Frisco Wakeland, UT track athlete self-publishes YA superhero novel
As superhero stories continue to influence pop culture, a North Texas athlete is stepping onto the scene with a bold imagination and a story all his own.
20-year-old Osawese Agbonkonkon, a Frisco Wakeland High School graduate (where he cleared the 7-foot mark on high jump) and current sophomore track star at the University of Texas, is a new voice in young adult fiction. He published his 315-page debut novel, ”Psychic Suit,” last May, and plans to release more work through his independent publishing house.
A superhero story inspired by George Floyd and real-world events
Agbonkonkon first sketched his psychic‑powered world in 2018 during weekend writing sprints and late‑night movie marathons, drawing on Iron Man’s tech and Black Panther’s regal might.
But everything changed in the summer of 2020.
“With the pandemic and political activism going on following George Floyd’s death, I paid more attention and began interacting with the world in a less childish way,” Agbonkonkon said.
As he matured, so did his story.
“Psychic Suit” shifted from popcorn‑fueled thrills into a layered allegory about social injustice, the weight of legacy and the hidden wounds beneath public personas.
A Texas-influenced superhero story
”Psychic Suit” tells the story of a lineage of psychics who were blessed with power through a rare alien metal discovered by their ancestors. The discovery gave them power and made them rich. Over time, they used their wealth to climb the ranks of the political world.
Now, the next generation is stepping into those inherited legacies until everything begins to unravel. A cult-like terrorist group steals the alien metal and uses it to launch a devastating attack in New York.
Suddenly, the psychics are forced to face consequences of their family’s influence and come together to stop the threat they never saw coming. It’s a story about power, responsibility and the cost of looking away, Agbonkonkon said.
“I wanted to talk about the consequences of actions because in a lot of media, especially in fiction, consequences are glossed over. That was the gap I wanted to fill,” he said.
Growing up in Frisco after moving from Utah at age 10, Agbonkonkon wove Texas scenery and friends and family into the narrative.
“For example, one scene takes place in San Antonio. I just wanted to include Texas scenery because that’s where I’m from and that’s what I know,” he said.
He even modeled some of his protagonist’s internal battles on friends and family, whose surprise at the book’s release only fueled his confidence. Despite tackling heavy themes like mental health struggles, war, and alcoholism, Agbonkonkon never loses sight of character.
“These are controversial topics and I handle them with a lot of respect,” Agbonkonkon said. “I want to show people that it’s okay to talk about heavy themes and I can write it in a fictional story that’s still fun to read.”
Self-ownership
Support from his high school and UT bolstered Agbonkonkon’s resolve while writing, but “Psychic Suit” is only the beginning.
Agbonkonkon self-published the novel through his own publishing house, Songspire Press. He launched it with a goal to expand the “Psychic Suit” universe and to amplify other emerging voices.
“I actually got the idea from hip hop music. Hip-hop artists usually sign to their own label, for example, Drake has OVO, Jay-Z has Rock Nation, and Kendrick Lamar has pgLang,” Agbonkonkon said.
That level of creative ownership made the news this week in another way. “Sinners” director Ryan Coogler signed a deal with Warner Bros. that would allow him to fully own the film after 25 years, a deal that’s virtually unheard of in Hollywood.
“So this idea of owning what’s yours is the best way to be free, is something I embrace. I believe writers should be able to control their work, too,” Agbonkonkon said.
“Psychic Suit” is available at Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and everywhere books are sold.
