Csenge Virag Zalka, a Hungarian storyteller, has collected 55 folktales from around the world about supernatural abilities like superhuman strength, invulnerability, flying, heightened senses, speed, invisibility, healing, agility, precognition, telepathy, fire manipulation, teleportation, water powers, and shifting. These tales represent powers that people have dreamed of, conjured up and strived for through the ages. Many of the powers are present in popular culture, making the superheroes who wield them the direct descendants of characters such as the princess who could see through walls or the invulnerable Isfandiyar. Zalka excluded stories about magic or about gods with divine powers, and focused on less well-known stories. She included information on similar heroes, the ability in the story, sources of the powers, the origin of the story, teachings in it, the recommended age group, sources, variants, and comments.

About the Author
Csenge Virag Zalka is a professional storyteller and researcher from Budapest, Hungary. Her interests focus on role-playing games as a form of storytelling, historical fiction, oral traditions and popular culture.

Reviews
"great entertainment"-Fanboy Comics; "focuses on less well-known stories...includes information on similar heroes"-ProtoView.



Book Information
ISBN 9780786477043
Author Csenge Virag Zalka
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 331g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 12mm