Torchwood: Slow Decay...

[fajrdrako]

This is the second of the Torchwood novels I have read - the first was Another Life by Peter Anghelides, which I thought was terrific. One of the best novels based on series that I have read.

And Slow Decay by Andy Lane was as good.

Now, I wouldn't read either book for the plots. The plots are actually very similar: nasty alien causes people to kill other people in nasty fashions. The Torchwood crew have to figure out what's going on and stop it. Frankly, I wish they'd use this theme in the TV show. The closest they've come is "Day One", with "Greeks Bearing Gifts" maybe being a variant.

What's good about these books isn't the plots, it's the style and the characterization. Jack particularly is wonderful - well, I would think so, wouldn't I? Except when Jack is badly characterized (as in substandard fanfic ), it drives me crazy. Part of the joy here was the excellent depiction of Jack, with even a scene or two in his viewpoint - those were particular favourites.

Usually the viewpoint is Gwen or Owen, sometimes Tosh. I like Gwen here; she seemed more mature and competent than in the TV show, though she did make a few bad judgement calls. I liked it that Rhys is a significant character, and their relationship is central to the plot - Rhys thinks Gwen is losing interest in him because he's gaining weight, so he takes extreme steps to lose it, and becomes unknowingly endangered by the alien menace.

I've already quoted from a scene about Jack's unique driving style. I want to quote other bits I particularly loved.

About Jack, for example: There's a nice description of him from Owen's point of view

What about Captain Jack Harkness, for instance: the enigmatic leader of the team? From things he said, and more things he left unsaid, Owen sometimes suspected that Jack was as alien as some of the things that drifted through the Rift, and yet there were other times when he seemed more grounded, more part of the moment than anyone else he knew.¹

There are no references to the Doctor in the novel, of course, but there is an indirect reference to Jack's private obsession. Owen and Gwen are looking at the waterfall fountain at street level.

'Jack told me that something had happened here, once,' Gwen said softly. 'Something was here that had the power to make people ignore it. The thing left, but some echo of the power stayed. That's why nobody can see it until we step away.'

'Whatever it was,' Owen said, 'he's obsessed by it. It's scarred him.'²

There's an interesting section about Jack from Gwen's point of view:

One day she was taking statements and guarding crime scenes... and the next she was part of Great Britain's first and last line of defence against... what? Invasion. Incursion. Infiltration. A hole bag full of words beginning with 'In' because that's where things were coming. In-to her reality, in-to Cardiff.

And it was all because of this man standing on the edge of a roof twelve storeys above the ground. This man who had arrived in her life like a flash flood, drowning her in strangeness and adventure.

Impulsive. Impressive. Impossible. A whole dictionary of words beginning with 'Im'.

'Most people spent their time looking up,' she said eventually, 'looking at the stars. You seem to spend far too much time looking down. What are you looking for, exactly?'

'Perhaps I'm looking for fallen stars,' he said after a moment.

'It's the people, isn't it? You just can't help watching them.' She caught herself. 'No, that's not it. You're not watching them, you're watching over them.'

'Ever seen a two-year-old tottering around a garden?" he asked softly, without turning around. 'There might be poison ivy, or rose bushes, or hawthorn around the edges... The kid doesn't care. He just wants to play with all those brightly coloured things he sees... If he does get a rash from the poison ivy, or if he does cut his finger, then you get him to a hospital as quickly as you can, in the reasonably sure knowledge that he'll never make that mistake again.'

...'Is that what we are to you?' Gwen asked. 'Children?'

'That's all we are,' he replied. 'To them.'

'And who are They?'

'Who are They? They are the ones who live over the walls of the garden, in the wilderness outside. Me - I'm just a child as well, playing in the garden with the rest of you. The difference is, I'm just a little older. And I've already had my share of poison ivy rashes.'³

On page 74, Gwen won my heart by making my favourite dessert - creme brulee! Who knew the girl could cook? I thought Rhys did all the cooking in the family.

Frankly, I liked Gwen better in the novel than I do in the show, and I'm not sure why. I liked Owen better too, but that was easier to understand - he was a nicer character here.

A reference I found interesting was when a woman in one of the Torchwood cells mentions that Jack came down there sometimes to talk quietly to the Weevils - though she doesn't know that the inhabitant of the other cell is a Weevil.

Ianto is a shadowy character, a mystery to Gwen, and vaguely sinister, though always efficient. Jack doesn't flirt with him, as he did in Another Life, more's the pity.

