Genetically altered superhuman young adult story- will this work?

[samueg]

I've started writing a story about genetically altered superhumans for young adults. I have a plot and I have all the main themes but I'm wondeirng if it will work. Of course, to me it seems like it will but maybe that's just cause I'm in a weird world of my own. What od you think?

By this genetically altered I mean by the government, meant to be soldiers, they are super strong and super fast but not 'superhero' strong and fast but within human capibilities. You get what I mean? I was going to make it about these twin girls (18yrs old) who are superhumans and they have escaped the lab that they were held at and its about them trying to run away from the government. Its set 12 or so years in the future but it is not THAT futuristic. The technology is pretty much the same as now maybe just a little bit better. Hope that helps! I'm not going to mention that its 12 years in the future but people will kind of understand that thats aorund about the time.

 

[ctg]

Check out Universal Soldier, if you think it works then maybe yours will as well.

 

[KESpires]

Ender's Game worked.

I haven't read it, but James Patterson has a set of YA novels involving super hero kids.

 

[chrispenycate]

Ah, but Andrew Wiggin was not a genetic experiment. Bean was, but we don't learn that until the 'shadow' books.

So, they are toddling around somewhere on the planet now – along with a load of partial failures, experiments that didn't quite pan out. I wonder what language they're learning.

The most convincing super soldiers I've read are the Sauron Supermen in Jerry Pournelle's "War world" series (and Larry Niven's 'Brenda'; same race) though Taura in Bujold's 'Labyrinth' isn't far behind. Immense strength, fast clotting, conscious control over blood circulation and pain, high-speed reflexes, improved senses of vision, hearing, touch but not taste, so they can eat anything; not superpowers, but things that can be developed in an organism realistically.

But both of those stories are set in the relatively distant future, when presumably we know a lot more about genetics. For it to be going on now, even if someone were considerably in advance of everyone else on the planet, would involve a lot of guesswork, failure and culls; an unpleasant mindset for those who are to bring up the few successes. I don't see them having a happy childhood, somehow.

 

[MistingWolf]

X-Men worked. And it also reminds me a bit of Cyborg 009. I think your story would work out fine.

 

[andyg]

Don't want to pour cold water on the idea because it's really down to your imagination but the genetically enhanced superhero really has been done to death, I could add to the list of previously mentioned examples with

DNAgents
Gen13
And all the XMen Spin offs e.g. WeaponX etc

The oldest and most obvious example I can think of is Captain America which goes back to the forties

 

[chrispenycate]

I don't think we're talking mutant superpowers here (which is what your examples consist of) but more realistic enhancements, using the present material better (bringing the conscious muscles up to the strength of a chimp, say, improving reflexes, eyes with better distance and detail focussing), things that are only a few points outside present Olympic champions' abilities.

With maybe a few characteristics adopted from other mammalian species, like hibernation or a seal's respiratory capacity.

Subtlety gives more scope for realistic danger – and realistic social rejection – than someone who can stretch his limbs halfway to Cleveland, or burst into flames without damage.

Less comic book, more "More than Human".

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Not to mention Dark Angel - humans with animal add ins I think it was.

It's been done - true, but then so has every plot since Adam met Eve and the mystery of the missing apple.