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grecia_r's review against another edition
5.0
If anyding, reading this autobiography has made me want to read more things this author has produced or written. I should stop reading reviews before I write my own because everything I have to express already has been. A deeply moving, wildly compelling story of a misfit in a whirlwind childhood with horrificly unlikeable characters, I really was engrossed from the very beginning. Ha. And they say I only give five stars to historical fiction. Some of the political controversies of his work escaped me a little, and of course you couldn't really get the scope for some of the things he endured based on people still being alive, but man. You still got a pretty in-depth look at what it was like to live his life. Really amazing read. Highly recommend.
crloken's review against another edition
5.0
When I was a child I was given [b:Bill Peet: An Autobiography|134097|Bill Peet An Autobiography|Bill Peet|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349075142l/134097._SX50_.jpg|129187], and I was asked by a couple people who he was and why I would want to read an autobiography about him. The answer is, of course, because he had an interesting life that he told well. The same is true here. J. Michael Straczynski** may not be a household name*, but he's a good writer who has lived an interesting life.
Becoming Superman is not about the guy who created Superman. It's also not about any of the actors who played Superman. It's worth clarifying that because whenever I read this in public I was asked if it was about one of those things. It's not. It's the autobiography of the guy who created Babylon 5, the best television show of all time***. Alongside making the greatest television show of all time, JMS is also notable for writing comics (Rising Stars, Amazing Spider-man, Thor), cartoons (He-Man, She-Ra, The Real Ghostbusters), shows (Sense8, Murder She Wrote) and movies (Thor, Changeling).
JMS grew up in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. His father was a Russian Nazi sympathizer and highly abusive, and so he found escape in comics and science-fiction stories. The early book contains a mix between descriptions of unbelievable abuse mixed with stories of a young man discovering writing. The title is a reference to how Superman was an inspiration to him throughout this life, and a character he tried to continuously emulate. The rest of the book is primarily focused on JMS's writing career and all the ups and downs therein.
Primarily though this book is a sort of character study of two different people; JMS, a man who endured abuse, a cult, and the hostile work environment of television, and his father, Charles. Because he's a talented writer, he reveals the information about his father and his crimes overtime throughout the book. His father, as a result, feels like an antagonist in the novel, much as he often must have in his life. In a way this is a biography with a mystery wrapped around it, a storyline, character growth, and a central antagonist.
Becoming Superman is a story about overcoming abuse, following your dreams, and how if you believe things are possible you can do things no one believed could be done. JMS is a person who I found incredibly sympathetic, very likable, and occasionally quite frustrating. He is someone with a stringent sense of right and wrong who will refuse to bend on what he thinks is right, even if it will hurt his career. He seems to have used this book to reinvent himself one more time, this time as a novelist, and I am very excited to see follow him in this new career direction.
If you are hesitant to read this because you haven't seen or heard of Babylon 5****, then I would encourage you to read this anyway. Even as he writes about his own past, JMS focuses primarily on the connections he made and problems he had to overcome throughout his career, rather than the shows and comics themselves. I think it could still be interesting even if you had not heard of him before.
*I will be calling him JMS from now on because spelling Stracznyski is difficult.
**Except in cool houses that is
***Opinions may vary, I suppose.
****You should really fix that; after all, it is the best television show of all time.
Becoming Superman is not about the guy who created Superman. It's also not about any of the actors who played Superman. It's worth clarifying that because whenever I read this in public I was asked if it was about one of those things. It's not. It's the autobiography of the guy who created Babylon 5, the best television show of all time***. Alongside making the greatest television show of all time, JMS is also notable for writing comics (Rising Stars, Amazing Spider-man, Thor), cartoons (He-Man, She-Ra, The Real Ghostbusters), shows (Sense8, Murder She Wrote) and movies (Thor, Changeling).
JMS grew up in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. His father was a Russian Nazi sympathizer and highly abusive, and so he found escape in comics and science-fiction stories. The early book contains a mix between descriptions of unbelievable abuse mixed with stories of a young man discovering writing. The title is a reference to how Superman was an inspiration to him throughout this life, and a character he tried to continuously emulate. The rest of the book is primarily focused on JMS's writing career and all the ups and downs therein.
Primarily though this book is a sort of character study of two different people; JMS, a man who endured abuse, a cult, and the hostile work environment of television, and his father, Charles. Because he's a talented writer, he reveals the information about his father and his crimes overtime throughout the book. His father, as a result, feels like an antagonist in the novel, much as he often must have in his life. In a way this is a biography with a mystery wrapped around it, a storyline, character growth, and a central antagonist.
