This critically acclaimed and inspired debut novel brings to life a universe of superheroes stripped of their powers and forced to confront danger in a world without heroes—save one.

A tour de force debut novel from a former CIA counterterrorism officer, A Once Crowded Sky fuses bombastic, comic-book-style storytelling with modern literary fiction. Supermen stripped of their powers must wrestle danger in a world without heroes.

What happens when the world’s greatest superheroes give up their powers—and only one man is left to pick up the pieces?

“Everything we love about comics…it’s all here. And it’s a fun read.” —Wired.com

A “masterful story about humanity.” —The Charleston Post and Courier

A Once Crowded Sky unfolds in Arcadia City, where the legendary heroes have sacrificed their abilities—and their hero, Ultimate—in order to defeat a cosmic threat. Now depowered and ordinary, they wander a world without icons…except one. PenUltimate, Ultimate’s former sidekick. who refused the sacrifice still possesses all his powers—and now the world needs him more than ever.

PenUltimate built a life beyond the game with his wife, turning his back on the superhero legacy. But when new terrorist attacks tear through Arcadia, humanity’s last powered defender is pulled unwillingly back into action. Alone, estranged, and viewed as a coward by his peers, he must decide whether duty still calls—or if heroism lies in simply walking away

With the scope of a graphic novel and the introspection of literary fiction, A Once Crowded Sky blends explosive action with a poignant meditation on legacy, identity, and the cost of greatness.

“A fascinating concept…it kept me spellbound from page 1 right to the end.”