The old story of Superman, first published in comic form in 1938, is known to all. Just like a book version of any story is preferred to the movie, our imagination fills in the details. Many people have reviewed the new Superman movie with flagging degrees of enthusiasm. Is there more to say about the comic book hero?

Christopher Reeve will always be my ideal image of Superman. Strong, good-looking and thoughtful, he epitomized a hero to me. I wrote a tribute song to him and featured it in my book, Still Rock Water. In the plot, a music producer sold the song to a television program making a series about the curse of Superman.

 Here's a link to the song I wrote: 

Video of Still Rock Water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36F7t1sFN1A

The curse of superman.

Much has been written about the so-called Superman Curse, especially after Christopher Reeve's 1995 tragic accident and his unfortunate death. Once again, tabloid writers drew comparisons with 1950s TV Superman George Reeves' suicide, with the hardships suffered by Superman co-creators Siegel and Shuster after they sold their billion-dollar creation to DC Comics for a mere $130, and with actor Kirk Alyn's lackluster career after playing Superman in two 1940s movie serials. 

Quote: 'If anything is demonstrated by some of the unfortunate history surrounding Superman's media career during the past 66 years, it's an amazing and mathematically proven phenomenon observed time and again in the physical universe. That phenomenon is called coincidence.' – Brian McKernan, 12/04

Like any type of curse, Tutankhamen's curse for instance, mankind loves to whisper stories of intrigue and conspiracy. Now, new facts have come to light about child actors in the Elizabeth stage.

A study by of a University Oxford academic shows that child performers were subjected to abduction, cruelty and violence. These street kidnappings were legal. The theatre owners had licenses to forcibly recruit children. These powers had been granted by Queen Elizabeth I and carried her royal seal. Shakespeare, who comes out of this rather well, expressed his distaste for this use of captive children for entertainment.

Laws concerning children have changed and their circumstances have improved. Or have they? Are they free to go to a public theatre and watch an exciting movie about Superman without the need to fear the man sitting next to them?

A section of Ebb Tide.

Here's the next section of Chapter 1:

A change, associated with a well-remembered hint of fragrance, flooded her awareness. Knowing a vision would follow, heartbeats pounded in her ears. She'd be safe on the train seat.

To maintain privacy, she closed her eyes. An internal aperture opened with a rumble and crack that resembled a forest fire. Hot wind stung her cheeks. A sucking sensation dragged at her mind, embraced her senses, and spun her away.

* * *

Without a body, ethereal as a spirit, I rotate within a tunnel filled with kaleidoscopic colors. While I surrender to the freedom of the void between locations, exhilarating freedom washes over my mind combined with flashes of movement and whirring sounds.

At last, the tumbling journey stops and I gain balance. I float in the air with no sensation of moving, rather like a passenger in a hot-air balloon.

In the night-time blur below, I concentrate to pick out details. It's as if the scene before me is restricted by a telescope with a haze around the edges. Houses spread along dark streets. Occasional lights send a glimmer through the trees like stars in the night sky.

Will I prevent a crime? Assist a child?

In a sudden rush, I'm sucked below. It's like hurtling down the steep incline of a roller-coaster without the stomach contraction.

My psyche oozes past a roof to hover inside a kitchen. Overhead light bounces off the shiny table. The smell of boiled vegetables struggles to overcome the scent of air freshener.

I zap into a woman's mind. The first knowledge I grasp is her name.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can you work out what's happening?