One of the scarier details in the story was that the Weevils were afraid of the alien menace. You have to worry, when something scares a Weevil.

I always love it when Jack quotes poetry:

'Weevils to the right of them,' Jack declaimed. 'Weevils to left of them. Weevils in front of them. Boldly they rode, and well, into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of Hell.'

'Very poetic.' Owen's voice was scathing. 'Is that Eminem or Chris de Burgh?'

'They're not in front of us,' Gwen muttered. 'They're behind us.'

'Like a lot of things in life,' Jack said, 'it depends on which way you're facing at the time.'⁴

~ ~ ~

¹ Torchwood: Slow Decay by Andy Lane, page 13.

² Torchwood: Slow Decay by Andy Lane, page 14.

³ Torchwood: Slow Decay by Andy Lane, page 8-9.

⁴ Torchwood: Slow Decay by Andy Lane, page 109.

Comments

[atheneunknown.livejournal.com]

I really liked all of the books a whole lot.

I'm also one of few who really enjoyed Border Princes. Everyone gives that book a bad wrap.

If you haven't allready read that book, and are going too, I can't wait to see your analysis of it. I thought it was quite good.

I love your choices of sections to quote. I too am totally enamored by the complexity of Jacks character though, so I might be a bit biased.

I think I might just re-read these books, because its getting to the point where the fanfic is melding with them in my head. Not because of quality, more because of quantity, and I want them to stay seperate.

And alas, I've never had creme brulee. I should be ashamed, I know. Never been somewhere that even had it on the menu to my memory.

*sigh* This seems less coherent then the six am post the other morning, forgive that lol.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm also one of few who really enjoyed Border Princes. Everyone gives that book a bad wrap.

Yes, I've heard people say that they don't like it as much. I will read it with an open mind - and I'm quite looking forward to it.

I too am totally enamored by the complexity of Jacks character though, so I might be a bit biased.

Well, I am totally biased! But that's part of the fun. I like seeing him through the point of view of the other characters, but I think my favourite buts are when we actually get his point of view - I love the way his mind works. And I think the characterization in both novels I've read has been superb.

I've never had creme brulee. I should be ashamed,

No, not at all - just give it a try when you get the chance. It's amazingly wonderful stuff.

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

I saw this in an airport bookshop and was briefly tempted. Good to know it's worth reading, just in case I come across it again when I have less to carry. I had quite a few (*g*) books in my suitcase - and then there's the boxful that Cindy's sending me by post...

Gwen can make creme brulee? Mmm, vanilla pods and eggs and cream - when are you coming back to Malta? :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Good to know it's worth reading, just in case I come across it again when I have less to carry.

I enjoyed it thoroughly - and look forward to the third book. And didn't I hear they were going to publish more? I hope so! It'll tide me over till the series starts again. Fanfic isn't doing it. Not in the right way.

I had quite a few (*g*) books in my suitcase

Obviously you travel like I do!

when are you coming back to Malta? :)

I'd come tomorrow if I could afford it!

[damalan.livejournal.com]

I confess I bought all three (they were on special offer), and was a little disappointed by them all. It shows that they were written with little knowledge of how the characters would develop, hence the focus on Gwen and Jack.

That said, I think Slow Decay was my favourite as it seemed closest to what we got to see in the series. They made mistakes, but they work as methodically as they can towards solving this mystery. At least there was no need to invoke any unusual extra materiel to work this mystery.

I'll be honest, I've preferred a fair few fanfic versions of Jack to these ones. And you should know, as you write a darned good Jack! (He isn't easy to write, as I've just found in my own version of the Travelling prompt.)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It shows that they were written with little knowledge of how the characters would develop, hence the focus on Gwen and Jack.

Yes. You could see, by comparing what's in the books with what's in the show, how the original ideas changed as the series got going. Ianto became more real and significant. Owen became more sharp-edged - he seems almost benign in the books. Jack is the closest to consistent, but then everyone already knew him from Doctor Who - even though this is obviously the Jack of Torchwood.

Gwen is consistent too, but I still like her better in the books. Not sure why.

I've preferred a fair few fanfic versions of Jack to these ones.

Oh? My ears perk up. Got any recommendations to pass on? I have certainly read some good depictions of Jack in fanfic, even some superb ones, but most fanfic leaves me thinking I'm not seeing the real Jack at all, but some OC character with a few Jacklike characteristics and a greatcoat.

you should know, as you write a darned good Jack!

