Twilight of the Superheroes

Twilight of the Superheroes, Deborah Eisenberg's fourth story collection, represents her most ambitious and politically engaged work. This collection of six stories demonstrates her continued mastery of the form while expanding her range to address the anxieties and traumas of post-9/11 America.

The title story follows a group of young New Yorkers who secure a luxurious Manhattan sublet with a spectacular view—a view that becomes horrifyingly central when they witness the September 11th attacks from their balcony. Other standout pieces include "Some Other, Better Otto," a stunning psychological portrait of a 60-year-old attorney struggling with his difficult siblings while receiving more compassion than he deserves from his selfless male partner, and "Window," which departs from Eisenberg's typical territory to explore a single mother's relationship with a charismatic survivalist who gradually reveals criminal and abusive tendencies.

The New York Times Book Review called Eisenberg "one of the most important fiction writers now at work" in their review of this collection. Ben Marcus declared there are "not many contemporary novels as shudderingly intimate and mordantly funny as Eisenberg's best stories," while Kirkus compared her to Alice Munro and called her the "closest thing there is to an American" version of the Canadian master.