Through Thick and Thin: A Menopausal Superhero Short Story Collection
About
Hidden in the space between chapters lurk other stories—what came before and after, and meanwhile—and the other sides of the stories, including the part our heroines didn’t know. This collection peeks around those corners of the Menopausal Superhero series.
Through Thick and Thin will get you up close and personal with your favorites. Fuerte wasn’t always Fuerte—or male. It’s confession time in “Coming Out as Leonel.” Join Patricia, the Lizard Woman, as she unravels the puzzle of Dr. Cindy Liu’s disappearance in “The Right Thing,” and then see her softer side (and her “better half,” Suzie) in “Underestimated.” Get ready for a wedding, and a heroic rescue, in “Flygirl’s Second Chance.”
These aren’t your father’s superheroes. Whether you’re already a fan or are just meeting these characters for the first time, the menopausal superhero series explores what it means to be a hero at any age or stage of life.
Trailer
Praise for this book
A short story collection from the Menopausal Superheroes, giving a bit of insight into the personal lives of various of our favorite post-menopausal supers as well as a bit of hero action. Some super short story collections are little better than fanfic written by the original creator, but in this case, the stories go beyond simple fan service to some interesting insights in how the world works and also character development. Definitely better than average for this subsection of the genre, and much more than I was expecting.
Each of the stories even match the theme of the collection "through thick and thin"; family and friends, kith and kin. What binds us together and keeps us going.
Here is a quick review of the four short stories in this collection:
1. Coming Out as Leonel - Focused on Fuetre, this story covers our favorite strong hero revealing themselves to their BFF and their neighborhood friendship circle. How can BFF remain the same when one physically changes, a lot? When their outsides now are intimidating, can one still accept them as they used to be? The superaction happens when a neighbor is trapped in a house.2. The Right Thing- Focused on the Lizard Woman, and her very, very complicated BFF relationship with the mad scientist Cindy Lui. How can BFF remain the same when one mentally changes, a lot? When they chose a path that appears evil? The superaction happens when a villain escapes.
3. Underestimated - Focused on Suzie, the executive administrator "assistant" for the Unusual Cases Unit. When you play superhero RPGs, there is always "weakness" of having a human sidekick. Suzie is just such a NPC. While good at her job, she is still a five-foot (maybe), just over 100 pound female. Dating the Lizard Woman. Of course she gets kidnapped and used as leverage against her love. Except this human refuses to be a "weakness." My favorite story of the book.
4. Flygirl's Second Chance - Focused on Flygirl, the majority of the story centers around a bridge accident rescue. But framing the superhero job, are wedding plans between our heroine and her very much not-mad and very much loved scientist. This one made me cry.
Each story of the collection gets better and better. You don't need to have read any novels of the series, but it does help in understanding the relationship nuances centering this collection. As a beginning reader of the series, you can just vibe the superaction and get to know the characters through these shorts.