I smile to hear it. Thank you.

He isn't easy to write, as I've just found in my own version of the Travelling prompt.

And you did a good job there - your Jack is recognizably Jack. But yes, he's difficult because he has many layers, and it's so easy not to do justice to him. A lot of fanfic about Jack, I think, misses the point - glosses over his interests and obsessions to focus on what the writer feels is important. But that feels untrue to the character, so there's a balance to be found. I wish more people found it.

[damalan.livejournal.com]

You could see, by comparing what's in the books with what's in the show, how the original ideas changed as the series got going.

I think that's going to be their greatest value long term - an historical record of how the Torchwood characters were conceived. I think a lot of thought had already gone in to designing Jack's personality traits, evolving him from Doctor Who to Torchwood. Gwen had been designed as the audience's 'agent', and she has the traits she needs to do that (especially nosiness). The remaining three clearly got forgotten! ;-)


Gwen is consistent too, but I still like her better in the books. Not sure why.

I think it's a combination of avoiding over-using her, and that she seems more like the character we see in Everything Changes, a savvy copper with a nose for trouble and detective skills. Instead she evolved into a rather annoying, whiny character whose existence seems defined by her mistakes. That's a little unfair, but I think you can see my point. As the series went on, they forgot the reason that Jack recruited her, and twisted her to tell each week's tale.


Got any recommendations to pass on?

You're asking the wrong person sadly. I can never hold on to details of... you know... whatsits... ooh! porn! ;-)


I smile to hear it. Thank you.

Well, we've had lots of discussions about Jack. I understand (and enjoy) your characterisation of him. Yours is a self-consistent Jack.


you did a good job there

Why thank you. I had to think hard to make him internally consistent, and I know I made him show a vulnerability we may not have seen. The final version is up in my journal, by the way.


glosses over his interests and obsessions to focus on what the writer feels is important

Not unlike the writers of the actual series; I think that's where they learned their lesson. Jack may have a little more consistency, but Dead Ringers wasn't wholly wrong with their 'so secret we don't even know our own motivations'.

You have to spend quite a long time thinking about Jack (Mmmmmmm....). What? Oh yes, and studying his origins to 'get' him. How we'll cope when DW alters the continuity... ;-)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Gwen had been designed as the audience's 'agent', and she has the traits she needs to do that (especially nosiness). The remaining three clearly got forgotten! ;-)

I think Tosh is quite well done in the books - well, in the two I read - intelligent, shy, gets excited over the study of a new artifact. It still doesn't ring true to me that she should have a crush on Owen - but as we've discussed before, there's no accounting for tastes!

Owen was used rather effectively as a viewpoint character, and works better for me on the page than on the screen - maybe because of Burn Gorman's looks and acting style, maybe because in the book Owen seemed less unkind.

In Another Life, I thought Ianto was adorable: smart and just a little flirty and mysterious. In Slow Decay he was so shadowy he almost wasn't there. Not part of the story. Not anything. Which is, of course, a criminal waste of a potentially wonderful character!

she seems more like the character we see in Everything Changes, a savvy copper with a nose for trouble and detective skills.

Yes. Gwen at her best. And even though there are hints that she finds Jack attractive (again, more in AL than SD), here's a lot of focus on her love of Rhys, and if there's any question of anyone being unfaithful, it's Rhys with his appreciation of Lucy's prettiness.

Instead she evolved into a rather annoying, whiny character whose existence seems defined by her mistakes. That's a little unfair, but I think you can see my point.

I see it only too well, and I agree. I love Gwen, and I want to love Gwen, but in some episodes I have to remind myself why I thought I liked her at all.

I can never hold on to details of... you know... whatsits... ooh! porn! ;-)

Yeah. Me too. Sad, isn't it?

Re Jack: I made him show a vulnerability we may not have seen.

Yes. I like that. It's hinted at sometimes in the show, but he tends to hide his vulnerability from his team, and since we stick with their viewpoint mostly, it's easy to overlook.

Dead Ringers wasn't wholly wrong with their 'so secret we don't even know our own motivations'.

That was a brilliant line.

How we'll cope when DW alters the continuity... ;-)

What is life without challenge?

I'm still scrambling to get some stories finished and posted before we have a whole new continuity situation from Jack's new adventures in Doctor Who.