Possibly one of the most ambitious Sci-fi novels to date - This fuses The Canterbury Tales and Keats poetry in an ultra futuristic setting trying to ePossibly one of the most ambitious Sci-fi novels to date - This fuses The Canterbury Tales and Keats poetry in an ultra futuristic setting trying to explain the problem of evil. Wow springs to mind, because this totally pulls off its lofty ideals and is a damn page turner to boot.
We follow 7 pilgrims who have been selected by the Shrike Church to visit the Time Tombs on the planet Hyperion: we have a priest, a soldier, a poet, a scholar, a private detective, a Consul (polititian) and the captain of a giant tree ship called Yggdrasill, who all decide to tell their tales on the epic journey to These mysterious tombs and their terrifying guardian the Shrike, referred to by its religious followers as The Lord of Pain. None of the pilgrims worship the Shrike or have any notion of why they've been selected.
The six stories are fascinating and varied. I think my favourite is still the opening priest's tale which is truly SF horror at its finest involving a missionary priest who encounters a bizarre cult. The soldier's tale tells the rise of a middle eastern butcher and his love affair which a woman who is more than she seems. The poet's tale changes style and looks at the creative process and the greed of publishers as our poet tries to creat his own epic Hyperion (Keats' unfinished epic) The scholar's tale is a bit The curious case of Benjamin Button looking at someone who reverse ages. We go very bladerunner in the Private Detective story where our female detective is hired to investigate the murder of an AI/Android recreation of the poet Keats. And the Consul's tale looks at the fall of Earth and the ecological devastation of the new Hegemony. The Captain does not get to share his tale because he disappears - possibly murdered, and this flirts with a SF whodunit, but then veers in another direction entirely.
Critics of Hyperion hate the open ending and all the loose threads: The novel closes as the pilgrims reach their destination - we never find out the secret of the Time Tombs or the Shrike. We don't find out what happened to the Captain. We don't find out why they were selected, who is behind their journey or what their purpose is. There are three powers at play - the Hegemony (Humanity) The AI's (reminding me of Banks' Culture) and the Ousters - Who seem to have originated from the humans that opposed the Hegemony and evolved as a seaparate race. We never really find out the secret manipulations and plots of any of these and yet there's enough meat here to be utterly fascinating.
Personally I didn't care that we don't find out all the answers. The characters are so rich and the stories so absorbing that I was perfectly happy just exploring the world of Hyperion without being spoonfed a detailed plot. I loved this from the literary and mythological references to the glut of sci-fi tropes that feel virtually reinvented here. A sci-fi epic classic. Believe the hype....more
**spoiler alert** I thought the art a vast improvement in this volume. Starts out solid - but gets weird and rushed at the end - So the villain turns **spoiler alert** I thought the art a vast improvement in this volume. Starts out solid - but gets weird and rushed at the end - So the villain turns out to be Isaac from the future - eh? it becomes quite disjointed and confusing.
I liked Valdo telling Isaac he will help him find his precious 'Earp' - Of course his misprononcing Earth but its a funny in joke - Tim Rozen who plays Isaac in the TV series also plays Doc Holiday in Wynonna Earp - and spends a lot of time searching for Earps. I also loved Isaac's line "so let me get this straight. You want to go exactly where culty mcbadguy wants you to go?"
