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jaironside's review
5.0
Modified human, Doc Vandal, grew up on a lunar colony attended by androids and other mechanica. Through his eyes, the world is messy, illogical and fascinating but certainly nothing to get emotional about. Together with his team - Vic, Gus and Gilly - Doc takes on specialized cases that require his particular expertise. When members of a secret society attack him in his home, Doc finds himself on quest for the truth. Together with his team, the trail leads them into a hidden city in Africa, where an enemy older than humanity itself, awaits them. Zombies, zeppelins, Nazi-Gorillas and space stations - it's all in a days work for Doc and the team. If they can escape alive that is...
This is classic pulp for a new era. Rider Haggard meets John W. Campbell in a fast paced and highly unusual adventure story. I was (perhaps oddly) put in mind of the Allan Quatermain series, as well as classic sci-fi. On the surface the premise may seem preposterous. I invite you to look closer. Many books that seem unlikely are often entertainment goldmines and this is one of them. Doc is a great character. The way he sees the world is amusing and poignant; very much in the world but not of it. Gilly, Gus and Vic provide hilarious banter while still getting job done. Not one of the crew is a walk on part and well, who wouldn't love a highly sophisticated Gorilla with classic elocution? This isn't a particularly long read but it is lots of fun and left me with a feel-good aftertaste. Such disparate elements as Zombies, space stations, Nazi-Gorillas and zeppelins probably shouldn't go together, and yet here they do and it works. Put some comfy slippers on, switch off the TV and the phone, pour a beverage of your choice and kick back and enjoy for a few hours, that's my advice.
This is classic pulp for a new era. Rider Haggard meets John W. Campbell in a fast paced and highly unusual adventure story. I was (perhaps oddly) put in mind of the Allan Quatermain series, as well as classic sci-fi. On the surface the premise may seem preposterous. I invite you to look closer. Many books that seem unlikely are often entertainment goldmines and this is one of them. Doc is a great character. The way he sees the world is amusing and poignant; very much in the world but not of it. Gilly, Gus and Vic provide hilarious banter while still getting job done. Not one of the crew is a walk on part and well, who wouldn't love a highly sophisticated Gorilla with classic elocution? This isn't a particularly long read but it is lots of fun and left me with a feel-good aftertaste. Such disparate elements as Zombies, space stations, Nazi-Gorillas and zeppelins probably shouldn't go together, and yet here they do and it works. Put some comfy slippers on, switch off the TV and the phone, pour a beverage of your choice and kick back and enjoy for a few hours, that's my advice.
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