SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new superhero was unveiled to the public today with the marketing push for a new young adult novel, Advent 9, by author T. Alan Horne.
Horne, who also has autism, made the decision to write the book after noticing parallels between superheroes and autistic people that have always been there.
"A lot of autistic people don't like it when autism is compared to a superpower," said Horne, "because for many of them, it's not. But it's not powers that make superheroes so similar to people with autism. It's the struggles they go through.
"If you look at a typical superhero, they spend a lot of time alone and have a hard time forming meaningful relationships. Instead, they pour most of their energy into their 'strange hobby.' When they are around people, they are forced to assume a fake persona (in autistic circles, this is called 'masking') where they have to pretend to be normal people. This constant act takes a toll on their well-being. And people with autism know exactly what that's like, but no one was pointing this out. I decided to do something about it."
The novel has earned praise from many industry professionals, such as the late David Farland, bestselling author of The Runelords and writing teacher to Brandon Sanderson and Stephenie Meyer, who called Advent 9, "Absolutely brilliant!"
While some mainstream superheroes have been identified as "Autism coded," behaving like they have the autism neurotype without coming out and admitting it, Advent 9 features a superpowered protagonist whose life is forever changed after his most hated enemy—a supervillain and former pediatrician—manages to diagnose him. This forces both of them to reevaluate their priorities as a world-ending threat looms on the horizon.
"This book is for everyone," said Horne. "The last thing I wanted was to write a soapbox diatribe disguised as a novel. Instead, I created a protagonist who was a little different, then put him in the trenches fighting mutants, mad scientists, and the apocalypse."
The novel is now available through a Kickstarter campaign. Horne has also released the first three chapters of the book for free in both text and audio format, with the audiobook read by long-time narrator Michael Kramer, who was excited to participate in the project. The Kickstarter will run for 30 days, during which time anyone may reserve a copy of Advent 9 in trade paperback, ebook, or digital audio formats at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/talanhorne/advent-9-a-superpunk-novel
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For media inquiries, contact T. Alan Horne, Tristellation Media, 801-597-0678, admin@talanhorne.com.
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