Elida gets a lesbian love interest in this one - its very kind of rushed - I feel like we've skipped a load since volume one and now Elida's settled down living with her girlfriend - where did that come from? The whole thing feels very rushed and disjointed. However its quite fun....more
Since the TV series finished so abruptly, I thought I'd check out the graphic novels. Honestly I'm very surprised the TV series got made on the strentSince the TV series finished so abruptly, I thought I'd check out the graphic novels. Honestly I'm very surprised the TV series got made on the strenth of this - Its selling point is a sassy African-American kick ass heroine, but Elida's no Barbarella and I found the artwork extremely ugly. There's no hint at her lesbianism at least in this volume which was the show's other appealing aspect. The story is very close to the series - Elida, deposed queen on the run. The Sterzad is called the Bezoar and this changes the gender of some of the evil concillors. The scene where Lazaro kills his mother is missing (we just get the exectition of his father) Which doesn't give his character the same depth - he's just a comic book villain thus far. This did very little for me - Its like the bare bones of the series, less rather than more and did not do what I hoped the source material would do and flesh out my enjoyment of the universe & characters. Bit meh really. ...more
This feels a bit like if The hunger Games, The Name of the Rose and Scott Westerfield's The Risen Empire were put in a blender and seasoned with gothiThis feels a bit like if The hunger Games, The Name of the Rose and Scott Westerfield's The Risen Empire were put in a blender and seasoned with gothic lesbians
The world building is phenomenal and imaginitive - We have a Necromancer Empire with 9 houses - Representatives of Each house (Chief Necromancer and their Cavalier/bodyguard) are sent to a decaying palace/research lab - with the premise that they are competing for Lyctorhood (warrior generals to the Necrolord himself) - The 8 pairs have to perform various challenges and compete against each other for the posession of keys to the locked rooms in the palace - Which would be cool in and of itself as a plot, but that's only a fraction.
Various characters get murdered and this becomes a kind of murder mystery as we try and work out the killer as well as what's actually going on behind the scenes.
The two main characters are necromancer Harrowhark and her smart mouthed Cavalier Gideon Nav - The pair hate each other, (spend most of their lives trying to kill each other) and another strand to this novel is their growing friendship.
I really enjoyed this for many reasons. The characters are larger than life and its nice to have LGBT characters without an overt romance subplot. Gideon is a sarky butch kickass heroine which makes this very enjoyable to read - because honestly there's a lot to digest and it could have easily become boring.
I loved the horror & gothic elements from the decaying palace to the bone manipulation and animated skelletons everywhere.
The sci-fi elements fuse nicely and it seems perfectly natural to have space shuttles and mad science labs in the same universe as necromancer nuns and freaky hybrid bone abominations.
The names are all significant - while perhaps not as lyrical as gormenghast, it helps keep track of a vast cast. There's also lots of bonus material - a cast list at the front (very helpful) and a bungch of appendicies at the back for reference which is quite handy.
Thumbs up from me I though this one was pretty good....more
Discovery is the marmite Star Trek - because 'it isn't proper trek' in as much as it's much darker, with far more grey areas and morally ambiguous chaDiscovery is the marmite Star Trek - because 'it isn't proper trek' in as much as it's much darker, with far more grey areas and morally ambiguous characters and doesn't follow the formula of previous shows which are all captain centric and for the large part episodic adventures. Personally I aplaud it for taking risks.
I can't say the same for this novel which is probably the least Star Trek novel I've ever read, and indeed the least Discovery novel I've read - the only connection to the show is a single character and being set in the Trek universe.
It's not a bad novel - It's reasonably written and I like Tilly both in it and in the show. Huge kudos to actress Mary Wiseman for giving real warmth, humanity and likeability to a motormouth genius who could so easily have been super annoying. This gives Tilly's backstory and coming of age as she breaks away from her ghastly forceful diplomat mother. The thing is this disn't need to be a Trek novel - It's a simple girl finding herself story that just happens to have Star Trek trappings. Other than a very awkward frame set on Discovery, in which Tilly, unable to sleep recounts her past to Michael there is no connection to the show. None of Discovery's characters feature other than Tilly and Michael mentioned only in the frame (she could be anyone). There are no recogniseably Trek aliens, nor does this refer to any of the story lines, politics or events of the show WHATSOEVER.
On the plus side its a very good character study of Tilly and super female friendly. Bullied girl finds a voice and manages to finally shine in Star Fleet - Not a bad role model and actively encouraging girls to pursue science and maths. It's also quite readable and we care what happens to our heroine. I also like seeing Star Fleet through a different lens so to speak - we get to see ordinary people which is a breath of fresh air.
