V: The Second Generation by Kenneth Johnson
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Book Reviews of V: The Second Generation
Book Review: An Enjoyable Sci-Fi Novel
Summary: 4 Stars
Kenneth Johnson wisely 'forgot' the inferior second "V" television miniseries and the weak series that followed when he created his novel "V: The Second Generation". Rather, it is a direct sequel to the first miniseries. The action takes place 20 years after the events of the first miniseries and reveals an Earth very different from our own. The Fascist, alien race known as the Visitors have imposed a police state upon the entire planet. The oceans have been sucked almost completely dry, great deserts extending out onto the continental shelves. Human/Visitor half breeds make up a lowly worker class, despised by both human and visitor alike. Popular celebrities lend their talents to the Visitors' propaganda while the UN Secretary General shuffles about Earth 'educating' its people in Visitor benevolence.
Against this backdrop Julie Parish and the resistance continue their global guerrilla war against the aliens- a war that they know they cannot win. Help arrives in the form of three beings who claim to be ancient enemies of the Visitors- but can they be trusted?
This a fun and entertaining follow up to the '80s miniseries and one almost wishes that it was being made into a film. The story is fast paced and remains true to the characters we remember from the TV miniseries. The only major complaint I had was Johnson's writing style, which has no problem jumping POV characters within the same block of text. It gets old quick. Still, that is a minor complaint in this fun, easy to read sci-fi novel.
Book Review: Original but Lacking
Summary: 3 Stars
As a child of the 80's I can assure you that once upon a time most households would tune into network television for major miniseries events. Heck, Shogun, a miniseries from the late 70's, was singlehandedly responsible for introducing Japanese food en masse to US. Roots brought the troubling history of slavery into our living rooms in a way it was never seen before. V: The Miniseries was definitely one that is remembered by anyone who went through the 80's as being an interesting take on what would happen if fascism reared its ugly head in our own backyards. Some minor spoilers ahead. Consider yourself warned!
In the early 80's the Earth is approached by 50 enormous spaceships, filled to bursting with aliens who would later be known as Visitors. The Visitors approached in the spirit of friendship, but soon their secret and nefarious purpose for coming here was revealed; they needed our water, and more chillingly they needed food. Human food. Scientists, singled out by the Visitors as being the only ones who could reveal their sinister plans, were systematically apprehended, rounded up, and "converted", or brainwashed so that they would obey the Visitors' every command. A police state quickly sprang up, one in which cooperative citizens, or collaborators, were given limited freedom, while scientists and their colleagues were forced to go underground, where they formed the Resistance, a worldwide network of scientists and sympathizers, who were determined to throw off the shackles of the Visitor occupation.
V aired as a two part miniseries, and was later followed by V: The Final Battle, a 3 parter which was noticeably lesser than its forebear. V: The Series continued the story but was painful to watch in many ways (Diana's sequin V-top is burned forever into my brain). V: The Second Generation is interesting right off the bat because it dismisses The Final Battle and the Series altogether and continues along the story arc provided by the original miniseries, which just about anyone will tell you was the best part of the program. This means no more red dust. No more Elizabeth, aka "The Star Child". But it also means no more Ham Tyler, played by the ever solid Michael Ironside. V: The Second Generation will ask you to dismiss all of these elements and proceed from where the end of the original miniseries left off, with Juliet Parish and Elias Taylor sending a message off into space asking anyone "out there" for help.
The novel is set 20 years after the events of the original miniseries. The Resistance has been greatly diminished after Diana initiated the "Great Purge of 1999". It is almost impossible to move freely about without interference from Visitors or their cohorts. To make matters worse the Earth's water supply is greatly diminished. San Francisco, where the vast majority of the novel takes place, is now situated not on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, but a vast desert. More Visitor motherships have arrived to hasten the process of sucking Earth dry of water. Anyone who is even hinted at with being involved with the Resistance is immediately incarcerated and placed into stasis for further use as expendable ground troops for the Leader, or worse, used as food.
Enter the Zedti, a race of insectoid life which has arrived on Earth in response to Julie and Elias transmission into space from 20 years earlier. They look human, but exhibit amazing combat and medical abilities. But are the Zedti here to help the Earth? Or are they here for their own nefarious purposes?
