Top 12 Books About Superpowers Updated 04 /2024

Extremely powerful. ' The fastest of all time. Telepathy. If you've ever seen a comic book or a TV show or a movie about a supervillain, you'll recognize these kinds of abilities. Are there any books on this topic? At a lower rate. Even though my superhero novel We Could Be Heroes will be released on January 26th, there aren't many other books depicting typical tights-and-capes superheroes currently in print. However, there are far more instances of superpowers in fiction than you may expect. Even if it's in the guise of science fiction or fantasy, the idea that regular people can have amazing powers has appeared in some of the most well-received works of recent years.

All The Birds In The Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

Is being a witch or a magician a form of superpower? Even though these heroes are sometimes categorized differently, there are numerous in the superhero canon (such as Dr. Strange and Zatanna)—and their opponents are generally individuals who have a scientific background. Charlie Jane Anders' award-winning All the Birds in the Sky takes these concepts and runs with them in wild, unpredictable ways across a story that is equal parts coming of age story, epic struggle, and keen satire.

The first time Patricia and Laurence meet, she is experiencing the onset of superhuman abilities and Laurence is building a home supercomputer. It's been years since they last saw each other, but when Patricia becomes a strong witch and Laurence becomes a technological genius, they find themselves at odds for the future health of the globe. All The Birds In The Sky is a unique tale about friendship and love that incorporates environmental concerns, technological advancements, and the concept of free will.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Many physical attributes come to mind when imagining what it might be like to have superpowers. And when people think about how to achieve these abilities, it's usually through the use of the human body's potential in ways that aren't normally possible. Is it a novel about superpowers or superheroes? Not necessarily, but it is a book about powers and heroes—in a way you wouldn't anticipate.

After her parents' mysterious circumstances leave her isolated and under the thumb of a polite but oppressive caretaker, January Scaller comes across a book that reveals the truth behind her first mysterious door—and the many other doors that create portals to other places, even other worlds. January Scaller is seven years old when she first encountered this door. In Alix E. Harrow's stunning story, the heroes harness the power of names, books, and, yes, doors, to achieve their goals. You'll see why it's so highly regarded as soon as you begin reading it.

The Green Bone Saga (Jade City and Jade War) by Fonda Lee

The multi-award-winning Green Bone Saga, which is currently being developed by Peacock, is the ultimate genre breaker in the gaming industry. It's has a lot of political intrigue and generational crime family drama. For aspiring writers, it provides a lesson in suspense and execution through its well-crafted battle scenes. Both the Kaul family and the Mountain clan have morally complex protagonists, persons to whom the titles "hero" or "villain" don't truly apply.

And sure, it has powers, since certain people are able to harness the power of a mineral called jade. Is this what you came up with? As a result of the Green Bone Saga's unique blend of eastern and western ideas, readers have come to love it and consider it one of the best fantasy series ever written. Now is the best moment to begin reading this urban fantasy epic, as the final installment, Jade Legacy, will be released in September 2021.

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

Is it possible that superheroes are actually virtuous in nature? Or do they wreak more havoc than good? As a hench—someone who does mundane office work for supervillains—Anna doesn't give much thought to the war between good and evil that is taking place in the world around her during the majority of her employment. However, after the city's most famous superhero accidentally injures her, she finds herself out of work and confined to her computer talents as her only source of entertainment.

Hence, she begins to crunch the data as any good spreadsheet jockey would. In fact, the evidence shows that superheroes inflict far more harm and destruction on society and property than their counterparts. But what will she do with this information? Hench presents a humorous, modern take on the superhero genre that grounds the magical in the commonplace by bringing genre tropes into the current world of office job and big data.

An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard

Compared to Jade City, An Unkindness of Magicians (and its impending sequel, A Sleight of Shadows) is the Sopranos of urban fantasy. Every ten years, an event called as The Turning occurs in modern-day New York City that defines the course of magic for the next decade. The thing is, magic is on its way out.

Sydney, a strange and powerful newcomer, enters the fray. Sydney gains power and influence as a house representative in the deadly Turning duels, but her objective isn't to maintain the system; she wants to destroy it and make one for her mistakes. Retribution and belonging are topics that Kat Howard focuses on in her award-winning novel, which is filled with top-notch worldbuilding and wonderful prose.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Rose, a little girl in Aimee Bender's story for adults, learns to discern the emotions of the cook in the food she eats. As a result of this gift, she is able to see into the minds of those around her, including adults. As someone who is sensitive to the loneliness and dissatisfaction of others, Rose has the ability to be empathetic. However, this sensitivity may be a burden. She unknowingly learns about the tumultuous emotions that led to her parents' divorce. Friends and strangers' feelings aren't safe from her prying eyes either, as she has shown. This is a psychological tale that delves at what it means to be a person who is extremely sensitive to the feelings of others. In the end, Rose's power comes from her knowledge. As a result of eating the apple, she's lost her innocence and learned that misery is a common occurrence in the world. Happiness is not always a byproduct of knowledge and power.

The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Urrea

His Mexican aunt Teresa Urrea (Teresita), renowned as the Saint of Cabora for her claimed power to heal others, served as the inspiration for Luis Urrea's epic novel The Hummingbird's Daughter. In the novel, her ability to heal people spreads her name over the world. When she is imprisoned because of her widespread reverence, the government sees her as a threat to its authority. Once released, she manages to persuade a whole army not to shoot her because of her tenacity.

Teresita is a healer who has never been married and has no children (a curandera). She, like our other heroines, is incredibly modest when it comes to her special abilities. Female power, according to Urrea, is represented by empathy and healing, whereas male power is represented by governments with armies that have the capability of killing.

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