It's a terrible Trek novel however in as much as it isn't very Trek, fails to capture the essence of the show in any way and doesn't really widen the universe or have a particularly exciting story to tell. There isn't much adventure here or any real level of danger. I enjoyed it, but feel that it isn't going to meet the expectations of its target audience who are Discovery fans and this really isn't very Discovery....more
If there are any Trekkies out there who fancy a Stargate cross over, Gene DeWeese's Chain of Attack is a good starting point. The Enterprise are invesIf there are any Trekkies out there who fancy a Stargate cross over, Gene DeWeese's Chain of Attack is a good starting point. The Enterprise are investigateing what are basically stargates of unknown origin and predictability. They've been sending through probes with various reactions - some have come back exactly the same, some have manifested elsewhere and others have not come back at all. The Enterprise is forced through one of these gates and gets stranded with no way home. They investigate and find a basically annihilated galaxy with two hostile races both of whom are convinced the other is responsible for the destruction around them.
Kirk attempts to mediate peace but is hampered by a villainous visiting politition observer aboard the Enterprise who attempts mutiny and to discredit the 'family' he can never be a part of.
While the story isn't particularly original I thought this one was fairly exciting, well paced and would make a decent episode of TOS. Characters are all on point - the only niggle is Kirk being a bit too nice - but he's being distracted by hostile aliens in a strange galaxy with no way home, so we can cut him some slack - still letting Crandall back on the bridge after his previous mutiny.... waaaaaaaaay to lenient if you ask me. Spock gets to be both logical and heroic and Scotty & Bones have their moments.
As Trek novels go, I thought this one was pretty good, not quite in the favourites pile - it doesn't offer me anything new in terms of plot, character exploration, originality or expansion/exploration of the Trek universe and it maybe lacks humour but it is pacy and exciting and as a Star Trek adventure doesn't disappoint.
The one neat thing this does bring in is the for want of a better word, stargates. We don't learn who built them, why or where they all lead. Trek itelf of course uses this trope later on with wormholes - but here its kind of left hanging. I mean you could read this that they are in fact wormholes and someone like the Dominion or Borg have been destroying worlds - Or you could read them as actual stargates, or completely unrelated portals which gives plenty of scope for more exploration and stories in this particular sandbox....more
I've always been a big Garth Ennis fan, and I was really excited to see him do some hardcore sci-fi. However, I can't help feeling disappointed with DI've always been a big Garth Ennis fan, and I was really excited to see him do some hardcore sci-fi. However, I can't help feeling disappointed with Dan Dare. It's for want of a better word, dull. Gary Erskine's art isn't bad, its bright and some of the alien full page spreads are excellent, but the story isn't interesting and the characters are all too serious. Dan Dare to me screams pulp, you want larger than life, fun - This is more Starship Troopers (book not movie) than Flash Gordon and the strength of this volume hasn't made me eager to seek out the next instalment....more
I'm normally a big fan of J.M. Dillard Trek novels but I found this one very wishy-washy and unoriginal. Its an Invasion of the bodysnatchers/mind parI'm normally a big fan of J.M. Dillard Trek novels but I found this one very wishy-washy and unoriginal. Its an Invasion of the bodysnatchers/mind parasites plot, in which some Vulcan's un-earth these pods on an archaeological dig. The pods open and the mind parasites possess people. Sarek, Spock's father is taken over and most of Vulcan, and then the "infection" spreads to the Enterprise with various crew members taken over including Kirk and Scotty.
This type of alien possession plot is very common (Puppet Masters/Invasion of the Body Snatchers/ The Mind Parasites to name just 3 obvious ones) and I was frustrated because transposing it to the Enterprise and Vulcan didn't offer me anything new or indeed interesting.
The original 'new' character Anitra is very Mary-Sue with her practical jokes, rapport with Spock and flirtation with Bones. I actually disliked her. And having Bones as the centre of this story didn't do much for me either, I'd much have preferred a Kirk centred angle on this with more action.
It's nice to explore Vulcan a bit and Spock's family, but honestly, this one did very little for me. I found it very rushed in places - scenes intercut quickly, more like a screenplay than a novel and the resolution on how they finally overcome the 'demons' is a real damp squib.
