Torchwood: Something in the Water...

[fajrdrako]

Today I read the novel Torchwood: Something in the Water by Trevor Baxendale. Unlike most of the other Torchwood novels, there is only one plot, a fairly stratightforward one: Cardiff is menaced by a Water Hag, spearhead of a watery alien invasion. It's quite creepy, nicely written in a smart and simple style.

The characterization of the Torchwood team is good - with the possible exception of Jack, who is fairly grim most of the time here. But there's nothing personal. Though it seems to be set in the timeframe of the first part of series 2, there's no hint that Jack and Ianto are lovers. Gwen mentions Rhys once, maybe twice. Basically, it's a Water Hag story.

Unlike with Another Life, I didn't keep feeling the urge to quote things. Two exceptions, the first from p. 34, a description of Jack from a man who used to know him:

He was a glory-hunting maniac and the kindest man I ever knew. Saved my life twice in '73, and then left me for a chorus girl from Boston.'

The other passage is from page 178, at a point where Jack is trying to kill an alien who won't stay dead:

'Here we go again,' said Jack. '...Y'know, I kind of prefer it when the dead stay dead.'

'Pot. Kettle. Black,' Owen said.

'Yeah,' agreed Jack with a shrug. 'The difference is, I do it with style.'

Comments

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think it was hard for me to digest the notion that these Torchwood books are well-written, really written well, mainly because the Star Trek books that I have tried have mainly been pure tripe

Yes, but there are exceptions. Look at the Vonda McIntyre book. And the Peter Davids.

The Torchwood novels are not nearly as good as Vonda McIntyre, and the last one is more like the utterly superficial Doctor Who novels I've recently read. (Haven't reviewed them because it really wasn't worth it.) But the sense of the characters and the universe is pretty good.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Vonda MacIntyre Star Trek book? Peter David Star Trek books? I need to know these (that at first came out: I knead to know these). Was that her book called The Entropy Effect? That was so cool! Offhand and sensible uses of real, hard science.

Which reminds me that the weekly newsletter Science News has suddenly decided to go to a biweekly magazine-type publication. Shock me much! I live Science News. It was my only source for the early reports of what later became known as AIDS and HIV. It was like... well, like an apa, but more frequent! Which also reminds me: is there an Apaplexy collation coming up?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Peter David Star Trek books?

I really, really liked Imzadi. He did others that I didn't like so much, but that was great. The only instance where I actively liked Ryker and Troi.

From an online site:

McIntyre wrote the best-selling novel versions of the screenplays for three of the popular Star Trek movies: The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home.

All good, as I recall. You know what a good writer she is.

is there an Apaplexy collation coming up?

Yes - a week from this coming Saturday. I.e., May 17. I'm still working on my mailing comments. Not sure I'll have much more. Some recipes, maybe. I've been doing so little - what's to say?