From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Sep 26 14:50:11 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!solace!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!news.wildstar.net!news.ececs.uc.edu!news.kei.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!usenet From: agapow@latcs1.cs.latrobe.edu.au (p-m agapow) Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: 2 reviews: "Streetlethal" & "Gorgon Child" by Steven Barnes Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.written Date: 25 Sep 1996 23:58:24 -0400 Organization: Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Biologists Lines: 40 Sender: wex@tinbergen.media.mit.edu (Graystreak) Approved: wex@media.mit.edu Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: tinbergen.media.mit.edu Keywords: author= p-m agapow X-Newsreader: (ding) Gnus v0.94 "Streetlethal"and "Gorgon Child" by Steven Barnes A Postview, copyright 1996 p-m agapow In a Los Angeles ruined by earthquake and disease, Aubry Knight is an enforcer for one of the gangs that rules the decaying city. But now he wants out ... and later has to confront an (inevitably) fanatical religious demagogue and his monstrous army. Ever think that you have just too much time on your hands? After reading these two, head to head, the thought flashes through my brain. Which is perhaps being too harsh on "Streetlethal," a small, unambitious and straightforward story that would offend few people. Indeed it's perhaps too unambitious and straightforward - it is likely to thrill few people as well. But "Gorgon Child" caves into histrionics and vapid action, as it frantically trys to whip some sort of tension into the story. Aubry becomes demoralised. He becomes glum and weak. He suffers. He gets motivated. He works out and gets more muscles. He beats the snot out of a token enemy. I lost count of how many times this basic loop of events was repeated, with endless descriptions of Aubry's skin "hardening and swelling" with exercise. By the end he must have been as large as a truck. I had this image of the Michelin Man leaping out at his opponents, shouting "Hee-yah!" and then falling upon them and crushing them to death. ("Wow Aubry - there's nothing left of them but a red smear!" "Yes, that's because my skin is HARD!") A model example to all authors that you shouldn't write a sequel if you have nothing to say. And there's been another sequel ("Firedance") released recently. As a pair, [*/misfire] and "American Ninja 3" on the Sid and Nancy scale. %A Steven Barnes %T Streetlethal %D 1983 %T Gorgon Child %D 1989 paul-michael agapow (agapow@latcs1.oz.au), La Trobe Uni, Infocalypse [archived at http://www.cs.latrobe.edu.au/~agapow/Postviews/]