Sorry but a big ball of meh from me on this one. The highlight is the lovely Boris Vallejo cover art....more
**spoiler alert** I've always been a bit put off reading the culture novels, even though I love Banks' non-genre novels and the sci-fi genre in genera**spoiler alert** I've always been a bit put off reading the culture novels, even though I love Banks' non-genre novels and the sci-fi genre in general because they are so often lumped in with William Gibson, whose novels I have never managed to finish. I've always been under the preconception that these are going to be tech-heavy 'serious' sci-fi - and my preference has always been space opera.
Still after yet another recommendation I decided to give Consider Phlebas a go and for the most part I was hugely impressed - It's really easy to read, and I didn't feel bogged down by the tech or concepts at all. It's full of really rich characters and reads like a good space opera. I also loved the literary references (the title coming from T.S Eliot's The Wasteland) and the philosophy and allegory there behind the scenes. There are some fabulous vignettes in this - I loved Horza's encounter with The Eaters - for some reason Marlon Brando in the 1996 The Island of Dr. Moreau popped into my head - Its just such a great visual and blackly comic sequence. I also really liked the Damage game sequence and this idea of these insane people playing their games in the most dangerous and extreme places possible.
What I think let this down for me was the ending - Published in 1987 this is early in Banks' career in what i call his nihilistic period - The Wasp Factory and Walking on Glass are dark and nihilistic indeed and some of that bleakness filters into this - But here I don't know, after following and struggling with these characters for some 450 pages, I really grew to like them and so their eventual fate is a real kick in the teeth, and it left me feeling that there really is no point - a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
I hear that it's a lot richer when read in the context of the other culture novels which I shall certainly check out, once I've recovered from the trauma of this one. Because other than the bleak ending this was great - amazing world building, pacy writing, rich characters and fascinating ideas....more
TNG along with Voyager are the only two Star Trek incarnations that never had a Mirror Universe episode. Its one of the biggest missed opportunities oTNG along with Voyager are the only two Star Trek incarnations that never had a Mirror Universe episode. Its one of the biggest missed opportunities of TNG, and something I've always longed to see. So I was absolutely thrilled to find Dark Mirror, and penned by one of the best Trek authors at that, Diane Duane.
It doesn't disappoint either. The Enterprise gets sucked into the Mirror Universe at the hands of the evil alternate crew - who having few worlds left to conquer have decided to venture into parallel universes. They plan to kill their real world counterparts, then return into our space, masquerading as as them, then subtly begin galactic domination this side of the mirror.... Geordi, Troi and Picard infiltrate the Mirror Enterprise and have to foil their plans.
This is an exceptionally focused novel with a very meaty story - If this was televised it would have almost certainly been a two parter. Unlike most Trek novels, there are no sub-plots or multiple strands/character focus - we sometimes jump over to Riker on the Enterprise proper but for the most part this is very linear as we follow the main action of our Away Team trying to survive their evil counterparts. I particularly loved the Sadistic evil Troi who is nasty indeed. And the fact that Picard wishes The Borg on this lot tells you just how evil they are.....
Episode wise the main reference point is TOS: Mirror Mirror, which it helps to have seen before reading this. It's also got some nice literary references from Xenophon to Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice - Anyone who dismisses Trek fiction for being 'fluff' needs to read this one, its well written, intelligent, giving both fan service and an excellent story.
Characterisation is good but I also like the new alien Hwiii - basically a dolphin. Visually that's really nice, to have a non-humanoid alien scientist aboard, if gives this some added colour.
Needless to say I adored this one. It's one of the best Trek novels I've read in ages. TNG Mirror Universe was something we really needed to see, so there was a real point to this having been written, and I thought Diane Duane did an excellent job with it. Wesley trying to assassinate Picard, Troi torturing Geordi, Picard psychologically abusing Beverley... Its a brilliant rendition of What if.......more
David Bischoff is a very familiar name in genre fiction having penned all the Space Precinct novels as well as contributing to Alien, AVP, The Crow, FDavid Bischoff is a very familiar name in genre fiction having penned all the Space Precinct novels as well as contributing to Alien, AVP, The Crow, Farscape, Seaquest DSV and the novelizations of The Blob, Gremlins II, Hackers and Some Kind of Wonderful - While I've never found his writing particularly great, his stories are usually good, very much in keeping with their shows and he usually gets the characters spot on, so I thought I'd check out his entry in the Star Trek TNG universe.
