**spoiler alert** This is an interesting read. A direct sequel to V: the Mini-Series, this story picks up 20 years after the events of the first book....more**spoiler alert** This is an interesting read. A direct sequel to V: the Mini-Series, this story picks up 20 years after the events of the first book. A lot has changed on Earth under the Visitors control, and the planet's only hope is an alien race that is the enemy of the Visitors.
The book itself is a bit tough to get into at first, especially if all you know is the two NBC mini-series and subsequent TV show. But, once some of the original faces start to show up, you start to get your grounding. It is interesting to see how Johnson builds his world under Visitor control, from persecuted classes (scientists, half-breeds), forced cooperation, and people living in fear of being accused of working for the resistance and "disappearing."
The thing I had the biggest problem with was the ending. While engaging, it felt like Johnson wrote himself into a corner and contrived an ending that would not result in the total destruction of the Earth. Furthermore, it seems he wraps up just enough loose ends to conclude the book, while leaving a number of really big ones open for future tales. It did not feel like a real conclusion, but a season finale for a series that is most likely not going to return in the fall.(less)
If you're looking for a "survival guide" for Hollywood alien invasions, this isn't the book for you. Similar in tone to Max Brooks Zombie Survival Gui...moreIf you're looking for a "survival guide" for Hollywood alien invasions, this isn't the book for you. Similar in tone to Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide, this books looks at developing the skills to deal with the alien menace of the grey type. It can sometimes feel a bit dry, but the author does include "released documents" on past alien encounters.(less)
I have to admit that I was a fan of the NBC mini-series that this book is based on, though I have no idea why it took me the better part of 20 years t...moreI have to admit that I was a fan of the NBC mini-series that this book is based on, though I have no idea why it took me the better part of 20 years to finally get around to reading the novelization. Regardless, I was impressed with this book, which goes into much greater depth the effect the Visitors have on our world. The book goes into greater detail drawing connections between what happens once the Visitors have arrived to what happened to Pre-WW2 Germany, even beyond the words of one of the characters, himself a survivor of the Holocaust.
The only downside to the book is that because it was based on a television mini-series, many of the characters do not have a chance to manifest themselves in their own way, at least for me. I still kept seeing main characters Mike Donovan and Juliet Parrish as Marc Singer and Faye Grant. Even the Visitor William, who gets a bit more of a back story in this novelization, still looks like Robert Englund whenever I read his parts.(less)
While the idea of what Sherlock Holmes was doing during Wells' War of the Worlds is intriguing, the follow through is a bit of a miss. Even with the i...moreWhile the idea of what Sherlock Holmes was doing during Wells' War of the Worlds is intriguing, the follow through is a bit of a miss. Even with the inclusion of Professor Challenger (from Doyle's The Lost World), the story seems more of a miss than a hit. It's tough to get a good feel for either character throughout the book. Final verdict, read it if you are curious, but you would probably be better off with one of the other books in this series.(less)
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