Becoming Superman is a story about overcoming abuse, following your dreams, and how if you believe things are possible you can do things no one believed could be done. JMS is a person who I found incredibly sympathetic, very likable, and occasionally quite frustrating. He is someone with a stringent sense of right and wrong who will refuse to bend on what he thinks is right, even if it will hurt his career. He seems to have used this book to reinvent himself one more time, this time as a novelist, and I am very excited to see follow him in this new career direction.
If you are hesitant to read this because you haven't seen or heard of Babylon 5****, then I would encourage you to read this anyway. Even as he writes about his own past, JMS focuses primarily on the connections he made and problems he had to overcome throughout his career, rather than the shows and comics themselves. I think it could still be interesting even if you had not heard of him before.
*I will be calling him JMS from now on because spelling Stracznyski is difficult.
**Except in cool houses that is
***Opinions may vary, I suppose.
****You should really fix that; after all, it is the best television show of all time.
dreaming_ace's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know how to easily summarize this book other than to say when the cover says "My Journey From Poverty to Hollywood With stops along the way at Murder, Madness, Mayhem, Movie Stars, Cults, Slums, Sociopaths, and War Crimes" it is not exaggerating and is not talking about say what he wrote about but what actually occurred to him and around him.
The book is able to take some of the most horrifying situations and make them very readable. Before reading this book I knew Straczynski from B5 I had no idea how much he did before and after.
Two quotes are probably the best summary of the lessons within this book:
"If you are in pain, or know someone who is; if you feel there is no one who can relate to what you're going through; if you have been frightened into immobility by secrets you believe you have to maintain to protect yourself, your family, or your career, understand that you are only as alone as you choose to be. One phone call, one email, one text to the right person or agency can make the very literal difference between life and death. You just have to decide to do it"
Becoming Superman by J.Michael Straczynski p439-440
"Doesn't matter. Get up. Keep fighting. By taking responsibility for our lives, our mistakes, and our dreams, we break the patterns of the past and free ourselves to fight for our future, for what gives us joy, and for the possibilities of a better future"
Becoming Superman by J.Michael Straczynski p456-457
The book is able to take some of the most horrifying situations and make them very readable. Before reading this book I knew Straczynski from B5 I had no idea how much he did before and after.
Two quotes are probably the best summary of the lessons within this book:
"If you are in pain, or know someone who is; if you feel there is no one who can relate to what you're going through; if you have been frightened into immobility by secrets you believe you have to maintain to protect yourself, your family, or your career, understand that you are only as alone as you choose to be. One phone call, one email, one text to the right person or agency can make the very literal difference between life and death. You just have to decide to do it"
Becoming Superman by J.Michael Straczynski p439-440
"Doesn't matter. Get up. Keep fighting. By taking responsibility for our lives, our mistakes, and our dreams, we break the patterns of the past and free ourselves to fight for our future, for what gives us joy, and for the possibilities of a better future"
Becoming Superman by J.Michael Straczynski p456-457
apocalypsecowboy's review against another edition
5.0
Demoralizing at times, but far more often a triumphant read and a deeply inspiring one at that.
I feel my own resolve renewed from reading this.
I feel my own resolve renewed from reading this.
ericmppaq's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
runner5's review
challenging
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Hate crime and Incest
cfinnigan's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
What a book. What a life. This man shaped huge parts of my childhood and he had quite the time
violinknitter's review against another edition
5.0
Ok, first of all, JMS is amazing, and so is his writing. Second of all, all of his agents deserve massive bouquets of flowers & boxes of chocolate & hard liquor for working with him & trying to help his career
ryanpfw's review against another edition
5.0
From J Michael Straczynski, whose Babylon 5 I watched in real time, whose open middle-of-the-night communications with fans in the early days of the Internet always set him apart from every other creative mind, this was a heartbreaking story of an upbringing no human should ever have to experience or tolerate and an inspiring story of perseverance in the pursuit of your dreams.
And yeah, the fact that it’s narrated by Londo makes it 50x better. Go buy two copies. Give the other away.
And yeah, the fact that it’s narrated by Londo makes it 50x better. Go buy two copies. Give the other away.
booklizzie's review against another edition
5.0
This book is beautiful, heart wrenching, witty, vulnerable, inspiring, enthralling, and captivating. It is a page-turner of a family drama. It is an incredible look into the mind and heart that has created incredible stories... Stories that have touched and shaped me for years. Easily one of my favorite non-fiction reads.