Indeed, it's not bad and reads like it could easily be an episode of the show. The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a geology study team headed by an old ex-girlfriend of Picard's. The Away Team find the whole science team dead except for Dr. Adrienne Tillstrom who is unconscious in a coma and her son Mikal, also unconscious. They bring the two survivors back to the Enterprise, but also traipse in quite a bit of mud. This 'mud' is in fact a silicate life-form which attaches itself to the hull of the Enterprise and proceeds to grow. It likes its new home and is very very hostile to organic beings. The problem gets so bad that Star Fleet order the Enterprise destroyed and Picard and his crew are against the clock to either communicate with or destroy this new entity threatening their ship.
There's a secondary plot strand revolving around Troi & Data's attempts to help the daughter of two Enterprise crew members, Penelope an autistic teenager with a huge crush on Mikal.
I thought the characterization in this was great and it focuses on a wide range of the Enterprise crew: Picard, Geordi, Crusher, Troi, Data, even Riker & Worf get some nice moments. There's one point in the novel where Star Fleet demand the final destruction of the Enterprise and we get a chapter dedicated to the personal logs of each of the characters in turn, giving us their thoughts on the matter - their reactions are a perfect reflection of their characters.
The story is solid and a good vehicle for the characters. I really liked the sequence where Geordi and his team go out onto the hull and get attacked, seemingly by the hull itself! Nicely visual - would have looked excellent on screen.
Over all this one is just like watching a standard episode of TNG - It's not amazing - other than giving Picard a love interest, it doesn't really develop the characters beyond the limitations of the show and the story, while good isn't Trek at its most groundbreaking. However it is a fairly decent spin off novel and for those who are tired of watching TNG re-runs for the umpteenth time and want more this one is a perfectly adequate addition....more
Being a Trekkie and a fan of Hamilton's Anita Blake series, I was delighted to find out she'd penned a Star Trek novel, but was curious to see how sucBeing a Trekkie and a fan of Hamilton's Anita Blake series, I was delighted to find out she'd penned a Star Trek novel, but was curious to see how such a well known author would find writing with someone else's characters. I have to say on the whole she's done a pretty good job.
Picard, Worf and Troi beam down to a planet to aid peace negotiations between two factions engaged in a centuries old civil war. One of the leaders is murdered and Picard is accused of the murder, leaving Worf to act as peace ambassador and solve the murder in just 3 days.
The secondary plot has Geordi and Dr. Crusher come to the aid of a completely alien species with a living ship.
Characterization on this is great, Worf, Troi and Geordi are all on form and I like the fact that the story challenges these characters and takes them out of their comfort zone - Warrior Worf is forced to be diplomatic and Tech happy Geordi has to face an organic system he can't diagnose, let alone fix.
I've never been a fan of the Worf/Troi romantic pairing (Imzadi: Triangle - yuck!) - I've always found it weird and implausible. Here, while there isn't any blatant romance you do see the seeds of how it could... possibly work. Worf's respect for Troi, even though she isn't a warrior is clear and the pair are close friends and compliment each other quite well in this particular situation.
The story isn't bad either, I liked the pollution/atomic fall out deforming the children - there are some nicely freaky scenes and I love the look of the Milgians and their bio-ship. It's got a good pace; both stories having a time limit - Picard's imminent execution and the alien ship exploding, make this quite a page turner. The wrapping up of the whodunit is really disappointing though, its totally obvious and very unoriginal - in fact the whole ending feels very rushed - it works, wraps up the story and makes sense, but that's about it.
