The main character in Nick Harkaway's new novel, "Tigerman," is a British solider who becomes a self-made superhero. But all Sgt. Lester Ferris really wants to be is "Dad." "Tigerman" is about geopolitics, environmental disaster and the 24-hour news culture. But, at its core, Harkaways says "Tigerman" is a story about fatherhood and the "power of paternal and filial love." It's not your typical father-son story, says Harkaway, a married father of two and the son of legendary spy novelist John le Carré. But, "something about the nature of guns and the similarities between being an NCO (noncommissioned officer) and a parent," combined with revelations in the British press in 2010 about rendition, led Harkaway to start writing.
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In Nick Harkaway's "Tigerman," a soldier becomes a self-made superhero to impress a kid
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Harkaway says the novel is about "the power of paternal and filial love"
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Justice and vengeance figure heavily in "Tigerman" similar to another hero with dad issues
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Harkaway's father is the famous spy novelist John le Carré.
When he and the boy bond over their mutual love of comic books and afternoon tea, @placeholder starts to imagine life as a father.
When a group of gun-toting thugs kills a mutual friend, the boy inspires @placeholder to become "Tigerman," part vigilante, part myth and "full of win," as the boy says.