Recently I have read two books that gave me such a stomach ache for all the right and wrong reasons. One of those was John of the Night by Darryl Cunningham.
I’ve no idea what I read. But I liked it.
I think….
On one level things are really straight forward. We have a superhero-Christ like figure who might be the Anti-Christ, or at least might be working for them as John could be either hero, villain or some combination of the two. Then things get more complicated and philosophical. (See he might be either a Good or Bad Guy.) Spirituality and morality and all sorts of ideas kick into place. We keep the Superhero element, or more likely a Greek/Roman hero as Cunningham does bring into play a couple of Greek myths that might explain a few things in a more realistic (oddly enough) manner. You also see the Daily Planet, I think there is a Silver Surfer-like creature/assassin and other pop cultural images, phrases and what not unfold sometimes obviously and sometimes in the background, sometimes both. It has a modern element, feeling but of course the classics are there: such as John is a Superman-ish person being chased around his home planet by big buggies, is the last survivor and he gets told by (a or the) God (Supreme being) to save the world. But you know, they won’t help, because they can’t interfere, even though they are already interfering by telling you, you’re the chosen one….
If you like science fiction you can find a lot of similarities or influences. I would get to thinking: this feels like a Dr. Who morality issues story arc, this is a Herculean feat, this way to time-travel Star Trek, and this little piggy stayed home (because even though it got blown up, it didn’t really and you know, it’s all good again).
It was violent in several places and dealt with philosophy and spirituality a bit tongue in cheek, but also seriously. The pop culture references, mythology, and humor add the final touches but don’t feel overly dated for the most part. In the end it is not an easy read due to content, concepts, trigger issues (such as potential adult-child sacrifice) and the quick pacing and minimally colored and detailed images. Older teens (at least 14-15) could read it, but it leans towards adults.
I read this via an online reader copy, due early September 2026.