Over all I thought this wasn't bad as Trek fiction goes, it has a decent story and good characterization, but it weirdly doesn't feel very Laurell K Hamilton. It's not funny or sexy or any of the things I associate with LKH novels, but it is fairly Trek, so I guess that's a good thing, I just think I would have preferred something a bit less safe and more edgy....more
**spoiler alert** I've missed #8 Clone and #0 Anima which are now frustratingly hard to find in English. However I still think that 'come from the win**spoiler alert** I've missed #8 Clone and #0 Anima which are now frustratingly hard to find in English. However I still think that 'come from the wind' is rather confusing in terms of Druuna story arc and hands up I confess that I really wasn't sure what the hell is going on in this one.
So an amnesiac incarnation (clone?) of Druuna appears in 16th century? America. She befriends an Indian who is killed by what look like Conquistadors. Druuna escapes by mustang and a spider mutant erupts from the chest of the dead Indian. The rest of this is a bit of a quagmire - A different incarnation of Druuna is with a ghostly remnant of Schastar watching the other Druuna on the plains she jumps into a portal and the two Druunas come face to face uniting 'body' and 'memory'. Robot Gizmo also comes into this world as Druuna's comedy companion. She goes to a village, encounters a male Indian (a version of Will?) who wants her and one of his jealous wives (a version of Terry) who throws her the severed head of his last mistress. We run into the conquistadors again but she escapes into a mutant building where she meets the professor and a 3rd version of herself he calls 'soul' - we learn that there were two doctors - one infected, And it seems that most of the clones in this universe are hosts for these mutant tentacle aliens. Druuna leaves in search of uninfected humans.
This also features a bonus section of sketches and inks, showing earlier drafts.
So what can I say about this one? Far less sex and kink than all the other Druuna graphics - there's one scene of whipping, but on the whole its very tame compared to the stories where she keeps joining random orgies.
Serpieri began his career drawing westerns and gets to use that here - with the Americans Indians, horses and New World setting. This does make a nice change of pace and its great to see Druuna riding proud and free. I like the obvious New World metaphor: Being both the new world setting and a new world/beginning for Druuna.
I also love the alien/mutant parasite idea - It's a bit puppet masters meets alien.
The whole clones and dimensions aspect, though confused the hell out of me. While I far prefer the sci-fi settings, this latest Druuna isn't bad. Art as ever is beautiful and this manages to rehash what's gone before (repeated characters, themes and scenarios) and yet bring something fresh to the table with the new world stuff. ...more
This 7th Druuna adventure is easily my favourite - There's less gratuitous sex and more horror. The art is phenomenal in this one as well. Druuna has This 7th Druuna adventure is easily my favourite - There's less gratuitous sex and more horror. The art is phenomenal in this one as well. Druuna has never looked sexier, but it's actually the monsters, and the eerie bio-mechanical post apocalyptic landscapes that make this stand out.
Druuna has lost her memory, she doesn't even know who she is. She wanders through this nightmare scape of mutant insects and freaky hybrids looking for answers. There's such a fusion of influences, which if you're a SF junkie like me just puts a huge smile on your face: Alien, Dune, Ghost in the Shell, there are these freaky hooded guys with glowing eyes reminding me of Jawas (Star Wars) and the cyborg will is very reminiscent of the Cybermen from Dr. Who. Story doesn't really make much sense, but honestly I didn't care, the artwork is just that good and Druuna's world so fascinating that you get drawn in regardless. It's like reading an erotic and super freaky dream....more
**spoiler alert** This follows directly on from Mandragore. Captain Will enters the computer dreamscape to look for Druuna and try and find the secret**spoiler alert** This follows directly on from Mandragore. Captain Will enters the computer dreamscape to look for Druuna and try and find the secret of the serum. He encounters weird mutated anti-bodies, erotic statues and finally meets Shastar before being forced to return. We soon learn however that he has left a residual trace of himself in the dream dimension for Druuna to encounter later on.
Naked Druuna is busy having sex on the beach with a young stud provided for her pleasure. An older voyeur writes the word Aphrodite in the sand which seems to have great significance as its the same word Will and Doc are trying to decipher back on the ship.
