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When an attack force of techno-thugs under the command of the evil genius, the Black Dragon, seizes control of a top-secret time-warp trigger, Frank and Joe Hardy team up with Tom Swift to halt the destruction.
215 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1992
About the author
Franklin W. Dixon
941 books1,016 followersFranklin W. Dixon is the pen name used by a variety of different authors who were part of a team that wrote The Hardy Boys novels for the Stratemeyer Syndicate (now owned by Simon & Schuster). Dixon was also the writer attributed for the Ted Scott Flying Stories series, published by Grosset & Dunlap.
Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s.
The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.
Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s.
The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 18, 2024
No... I'm NOT going to pretend this book is good. However, this book has several things that after spending literal DECADES tracking down a physical copy made me excited to read it.
One, I am an unashamed fan of most Stratemeyer Syndicate kid lit series. The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and to a lesser extent, Tom Swift. Which is odd that to me he's the less appreciated one since I'm usually more of a sci-fi guy than a mystery guy.
Two, I have a love of crossovers that should not conceivably work but the author or authors bend over backwards to come up with ways to have it make sense. Archie meets the Punisher? Yes please. The Flintstones meet Booster Gold? Uh huh. Star Trek and Transformers? You better believe I'm there. So the idea of The Hardy Boys meeting Tom Swift seemed right up my ally.
I read their later team up earlier. But this one had two other things that got me excited.
1. Time travel. I joke that if you let any sci=fi or fantasy series run long enough, they'll eventually do a time travel story. With Tom Swift on his own, this would same like a normal Tuesday. But once you add in The Hardy Boys... it just crosses the line from normal sci-fi into the out and out absurd.
2. Robots fighting dinosaurs. No matter how many times I see this in books, movies, or comics, it never, ever gets old. Sure it only happens in one chapter but.... it's still there.
Now for the bad thing...
The book takes its time (about 1/3 of the book) getting our heroes together. Most of the interactions are sorta by the numbers. Though I did like the 'fans are going to expect a misunderstanding so let's have them fight' bit because I am and always have been a comic book fan. Joe and Sandra getting on like a house on fire was sorta where I predicted it would go. After all, dark and gritty for kids 90s Hardy Boys had killed off Iola. They had Joe flirt with almost every girl he meets and the closest thing he had to a real relationship (beyond the occasional one adventure love interest) was Nancy Drew's sidekick Bess Marvin.
But after awhile it commits the sin of crossovers. It has the characters tackle two halves of the problem and feels more like a Hardy Boys book AND a Tom Swift book instead of what it should be, which is A Hardy Boys and Tom Swift book. If that makes sense...
Oh and I knocked off a star because of line where due to lazy editing Tom Swift Snr. turns into Fenton Hardy for a single sentence.
One, I am an unashamed fan of most Stratemeyer Syndicate kid lit series. The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and to a lesser extent, Tom Swift. Which is odd that to me he's the less appreciated one since I'm usually more of a sci-fi guy than a mystery guy.
Two, I have a love of crossovers that should not conceivably work but the author or authors bend over backwards to come up with ways to have it make sense. Archie meets the Punisher? Yes please. The Flintstones meet Booster Gold? Uh huh. Star Trek and Transformers? You better believe I'm there. So the idea of The Hardy Boys meeting Tom Swift seemed right up my ally.
I read their later team up earlier. But this one had two other things that got me excited.
1. Time travel. I joke that if you let any sci=fi or fantasy series run long enough, they'll eventually do a time travel story. With Tom Swift on his own, this would same like a normal Tuesday. But once you add in The Hardy Boys... it just crosses the line from normal sci-fi into the out and out absurd.
2. Robots fighting dinosaurs. No matter how many times I see this in books, movies, or comics, it never, ever gets old. Sure it only happens in one chapter but.... it's still there.
Now for the bad thing...
The book takes its time (about 1/3 of the book) getting our heroes together. Most of the interactions are sorta by the numbers. Though I did like the 'fans are going to expect a misunderstanding so let's have them fight' bit because I am and always have been a comic book fan. Joe and Sandra getting on like a house on fire was sorta where I predicted it would go. After all, dark and gritty for kids 90s Hardy Boys had killed off Iola. They had Joe flirt with almost every girl he meets and the closest thing he had to a real relationship (beyond the occasional one adventure love interest) was Nancy Drew's sidekick Bess Marvin.
But after awhile it commits the sin of crossovers. It has the characters tackle two halves of the problem and feels more like a Hardy Boys book AND a Tom Swift book instead of what it should be, which is A Hardy Boys and Tom Swift book. If that makes sense...
Oh and I knocked off a star because of line where due to lazy editing Tom Swift Snr. turns into Fenton Hardy for a single sentence.
November 26, 2018
Tom Swift invents a time machine, based on the notes of Professor Reisenbach. The villain known as "The Black Dragon" steals the time machine and intends to use it to conquer the world. He hires the Hardys to investigate Reisenbach. It turns out Reisenbach is still alive. He used a time machine to send himself into the future a few decades.
The Hardys and Tom only spend a little time together, before splitting up into separate storylines. Tom goes back to the age of the dinosaurs to get iridium. This was rather boring. The Hardys go back to 1932 to rescue their father, which was more interesting. Still, the fact that the Hardys and Tom don't interact at all for the majority of the book makes for a bad crossover.
I found this book to be entertaining, but full of problems, hence the lower score. The Black Dragon's plan to conquer the world makes no sense. He has a time machine! Why does time travel not feature into his plans? The book feels like a waste of time travel. They could have gone to so many interesting places and times, but they don't.
