The Man From U..N.C.L.E. #10 the Invisibility Affair

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. #10

by J. Hunter Holly

This is the 1967 Ace Paperbacks version.

Genres: Fiction, Adventure, Espionage, Media Tie In, Action, Tv

158 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Joan Carol Holly was a science fiction author who wrote under the pseudonym J. Hunter Holly in the late 1950s until the mid-1970s. Joan Holly also contributed stories for Roger Elwood's series of books and sci-fi magazines, under both her real name(Joan C. Holly) and her pseudonym (Joan Hunter Holly).

Joan died of lung cancer in 1982.

Reviews

[A.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good Uncle novel, lots of twists and turns, diabolical villains aplenty. It's nice to see Napoleon's vulnerable side and the bond between him and Illya coming through clear and strong.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is perhaps ironic that the most brutal, the most violent and the most nightmarish outing in this U.N.C.L.E. series so far was written by a woman; namely, the science fiction author J. Hunter Holly, nee Joan Carol Holly. This was Holly's only contribution to the series, although I believe she does have an unpublished manuscript for something called "The Wolves and the Lambs Affair" that may be found online. Her novel here cleaves into two discrete sections. In the first, a maniacal Thrush botanist with the unlikely Biblical handle Abel Cain Adams tries to make a, uh, name for himself by declaring war on U.N.C.L.E.'s top enforcement agents. Thus, no fewer than three assassination attempts are made on Napoleon Solo, following which he is captured and forced to undergo a gruesome torture. In the book's second half, Solo and Illya Kuryakin wind up in rural Michigan (Holly had been born in Lansing, Michigan), searching for the lab that has been manufacturing Thrush's latest deadly chemical; one that will wither all plants and produce. (It should be noted that the small town of Riverview in the novel is probably not meant to be the Riverview that sits near Detroit in real life.)

Highlights of this memorable affair are the three assassination attempts made on Solo, two on the mean streets of NYC and one in his apartment; the plight of Illya being trapped in a tethered hot-air balloon 50 feet up in the air while Thrush goons await him below; and the final showdown in that Thrush lab. And then there are the two showstopper sequences that have apparently been giving many fans nightmares for years now. In the first, a blindfolded and trussed Solo is forced to navigate his way through a room with tumbled furniture sporting knives, hatchets, ice picks and other killing instruments. In the second, Kuryakin is made into a human scarecrow after receiving a vicious pummeling, and hung up in an empty field under the 98-degree July sun. As inferred up top, it is a very tough outing for our two favorite agents, with Solo cut up and psychologically damaged in the first section, and then getting some of that new Thrush chemical painfully thrown onto his torso in the second. And as for Illya, the poor dude not only gets shot in the arm in part 1, but is on the receiving end of that brutal treatment in part 2. No fewer than a quartet of lovelies is featured in this novel: Solo's pretty blonde neighbor Lainy Michaels; U.N.C.L.E. file clerk Mada Adams, the niece of madman Adams; the voluptuous Michigan farmgirl Gloryanna Piper; and Thrush agent Galaxy Talbot. As for the bad guys, this novel dishes out a rogues' gallery, including Adams' henchmen Louie, Robard and (the 6'6" monstrosity) Julius, and, in the second section, the Thrush baddies Dr. Saturn, Barber, and the head of this particular botanical operation, Dundee. Holly, it must be said, writes simply but compellingly, with a highly readable style that does not depend on the tech talk and gadget mentions of the previous novels; don't look for makes of guns and cars here. This book, apparently, is deemed one of the best of the series that was not written by David McDaniel, and for good reason: It is at once fast moving, grim and very memorable. Still, some minor problems do crop up.

Holly employs the word "careen" a few times too often, and uses the word "tirade" incorrectly at one point. The characters of Lainy and Mada disappear completely after the first section, never to be mentioned again, and the fate of the minor villain Barber is left up in the air as well. Still, these are relatively minor matters in an U.N.C.L.E. novel so very terrific. This reader looks forward now to reading more of Holly's work, especially her 1962 novel "The Flying Eyes," with its famous cover in the Ace edition. Wish me luck as I endeavor to track a copy down....

(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at https://fantasyliterature.com/ ....)

[Bill Donhiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Napoleon and Illya take on the bad guys. Mad scientists, THRUSH and a fiendish plot to take over the world.Nothing new but a fun nostalgic read

[Kent Archie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite, but it was ok

[Jest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Napoleon gets locked in a dark room with a lot of sharp pointy knives attached to the walls and furniture. Oh noes!

[Carol]

standard television novel

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent book adaptation of the TV series. Great spy adventure book. This is how the CIA and FBI should operate. Recommended

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love these collectibles