Her lovers disappear and the landscape shifts to a rocky cliff where Druuna encounters... herself! (crop top- stockings Druuna) I think she's a residual clone like the one of Will we meet later - We know she's not the real Druuna as she has a mutating arm. Clone Druuna vanishes and enters Druuna's physical body back on the ship. Nude Druuna in the dreamworld runs into Paula, tells her she's just an echo from Lewis' memory. Then they both join a random orgy.
Druuna wakes up - got confused here is this clone Druuna in Druuna's body? It seems we've jumped into the future - she's on an escape pod. the mutation virus took over the ship and most of the crew are dead. Shastar turns up claiming for the last time and tells her the auto destruct sequence on the ship has been activated - It explodes and kills clone Druuna??? and Lewis? One Druuna escapes through a tunnel of light. Back on the pod she says her goodbyes to Shastar who turns into a constellation of lovers (with Druuna) and the Druuna left on the ship falls asleep saying she'll worry about everything tomorrow.
Ummmm. The plot on this one is really confusing. By the end I was lost in trying to work out which Druuna survived. In the end does it even matter? As ever the reason to read this is not for the story, but for Serpieri's fabulous artwork. Druuna is perfection in female form and the weird shifting nightmare landscape is suitably freaky....more
**spoiler alert** The mutation virus has manifest on the rescue ship, infecting one of the Prolats. Doc and Captain Will know from Druuna that there w**spoiler alert** The mutation virus has manifest on the rescue ship, infecting one of the Prolats. Doc and Captain Will know from Druuna that there was a serum which retarded the mutation. They question her and although she doesn't know, she realises Lewis (God) probably did. The energy hybrid of Lewis/Shastar is currently infecting the ship's computer. While they can't communicate, Druuna has proved that she is susceptible to it's telepathy. Doc hooks her up to the computer where she enters Lewis' mind and is sent on a quest to find the secret of the serum. She has to explore and seduce her way through a parade of sadists and mutants in usual Druuna style.
This dream/mental landscape allows us to revisit Druuna's home environment of 'The City' though being a dreamscape and in a computer, it gives rise to a nice fusion of organic and cyber tech and of course a mix of what's gone before with new and weird elements.
The art is stunning as ever, however Druuna isn't at her best here. For some bizarre reason she gets stockings and a teeny white crop-top which didn't do much for me. The stockings in particular just seem out of place. Otherwise though this one's not bad, I like the story which fuses sex and death beautifully. The irony that the serum which will cure them is derived from the mandragore (mandrake root) fed on semen (the suppliers of which are killed) ...more
**spoiler alert** I have to say that I really struggled with the plot of this one. It reminded me a bit (in essence more than style) of Aeon Flux with**spoiler alert** I have to say that I really struggled with the plot of this one. It reminded me a bit (in essence more than style) of Aeon Flux with its mix of philosophy, dystopian future setting, weird dreamy time jumping and sexy brunette heroine.
An external spaceship encounter an asteroid that is of course 'the city' (a far distant, totally mutated future version) where Druuna has been kept alive by God (Lewis) who has joined forces with her dead boyfriend Shastar (whom Druuna shot and killed last volume) . My head hurts already!
The captain of the ship manipulated by Lewis' telepathic powers has visions of divinity and a compulsion to visit the asteroid and rescue Druuna, whom he falls for. We get some wonderful Escher images and weird bio-tech fusion as the city/ship morphs and time seems to morph as well - we get deserted landscapes and suddenly an almost western like desert town where the sadistic inhabitants capture and rape Druuna trying to breed her, (but being Druuna after a few token protests she's perfectly content to be gang-banged and is begging for more). She escapes their clutches only to be raped? seduced? by Lewis/Shastar hybrid (i think) who fluctuates between being a mutant tentacle blob and then a hunky fantasy lover. Druuna finally gets rescued by the captain and escapes the city but fears she might be pregnant, but with what?
The biggest reason to check this out is Serpieri's stunning artwork. Druuna is feminine physical perfection (and if you are a fan of the female bottom, Druuna's is lovingly displayed on almost every page). I also have to mention the amazing tentacle/eyeball bio-horror and post-apocalyptic wasteland setting which really is amazing.
