Wild Cards

Author: George R Martin

If you're a fantasy, Game of Thrones, or superhero fan, this George R Martin series science fiction/super hero anthology should be on your reading list. Actually, I would go so far as to say that Wild Cards shits all over Songs of Fire and Ice, and if you want to read good speculative fiction, you're missing out if you don't get into this series. This series was created by a group of New Mexico science fiction writers, but is organized and edited by George R Martin, who is also one of the series writers. The series began in 1987 and is still running, its current publisher being Tor Books. In an alternate post World War 2 Earth, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA is accidentally unleashed in 1946, killing 90% of the world's population, mutating 9%, and giving the rest superpowers. Some of the superpowers are useless, like the ability to grow body hair. The series has more of a "real life" feel to it, missing the secret identities most super heroes have. The world is similar to ours with real history figures like Richard Nixon and Buddy Holly (who doesn't die in a plane crash and does Prince covers) similar popular culture, but it alters baseball history. Best change to history? Werewolf Mick Jagger. And get in quick, because news is that SyFy films just bought the rights to this series.