In A Galaxy Far Far Away

Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman “Star Wars Legacy II Book I: Prisoner of the Floating World”  (Dark Horse Comics, 2013)

When I think back on what I originally loved about Star Wars, it’s all fairly simple:  rip roaring adventure, archetypical characters, cool effects.  What’s so difficult about that?  There’s no need for trade negotiations, adolescent love stories or overly convoluted explanations.

That’s what I love about this comic.  It’s a big ole adventure yarn set in the future of the movies.  A Jedi is ambushed by a Sith and taken prisoner.  A young junk dealer finds a lightsaber.  These are jumping off points for action adventure stories.  

Do you need to know any convoluted EU storylines to appreciate the story?  No.  I’m not a fan of the EU myself, & I enjoyed the hell out of this graphic novel.  Now I’m itching to read more in this universe.

If You Think Doctor Who is Always Sunny....

Trevor Baxendale, “Fear of the Dark” (BBC Digital 2013, 2003)

One of the great things about Doctor Who as a franchise is its flexibility.  The nature of the world means that almost any kind of story can be told.  

Fear of the Dark is perhaps the darkest horror story that I’ve encountered in the Whoniverse.  The setup is simple enough:  Five (plus Tegan and Nyssa) are on a deserted moon at the edge of the galaxy.  There’s a small mining expedition there. And more importantly, there’s also an ancient evil:  one that predates the universe itself.

It’s unusual to encounter a Doctor Who story that is this bleak.  All the minor characters begin to be killed off as the evil force gains more power.  Both Tegan and Nyssa are affected:  The Dark can affect their minds, and they become depressed and paranoid.  Even the Doctor is not immune to this meddling:  his more negative qualities are exaggerated, and he is more inhuman than usual.

For all the great setup, unfortunately Baxendale doesn’t stick the landing.  As the villain becomes fully materialized in our universe, it also becomes just another mustache twirling idiot who needs to monologue before being put into his place.  Given the large number of horror stories with lousy endings, this certainly isn’t a deal breaker. 

A Monkey, a Cyborg, and a SF Writer are on a Zepplin

Gareth L Powell “Hive Monkey” (Solaris, 2013)

No, that’s not the setup to a bad joke.  It’s the start of a wonderfully zany SF novel.

The fate of the world is at stake when everyone’s favorite fighter pilot monkey has to fight off the evil hive mind collective that is headed by his duplicate from another dimension!

Look, the more you try to talk about this story, the crazier it sounds.  Suffice it to say that there is fast plotting, lots of action, and more crazy SFnal elements than you can shake a stick at!  Where many authors would try to hold back, Powell seems to feel that doubling down is his best bet.

This is some of the best modern pulp that I’ve read.  Recommended for a light fun read!