. It had to be hard not divulging things. Maybe Wilson should start another teen character. Something for kids. Mine (10&11) have trouble finding good mystery/thriller stuff.

There's the classic Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series. I read through all the Nancy Drew stuff about that age and liked them. If they are avid readers, aside from Sibs and The Tomb most of FPW's books are pretty clean in terms of language and sex.

The Keep and The Fifth Harmonic both have fairly explicit sex scenes.

By The Sword is pretty explicit also. And if I remember right, The Touch had some parts as well.