Wild Cards
Encyclopedia
Wild Cards is a science fiction
and superhero
anthology
series set in a shared universe
. The series was created by a group of New Mexico
science fiction authors, but it is mostly pulled together and edited by best-selling author George R. R. Martin
with assistance by Melinda Snodgrass, also a contributor to the series. There were twelve initial volumes released by Bantam
, those being published between 1987 and 1993, before the series switched publishers, going to Baen, which released three new volumes between 1993 and 1995; then it was on to a third, iBooks
, which published two new volumes and also reprinted the first six, all between 2002 and 2006; then it was on to its fourth and current publisher, Tor in 2008, that continues the series and has issued four new volumes, with a new one likely forthcoming in late 2012.
While most of the books are made up of individual short stories, they generally focus on a central theme or event. There were also several longer storylines which run through several of the books. Some volumes use the format of a mosaic novel
. This involved several writers writing individual story lines, which were then edited together into one seamless novel-length story. Finally, several volumes in the series are a complete novel written by a single author.
Wild Cards was inspired by superhero
comics, and many of the authors play with the conventions of the medium, while some characters are based on existing heroes (for example, Jetboy
was modeled on the Hillman Periodicals' character Airboy
). Many of the original authors were also inspired by a long-running Albuquerque, New Mexico
campaign of the role-playing game
Superworld
, gamemaster
ed by George R. R. Martin
, and many modeled their characters on their in-game persona.
Contributors to the series include Roger Zelazny
, Lewis Shiner
, Walter Jon Williams
, Pat Cadigan, Howard Waldrop
, Leanne C. Harper, Chris Claremont
, Victor Milán
, John J. Miller
, and Martin himself.
of the earth after World War II
. In 1946 an alien virus that rewrites human DNA
is accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It kills 90% of those who come into contact with it (referred to as 'drawing the Black Queen'). However, 9% mutate into deformed creatures (known as 'Jokers') and the remaining 1% gain superpowers (known as 'Aces'). There is also a class known as 'Deuces' - Aces who have acquired useless or ridiculous powers, such as the ability to levitate up to two feet, or to grow body hair at will. The airborne virus eventually spreads all over the world, affecting tens of thousands.
The Wild Cards universe is distinguished from most superhero
comic book
fiction by several thematic elements. Early on the authors decided to pursue a more realistic, or naturalistic approach to storytelling. Few of the Ace characters in Wild Cards have secret identities, or are traditional crime-fighting superheroes in the mold of Spider-Man
or Batman
. Wild Cards remained set within a recognizably real world with recognizably real people and pop culture and, because of the historical setting of many of the stories, had characters who aged realistically during the course of the series. The majority of Wild Card victims live in the run-down ghetto of Jokertown
, while the fortunate Aces become glamorous celebrities. In addition, Wild Cards took a more graphic approach to violence, and particularly to sex, than most superhero stories do.
Another aspect of the series is its use of real people, such as Buddy Holly
, Grace Kelly
and Richard Nixon
. Unlike most superhero universes, the events of Wild Cards alter history in many ways - a notable example being Fidel Castro
remaining in New York
to play baseball
, and the lack of a Communist takeover in Cuba
thereafter. As of 1986, Castro was the pitching coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who never moved to Los Angeles, and still play at Ebbets Field
. Thus, L.A, not New York, got an expansion team called the Stars after the Giants moved to Minnesota in lieu of San Francisco. In the Wild Cards universe, the Dodgers are the equivalent of the New York Mets
, with their history after the 1950s coinciding with the Mets' history, including victory in the 1969 World Series
over the Baltimore Orioles
. The Los Angeles Stars are the equivalent of the real Dodgers.
Other notable changes: Mick Jagger
is a lycanthropic
ace. Frank Zappa
has a son, Frank Zappa, Jr., who becomes a general in the U.S. Army and eventually Vice President. Buddy Holly
does not die in a plane crash but instead winds up covering Prince and Billy Idol in dingy venues before discovering his ace super powers during a come-back concert. The House Un-American Activities Committee
blacklists aces instead of entertainment industry workers. Thomas Marion Douglas (an analogue of Jim Morrison
), lead singer for the rock group Destiny, was an ace called the Lizard King and dies not of a drug overdose in France but rather from a dose of the experimental trump virus
which cures him and removes his immunity to many years of drug abuse. The botched Iranian hostage rescue of the Jimmy Carter
administration is bungled by a team of aces (including Popinjay
and Carnifex
) rather than the U.S. military (and was later proven to be part of a conspiracy to prevent Carter's re-election
due to his pro-wild card stance). President George H. W. Bush
promises "no new exotics (a politically correct term for wild carders) laws" rather than "no new taxes," but still goes back on his word.
and mind control. In the early 20th century one of the ruling houses, House Ilkazam, began to develop an artificial virus designed to rewrite Takisian DNA to enhance the natural powers of the ruling class, thus giving Ilkazam an advantage in their conflict with other houses. However, the virus which resulted, the Wild Card, was highly imperfect. It killed the vast majority of its victims and left the vast majority of the survivors with unsightly or even dangerous mutations. However, a small percentage of those infected developed amazing powers.
