Extra Heroes

Heroes and heroines in antiquity inhabited a space somewhere between gods and humans. In this detailed, yet brilliantly wide-ranging analysis, Christopher Jones starts from literary heroes such as Achilles and moves to the historical record of those exceptional men and women who were worshiped after death. He asks why and how mortals were heroized, and what exactly becoming a hero entailed in terms of religious action and belief. He proves that the growing popularity of heroizing the dead—fallen warriors, family members, magnanimous citizens—represents not a decline from earlier practice but an adaptation to new contexts and modes of thought. The most famous example of this process is Hadrian’s beloved, Antinoos, who can now be located within an ancient tradition of heroizing extraordinary youths who died prematurely. This book, wholly new and beautifully written, rescues the hero from literary metaphor and vividly restores heroism to the reality of ancient life.

In California a young man slices through the sky in a red streak. In Virginia a young girl builds an android in her garage that can carry her to school. In Louisiana a woman bursts into flames. In a small town in Indiana, an entire stadium is overwhelmed with emotion thanks to one man. And in an apartment in New York, two men attempt to make contact with all of them via a list they shouldn?t have. All over the country individuals are exposing strange and wonderful abilities to a world that may not be seeing such activity for the first time. Everyone wants a piece of their attention and assistance but they will decide for themselves what their fate will be. Misusing their power is not an option when an unexpected and deadly adversary alters the course of their lives forever. Patterns & Choices, the first Extra Heroes novel, takes the super-hero genre out of its typical comic book element and explores themes of heroism and responsibility through surprising realism and a thoughtful, original cast of characters. Extra Heroes: Patterns & Choices is a novel for many ages (13+) by Dean Browell.

The Second World War is famed for being the conflict that changed the face of warfare, and it is the last that changed the face of the world. In addition to remembering those who passed away in those dark days of war, a sincere debt of gratitude is owed to all those now in their twilight years who gave all that they had for King and Country. In this new and revised third edition, with additional material to celebrate the lives of D-Day and Arnhem veterans, Gary Bridson-Daley presents 46 of over 150 interviews he conducted with veterans over recent years, adding to the history books the words and the original poetry of those who fought and supported the war effort to ensure freedom, peace and prosperity for generations to come. From each corner of the British Isles and every armed service, from Dam Buster George 'Johnny' Johnson through to riveter Susan Jones: heroes, all.

Premiering in September of 2006, the weekly NBC television series Heroes was an immediate commercial and critical hit, lasting four successful seasons. Heroes follows a group of interrelated characters who discover they have superhuman powers, with each successive episode exploring how these people react to and utilize their powers for good or for evil. This collection of essays explores a variety of issues surrounding Heroes, examining the series' content, marketing and reception. Also investigated is the show's fusion of "cult" and mainstream elements of television, analyzing its ability to combine so-called lowbrow elements (comic books and superheroes) with a high-quality television form prizing such factors as moral ambiguity and depth of characterization--and what this blending process suggests about the current hybrid state of genre television, and about the medium as a whole.

A study of one of popular culture's superstars whose enchanting mystique pervades the modern world

The world is in peril and only you and your fellow Superheroes can save the day! Welcome to QUERP Heroes. Welcome to a world much like your own, where people live out their daily lives, caring for family, going to work and partying with friends. Welcome to a world where crime, war, failing economies and widespread famine influence the lives of millions every day. What is the main difference between this world and yours? You have incredible powers. QUERP Heroes allows you to become one of a rare group of individuals from across the globe that have been gifted with rare and fantastic capabilities; superpowers. Together, you and your super-powered friends will become heroes straight out of the comic books, busting heads, taking names, fighting crime and tracking down evil wherever it lurks. Along the way you will face petty street thugs, giant monsters, supernatural beasts, mighty villains and evil masterminds, growing in strength, reputation and power and earning that title of Superhero.

Shareware Heroes is a comprehensive, meticulously researched exploration of an important and too-long overlooked chapter in video game history Shareware Heroes: Independent Games at the Dawn of the Internet takes readers on a journey, from the beginnings of the shareware model in the early 1980s, the origins of the concept, even the name itself, and the rise of shareware's major players – the likes of id Software, Apogee, and Epic MegaGames – through to the significance of shareware for the ‘forgotten’ systems – the Mac, Atari ST, Amiga – when commercial game publishers turned away from them. This book also charts the emergence of commercial shareware distributors like Educorp and the BBS/newsgroup sharing culture. And it explores how shareware developers plugged gaps in the video gaming market by creating games in niche and neglected genres like vertically-scrolling shoot-'em-ups (e.g. Raptor and Tyrian) or racing games (e.g. Wacky Wheels and Skunny Kart) or RPGs (God of Thunder and Realmz), until finally, as the video game market again grew and shifted, and major publishers took control, how the shareware system faded into the background and fell from memory.

Discover Sensational Personalities from Throughout Garden State History New Jersey has long punched above its size in producing some of America's leading figures, but for every household name are dozens of unforgettable yet overlooked colorful characters. Jersey City's treasurer, Alexander D. Hamilton, fled the state in 1894 with over one hundred thousand dollars and was apprehended by a Jersey City police sergeant after a stint with a band of outlaws in Mexico. Mary Teresa Norton overcame prejudice to be elected the first woman from the state to serve in Congress, becoming a powerful chair of three Congressional Committees over five terms. Infamous Newark Gangster Abner "Longie" Zwillmann ran gambling circles, labor rackets and prostitution rings while hobnobbing with Joe DiMaggio and stuffing ballot boxes for local politicians. Joseph Bilby and Harry Ziegler present profiles of memorable characters from the Garden State.