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vita_zeta's review against another edition
3.0
I like to think that there's a lot of things you can do with Colonial Marines and the xenomorphs of Alien mythology. I guess most of it will revolve around shooting things. Which is fine, I like stories about shooting things. But in the form of eighteen back-to-back short stories set in the same universe, it got a little tiring.
The best stories, unsurprisingly, or the ones that thought outside the box. A lot of the others wanted to recreate the atmosphere and the energy of Aliens, and the great battles between Ripley, Hicks, Hudson and the rest of the marines against an army of xenomorphs. That's not a bad endeavor, since there are plenty of expensive movies that try to do the same thing, but going into this anthology I was expecting something more adventurous. The immediate standouts were "Broken," an origin story about Bishop, "No Good Deed," the story of an escaped convict and the bounty hunter who chases him all the way to LV-426, "Zero to Hero," when a zombie-ish outbreak occurs on a mining colony, protected by a team of marines totally unaccustomed to conflict, and the unusual "Episode 22," a transcript of an documentary episode on the development of the famous pulse rifle that Ripley uses to take on the xenomorph queen in Aliens.
I liked these stories because they took elements of the universe without holding too close to them. "No Good Deed" and "Zero to Hero" both had themes of corporate corruption, which is a significant element to the Aliens universe, but went somewhere very new with it other than Weyland-Yutani asking a bunch of grunts to get a live sample of a hostile creature (seriously, unless they are sending them in with an expert in hostile organisms, what is the point in missions like that?). Stories like "Reclamation" which starred Dwayne Hicks trying to find out what happened to his dead wife (cue my loud and obnoxious snoring) just used pieces of the stories and slapped some familiar tropes on them. I love Dwayne Hicks, don't get me wrong, but please, no more dead wives.
There was a small amount of stories that really went into some challenging territories, which is what I was really after. "Empty Nest" is a very creepy story that I won't spoil for you, but allows for a different kind of response to being faced with a parasitic alien. There is also Scott Sigler's "Dangerous Prey," a well-researched story told entirely from the xenomorph's point of view, first through the eye of the "protector," then the egg, the "courier" and then of course a newborn queen. It's exactly the kind of story that I picked up this anthology for - it's unique, well-written, and introduces some ideas that keep you thinking after you finish. The rest of the stories are mostly action-packed thank-you-ma'am jobs that provide some brief entertainment, but nothing really profound. A fun read, but not terribly special
The best stories, unsurprisingly, or the ones that thought outside the box. A lot of the others wanted to recreate the atmosphere and the energy of Aliens, and the great battles between Ripley, Hicks, Hudson and the rest of the marines against an army of xenomorphs. That's not a bad endeavor, since there are plenty of expensive movies that try to do the same thing, but going into this anthology I was expecting something more adventurous. The immediate standouts were "Broken," an origin story about Bishop, "No Good Deed," the story of an escaped convict and the bounty hunter who chases him all the way to LV-426, "Zero to Hero," when a zombie-ish outbreak occurs on a mining colony, protected by a team of marines totally unaccustomed to conflict, and the unusual "Episode 22," a transcript of an documentary episode on the development of the famous pulse rifle that Ripley uses to take on the xenomorph queen in Aliens.
I liked these stories because they took elements of the universe without holding too close to them. "No Good Deed" and "Zero to Hero" both had themes of corporate corruption, which is a significant element to the Aliens universe, but went somewhere very new with it other than Weyland-Yutani asking a bunch of grunts to get a live sample of a hostile creature (seriously, unless they are sending them in with an expert in hostile organisms, what is the point in missions like that?). Stories like "Reclamation" which starred Dwayne Hicks trying to find out what happened to his dead wife (cue my loud and obnoxious snoring) just used pieces of the stories and slapped some familiar tropes on them. I love Dwayne Hicks, don't get me wrong, but please, no more dead wives.