House Ilkazam did not want to use the virus on their own people and possibly devastate their numbers. They did not want to use it as a weapon against an enemy because it could leave the survivors with impressive powers, but they were unwilling to simply write it off as a failed experiment. Instead they decided to release the virus on Earth as part of a large scale field test. One member of house Ilkazam, Tisianne brant T'sara sek Halima sek Ragnar sek Omian, subsequently known on Earth as Dr Tachyon, objected to the proposed test on moral grounds. He followed his relatives to Earth in his own ship. The two sets of Takisians did battle in near earth orbit, with both ships being critically damaged. Dr Tachyon managed to make a controlled landing at White Sands Missile Range
while the larger ship, containing the supply of Wild Card Virus, crashed in the New Jersey
Pine Barrens
, killing all on board. Dr Tachyon attempted to convince the military authorities of the danger posed by the virus and the need to locate it, but his haughty demeanor and the strange facts of the story made them skeptical. Meanwhile, the vessel containing the Wild Card virus was found by two associates of the criminal mastermind Dr Tod. Dr Tod loaded the virus onto an airship and used it to try and blackmail the US government by threatening New York City
. Dr Tod's plan was upset when his blimp was attacked by Robert Tomlin, better known as the pulp hero Jetboy. In the ensuing fight Tod and Jetboy died and most of the virus was destroyed, while some was released above New York. While the immediate effects were seen in Manhattan, some of the virus entered the jet stream where it was carried around the world to cause random outbreaks at various places over the next several decades. The deformed survivors of the virus faced significant discrimination in the years after the outbreak. Some of this was initially due to unfounded fears that the virus may be contagious, which it is not. Others found that their changed appearance caused them to lose jobs and be rejected by families and spouses. Through redlining and restrictive covenants, most of the Jokers in New York were concentrated in the Bowery which subsequently became known as Jokertown. Due to the economic marginality of many of its residents, Jokertown became a haven for less than wholesome operations such as strip clubs and porn theaters, some of them catering to people who wanted to see unusual Jokers. Dr Tachyon set up the Jokertown Clinic in the neighborhood to care for the special health needs of the residents and to search for a cure for the virus, which he eventually did discover.
The virus itself is not contagious. The only way to become infected with it is through exposure to the original spores. However, the virus does rewrite the DNA of the infected, inserting itself into their genetic code. Genetically the virus is recessive so that it will normally only express itself if both parents are infected.
novels started by George R. R. Martin
.
, who despite having a pair of feathered wings growing from her shoulder blades is otherwise physically attractive in appearance.
Ace powers range from the trivial (for example, the ability to turn water into wine) to the fantastic abilities that the general public would actually consider to be "superpowers" (flying, teleporting, mind-reading, shape-shifting, etc.). Those Aces with powers that are so minor or specific as to be considered "parlor tricks" are sub-classified Deuces.
's nose, which turned into a mass of tentacles) or grotesque (like Snotman
, who exudes a foul-smelling secretion through every pore of his body). Some alterations that would be classified as a Joker are only obvious if one was aware of the infected individual's original appearance (such as Gimili, who appeared to simply be a dwarf
, but was in fact mutated into that form by the virus, or Succubus, who appeared to be an elderly woman, whose physical aging had been accelerated by her mutation). Those who gained superhuman powers were instead classified as Aces, though there were some with both powers and deformities who were referred to as Ace/Jokers, such as Bloat
. There were even a very fortunate few whose deformities were considered attractive by many, such as Peregrine
, an Ace with flight-capable angelic wings who eventually became a TV star with her own talk show, Peregrine's Perch. Jokers often refer to those not affected by the Wild card virus as Nats
.
Dr. Tachyon
has theorized that the forms taken by Jokers are influenced by the subconscious mind through a form of micro-telekinesis during the initial stage of the disease. This could explain why some joker forms are similar to those of animals or fantasy creatures, or often reflect the personal fears or desires of the individuals.
The largest and oldest Joker community in the world is the New York City neighborhood known as Jokertown
.
. As the original point of release for the Wild Card virus, Manhattan contains the largest and oldest community of those infected. In particular, many stories deal with the neighborhood known as Jokertown. This is based on the real world neighborhood of the Bowery and is populated mainly by Jokers. In the years after the release of the virus, the neighborhood had provided cheap housing to those who had found their lives disrupted by their mutations. The neighborhood has a rough reputation through most of the series, due to the economic marginality and physically imposing nature of many of the residents. The economic enterprises of the neighborhood tend to run towards night clubs and strip clubs with some catering to those who seek unusual performances by Jokers. For much of the twentieth century, slumming in Jokertown was a popular activity among more adventuresome Nats. However, the neighborhood also has more legitimate landmarks such as the Jokertown Clinic, a museum to Wild Card history, and the Church of Jesus Christ Joker, a Catholic splinter sect which worships a hermaphroditic Joker version of Jesus. Many of the residents of Jokertown have eschewed their birth names and instead are known by nicknames related to their deformity. A notable exception was Xavier Desmond, a local club owner and civic leader known as the "Mayor of Jokertown". For a long time many neighborhood residents opted to wear masks, ostensibly to cover up deformities, but also to allow a greater degree of anonymity for them.
Another prominent Manhattan location in the early books was the restaurant "Aces High". Catering to the trend in "Wild Card Chic" that began in the 70s, Aces High was run by the gravity controlling ace Hiram Worchester. From the 1970s through the late 1980s the restaurant, located in the Empire State Building, was a popular destination for the more publicity conscious aces. The Empire State Building would be the occasional target of a giant ape who would escape from the Central Park Zoo
every few years and climb the building ala King Kong
. The ape, who had first appeared in the wake of the Northeast Blackout of 1965
was revealed in the 1980s to be a movie obsessed shape shifter who had suffered a nervous breakdown.