However the non-temporal plot and quasi religious and philosophy babble make this a real struggle to understand. It's very much like an erotic horror nightmare where nothing makes much sense. I'm also still not totally comfortable with the glorification of rape and Druuna's uninhibited sexuality - She's very much a male fantasy without much substance other than her physical attributes.
Still the artwork truly is beautiful and I love this bizarre and freaky universe, which make this series a true guilty pleasure. ...more
This instalment opens with a fantasy seduction scene with Druuna on a beach with a hunky lover Lewis who we soon learn is the head (god) in the previoThis instalment opens with a fantasy seduction scene with Druuna on a beach with a hunky lover Lewis who we soon learn is the head (god) in the previous volume, telepathically projecting a dream. He sends Druuna on a quest to destroy Delta. his rival, by destroying his tower power base. Druuna winds her way through an ever morphing landscape, encountering lots of sadistic rapists and mutants who want to have sex with her and then kill her before finally reaching her goal. But she begins to question who is the real villain - Delta... or Lewis?
I found this one a bit more misogynistic than the previous volume and felt rather uncomfortable at the glorification of rape and Druuna's attitude. Saying that the artwork is stunning - Drunna really is perfection in female form and the post-apocalyptic landscape of tentacles, wires, mutants and robots is terrifically realised....more
**spoiler alert** Imagine if the Matrix and Hardware were a porn movie and you get an inkling of Morbus Gravis - The unforgettable Druuna is an uninhi**spoiler alert** Imagine if the Matrix and Hardware were a porn movie and you get an inkling of Morbus Gravis - The unforgettable Druuna is an uninhibited beauty surviving in a post-apocalyptic city by using her voluptuous body and feminine charm to get what she needs. In this volume that's drugs which help her mutating boyfriend Shastar from turning into a tentacle monster. Shastar while lucid urges her to discover the truth about the city and it's ruling priests -
She goes on a quest and we get a matrix like finale where we discover just how small "the city" really is - it's a space-ship where humans are used as batteries and the priests are insane robots....
The biggest selling point is of course Serpieri's stunningly beautiful art. Druuna is perfection in female form, however the rest of the artwork is great as well and makes this bizarre post apocalyptic world peopled with mutants and diseased crazies really come alive.
A lot of this kind of work is eroticism for the sake of titillation and no story to back it up, but I have to say, being a massive SF fan, I really did like the story and universe here. Sure Druuna gets naked at every opportunity and is often imperiled involving mutant tentacles but there is a plot and some nice quasi- religious themes so prevalent in European graphics - she basically meets god and gets enlightened.
Fans of Gwendoline, Barbarella, Galaxina, Stella Star, Vampirella and the films of Lloyd A. Simandl will fall in love with Druuna - She's a sexy innocent in a world of monsters, weird cults and freaky technology. The perfect poster child for Heavy Metal....more
This is the prequel to the Metabarons epic saga - leading to the marriage of Otto Von Salza (where the Metabarons starts) - We learn the secret of theThis is the prequel to the Metabarons epic saga - leading to the marriage of Otto Von Salza (where the Metabarons starts) - We learn the secret of the Castaka clan, how they get the bird spirit and discover Epyphite. So this one takes us back even further, giving 3 more generations in the metabaron lineage - It is an epic tale of war, rape, patricide, space piracy set against a backdrop of a bigger conflict (Technopriests vs the technologically backward, warring clans)
Another great installment, widening the scope of Jodorowsky's epic (a saga to rival that of Dune and Game of Thrones). This gives us more generations and backstory, but it is very much 'more of the same' - Not necessarily a bad thing, I love the metabarons! But it doesn't give me anything 'new' or original. It also lacks the satire and humour that peppers much of the Jodoverse. Still good and a nice addition to the metabaron mythos but not amazing. Das Pastoras artwork is the same, its solid, fits the story (and thank heaven we are spared Janjetov's eyebrows!) but nothing here made me breathless as some of the other artwork in the Jodoverse....more
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