If you haven't heard of him you might have heard of some of the things he's written. It is a masterclass in autobiographical writing and the best origin story of a writer I've ever read. Michael Straczynski is one of the best books I have read in years. It is also a compelling behind-the-scenes look at some of the most successful TV series and movies recognized around the world.Īn Origin Story That Fiction Can't Compete Withīecoming Superman by J. Becoming Superman lays bare the facts of his life: a story of creation and darkness, hope and success, a larger-than-life villain and a little boy who became the hero of his own life. Straczynski’s personal history has always been shrouded in mystery. But even as he found success, he could not escape a dark and shocking secret that hung over his family’s past, a violent truth that he uncovered over the course of decades involving mass murder. The deeper he read, the more he came to realize that he, too, had a superpower: the ability to tell stories and make everything come out the way he wanted it.

To survive his abusive environment, Joe found refuge in his beloved comics and his dreams, immersing himself in imaginary worlds populated by superheroes whose amazing powers allowed them to overcome any adversity.

Raised by damaged adults - a con man grandfather and a manipulative grandmother, a violent, drunken father and a mother who was repeatedly institutionalized - Joe grew up in abject poverty, living in slums and projects when not on the road, crisscrossing the country in his father’s desperate attempts to escape the consequences of his past. Michael Straczynski has been one of the most successful writers in Hollywood, one of the few to forge multiple careers in movies, television, and comics. Yet there’s one story he’s never told before: his own.

In this dazzling memoir, the acclaimed writer behind Babylon 5, Sense8, Clint Eastwood’s Changeling, and Marvel’s Thor reveals how the power of creativity and imagination enabled him to overcome the horrors of his youth and a dysfunctional family haunted by madness, murder, and a terrible secret.įor four decades, J. Yet there’s one story he’s never told before: his own. Michael Straczynski has been one of the most successful writers in Hollywood, one of the few to forge multiple careers in movies, television and comics.

Michael Straczynski is, without question, one of the greatest science fiction minds of our time.” (Max Brooks, World War Z )įor four decades, J. Featuring an introduction by Neil Gaiman!

Superman by J. Michael Straczynski