In the early 1990s, a group of politically radical Jokers, dissatisfied with the culture of Jokertown, set up their own society on Ellis Island
, which had remained abandoned in the Wild Cards timeline. Renaming the island The Rox, the community was led by a massively overweight and massively powerful teenage Joker named Bloat. They welcomed outcast Wild Carders to the island and ultimately drew the ire of the government through their alliance with a group of body swapping criminals known as the Jumpers, and through their attempts to expand to other islands in New York Harbor
(which included at one point a vulgar defacing of the Statue of Liberty
).
While the novels mainly focus on the New York Metropolitan Area
they did occasionally journey outside the US. In particular the llate 1980s saw an official congressional fact finding mission made up of various politicians and notable Wild Carders who traveled to various other countries to observe the treatment of Wild Carders there. Most notable were perhaps Egypt, where several Jokers who took the form of ancient Egyptian Gods had begun to bring back the ancient religion, and Central America, where two ace brothers were leading a Wild Card revolution.
In the mid 1990s a revolution overthrew the government of Vietnam
with the help of the American ace Mark Meadows. The new revolutionary government welcomed Wild Carders, particularly Jokers, to their country and elected one of Meadow's multiple identities as President.
The 21st century has seen the rise of a renewed Caliphate
in the Middle East, ruled by an ace called The Nur. Simultaneously a marxist nation the People's Paradise of Africa, has come to control much of Central and Western Africa.
Double Solitaire and Turn of the Cards were actually full-length novels rather than anthologies, written by Snodgrass and Milán, respectively.
Death Draws Five is another solo novel, this time by John J. Miller; only 600 copies were known to be released, due to the sudden demise of the iBooks imprint. It has since been reprinted by Brick Tower Press.
picked up the contract to produce a new series of three new Wild Cards books after iBooks ceased operations. Tor released the first of their series, Inside Straight, in January 2008; the second, "Busted Flush" was published in December 2008; and the third volume, "Suicide Kings," in December 2009. This new trilogy featured the next generation of Wild Cards, although there were familiar faces along the way from previous volumes. Each was released initially in hardcover, followed awhile later by mass-market paperback editions. It was later announced that a new, fourth Tor volume would follow "The Committee" trilogy. That book became Fort Freak and followed the police and detectives of the Jokertown police district; it was first published in hardcover in June 2011, being followed later by a mass-market paperback edition.
Tor books has also started to re-release the first three Wild Cards volumes from the 1980s, with the first book Wild Cards being published in both trade paperback and mass-market editions, and containing three, all-new, previously unpublished, short stories that expand the scope of the original first volume.
In May 2011 George R.R. Martin announced in his livejournal
"Not A Blog" column that he had just signed a contract with Tor for another Wild Cards volume (working title: Lowball), the 22nd in the long-running series; it will likely appear sometime in late 2012, but no official publication date has been announced.
format. Marvel Comics
' Epic
imprint published a four-issue miniseries
in 1990 and later collected and published the series as a single volume graphic novel
; these Wild Card stories (among other, non-Wild Cards stories) were then reprinted two years later as part of the four-issue anthology-format comic book Epic Comics: An Anthology, published in 1992. A second limited Wild Card series was planned but was never realized after the Epic imprint was canceled by Marvel.
Some years later, author Daniel Abraham
penned a 2008 six-issue Wild Cards comics limited series
, that was published by Dabel Brothers Productions
; the first issue of the series was issued simultaneously with two variant covers, while the sixth and final issue was later published by Dynamite Comics. Dynamic then collected the miniseries as a single hardcover graphic novel in early 2011; this second series was called George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards: The Hard Call.
format twice.
The first was in the form of two GURPS
sourcebooks that made use of the GURPS Supers rules. The first of the GURPS
sourcebooks was published between the publications of Down and Dirty
and Ace in the Hole, in 1989. It is currently outdated, providing a snapshot of the universe at that time, but does contain biographical and power data on about 60 characters from the first five books along with details on current storylines and organizations. It was written by John J. Miller
.
The second is by Green Ronin Publishing
, based on their Mutants & Masterminds product line. The first of this line, the Wild Cards Campaign Setting, was written by series author John J. Miller
, and debuted at Origins in 2008. Two supplements are currently planned, including an adventure and a character book.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
series set in a shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
. The series was created by a group of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
science fiction authors, but it is mostly pulled together and edited by best-selling author George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
with assistance by Melinda Snodgrass, also a contributor to the series. There were twelve initial volumes released by Bantam
Bantam
Bantam may refer to:* Bantam , a small variety of poultry* Bantamweight, a weight class in boxing-Places:* Bantam , a city and former sultanate on Java island, in Indonesia...
, those being published between 1987 and 1993, before the series switched publishers, going to Baen, which released three new volumes between 1993 and 1995; then it was on to a third, iBooks
IBooks
iBooks is an e-book application by Apple Inc. It was announced in conjunction with the iPad on January 27, 2010, and was released for the iPhone and iPod Touch in mid-2010, as part of the iOS 4 update. At that time, it was described by Apple as being available only in the United States...
