The Man from Krypton

June 7, 2008 on 11:30 pm | In 2.5 Stars | No Comments

The Man from Krypton
Edited by Glenn Yeffeth
(BenBella Books, 2006)

MFK (abbreviated because I’m lazy) is a collection of essays, examining Superman through the lens of romance, politics, sociology, psychology and all those other -ologies. As with any collection of essays, I found it rather hit-or-miss. Some of the essays were fun and interesting, others … not so much.

I really enjoyed “You Will Believe a Man Can Walk,” by Sarah Zettel – a heartfelt look at Superman-actor Christopher Reeve and what he brought to the character. I think it was the best essay in the entire book.

Other essays explored the evolution of Krypton, the differences between two orphans: Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, and the makeup of a hero. All of them were cute, if not a little forgettable.

Sadly what I’ll remember most about this book are the two essays that I hated the most.

The first was “God, Communism and the WB,” by Gustav Peebles. I’ll admit, I didn’t even read it all the way through. I just couldn’t. I tried, God help me, I did … but it was so dry and boring that I almost put the whole book down. Instead, I just abandoned this essay and left it for dead, as it surely would have done me. Maybe I just don’t understand it because I’m stupid, I don’t know. But it seemed to me at times as if Peebles – an anthropology professor at Columbia University in NYC, who studies the history of monetary reform (whatever that is) – was perhaps just a bit over my head. I wondered how many people can really connect with this essay.

I would say more about it, but I’m bored even writing about Peebles’ essay.

The second was Larry Niven’s supposedly classic essay, “Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex,” which was originally published in 1971. It’s become kind of a cult favorite for its sci-fi comedy, I’m told, but I just found it ridiculous. It wasn’t comically absurd; as I’m also told it was supposed to be. It was just absurdly absurd. In his essay, Niven explores the “real world” consequences of Superman’s sex life.

“Superman would literally crush LL’s body in his arms, while simultaneously
ripping her open from crotch to sternum, gutting her like a trout.” (Niven, 53).

One potential ending Niven theorizes is that millions of Kryptonian sperm eat through LL’s body and fly through the air, impregnating unsuspecting women everywhere. And of course, carrying a superbaby poses its own set of deadly problems. I absolutely found it indulgent, sickening and ridiculous. I certainly won’t be seeking out anything else that Niven – an award winning sci-fi writer – has published.

While you’re writing your hate mail now, I’ll just wrap things up here.

Just as I wrote in the beginning: the problem with collected editions is that some essays work, and others don’t. In the end, it just depends which side ends up with more lines on the chalkboard. For this book, it had more good essays than bad, but the bad ones cast a large shadow that makes it almost impossible to remember the things that made it enjoyable.

If you’re already a hardcore fan of the Man of Steel, as I am, or if you appreciate pop culture analysis, as I also do, you’ll enjoy this book. Without those pre-programmed measures to attract the reader, however, I don’t see anyone getting too excited about it.

In a future volume (and I certainly hope there is one) I would rather read essays written not just by random writers, but instead by people who can be credited as a real authority on the Man of Steel – maybe former writers and editors, or filmmakers. At least those people know what they’re talking about.

I’d give this book two and one-half stars.

FUN FACTS: Superman — often compared to Judeo-Christian figures like Moses, Samson, or Christ — can also be analogous to the Sumerian god, Gilgamesh.