Colosseum-esque fantasy books?
By espressowonder2006
Does anyone know of any books like this? I remember the Night Angel series by Brent Weeks mentioned something similar, but I can’t seem to find a whole book that focuses on it. Any ideas?
Reader discussion: Gladiator
Public reader discussion about Gladiator in the WeRead Catalog by Philip Wylie.
Suggest me a book with Gladiator in title
By LetterCrescent
Can you suggest me a book that has “Gladiator” in the title? I’m kind of stuck on a reading challenge where I have to match the title of my top 10 Spotify Wrapped songs with books, and my 4th most listened track is “Gladiator” by Jann. Please help me not regret my music picks haha. The challenge is mainly to get me to try new genres, so I’m open to pretty much anything :)
Alternate history superhero universes?
By cloudshadow
I’ve always been pretty into superhero stuff that basically asks, “Okay, if powers really existed, what would that do to society and culture?” Like Watchmen and Kingdom Come. I also end up wondering what normal day-to-day life would look like in a world like that. But outside of those two, I honestly can’t think of a lot of superhero comics or novels that really dig into how superpowered people could completely shift everything—enough that the setting feels kind of unrecognizable compared to ours. Any recommendations?
Anyone know a good series with gladiators?
By cloudyriver
I’m trying to find a series where there’s some tournament-style stuff going on in at least part of it—doesn’t need to be the whole thing, but I want those showdown/facing-off moments. Kind of in the vein of Spartacus, I guess. Also I really dig stories where someone falls from grace or starts out at the bottom and has to claw their way up, total bad-ass energy. Caladin Stormblessed is honestly one of my favorite characters in any book.
Can someone explain Iron Munro’s importance to me?
By CoastPlanet18
I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty confused about why this random superhero I’ve never even heard of is getting brought up alongside Sandman and Wildcat. Unless he’s part of the JSA in the main continuity too, it doesn’t really make sense. And I just kept wondering—what’s the point of mentioning him at all? Feels like he’s probably meant to be a foil to Superman or something, but I’m not totally sure.
Superman AS Jesus before 1978's Superman the Movie in comic books?
By hidden_raven6223
I know people often point out the Superman-as-Jesus thing, and it’s pretty clearly shown in stuff like Superman: The Movie (and then later in Returns and the Snyder films). But I keep wondering—did that connection first get spelled out in an obvious way in the 1978 movie, or were there older comics that already treated Superman like a Christ figure? Basically, I’m trying to figure out whether any comic writers before 1978 looked at Superman that way and actually put it into the story. I’ve been digging through older issues, but I’m not really seeing anything that matches. Anyone know of examples, or is my search just missing them?
Things that inspired Superman's creation
By hareStill1977
I’m not sure what to think—this feels like the Moses story mixed with Burroughs and that Jonathan Carter of Mars thing.
Any books similar to Gladiator (2000)?
By owlchapter
This movie is honestly legendary. I’ve seen it a bunch of times and it still feels like such a good time every single time—really entertaining and it pulls you in from the start. I always end up tearing up a little by the end, even if I try not to. I feel like everyone knows which one I mean, but just in case—if you haven’t seen it, you should really go watch it on Netflix. And if you don’t remember it, you can find a recap on YouTube (I can’t drop links here though). It doesn’t have to be exactly like that, but I’d love to see more recommendations like this. If you can, point me to the most epic, finished books. Even if the ones you’re thinking of aren’t exactly what you had in mind, but you still think they’re worth checking out, go ahead and send them. Thanks!
Books with Gladiatorial Combat
By ReefCedar
Does anyone know any good books that have a lot of gladiator-style fighting? I feel like it shows up as a trope, but I just don’t see it much in fantasy or sci-fi lately. Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I read a book where it was really a thing. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Arena/Gladiator setting in fantasy.
By openspepper
The first thing I think of is Blood Song. It starts with Vaelin Al Sorna getting transported to this gladiator-style duel, and it ends up mattering later in the book. I really like that whole setup and how you can see what’s going on in everyone’s heads, even the people watching. What pops into your mind that connects to the arena?