, which published two new volumes and also reprinted the first six, all between 2002 and 2006; then it was on to its fourth and current publisher, Tor in 2008, that continues the series and has issued four new volumes, with a new one likely forthcoming in late 2012.
While most of the books are made up of individual short stories, they generally focus on a central theme or event. There were also several longer storylines which run through several of the books. Some volumes use the format of a mosaic novel
Mosaic novel
A mosaic novel is a novel where individual chapters or short stories share a common setting or set of characters with the aim of telling a linear story from beginning to end, with the individual chapters, however, refracting a plurality of viewpoints and styles.Examples of mosaic novels as opposed...
. This involved several writers writing individual story lines, which were then edited together into one seamless novel-length story. Finally, several volumes in the series are a complete novel written by a single author.
Wild Cards was inspired by superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comics, and many of the authors play with the conventions of the medium, while some characters are based on existing heroes (for example, Jetboy
Jetboy
Jetboy is a fictional character from the Wild Cards book series. He appeared in the short story "Thirty Minutes Over Broadway!" by Howard Waldrop, but is referenced throughout the Wild Cards series. Jetboy is based on pulp magazine and Golden Age "air ace" characters, particularly Airboy...
was modeled on the Hillman Periodicals' character Airboy
Airboy
Airboy is a fictional aviator hero of an American comic book series initially published by Hillman Periodicals during the World War II-era time period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. He was created by writers Charles Biro and Dick Wood and artist Al Camy.-Golden Age:Airboy...
). Many of the original authors were also inspired by a long-running Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
campaign of the role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Superworld
Superworld
Superworld is a superhero-themed role-playing game published by Chaosium in 1983. Written by Basic Role-Playing and RuneQuest author Steve Perrin, Superworld began as one third of the Worlds of Wonder product, which also included a generic fantasy setting, "Magic World", and a generic science...
, gamemaster
Gamemaster
A gamemaster is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for questions regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer game...
ed by George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
, and many modeled their characters on their in-game persona.
Contributors to the series include Roger Zelazny
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
, Lewis Shiner
Lewis Shiner
Lewis Shiner is an American writer.Shiner began his career as a science fiction writer, identified early on with cyberpunk, and later wrote more mainstream novels, albeit often with magical realism and fantasy elements...
, Walter Jon Williams
Walter Jon Williams
Walter Jon Williams is an American writer, primarily of science fiction.Several of Williams' novels have a distinct cyberpunk feel to them, notably Hardwired , Voice of the Whirlwind and Angel Stationn...
, Pat Cadigan, Howard Waldrop
Howard Waldrop
Howard Waldrop is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction.Waldrop's stories combine elements such as alternate history, American popular culture, the American South, old movies , classical mythology, and rock 'n' roll music. His style is sometimes obscure or elliptical...
, Leanne C. Harper, Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, Victor Milán
Victor Milan
Victor Woodward Milán is an American writer known for libertarian science fiction and an interest in cybernetics. In 1986 he won the Prometheus Award for Cybernetic Samurai. He has also written several shared universe works for the Forgotten Realms, Star Trek, and Wild Cards Universes...
, John J. Miller
John J. Miller (author)
John Joseph Miller is a science fiction author known for his work in the Wild Cards shared universe. He has published four novels, as well as a handful of short stories. He also wrote GURPS Wild Cards, a supplement for the GURPS role-playing system published in 1989...
, and Martin himself.
Setting
The series relates an alternate historyAlternate history (fiction)
Alternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It can be variously seen as a sub-genre of literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction; different alternate...
of the earth after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1946 an alien virus that rewrites human DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
is accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It kills 90% of those who come into contact with it (referred to as 'drawing the Black Queen'). However, 9% mutate into deformed creatures (known as 'Jokers') and the remaining 1% gain superpowers (known as 'Aces'). There is also a class known as 'Deuces' - Aces who have acquired useless or ridiculous powers, such as the ability to levitate up to two feet, or to grow body hair at will. The airborne virus eventually spreads all over the world, affecting tens of thousands.
The Wild Cards universe is distinguished from most superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
fiction by several thematic elements. Early on the authors decided to pursue a more realistic, or naturalistic approach to storytelling. Few of the Ace characters in Wild Cards have secret identities, or are traditional crime-fighting superheroes in the mold of Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
or Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. Wild Cards remained set within a recognizably real world with recognizably real people and pop culture and, because of the historical setting of many of the stories, had characters who aged realistically during the course of the series. The majority of Wild Card victims live in the run-down ghetto of Jokertown
Jokertown
Jokertown is a fictional neighborhood in the Wild Cards anthology series.In the Wild Cards universe, it is an area of Manhattan. After the Wild Card virus was released over New York in 1946, many Jokers, those deformed by the virus, began to filter into this largely abandoned area, which was nearly...
, while the fortunate Aces become glamorous celebrities. In addition, Wild Cards took a more graphic approach to violence, and particularly to sex, than most superhero stories do.
Another aspect of the series is its use of real people, such as Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
, Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. Unlike most superhero universes, the events of Wild Cards alter history in many ways - a notable example being Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
remaining in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to play baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and the lack of a Communist takeover in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
thereafter. As of 1986, Castro was the pitching coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who never moved to Los Angeles, and still play at Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
. Thus, L.A, not New York, got an expansion team called the Stars after the Giants moved to Minnesota in lieu of San Francisco. In the Wild Cards universe, the Dodgers are the equivalent of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, with their history after the 1950s coinciding with the Mets' history, including victory in the 1969 World Series
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
over the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. The Los Angeles Stars are the equivalent of the real Dodgers.