There was a small amount of stories that really went into some challenging territories, which is what I was really after. "Empty Nest" is a very creepy story that I won't spoil for you, but allows for a different kind of response to being faced with a parasitic alien. There is also Scott Sigler's "Dangerous Prey," a well-researched story told entirely from the xenomorph's point of view, first through the eye of the "protector," then the egg, the "courier" and then of course a newborn queen. It's exactly the kind of story that I picked up this anthology for - it's unique, well-written, and introduces some ideas that keep you thinking after you finish. The rest of the stories are mostly action-packed thank-you-ma'am jobs that provide some brief entertainment, but nothing really profound. A fun read, but not terribly special
ctorretta's review against another edition
4.0
Solid, interesting stories. A few were top notch. Loved the narration!
Full review coming to Ruffdayreviews.com
Full review coming to Ruffdayreviews.com
solaniisrex's review against another edition
5.0
As with any anthology set, there are good stories in this and some not so good. Most of the stories contained within this book are interesting. With world building things like an informational history of the M41A Pulse Rifle and tales from a journalist embedded with the USCM, to familiar characters as we learn more about Bishop, Cpl Hicks, and others. We even have the story of an attack on a hive as told from the perspective of the aliens themselves.
Many writers featured here had great ideas and knew just how to set them on paper. The only thing I found to be detracting was that the ECA rep in Aliens claims that no aliens with acid for blood or that gestate in a living host had ever been encountered before. However, in this book we are led to believe that it's actually commonplace, with every other story about people landing on a planet and encountering creatures not unlike our beloved Xenomorphs.
That being said, it's still a fun set and I'll recommend it to anyone who asks for more about the Colonial Marines.
Many writers featured here had great ideas and knew just how to set them on paper. The only thing I found to be detracting was that the ECA rep in Aliens claims that no aliens with acid for blood or that gestate in a living host had ever been encountered before. However, in this book we are led to believe that it's actually commonplace, with every other story about people landing on a planet and encountering creatures not unlike our beloved Xenomorphs.
That being said, it's still a fun set and I'll recommend it to anyone who asks for more about the Colonial Marines.
ramsfan1963's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Interesting collection of stories involving the colonial marines and various alien species. Not all of them are the xenomorphs from the Aliens movies, but the best stories do involve the characters from the Aliens movies and the xenomorphs.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
john_opalenik's review against another edition
3.0
Like most anthologies of short stories, I have to give it a 3 because I liked some of the stories better than the others.
All of the stories expand the Alien universe, always focusing on the Colonial Marines. Some do it with original characters and situations, and others expand on characters we know and love from the movies.
My final take on the anthology is that it can be a ton of fun if you don't take it too seriously. Just remember that some stories can be considered canon and others definitely can't. They're all quick, fun reads that I'd definitely recommend to any fans of the franchise. Personally, I hope they put out more Aliens: Bug Hunt anthologies once every few years since I'm sure there are plenty of writers who can take us on some interesting and fun journies through the Alien universe.
All of the stories expand the Alien universe, always focusing on the Colonial Marines. Some do it with original characters and situations, and others expand on characters we know and love from the movies.
My final take on the anthology is that it can be a ton of fun if you don't take it too seriously. Just remember that some stories can be considered canon and others definitely can't. They're all quick, fun reads that I'd definitely recommend to any fans of the franchise. Personally, I hope they put out more Aliens: Bug Hunt anthologies once every few years since I'm sure there are plenty of writers who can take us on some interesting and fun journies through the Alien universe.
mpettebone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is a great collection of short stories.
spookiesthistorian's review against another edition
4.0
If you’ve ever been curious about the Alien novels and expanded universe stories then you need to read this anthology set in and around the Aliens movie with the Colonial Marines. It features new characters and some of our favourite marines in fast paced, exciting tales with the Xenomorphs and other horrible alien creatures that want to eat, hurt or spit on everything in sight. Brilliant!
hillybearrr's review
5.0
I enjoyed most of the stories, some more than others. Really great look into the universe of Alien!
ghostmuppet's review against another edition
3.0
Typical short story collection - some good, some bad. Some just throw the alien lore out the window, others add to it.