I liked this book. My favorite parts were the 1930's time travel and the "Sandra has a crush on Joe" subplot. But the plot has major problems. You kind of have to turn off your brain and enjoy it as a mindless action book.
The Hardys and Tom only spend a little time together, before splitting up into separate storylines. Tom goes back to the age of the dinosaurs to get iridium. This was rather boring. The Hardys go back to 1932 to rescue their father, which was more interesting. Still, the fact that the Hardys and Tom don't interact at all for the majority of the book makes for a bad crossover.
I found this book to be entertaining, but full of problems, hence the lower score. The Black Dragon's plan to conquer the world makes no sense. He has a time machine! Why does time travel not feature into his plans? The book feels like a waste of time travel. They could have gone to so many interesting places and times, but they don't.
I liked this book. My favorite parts were the 1930's time travel and the "Sandra has a crush on Joe" subplot. But the plot has major problems. You kind of have to turn off your brain and enjoy it as a mindless action book.
August 29, 2011
I actually thought this crossover was written very well. I read through all of the Hardy Boys books, and a through most of the case files, when I was a kid/teenager and I liked them almost as much as I liked Tom Swift.
This book is written under the Hardy Boys "Frankin W. Dixon" psydonymn, who I imagine is as real as the Victor Appleton that "wrote" the Tom Swift books, but it is interesting that both of the Hardy Boys/ Tom Swift crossovers were written under the auspices of the Hardy Boys franchise. Either way, whoever the real author was, he did a good job. There was a bit of rehashing of Tom Swift's background, I suppose to clue in those readers who had only read the Hardy Boys, and wasn't as much of the Hardy Boys for the Tom Swift only readers, but there was enough to not make it seem like there was any missing information.
As far as the actual story, it dealt with time travel, and the paradoxes involved, with the added menace of real consequences of trying to occupy the same time as a former self. The story brought back several Tom Swift inventions, most notably the TANC from book #5 (Monster Machine). The book was a little bit more violent and rough, as befits a Hardy Boys novel, but was edgier than any previous Tom Swift book.
Tom goes back in time to the prehistoric on a mission that is ultimately nullified by events in the present, but it gives him the most to do, actually, in the story as he is faced with a self-sacrificial choice. The Hardy Boys, not surprisingly, drive most of the action. They are they first to actually start doing anything, they go back to past to rescue their stranded father when those at Swift Enterprises seem slow to act, and they are the first to really confront the book's villain, Tom Swift's nemesis the Black Dragon.
I like having the Black Dragon be the villain here as he sort of played the stupid, cliche 70s Bond villain when he was last seen in #6 (AquaTech Warriors). Here he actually seemed to have a good plan, execution, and something to do. He covered his bases and actually had the upper hand on Swift and the Hardy Boys. He was only defeated by not having an endgame to ensure that his present stayed intact.
All in all, a well rounded, well-written book that handled both franchcises well without really compromising either. It was enjoyable, and really had no cringe/groan worth moments as more than a few of the Swift books have.
This book is written under the Hardy Boys "Frankin W. Dixon" psydonymn, who I imagine is as real as the Victor Appleton that "wrote" the Tom Swift books, but it is interesting that both of the Hardy Boys/ Tom Swift crossovers were written under the auspices of the Hardy Boys franchise. Either way, whoever the real author was, he did a good job. There was a bit of rehashing of Tom Swift's background, I suppose to clue in those readers who had only read the Hardy Boys, and wasn't as much of the Hardy Boys for the Tom Swift only readers, but there was enough to not make it seem like there was any missing information.
As far as the actual story, it dealt with time travel, and the paradoxes involved, with the added menace of real consequences of trying to occupy the same time as a former self. The story brought back several Tom Swift inventions, most notably the TANC from book #5 (Monster Machine). The book was a little bit more violent and rough, as befits a Hardy Boys novel, but was edgier than any previous Tom Swift book.
Tom goes back in time to the prehistoric on a mission that is ultimately nullified by events in the present, but it gives him the most to do, actually, in the story as he is faced with a self-sacrificial choice. The Hardy Boys, not surprisingly, drive most of the action. They are they first to actually start doing anything, they go back to past to rescue their stranded father when those at Swift Enterprises seem slow to act, and they are the first to really confront the book's villain, Tom Swift's nemesis the Black Dragon.
I like having the Black Dragon be the villain here as he sort of played the stupid, cliche 70s Bond villain when he was last seen in #6 (AquaTech Warriors). Here he actually seemed to have a good plan, execution, and something to do. He covered his bases and actually had the upper hand on Swift and the Hardy Boys. He was only defeated by not having an endgame to ensure that his present stayed intact.
All in all, a well rounded, well-written book that handled both franchcises well without really compromising either. It was enjoyable, and really had no cringe/groan worth moments as more than a few of the Swift books have.
July 28, 2009
Forget the Hardy Boys. Tom Swift rocks. If he were real, I'd marry him in a heartbeat.
If anyone finds a Tom Swift book on sale, do buy it for me (I have #13, I think). Sang once found someone selling all 13 books in the series on eBay Phils back when I was an online shopper virgin. To my everlasting regret, I never contacted the seller.
If anyone finds a Tom Swift book on sale, do buy it for me (I have #13, I think). Sang once found someone selling all 13 books in the series on eBay Phils back when I was an online shopper virgin. To my everlasting regret, I never contacted the seller.
January 22, 2009
I loved this in 5th grade. But I don't know if I could still say I'd love it now.
June 20, 2013
Badass nostalgia.
June 12, 2016
An excellent throwback to my childhood of reading Hardy Boys on tape and Tom Swift on the Braille 'n Speak.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews