Third Class Superhero

Charles Yu

Salt Publishing, 2007 - Fiction - 114 pages

Moisture Man, the hero of “Third Class Superhero”, is tired of watching his former classmates kick ass and claim their secret hideouts while he struggles to maintain his good-guy accreditation. Someday soon he’ll have to decide whose side he’s really on, and how far he’s willing to push the panels of his storyline. Meanwhile, in "401(k)", a young, upwardly-mobile couple attempt to navigate their way through a world of pure advertising, with hopes of attaining the Pretty Good Life. And in "The Man Who Became Himself", a successful executive is terrified to find himself becoming trapped inside his own body.

Through these eleven stories, Charles Yu explores issues of identity, time and being in an age of dislocation. Heartbreaking, hilarious, smart, surprising, Third Class Superhero marks the arrival of an impressive new talent.

What people are saying

Review: Third Class Superhero

User Review  - Michael Larson - Goodreads

This is a fascinating collection of stories that is comic and morose in equal measure. The deadpan presentation of even the most absurd scenarios brought to mind George Saunders or David Foster ...

Review: Third Class Superhero

User Review  - Andi Alexander - Goodreads

Upon reading Third Class Superhero, two things happened: 1) I fell madly, deeply, acutely in love. 2) I became hideously angry at the world.. I assume due to a resentment toward the society we live in ...

About the author

Charles Yursquo;s work has appeared in a number of publications, including Harvard Review, Mid-American Review, Oxford American Magazine, Mississippi Review and Esquire (web). He is the recipient of the Sherwood Anderson Fiction Award. This is his first book. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Michelle.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Third Class Superhero; Salt Modern Fiction Series
• Author: Charles Yu
• Edition: 2, reprint
• Publisher: Salt Publishing, 2007
• ISBN: 1844713369, 9781844713363
• Length: 114 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / Collections & Anthologies; Fiction / Short Stories (single author)