Geek Books

Wild Cards is a science fiction and superhero anthology series set in a shared universe.

The series was created by a group of science fiction authors, and mostly edited by George R. R. Martin. There were 12 volumes published between 1987 and 1993 before it switched publishers, which released three new volumes between 1993 and 1995; a fourth appeared belatedly in 2002, and a fifth in early 2006.

Wild Cards was inspired by superhero comics, and many of the authors play with the conventions of the medium, while some characters are based on existing heroes (for example, Jetboy was modeled on the Hillman Periodicals' character Airboy). Many of the original authors were also inspired by a long-running Albuquerque, New Mexico campaign of the role-playing game Superworld, gamemastered by George R. R. Martin, and many modeled their characters on their in-game persona.

According to George R. R. Martin's website, Tor Books has picked up a contract to produce three new Wild Cards books. Tor hopes to release the first in 2007; the others will follow up a year apart. The new trilogy will feature the next generation of Wild Cards, although there will be some familiar faces.

The setting was also adapted into role-playing game format twice: once as a stand-alone game, and again in the form of two GURPS sourcebooks that made use of the GURPS Supers rules.

On August 16, 2007, Green Ronin Publishing announced the development of the Wild Cards RPG line of role-playing game products, based on their Mutants & Masterminds product line. The first of these products, the Wild Cards Campaign Setting, will be written by series author John J. Miller, and will debut at GenCon in 2008.

Synopsis

The series relates an alternate history of the earth after World War II. In 1946 an alien virus that rewrites human DNA is accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It kills 90 % of those who come into contact with it (referred to as 'drawing the Black Queen'). However, 9 % mutate into deformed creatures (known as 'Jokers') and 1 % gain superpowers (known as 'Aces'). There is also a class known as 'deuces' - Aces who have acquired useless or ridiculous powers, such as the ability to levitate up to two feet, or to grow bodily hair at will. The airborne virus eventually spreads all over the world, affecting tens of thousands.

The Wild Cards universe is distinguished from most superhero comic book fiction by several thematic elements. Early on the authors decided to pursue a more realistic, or naturalistic approach to storytelling. Few of the Ace characters in Wild Cards have secret identities, or are traditional crime-fighting superheroes in the mold of Spider-Man or Batman.

http://rapidshare.com/files/51119791/Wildcards_1_Wildcards.pdf
http://rapidshare.com/files/51119792/Wildcards_2_Aces_High.pdf
http://rapidshare.com/files/51119793/Wildcards_3_Jokers_Wild.pdf
http://rapidshare.com/files/51119794/Wildcards_4_Aces_Abroad.pdf
http://rapidshare.com/files/51119795/Wildcards_5_Down_And_Dirty.pdf
http://rapidshare.com/files/51119796/Wildcards_6_Ace_In_The_Hole.pdf
http://rapidshare.com/files/51119797/Wildcards_7_Dead_Mans_Hand.pdf
http://rapidshare.com/files/51119798/Wildcards_8_One_Eyed_Jacks.pdf
http://rapidshare.com/files/51119799/Wildcards_9_Jokertown_Shuffle.pdf