Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Soon I Will Be Invincible  By  cover art

Soon I Will Be Invincible

By: Austin Grossman
Narrated by: Coleen Marlo, Paul Boehmer
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.25

Buy for $22.25

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Doctor Impossible, evil genius, diabolical scientist, wannabe world dominator, languishes in a federal detention facility. He's lost his freedom, his girlfriend, and his hidden island fortress.

Over the years, he's tried to take over the world in every way imaginable, using doomsday devices of all varieties (nuclear, thermonuclear, nanotechnological) and mass mind control. He's traveled backwards in time to change history, forward in time to escape it. He's commanded robot armies, insect armies, and dinosaur armies. A fungus army. An army of fish. Of rodents. Aliens. All failures. But not this time. This time it's going to be different.

Fatale is a rookie superhero on her first day with the Champions, the world's most famous superteam. She's a patchwork woman of skin and chrome, a gleaming technological marvel built for the next generation of warfare. Filling the void left by a slain former member, we watch as Fatale joins a team struggling with a damaged past, having to come together in the face of unthinkable evil.

Soon I Will Be Invincible is a thrilling first novel, a fantastical adventure that gives new meaning to notions of power, glory, responsibility, and (of course) good and evil.

©2007 Austin Grossman (P)2007 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"The realm of comic book heroes and villains gets a dose of realism in this whimsical debut....Grossman dabbles in a host of themes - power, greed, fame, the pitfalls of ego...broadening the appeal of an already inviting scenario." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Austin Grossman has a superpower himself - it's called writing. This book is a new, winning, smart and funny way of interpreting our world. It's terrific." (Douglas Coupland)

What listeners say about Soon I Will Be Invincible

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    879
  • 4 Stars
    674
  • 3 Stars
    388
  • 2 Stars
    134
  • 1 Stars
    55
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    861
  • 4 Stars
    440
  • 3 Stars
    189
  • 2 Stars
    40
  • 1 Stars
    19
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    629
  • 4 Stars
    449
  • 3 Stars
    306
  • 2 Stars
    117
  • 1 Stars
    52

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Now that I have you at my mercy. . .

If you have ever groaned in tortured agony when the Super Villain pauses before dispatching that annoying hero into the component atoms he is made from, (allowing the Hero one last chance, why won't he kill him!?), or wondered what Heroes lives are really like, you will love this book.

The story is told through two vantage points, a new heroine just starting out, and an old hand Super Villain. You see into the inner psyche of an emerging hero and what makes them tick. You also get to plumb the depths of a Super Villain's mind as he plots to . . . TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!! MUHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!! Just flippin' awesome, that's what it is!

This is a wonderful enjoyable tale that will take you back to your days reading comics and addresses all those questions you might have had about your favorite Hero or Villain. Totally enjoyable, not too deep, and the narration was excellent.

I enjoyed it immensely. This is a very light read, not War and Peace, so judge it accordingly. Worth a book credit for sure! I'd write more but I have to work on my plan to . . . TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Must for Superhero Fans

It would be an oversimplification to say this book is Watchmen-lite. In a lot of ways, it would be a disservice to this novel and a complete misunderstanding of everything that made Watchmen work. There’s a fundamental difference, aside from the obvious that this is a novel and Watchmen is a graphic novel. Where Watchmen is a complete deconstruction of the superhero formula, turning our brightly-colored saviors into normal people like you or me, Soon I Will Be Invincible carries a different ideal at its core. In Watchmen, there is only one superpowered hero, who is no longer even in touch with what’s left of his humanity. In Soon I Will Be Invincible, there is only one hero who is unpowered. The rest carry the burden of responsibility of who they are and where they came from, whether they are aliens, genetic grafts, reconstructed cyborgs, or supernatural beings. The message is that even though they are different, they are still (mostly) human too, and with great power comes great dysfunctionality, which they must overcome if they are to battle the mastermind Doctor Impossible.

