Gregory Dobrasz

The Icarus Ring Gregory Dobrasz

On October 20, 2014, without warning or explanation, every person on Earth acquired superpowers. Some were amazing and wonderful (flight, strength, invulnerability), others were awful (porcupine quills, a voice that kills, impenetrable solitude). There are no fancy costumes, catchy superhero group names, or super villain monologues in the world of the Icarus Ring. The novel takes place ten years after the change. Mouse lives in Detroit. It's rough, but it's not that crazy compared to everywhere else. Detroit was already like what most places became, shattered and down on one knee. Mouse can fly, she's strong and damn near invulnerable. At the story's opening she is confronted by a mysterious group who claim they don't want anything from her. If that's true, she wonders, then why have they taken all her possessions and held them for ransom? They say they had to do that to get her to stay still long enough to talk. Turns out they've been trying to meet her for two years, and she's been hard to pin down. Mouse isn't surprised. She tries to be hard to pin down. They assure her all they want is for her to visit their mysterious city to the east. Mouse doesn't trust them, she doesn't trust anyone. There's a telepath in the group and nothing's less trustworthy than a telepath. But there's something different about this group. As things are she is powerful and safe, but alone. Will Mouse exchange her safety for companionship?