We have a book exchange at the office, and it's a really good idea. You drop off a book, you pick one out. I've read things I never in a million years would've bought and really loved them (such as "The Book of Joe" by Jonathan Tropper and "Snow Falling On Cedars" by David Guterson.

Conversely, I've picked out books that, after a few chapters, have left me delighted I didn't waste good money on them ("The DaVinci Code", "Bridget Jones").

The cost of mailing books to and from the US would probably be too much to make it worthwhile my taking part in a MeCha book exchange. But I'd thoroughly recommend starting one up if you work in a large-ish company where there's likely to be a reasonable turnover of books.

This looks damn good!

A focus on Clark Kent's high school years only makes comparison to the popular WB show Smallville all the more inevitable—and intentional. De Haven, whose Derby Dugan trilogy beautifully reimagined 20th-century American history through a pleasant sheen of media-tized irony, presents the man of steel as a sullen Depression-era teen, a bad WII-era reporter and as ambivalent about his super powers throughout, all with a kind of knowing that reflects a deep immersion in pulp. De Haven drives his coming-of-age tale toward Superman's first showdown with Lex Luthor and his robot "Lexbots" in the middle of (the real!) New York City—prompted, of course, by the need to save Lois Lane.

How was it?

By the way, have you ever seen the ancient, rotoscoped Supeman 'toon in which he fights robots, probably the inspiration for the "Lexbot" scene in the book?

What's the name of the new book about a kid who escapes reality into his own world, which a superhero comic he is writing, which presented in the novel? Half-book, half-comic, this book represents the growing trend of comics recognized as literature, the importance of comics as an influence on literature and culture, etc etc, a la Michael Chabon, etc etc.

um, etc... sorry for the derail.

shd be: which [is] a superhero comic he is writing, which [is] presented in the novel...

kids, don't type fast unless you're better at it than me.

It was really good, I actually had those old-style cartoons in my mind's eye when I was reading it. I think it breaks with the "canon" in ways that really make the story work much better. Clark/Superman still has that moral center, but its touched with the desperation of the depression era, and there's even a bit of moral ambiguity to him that makes him the most interesting version of the character I've seen. Lex Luthor is developed brilliantly. Supposedly DeHaven created enough material for a second book, which I'd love to see.

I haven't heard about the book you mention, will check it out though.

BTW, the first sentence of the description is actually really inaccurate. The book is nothing like Smallville, there's no high school scenes, in fact there's only one part at the beginning where he's still in high school and it takes place at a movie theater. Overall, I'd say the book is probably 30% Clark, 60% Lex and other characters, and 10% Superman. But overall, it works.