There are two narrators who alternate turns as Doctor Impossible and Fatale, as the book is told alternatingly from their differing perspectives. For Doctor impossible, everything is old hat. He’s been defeated time and again for inexplicable reasons, and he will finally beat the heroes. For Fatale, as the junior member of the superteam, everything is fresh and new, and not quite what she imagined or hoped for. We meet Doctor Impossible first, and this first chapter is quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever been exposed to in the superhero genre, with the possible exception of perhaps Ben Edlund’s The Tick. It sets the tone for the rest of the story, and sucks you right in. Aided with the voice of the narrator, who sounds surprisingly like Maurice LaMarche, Doctor Impossible comes across as an interesting mix of Ozymandias and The Brain. Offering counterpoint to this viewpoint is the character Fatale, essentially a female version of RoboCop, who has become a superhero when the government funding needed to keep her running has come to an end. Again, the narrator for Fatale’s story is perfectly-chosen, offering a mix of strength and vulnerability.

As the story goes along, you get a concise and human (where possible) origin story for every character in the book, turning this into something every bit as complex as Watchmen on the character level. Some would say that on the literary level, it perhaps lacks the social relevance of Watchmen. Just the reverse, I think a story like this isolates exactly how alone and isolated the average comic book fan can feel at times, and why these kinds of archetypal characters resonate with audiences across decades. I won’t say it’s “as good” as Watchmen. Rather, I will say that Soon I Will Be Invincible is a great companion and counterpoint to Watchmen in most respects. It offers character development, all the classic bits with a fresh perspective, and a little something that Watchmen doesn’t have in abundance: hope. These characters, regardless of their backstories and inner turmoil, challenge us and themselves to rise to a higher level.

As one who used to collect comics heavily and then basically became jaded by the industry in the past decade, this book is a reminder of every reason of why I still love superheroes. It appeals to me on so many levels, and I think anyone who appreciates something more than the brooding, armor-clad killjoy characters will find something to enjoy here. Books like this bring back the fun to a genre that’s taken itself way too seriously since the closing days of the last century.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Great, but where's the editor

This book is one of my favorite so far. However, I found myself being taken away from the story every time one of the two actors mispronounced a word. Seriously, was no one listening? One of them is supposedly the most intelligent man in the world, it was so unbelievable that he would mispronounce coup de etat. This is the first time in quite a few books I've noticed such incredible errors.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A fun listen

I listened to this book on a recent road trip with my sister. Unlike most Audiobooks, this one was more fun to listen to with someone else than alone (although it would still be fun alone). We had a great time picking out phrases and scenes from the story to discuss, repeat, and joke about later.

The voices were very well done, true to the "comic book" feel of the story, without being overdone. My favourite character was the super-villain, and I found myself anticipating his "turn" throughout the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Entertaining, if not terribly original

Man, half the time i was wondering to myself if the makers of Megamind optioned this novel before they proceeded, because the portion of the book narrated by the supervillain sounds so much like the titular cartoon character, that it's almost as if Will Farrell was parodying the performer of this audiobook. (run-on sentence much?)

The first third of this book was massively engaging to me. It was a uniquely voiced take on the very familiar superhero genre. I equally enjoyed both points of view, both that of the villain, and of the hero, herself a newcomer to a Justice League-type hero team.

However I the book started losing a lot of steam when i realized that the majority of the story was going to be given in flashback. That is a really terrible way to tell a story: to set up present events and then spend 75% of the book having the characters recollect past events. Why? It was just so unnecessary. One example: Near the beginning when the hero gave a quick summary of a past event wherein one of the heroes sacrifices their own life. I thought it was brilliant. Then later on when we got an excruciatingly detailed description of the same event i was rather frustrated. That same problem repeats over and over again. Near the end i kept thinking they must be done with all the backstory exposition, but nope, they just kept going.

So ultimately the book runs out of steam and the ending is fairly unsatisfactory. It's too bad. I really enjoyed the setup. I really didn't mind that so many of the character archetypes were ripped straight from the DC mythos (CoreFire=Superman, Blackwolf=Batman etc) because i like to see authors have fun outside the box with those familiar characters. However this book just can't quite pull everything together in the end. A decent effort, however flawed.

Having said that, if there was a sequel wherein the characters moved FORWARD instead of spouting nonstop exposition, then i would totally pick it up.