Other notable changes: Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
is a lycanthropic
Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy is the professed ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a werewolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics. The term comes from Greek Lykànthropos : λύκος, lykos + άνθρωπος, ànthrōpos...
ace. Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
has a son, Frank Zappa, Jr., who becomes a general in the U.S. Army and eventually Vice President. Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
does not die in a plane crash but instead winds up covering Prince and Billy Idol in dingy venues before discovering his ace super powers during a come-back concert. The House Un-American Activities Committee
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
blacklists aces instead of entertainment industry workers. Thomas Marion Douglas (an analogue of Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
), lead singer for the rock group Destiny, was an ace called the Lizard King and dies not of a drug overdose in France but rather from a dose of the experimental trump virus
Trump virus
The Trump Virus is a fictional virus from the Wild Cards anthology series.It is developed as a counter-agent for the mutagenic Wild Card virus by Dr. Tachyon, who helped develop the original Wild Card virus. The Trump has limited success as a cure; originally it only worked in approximately...
which cures him and removes his immunity to many years of drug abuse. The botched Iranian hostage rescue of the Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
administration is bungled by a team of aces (including Popinjay
Popinjay (Wild Cards)
Jay "Popinjay" Ackroyd is a character from the Wild Cards series of books.-Powers:As an Ace , Jay can teleport people and things anywhere he can clearly visualize Jay "Popinjay" Ackroyd is a character from the Wild Cards series of books.-Powers:As an Ace (a Wild Card victim with powers, but...
and Carnifex
Carnifex (Wild Cards)
Carnifex is a fictional character in the Wild Cards anthology series. Carnifex is Billy Ray's nickname given to him for his love of violence. Infection with the Wild Card Virus has given him superhuman levels of strength, speed and stamina, along with a rapid regenerative healing factor and a...
) rather than the U.S. military (and was later proven to be part of a conspiracy to prevent Carter's re-election
October surprise conspiracy
The October Surprise conspiracy theory refers to an alleged plot to influence the outcome of the 1980 United States presidential election between incumbent Jimmy Carter and opponent Ronald Reagan ....
due to his pro-wild card stance). President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
promises "no new exotics (a politically correct term for wild carders) laws" rather than "no new taxes," but still goes back on his word.
Main characters
The series features a large and ever-changing cast of characters. A minor character in one story can become a major, or even the viewpoint character, in another, or vice versa.The Virus
Xenovirus Takis-A, popularly known as the Wild Card virus due to the wide range of symptoms it creates, is an alien biological weapon, from the planet Takis. The natives of that planet, known as Takisians, are genetically identical to humans (conflicting Takisian theories posit either parallel evolution or that Earth is a lost Takisian colony). The planet is ruled by dozens of royal houses which have been locked in perpetual conflict for generations. Through selective breeding, the royal class on Takis have come to possess psychic powers, notably telepathyTelepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
and mind control. In the early 20th century one of the ruling houses, House Ilkazam, began to develop an artificial virus designed to rewrite Takisian DNA to enhance the natural powers of the ruling class, thus giving Ilkazam an advantage in their conflict with other houses. However, the virus which resulted, the Wild Card, was highly imperfect. It killed the vast majority of its victims and left the vast majority of the survivors with unsightly or even dangerous mutations. However, a small percentage of those infected developed amazing powers.
House Ilkazam did not want to use the virus on their own people and possibly devastate their numbers. They did not want to use it as a weapon against an enemy because it could leave the survivors with impressive powers, but they were unwilling to simply write it off as a failed experiment. Instead they decided to release the virus on Earth as part of a large scale field test. One member of house Ilkazam, Tisianne brant T'sara sek Halima sek Ragnar sek Omian, subsequently known on Earth as Dr Tachyon, objected to the proposed test on moral grounds. He followed his relatives to Earth in his own ship. The two sets of Takisians did battle in near earth orbit, with both ships being critically damaged. Dr Tachyon managed to make a controlled landing at White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
while the larger ship, containing the supply of Wild Card Virus, crashed in the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Pine Barrens
Pine barrens
Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pinelands occur throughout the northeastern U.S. from New Jersey to Maine as well as the Midwest and Canada....
, killing all on board. Dr Tachyon attempted to convince the military authorities of the danger posed by the virus and the need to locate it, but his haughty demeanor and the strange facts of the story made them skeptical. Meanwhile, the vessel containing the Wild Card virus was found by two associates of the criminal mastermind Dr Tod. Dr Tod loaded the virus onto an airship and used it to try and blackmail the US government by threatening New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Dr Tod's plan was upset when his blimp was attacked by Robert Tomlin, better known as the pulp hero Jetboy. In the ensuing fight Tod and Jetboy died and most of the virus was destroyed, while some was released above New York. While the immediate effects were seen in Manhattan, some of the virus entered the jet stream where it was carried around the world to cause random outbreaks at various places over the next several decades. The deformed survivors of the virus faced significant discrimination in the years after the outbreak. Some of this was initially due to unfounded fears that the virus may be contagious, which it is not. Others found that their changed appearance caused them to lose jobs and be rejected by families and spouses. Through redlining and restrictive covenants, most of the Jokers in New York were concentrated in the Bowery which subsequently became known as Jokertown. Due to the economic marginality of many of its residents, Jokertown became a haven for less than wholesome operations such as strip clubs and porn theaters, some of them catering to people who wanted to see unusual Jokers. Dr Tachyon set up the Jokertown Clinic in the neighborhood to care for the special health needs of the residents and to search for a cure for the virus, which he eventually did discover.
