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Man from Atlantis #2
Death Scouts
Vintage TV tie-in paperback
190 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 4, 2021
Novelization of the 2nd Man From Atlantis pilot movie: Death Scouts.
Two aliens (who may or may not be from Atlantis) take over the bodies of two divers and come to land. Mark is fascinated because he believes they are like him and will give him the answers he seeks. Elizabeth is sceptical and believes they are lying to him; he does not fear fire or children the way they do, act aggressively, or have the power to electrically shock people....
I particularly like this story for all the questions it raises about Mark's origins; is he an alien? Is his body in fact his own, or that of a victim? Were the aliens from his planet or did they in fact destroy his race? Frustratingly this gives no answers, but gives rise to much speculation. I like the subtle romance as well, as Mark becomes attracted to Lioa the female alien and so desperately wants to believe her. Its also nice because Schubert is completely absent. While I like the comedy villain, this one is a bit more serious and interesting.
Woodley's writing isn't bad, and the pace is fast and exciting. For the most part it follows the TV movie exactly. I would have loved more description on the interior of the alien ship, which comes across far more strongly in the episode than the novel, but on the whole this isn't bad. There are a couple of nice additional moments with some minor characters: Bobby-K and his tinkering with the radio so they can communicate Mark underwater. And in the scene were Joe Foley puts the kelp on Marks back we are treated to a tiny bit of back story about his mother being a masseur and his father a drummer. These tinny little snippets are rather fun additions.
Overall fans of the show won't be disappointed with this, its a decent enough novelization of the episode and a fun read.
Two aliens (who may or may not be from Atlantis) take over the bodies of two divers and come to land. Mark is fascinated because he believes they are like him and will give him the answers he seeks. Elizabeth is sceptical and believes they are lying to him; he does not fear fire or children the way they do, act aggressively, or have the power to electrically shock people....
I particularly like this story for all the questions it raises about Mark's origins; is he an alien? Is his body in fact his own, or that of a victim? Were the aliens from his planet or did they in fact destroy his race? Frustratingly this gives no answers, but gives rise to much speculation. I like the subtle romance as well, as Mark becomes attracted to Lioa the female alien and so desperately wants to believe her. Its also nice because Schubert is completely absent. While I like the comedy villain, this one is a bit more serious and interesting.
Woodley's writing isn't bad, and the pace is fast and exciting. For the most part it follows the TV movie exactly. I would have loved more description on the interior of the alien ship, which comes across far more strongly in the episode than the novel, but on the whole this isn't bad. There are a couple of nice additional moments with some minor characters: Bobby-K and his tinkering with the radio so they can communicate Mark underwater. And in the scene were Joe Foley puts the kelp on Marks back we are treated to a tiny bit of back story about his mother being a masseur and his father a drummer. These tinny little snippets are rather fun additions.
Overall fans of the show won't be disappointed with this, its a decent enough novelization of the episode and a fun read.
November 5, 2025
I recently saw this title in an antique store that also sells books. I recall seeing the TV movies, and short-lived TV series as a kid. I also bought all of the comic books when they were released. However, I don't remember these four paperbacks.
This was a fun read that's pretty simple to predict, but I don't think I'll seek out the other three.
This was a fun read that's pretty simple to predict, but I don't think I'll seek out the other three.
June 30, 2024
Aliens have arrived on Earth and have stolen human bodies. But why are they here? And what is their connection to Mark?
A silly, uncredited script is adapted into novel form. Richard Woodley tries, but nobody could make any sense out of this nonsense.
A silly, uncredited script is adapted into novel form. Richard Woodley tries, but nobody could make any sense out of this nonsense.
August 27, 2019
TV tie-in, a basic story. nothing special just a good story involving characters fro show I enjoyed at the time. if you liked the show read away.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews