Imagine the possibilities.....three gifted novelists delve into the fractured, frenzied lives sci-fi/fantasy fanboys 'n girls and assorted universes of super-folk they adore. Up, up and away!
SHE CAME FROM BEYOND by Nadine Darling (2015) takes on the increasingly convoluted life of Easy Hardwick, who at age 30 still happily toils as a sexed up Barbarella wannabe on a local TV station's low rent version of 'Mystery Science Theatre 3000'. Easy's on-line beau easily impregnates her with twins, then moves in with her, bringing along his own teenage daughter and a crazy ex-wife into the mix....witty familial dysfunction and much sci-fi trivia ensue, powered by Darling's richly sharp prose. I give it 4 1/2 ray guns.
THE REGIONAL OFFICE IS UNDER ATTACK! by Manuel Gonzales(2016) forgoes the read world altogether, spinning a blissfully arch saga about an all out civil war raging among the crime fighting super-babes of....what else, the Regional Office. Think of the R.O. as a chaotically run Temp agency where the temps are so busy Kung Fu-ing each other into oblivion, there's little time for their regular save-the-world-from-archvillain assignments. As the girls furiously have at it, Gonzales bounces around time periods, casting a novelist's sardonic eye on his femme fatales' tortuous origin stories, rife with star-crossed romance amidst the numerous ass kickings. Huge fun in spurts, but overall it feels like Gonzales merely skims across the superhero pond, so it ultimately comes off as a bit half baked and incomplete. SQ awards it 2 1/2 karate chops
A HUNDRED THOUSAND WORLDS by Bob Proehl(2016) is by far the best of this bunch and a most definite 5 star read. In other words, grab this book NOW as soon as you finish reading this blog. A banquet of riches awaits you here, starting with the book's captivating primary plot engine......Valerie Torrey, a TV star of a beloved cult series (think "Fringe") stops off for multiple, cross country Comic Con meet 'n greets while on a heartbreaking odyssey to return her 9 year old son to the custody of his father, Valerie's former co-star and ex-husband. At the Cons along the way, mom and son encounter a quirky coterie of comic book writers and artists....and best of all, a riotously funny Greek chorus of Cosplay girls whose verbal byplay will unmercifully tickle you .Proehl knows this world well and he serves up a devastatingly accurate roman a clef on the battling empires and characters (both real and drawn) of DC and Marvel. Heartfelt, at times hilarious, not to be missed. SQ bestows a full 5 red capes to this one. (*****)
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