What Is Phillip Wylie Up To?
By cosmos_lantern23956
He’s a pretty small character, but still kind of interesting, and he feels really different between the books and the show. In the books, I get the impression he’s putting on this sort of fancy English gentleman act, down to the waistcoat with the lions and unicorns on it. There are little signs that he may be sharper than he lets on. Does anyone else see that, or am I overthinking it?
The inspiration for Superman: Philip Wylie's GLADIATOR
By wise_panda51
Ugh, that cover is straight-up misleading. If they ever put some kind of “truth in advertising” rule on paperback art, I feel like a lot fewer people would be pissed off. (But sure, if it brings in sales, publishers aren’t exactly gonna stop.) Anyway, I’m digging this old 1930 book—Philip Wylie’s GLADIATOR. It’s kind of fascinating, but also really depressing. His writing feels way more polished than a lot of pulp stuff, but the theme hits hard in the same wild way. It’s also the kind of book that’s often brought up as an influence on the first Superman stuff. I read it pretty close to the Action Comics #1 story and it’s hard not to see how much overlap there is. And yeah, Doc Savage seems like another big influence too, with all the whole “Clark” connection and the fortress thing up in the Arctic. Not that I’m mad about any of that—people have always borrowed from earlier stories. GLADIATOR follows Hugo Danner, a kid from Colorado whose scientist dad basically injects his pregnant wife with a serum that gives Hugo super strength and other boosted abilities. He can do the big superhero feats—lift heavy stuff, jump way high, shrug off bullets—but it’s not like he can fly or see through walls. He’s still flesh and blood, still has to eat and breathe, still gets to make stupid human choices sometimes (drinking, messing around, that kind of thing). The part that really drags is that Hugo never figures out a good way to use his power. Aside from a short destructive rampage in WWI, it keeps going wrong. Wylie’s got this way more cynical take on people than Siegel and Shuster seemed to. Honestly, with powers like that, it feels like Hugo’s situation is basically the worst-case scenario: corrupted, hunted, or grabbed and studied. And then there’s the thing—Superman’s whole “double life” idea never really comes to Hugo. He tries to push politicians or help social reformers and just gets crushed by how useless it all turns out. Even when he does something like freeing a guy from a vault, the police end up interrogating and torturing him to find out how it happened. It almost makes you think he should’ve done something like being a private investigator or a disaster rescuer, because at least then the power could do real good instead of getting him into trouble. Also, Hugo doesn’t have the same solid moral grounding as Clark Kent or Clark Savage Jr. His mom is religious but kind of cold, his dad is distracted and not much help, and then WWI wrecks people’s lives for years after. That whole “Lost Generation” vibe is there. Wylie himself seems like he’s not exactly optimistic about humanity (his other book about society is brutal too), and GLADIATOR ends up being genuinely sad more than exciting. You get some awe moments, but they’re pretty rare. And Hugo’s ending—begging God for a sign—just feels super unlikely and kinda melodramatic. I can’t help wondering if someone basically told him it had to end that way.
Science fiction/ fantasy with gladiator-style battles?
By happy-laurel61
I just finished Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff and I’m realizing I really loved the whole gladiator vibe. Are there any other series out there with a similar setup/themes?
[deleted by user]
By chillum-mellow2
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A book on Roman Gladiators
By dustyhare
I’ve kind of gotten obsessed with Roman gladiators lately—not just the fighting, but the whole cultural setup that made it a thing, and how much value it actually had in Roman society. Does anyone have good book recommendations on ancient Rome and gladiators? I’ve tried searching around, but there are way too many options, so I’m not sure what’s worth it. Any suggestions would be awesome. Also, I’m pretty new here and I’m really glad I found this community :D
Fantasy/gladiators
By Sonnet_Hardcover77
Anyone know any fantasy books that have a gladiator/Spartan kind of vibe? I’m thinking along the lines of something like Gates of Fire, but turned into fantasy—does that exist? Appreciate any suggestions in advance!