The virus itself is not contagious. The only way to become infected with it is through exposure to the original spores. However, the virus does rewrite the DNA of the infected, inserting itself into their genetic code. Genetically the virus is recessive so that it will normally only express itself if both parents are infected.
Classifications in Wild Cards
There are certain broad classes of characters in the Wild Cards universe of superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
novels started by George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
.
Aces
To be classified as an Ace, the person must still be basically human in appearance and generally be able to "pass" in society as normal person—as opposed to the physical mutations affecting those known as Jokers, resulting in various physical deformities or debilitating conditions. Certain individuals with both powers and physical alterations are still considered Aces, such as the celebrity Ace known as PeregrinePeregrine (Wild Cards)
Peregrine is a fictional character from the Wild Cards series of books.-Character background:Peregrine might technically be considered a Joker, since the wild card virus left her with a visible "deformity" a pair of giant wings. However, the majestic nature of her wings, combined with her physical...
, who despite having a pair of feathered wings growing from her shoulder blades is otherwise physically attractive in appearance.
Ace powers range from the trivial (for example, the ability to turn water into wine) to the fantastic abilities that the general public would actually consider to be "superpowers" (flying, teleporting, mind-reading, shape-shifting, etc.). Those Aces with powers that are so minor or specific as to be considered "parlor tricks" are sub-classified Deuces.
Jokers
A Joker is a person that was infected by the Wild Card virus and got one or more deformities or crippling physical conditions as a result. The mutations can be slight (like Father SquidFather Squid
Father Squid is a fictional priest from the Wild Cards anthology series. He was created by John J. Miller.Father Squid is a Joker, the common term for a person deformed by the alien Wild Card Virus. He has a mass of small tentacles hanging where his nose would be, slick hairless grey skin,...
's nose, which turned into a mass of tentacles) or grotesque (like Snotman
Snotman
Snotman is a character from the Wild Cards book series. He was originally a Joker derelict who oozed a snot-like mucus from every pore of his body. However in Wild Cards volume V: Down and Dirty, he had an encounter with Croyd Crenson, better known as The Sleeper, during a time when Crenson's...
, who exudes a foul-smelling secretion through every pore of his body). Some alterations that would be classified as a Joker are only obvious if one was aware of the infected individual's original appearance (such as Gimili, who appeared to simply be a dwarf
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
, but was in fact mutated into that form by the virus, or Succubus, who appeared to be an elderly woman, whose physical aging had been accelerated by her mutation). Those who gained superhuman powers were instead classified as Aces, though there were some with both powers and deformities who were referred to as Ace/Jokers, such as Bloat
Bloat (Wild Cards)
Bloat is a fictional character from the Wild Cards series of books. He was created for the books by Stephen Leigh. An adolescent boy transformed by the Wild Card virus into a monstrous Joker, he resembles a tiny human torso atop a massively bloated sluglike body...
. There were even a very fortunate few whose deformities were considered attractive by many, such as Peregrine
Peregrine (Wild Cards)
Peregrine is a fictional character from the Wild Cards series of books.-Character background:Peregrine might technically be considered a Joker, since the wild card virus left her with a visible "deformity" a pair of giant wings. However, the majestic nature of her wings, combined with her physical...
, an Ace with flight-capable angelic wings who eventually became a TV star with her own talk show, Peregrine's Perch. Jokers often refer to those not affected by the Wild card virus as Nats
Nat (Wild Cards)
Nat is a slang term from the Wild Cards novels referring to normal humans uninfected by the Wild Card virus. Most often used by Jokers when referring to their uninfected oppressors, though also occasionally employed by Aces as a pejorative...
.
Dr. Tachyon
Dr. Tachyon
Dr. Tachyon is a character from the Wild Cards series of books. He was created for the books by Melinda M. Snodgrass. Tachyon is a geneticist from the planet Takis, whose people naturally developed various telepathic powers...
has theorized that the forms taken by Jokers are influenced by the subconscious mind through a form of micro-telekinesis during the initial stage of the disease. This could explain why some joker forms are similar to those of animals or fantasy creatures, or often reflect the personal fears or desires of the individuals.
The largest and oldest Joker community in the world is the New York City neighborhood known as Jokertown
Jokertown
Jokertown is a fictional neighborhood in the Wild Cards anthology series.In the Wild Cards universe, it is an area of Manhattan. After the Wild Card virus was released over New York in 1946, many Jokers, those deformed by the virus, began to filter into this largely abandoned area, which was nearly...
.
Deuces
A Deuce is a person that was infected by the Wild Card virus and gained a useless or trivial ability, like the power to levitate pennies, the ability to turn into a puddle of water, the ability to grow bodily hair at will, or the ability to levitate 2 feet off the ground. Those with more significant powers are known as Aces.Nats
Some Wild Carders, particularly Jokers, use the term "Nat", short for natural, as a derogatory way of referring to those who are not infected by the Wild Card.Suicide Kings
A Suicide King is a child of two Wild Card Positive parents who has inherited the virus. A Suicide King is likely to express their Wild Card virus when reaching puberty, and has the same 90% chance of death as another person that caught the Wild Cards virus normally. Causing undue mental distress to a Suicide King is punishable by law, as this could cause the virus to express itselfLocations
Most of the stories in the Wild Cards novels are set in or around ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. As the original point of release for the Wild Card virus, Manhattan contains the largest and oldest community of those infected. In particular, many stories deal with the neighborhood known as Jokertown. This is based on the real world neighborhood of the Bowery and is populated mainly by Jokers. In the years after the release of the virus, the neighborhood had provided cheap housing to those who had found their lives disrupted by their mutations. The neighborhood has a rough reputation through most of the series, due to the economic marginality and physically imposing nature of many of the residents. The economic enterprises of the neighborhood tend to run towards night clubs and strip clubs with some catering to those who seek unusual performances by Jokers. For much of the twentieth century, slumming in Jokertown was a popular activity among more adventuresome Nats. However, the neighborhood also has more legitimate landmarks such as the Jokertown Clinic, a museum to Wild Card history, and the Church of Jesus Christ Joker, a Catholic splinter sect which worships a hermaphroditic Joker version of Jesus. Many of the residents of Jokertown have eschewed their birth names and instead are known by nicknames related to their deformity. A notable exception was Xavier Desmond, a local club owner and civic leader known as the "Mayor of Jokertown". For a long time many neighborhood residents opted to wear masks, ostensibly to cover up deformities, but also to allow a greater degree of anonymity for them.
Another prominent Manhattan location in the early books was the restaurant "Aces High". Catering to the trend in "Wild Card Chic" that began in the 70s, Aces High was run by the gravity controlling ace Hiram Worchester. From the 1970s through the late 1980s the restaurant, located in the Empire State Building, was a popular destination for the more publicity conscious aces. The Empire State Building would be the occasional target of a giant ape who would escape from the Central Park Zoo
Central Park Zoo
The Central Park Zoo is a small zoo located in Central Park in New York City. It is part of an integrated system of four zoos and the New York Aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society , and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums .The zoo began in the 1860s as a...
every few years and climb the building ala King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
. The ape, who had first appeared in the wake of the Northeast Blackout of 1965
Northeast Blackout of 1965
The Northeast blackout of 1965 was a significant disruption in the supply of electricity on November 9, 1965, affecting Ontario, Canada and Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey in the United States...
was revealed in the 1980s to be a movie obsessed shape shifter who had suffered a nervous breakdown.
In the early 1990s, a group of politically radical Jokers, dissatisfied with the culture of Jokertown, set up their own society on Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
, which had remained abandoned in the Wild Cards timeline. Renaming the island The Rox, the community was led by a massively overweight and massively powerful teenage Joker named Bloat. They welcomed outcast Wild Carders to the island and ultimately drew the ire of the government through their alliance with a group of body swapping criminals known as the Jumpers, and through their attempts to expand to other islands in New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
(which included at one point a vulgar defacing of the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
).
While the novels mainly focus on the New York Metropolitan Area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
they did occasionally journey outside the US. In particular the llate 1980s saw an official congressional fact finding mission made up of various politicians and notable Wild Carders who traveled to various other countries to observe the treatment of Wild Carders there. Most notable were perhaps Egypt, where several Jokers who took the form of ancient Egyptian Gods had begun to bring back the ancient religion, and Central America, where two ace brothers were leading a Wild Card revolution.
In the mid 1990s a revolution overthrew the government of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
with the help of the American ace Mark Meadows. The new revolutionary government welcomed Wild Carders, particularly Jokers, to their country and elected one of Meadow's multiple identities as President.
The 21st century has seen the rise of a renewed Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
in the Middle East, ruled by an ace called The Nur. Simultaneously a marxist nation the People's Paradise of Africa, has come to control much of Central and Western Africa.
Original series (Bantam Books)
- Wild Cards (1987)
- Aces High (1987)
- Jokers Wild (1987)
- Aces AbroadAces AbroadAces Abroad is the fourth volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series, edited by George R. R. Martin. It was published in 1988 and dealt with a world tour, sponsored by the United Nations and the World Health Organization, featuring many of the main characters from the previous novels...
(1988) - Down and DirtyDown and DirtyDown and Dirty is the fifth book in the Wild Cards anthology series, set in the same shared universe as the other Wild Cards novels and collections. It was edited by George R. R...
(1988) - Ace in the HoleAce in the Hole (anthology)Ace in the Hole is the sixth volume in the Wild Cards shared universe series edited by George R. R. Martin. Like the third volume in the series , this volume uses the format of a mosaic novel, where several writers write individual storylines which were then edited together into one novel length...
(1990) - Dead Man's Hand (1990)
- One-Eyed Jacks (1991)
- Jokertown Shuffle (1991)
- Double SolitaireDouble SolitaireDouble Solitaire , the tenth entry and the first full novel in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R. R. Martin. It was authored by Melinda Snodgrass and first published in paperback in the USA.-Plot introduction:...
(1992) (novel) - Dealer's Choice (1992)
- Turn of the Cards (1993) (novel)
Double Solitaire and Turn of the Cards were actually full-length novels rather than anthologies, written by Snodgrass and Milán, respectively.
