Six super powered children lead an idyllic life fighting crime under their mentor/adoptive father, Dr Barrie They are: Finley: Superhuman speed and flight. Maria: Hyperspace inventory. Gillian:Superhuman strength and durability Gregory: Mastery of magnetism. Harold: Power over heat. Janet: Light and sound manipulation. But one day they wake up to discover that it was all a lie, they aren't orphans given super abilities to save their lives as babies, they're genetically engineered lifeforms, raised in a virtual reality environment based on American comics from the 1950's and 60's, and even their powers work differently in real life. So how could they react to modern Aussie society?
what do you mean by Modern Aussie Society? If they are engineered then the only reaction for them is of an alien not knowing what is happening around them at first. this remind of of the film series with Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger and his film series the Terminator 1/2 and 3.
So it is a crime. What type of crime and would they be operating together or separate? also their names do not cross as credible if they are to be gentically engineered.
well if you think about it the names you have given your characters who supposed to be godly or with superpowers. To name them with common normal people's names is to make their characterstic less credible. You have to give them unsual names to bring out and emphasise their unusualeness otherwise they will sound like your nextdoor neighbours which youdo not want.
I gave you the reason why I do not find your characters credible. Others might think it is Ok. But your story has the word Apotheosis as its title, naturally naming your characters should reflect your title. Your title is your face value. If a reader then is faced a Johnny or a Smith then he is going to be thinking where is this Apotheosis? It does not match.
Towards the name thing: If I'm a scientist who has genetically engineered super beings I am not going to name them odd names just because they have Godly powers. A name does not have to reflect their powers, especially if I want them to 'fit' into everyday society.
I am trying to say that if you are making your characters to be different they have to have something different from the outset. The names he has given them are human names. If something you have created is to be credible then everything about it is to reflect that difference and that is beginning with the names. This is how I would look at it. Having different names won't stop them from integrating, far from it it would make them stand out and integrate faster because of that difference.
I have to disagree with this. Giving the MC an unusual name (especially in a setting where the rest of the cast have more common names) is a pet peeve of mine: IMO it feels like the writer is trying too hard to single them out before they have even done anything to engage the reader's interest.
It takes two to tango. Every reader is different. If I was to write about adifferent creature I will write it out with everything different about it starting with its name. This is how I write.
I guess they'd react with shock and then confusion, eventually adapting to and accepting the novelties of modern society, albeit in their own offbeat ways. Harold realizes it's not his super powers making the bread warm and crunchy, it's the toaster. Janet thinks Gillian has absorbed her powers, when actually Gillian has found the remote control for the television. Sorry, I don't know enough about your characters' world or about Australian society to give better examples. But I think you'll get the hang of their reactions as you write. The name thing: don't worry about it. Your names are fine. Please, don't feel you have to take someone's advice about special, unique names. Those things are usually awful anyway, painful on the eyes.
I hope this doesn't sound rude, but... 1. The Flash w/wings 2. Batman 3. Hercules 4. Magneto 5. Pyro 6. The one guy I can't find an allegory to. Remember that superheros have been done to death by this point, and it is really difficult to be original. You also have to have a really good reason for why they were given super powers 'to save their lives', or else even as children they might figure out that the cover story doesn't make sense.
By 'their powers not working the same' do you mean they have no powers at all in real life, or that they have powers but they're different from in the simulation? Oh, and an idea: There are all sorts of subtle ways in which a simulation could differ from real life (think video games). Since they grew up with it, they'll take those little things for granted, and be shocked when real life doesn't have those. For example maybe the streets were too clean, or the clutter didn't move around from day to day. Or there were non-player characters who had no actual person controlling them but just preprogrammed actions - these guys would've probably been the unimportant people, such as cashiers or innocent bystanders or whatever. Maybe the kids figured out that those guys operated by set rules while more significant people were more flexible, and then are shocked when someone in real life who would've been an NPC in their simulation reacts like a real person instead (eg a cashier getting into a conversation with them about something other than purchasing items). Conversely, they may not be surprised at something that would be surprising in real life, such as glitches. Another question: Why did the guys set this up?
Okay change in premise. The kid's are the result of some cult managing to change the high ranking members reproductive DNA, causing them to give birth to children with superhuman strength, speed, durability, intelligence, flight, and mental powers... they escape. So, which sounds better? The new premise or the old one?