***** for Boehmer's performance

***1/2 for Marlo

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Fun

This was a fun audiobook to listen to the story moves along at a fast pace and has many humorous moments throughout.Authur Grossman's story revolves around supervillian Dr.Impossible who starts the story imprisioned and he dosen't like it at all as he calls himself the smartest man in the world he can't wait to enact his next plan on taking over the world. The good guys who work to catch and stop Dr.Impossible in his plot are the champions with new member Fatale who has a fascinating story of her own .The narrators Paul Boehmer as the voice of Dr. Impossible brings to life the arrogance ,wittiness and evilness of the character . I especially enjoyed his narration of the final battle. Colleen Marlo does a good job also as the voice of Fatale she perfectly captures the alienation and outsider feel of Fatale . This story has an old style feel to it like the old radio Superman shows there is even musicalal introductions to each chapter a neat touch to me . Give this a listen you don't need to necessarily have any knowledge of comic book history or characters even though there are lots of comic references .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Avengers, Be Warned - Tongue In Cheek Action Ahead

I've always loved epic stories of superheroes and villains struggling with their powers, their weaknesses, their loneliness, their victories, and their defeats. From comic books to movies, I love the genre.

This is more of a tongue in cheek take on the genre, and a WELL-WRITTEN one, at that. We see this epic battle for global domination from the viewpoint of the anti-hero, a pompous, yet brilliant super genius who uses his superior intellect to create fantastic plans toward world domination, and to foil the superheroes that cause him jealousy and frustration to no end. Mix science fiction with magic and the otherworldly, and throw in a bit of jealousy to boot. This is a story about faults as much as strengths. We ALSO see the story from the perspective of a newly born heroine who is still finding her way in earth's ultimate super team.

The audiobook is fun, fun, fun. Did I say fun? Sure did. It's witty, engaging storytelling at its heart. The writing is fast-paced and very descriptive. You'll also want the sequel to get to the shelf quickly, and rightfully so - It seems to be built for further adventures.

Some books are deep, meaningful works that will spark debates and arguments for decades - This audiobook will not do that. It WILL, however, be a memorable and unusually fun work of enjoyable listening that challenges the superhero genre in a fresh way that makes it an easy and solid recommendation.

So, don your cape, take to the skies, and get this audiobook as you do so!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Believable characters with unbelievable powers

I don't know how I ended up with this book but I liked it. It's a super-hero book but is not childish or silly like I expected. It actually looks at characters and their motivations from a mature perspective. If it weren't for the supernatural talents the characters have, it could have been like a traditional thriller with well-developed characters.

I think that's the surprising part of it all: how believable the characters were in a book that has characters who have unbelievable abilities. And the moral isn't as light as one would think, coming from a comic book.

The narration is excellent. There are two main characters, each with their own narrator, and they were perfect for their roles: supervillain complete with the evil cackle and a thread of goodness wanting out and superhero with emotional issues and a hero-worship complex.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Supervillans rule.

Would you consider the audio edition of Soon I Will Be Invincible to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version I will say that the narrators do an excellent job on this book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dr. Impossible because it gives you a chance to see inside a evil mastermind and understand why so many of the common comic book tropes take place.

What does Coleen Marlo and Paul Boehmer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It gives you a better feel for the characters than you might get reading the book. Mr. Boehmer captures the angst and feelings of insecurity that drives the main character.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Dr. Doom.. The movie..

Any additional comments?

A very different and enjoyable book. I hope to see more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
  • S
  • 04-28-12

Plodding and repetitive

I didn't think a story about superheroes could be dull, but this audiobook manages. It is interesting as character studies of the two narrators, but I can't help thinking it should have been much shorter. Anything interesting in the story happens in the past, so the narrator just relays the information to you, and anything interesting that happens in the 'present' is slowed down by flashbacks, and tangential thoughts that go running through the mind of the narrator. The narrators repeat themselves a lot, which is realistic I suppose, but boring to sit through.

The voice acting isn't bad, but the pace is painfully slow, and there are a ton of mispronounced words and weird choices for emphasis; any issues there I chalk up to either lazy directing or a crazy short schedule.

I guess it says something that I listened to the whole thing, there are parts of the story I found compelling. Maybe it would have worked better for me in print.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful