Source of Inspiration?

I’ve read a good bit of X-Men comics in my day, but I have to admit that I never once heard of this book before today. It seems that Wilmer Shiras’ 1953 novel, “Children of the Atom”, may have served as Stan Lee’s and Jack Kirby’s inspiration for what would one day become Marvel Comic’s Flagship and Best-selling title.

The plot synopsis for this novel reads:

“Born to workers caught in an explosion at an atomic weapons facility, these remarkable youths were orphaned just a few months after birth when their parents succumbed to delayed effects from the blast. Now they are in their early teens, scattered across the country, each unaware of the others’ existence. But beginning with the introduction of 13-year-old Timothy Paul to school psychiatrist Dr. Peter Welles, all that is about to change. After identifying Timothy and his fellow prodigies for what they are — and for what their potential might be — Dr. Welles commits himself to gathering these “Wonder Children” into an experimental school, both to harness their intellectual abilities and to shelter them from the world they’ve left behind.”

You’d think with a property as hot as X-Men, someone would’ve given credit where it was due. Now I can’t say that I’ve spent a whole lotta time studying the career of Lee or Kirby, I know they’re credited with creating most of Marvel’s most beloved and iconic characters, but I’ve never regarded Stan Lee as any sort of a genius-we are talking about the guy who created “Striperella”-so this is sort of fitting. One of Comic’s top sellers was actually someone else’s idea. I can’t believe this guy Shiras never tried to sue. We are talking big money after all.