Hey folks!
Sometimes, it’s more fun to read (and discuss the book) with friends. So, whether you have read Origins and every Timely Tales ten times, or you have no idea who these kids are and why they have posters, I wanted to give you an invite to The Posterchildren Book Club.
I figured The Posterchildren: Origins is a good place to start.
(Buy the ebook on gumroads or smashwords|Buy a physical copy)The Schedule
(For our new readers – the first book is split up into Issues, as opposed to chapters)
September 4 – 10 | Issue #1
September 11 – 17 | Issue #2
September 18 – 24 | Issue #3
September 25 – October 1 | Issue #4
October 2 – 8 | Issue #5
October 9 – 15 | Issue #6
October 16 – 22 | Issue #7
October 23 – 29 | Issue #8After we finish Origins, we’ll move on to the Timely Tales! Again, for new readers – Timely Tales are short(ish) stories, often filling in the history of the world or the characters in it. We can decide whether we want to read them chronologically in world or in the order they were written once we get a little closer to starting them?
You can read along and liveblog your reread with the tag #posterchildrenbookclub, or I went ahead and made a discord to chat in, as well.
Finally, for anyone seeing this who hasn’t read The Posterchildren and needs some convincing:
The Posterchildren is a series written by Kitty Burroughs ( @quipquipquip on tumblr ), following a bunch of kids trying to become superheroes. Or is it a look at a corrupt government agency? Or is it a bunch of loosely connected queer love stories?
Spoilers: It’s all that and more. If you’ve ever caught yourself frustrated with the lack of queer characters, the lack of racial diversity, the lack of disabled rep, the way everyone looks the same in the media we’re surrounded by, then you should definitely check out The Posterchildren.
Sometimes, a super magnificent family is a fat fashion icon with a fiery personality, a superstrong stress baker, a circus boy with the mind of a peacock and the body of a slinky, a speedy sapphic sunshine of a girl, a grouchy healer with a serious family reputation, a displaced WWII veteran, and a badass Latina lady who could probably carry this whole team if she had to, so don’t make her, guys.
Also, most of them are queer? And in the wider universe you’ve got amazing trans characters, you’ve got tons of characters with disabilities, you’ve got one of the most tragic superpowered families I’ve ever cried over… There are moments that are heavy and beautiful, there are moments where these kids are just being kids and messing around, and it’s all so dang good. Also, some of the freshest takes on superpowers and the communities that form around them. Colour-coded powers, y’all.
One of those pretty powerpoints telling you to read it (warning: some spoilers)
Anyway, hopefully some of y’all at least will join me in this (re)read of this amazing series!
Also, if you can’t afford it right now, I am doing a giveaway for The Posterchildren – Origins.
Tag: posterchildren
The Posterchildren: Maksim “Maks” Petrov
“Hey! Do I look as awesome as I think I look?”
It was the only warning that they got before Maks came tumbling down the stairs. She couldn’t tell if he meant to trip down the first half of the flight, or if he’d just decided that throwing himself down the stairs was more time-efficient. He caught himself before he fell-fell, turning it into an effortless handspring at the last minute. He stuck the landing at the bottom of the stairs, glittering proudly.
“Cause I almost slapped the hallway mirror and called it a liar for reflecting an image of awesomeness I could barely believe was true.”
The Posterchildren: Zipporah “Zip” Chance
She was quick, but Marshal could do incredible damage to her with only one successful hit.
But no one would’ve thought that, looking at her stance. She was so ferocious and so protective and so, so wildly outmatched. She stood her ground. He had never seen her so angry before. Odd, alarming, and warming that she only brought her fiercest self out when protecting someone.
The Posterchildren: Ernest Wright
“Feel better?”
“No. I feel a little worse,” Ernest admitted, putting his glasses back on straight. “I forgot to check for nests and critters before I punched down the tree.”
Ernest: What’s wrong with Mal?
Mal, while bashing his head against a wall: Angst, angst, angst.
Ernest: He’s a little off today, haven’t you noticed?
Maks: Maybe he’s in love!
June: Who would fall in love with that?
Well excuse me for having enormous flaws that I don’t work on!
me, reading posterchildren origins for the first time: haha get rekt rook, you douche
me, after finishing all the timely tales and starting over again: MALEK UNDERWOOD THAT IS NO WAY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR BELOVED FATHER
Maks: [wearing homemade dog socks] How are they? Pretty cunning, don’t you think?
Zip: I think they’re the sweetest socks ever.
Sully: A man walks down the street in those socks, people know he’s not afraid of anything.
Maks: Damn straight.
Ida Mae:Maks, Maks, Maks. I know we’ve had our differences in the past.
Maks:We have?
Ida Mae:Yes. I don’t like you very much.
Maks:Oh.
*after Cindy and Zip get together*
Maks: Cindy, don’t you Dare hurt her.
Cindy: Haha
Mal: Don’t laugh. she means it.
Cindy: I w- I won’t…
June: Seriously, hon. Don’t do it.
Cindy: I’m not planning on hurting her-
Roz: You better not be.
Cindy: I’m not!
Jack: Hey Swift? You best watch yourself.
Cindy: Why would any of you think I would hurt Zip- You’re all my friends too.
Mal: Ehh