Many previous posters bring up the point that the book moves at a pace in which it is difficult to guage how much time has passed in days, and boy, is that ever the truth. I got the idea that the novel takes place over the course of a week or two, but truthfully that's just dead reckoning. It's clear that Kenneth Johnson has a gift for telling a gripping story, but it is in the details that he starts to fail just a little bit. The total removal of the events of The Final Battle is difficult enough (the absence of Ham Tyler is almost enough to warrant removing a whole star by itself), but when beloved characters like Elias are not there, and indeed, aren't even mentioned, it tends to spoil fond memories of the show. We're introduced to some new characters, such as Nathan, a former Vistor Teammate (formerly known as Vistor Youth), a hot shot pilot who switches allegiance to the Resistance early in the book, as well as Margarita, a red-headed firebrand who takes a special liking to inflicting harm on Visitors. There's also the "dregs", a sort of human-Visitor hybrid species which have characteristics of their parents (hair, some skin, and scales), and which are relegated to a very low societal caste. Many of your favorite characters from the miniseries are to be found here, but some are notably absent, and it is felt throughout the book.
The book proceeds at an even pace and then reaches an almost feverish rate towards the end. I suspect Johnson wanted to wrap things up quickly and have the heroes cavort about at the conclusion of the book. The Zedti contingent is built up to be mysterious, and even a little menacing, through much of the novel, however when their "secret" is revealed it is something of a let down. Johnson is a screenwriter, and so the book reads much like something you'd find in a production office, rather than what you'd expect from a bookstore shelf. It's not at all a bad book, it's just a tad bit different and a little off the beaten path, as far as style goes. I think it was a mistake to completely drop everything that happened in V: The Final Battle, but by the same token I understand why Johnson did. The Final Battle wasn't his baby, and as such he wanted to continue "his" story. The problem is that The Final Battle already belongs to the rest of us, problems and all. I add one star for the whiny Robin Maxwell being blessedly absent from the book, and an extra for there being no "Star Child", with her deus ex machina abilities. But there's no Ham Tyler or red dust, or even a few of the more memorable Visitors like Steven or Brian, and that ends up taking a star or two away as well.
Given that a reboot of V is coming out this Fall, I doubt that this book, decent as it is, will ever see any screen time. I have mixed feelings about this, but I suspect it might be for the best. V: The Second Generation is a good book which keeps up a good, albeit frenetic pace, and is certainly recommended reading for any fan of the original series. If you can forgive some of the shortcomings listed above I have no doubt you'll find the book enjoyable, much as I did.
Book Review: This is some kind of joke?
Summary: 3 Stars
Its not the fact that the saviors of humanity are Valerie Warriors that make me angry and confused it's the fact that this universe not only contradicts "The Final Battle" but also the television series and the books. As to the story itself its just not very good especially the idiotic half-breed subplot. I tried to make it more then three quarters through but I was starting to bled from the eyes. If it were fun there at least I could cut it some slake but a population of humans this apathetic does not deserve to be saved.
Overall-I try to be kind to it because it is V: but honestly I have read fanfiction that is better.
Book Review: Unexpected
Summary: 3 Stars
Don't expect anotherof those adapted book from a series. This book is quite good and if you enjoyed watching the first series, you'll get some reminiscence of them whith it. I recommend it.Book Review: The book is ok but not ok for generation Y
Summary: 2 Stars
To start, I am huge V fan. I was a freshman in high school when V aired on TV and I loved it. But after, becoming an engineer and reading this book I all most through it in the trash. However, being a huge V fan I picked up the book and finished it. The story was low tech, non-scientific and predictable. Therefore, it was an easy read and had no substance. No substance? Meaning the book had little to no entertainment value and you learning nothing about yourself or humanity. However, I am sure that Generation Y will see through this book after first chapter and toss it away. Generation Y hungers for information that will make them smarter and a better person. Therefore they will not waste their limited time on this book. My suggestion to potential readers is this; Do not waste your time reading this book. Instead spend your time watching the new or re-imagined V series coming to ABC this fall. It looks like the writers and director of the new show have taken a page from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (BSG). The new BSG was focused on how the surviving members of the human race handled the aftermath of the human holocaust and the realization that they did not need technology to survive but their own enemies the Cylons to survive to become a better race of people. The new V will focus on how the average human being handles first contact and interaction with a superior and alien race. The story will also take a look at how humans quickly embrace and dismiss a false messiah such as the Germans embraced Hitler and as we Americans' embraced George Bush. Junior that is.