"New Cycle" (Baen Books)
- Card Sharks (1993)
- Marked CardsMarked CardsMarked Cards is the fourteenth volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R. R. Martin...
(1994) - Black TrumpBlack TrumpFor the Cocoa Brovaz song, see The Rude Awakening.The fifteenth volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R. R. Martin. Published in 1995, it is the final book in the "Card Sharks" cycle, with the completion of the Black Trump virus and its release in the world...
(1995)
(iBooks)
- Deuces DownDeuces DownDeuces Down is the sixteenth volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R. R. Martin. Published in 2002, it differed from the other novels in that it featured deuces as the main characters.-Stories:Deuces Down contains the following short stories:...
(2002) - Death Draws Five (2006) (novel)
Death Draws Five is another solo novel, this time by John J. Miller; only 600 copies were known to be released, due to the sudden demise of the iBooks imprint. It has since been reprinted by Brick Tower Press.
Tor Books revival
- Inside Straight (2008)
- Busted Flush (2008)
- Suicide Kings (2009)
- Fort Freak (June 2011)
- Lowball (working title, forthcoming 2012)
The recent past and future
According to George R. R. Martin's website, Tor BooksTor Books
Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
picked up the contract to produce a new series of three new Wild Cards books after iBooks ceased operations. Tor released the first of their series, Inside Straight, in January 2008; the second, "Busted Flush" was published in December 2008; and the third volume, "Suicide Kings," in December 2009. This new trilogy featured the next generation of Wild Cards, although there were familiar faces along the way from previous volumes. Each was released initially in hardcover, followed awhile later by mass-market paperback editions. It was later announced that a new, fourth Tor volume would follow "The Committee" trilogy. That book became Fort Freak and followed the police and detectives of the Jokertown police district; it was first published in hardcover in June 2011, being followed later by a mass-market paperback edition.
Tor books has also started to re-release the first three Wild Cards volumes from the 1980s, with the first book Wild Cards being published in both trade paperback and mass-market editions, and containing three, all-new, previously unpublished, short stories that expand the scope of the original first volume.
In May 2011 George R.R. Martin announced in his livejournal
LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
"Not A Blog" column that he had just signed a contract with Tor for another Wild Cards volume (working title: Lowball), the 22nd in the long-running series; it will likely appear sometime in late 2012, but no official publication date has been announced.
Comics
Portions of the book series have been adapted into the comic bookComic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
format. Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Epic
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
imprint published a four-issue miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
in 1990 and later collected and published the series as a single volume graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
; these Wild Card stories (among other, non-Wild Cards stories) were then reprinted two years later as part of the four-issue anthology-format comic book Epic Comics: An Anthology, published in 1992. A second limited Wild Card series was planned but was never realized after the Epic imprint was canceled by Marvel.
Some years later, author Daniel Abraham
Daniel Abraham (author)
Daniel Abraham is a prolific American science fiction / fantasy author who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies. His novelette Flat Diane was nominated for the Nebula Award...
penned a 2008 six-issue Wild Cards comics limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, that was published by Dabel Brothers Productions
Dabel Brothers Productions
Dabel Brothers Productions is a U.S. publishing company of comic books and graphic novels. It was founded in 2001 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia...
; the first issue of the series was issued simultaneously with two variant covers, while the sixth and final issue was later published by Dynamite Comics. Dynamic then collected the miniseries as a single hardcover graphic novel in early 2011; this second series was called George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards: The Hard Call.
Role-playing
The setting was also adapted into role-playing gameRole-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
format twice.
The first was in the form of two GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
sourcebooks that made use of the GURPS Supers rules. The first of the GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
sourcebooks was published between the publications of Down and Dirty
Down and Dirty
Down and Dirty is the fifth book in the Wild Cards anthology series, set in the same shared universe as the other Wild Cards novels and collections. It was edited by George R. R...
and Ace in the Hole, in 1989. It is currently outdated, providing a snapshot of the universe at that time, but does contain biographical and power data on about 60 characters from the first five books along with details on current storylines and organizations. It was written by John J. Miller
John J. Miller (author)
John Joseph Miller is a science fiction author known for his work in the Wild Cards shared universe. He has published four novels, as well as a handful of short stories. He also wrote GURPS Wild Cards, a supplement for the GURPS role-playing system published in 1989...
.
The second is by Green Ronin Publishing
Green Ronin Publishing
Green Ronin Publishing is an American company based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2000 by Chris Pramas, they have published several role-playing game–related products...
, based on their Mutants & Masterminds product line. The first of this line, the Wild Cards Campaign Setting, was written by series author John J. Miller
John J. Miller (author)
John Joseph Miller is a science fiction author known for his work in the Wild Cards shared universe. He has published four novels, as well as a handful of short stories. He also wrote GURPS Wild Cards, a supplement for the GURPS role-playing system published in 1989...
, and debuted at Origins in 2008. Two supplements are currently planned, including an adventure and a character book.
External links
- International Superheroes - Biographies of many Wild Cards characters.
- Book Covers - Scans of covers of all Wild Cards books.
- Wild Cards - The online guide to George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards series
- Green Ronin To Publish Wild Cards RPG Line - Official Press Release
- WildCardsBooks.com - Tor's Official Wild Cards Website