Book Review: NEXT By Michael Crichton. 3 and a 1\2 out of 5.

Next (2006), the last novel to be published by Michael Crichton during his lifetime, is kind of a greatest hits collection. Yet, in a way, it’s also unlike anything he’d written before. It combines many of his favorite themes and obsessions, to produce a book that is bitingly satirical, surprisingly cynical, and, paradoxically, one of his most humane.

Crichton goes for broke here, creating a multi-layered and sprawling novel with a multitude of characters and plotlines, some of which, by the end of the book, will converge. It’s useless to go into details about the story itself. The plot is just too complex to summarize. Suffice it to say that Crichton tackles the issue of gene patenting, and how playing God leads to complicated and, sometimes, disastrous consequences.

He’s dealt with these issues before in many of his books, but never in such an assured and humorous manner.

Next is the work of a writer at the peak of his powers, using every technique at his disposal, every lesson learned from a lifetime of writing. With Next, Crichton creates the sort of novel 2003's State of Fear should have been. With State of Fear, Crichton courageously took on the global warming/climate change hysteria, and tried to expose those he called “catastrophists”, scientists, politicians, and media personalities who use genuine environmental concerns, and blow them all out of proportion to induce fear and gain control of public opinion for their own benefit. But the novel came across as half-cooked and meandering, and didn't really make its point that clear.

Next, on the other hand, fires on almost all cylinders, with Crichton in complete control of his narrative. He takes on politicians, tech moguls, corrupt scientists, ego-maniacal businessmen, evangelists, and many more, with gleeful, dark humor.

Sometimes he lays it on a bit too thick, and his vitriol isn't always evenly meted out, but he succeeds in producing a piece of work that is literally unputdownable, and a joy to read; one of the few Crichton books I felt I could re-read almost instantly.

While not as propulsive and action-packed as some of his best techno-thrillers, Next is a terrific, intelligent novel, filled to the brim with ideas, many of which are thought-provoking and more timely than ever.

A must for fans. For newcomers to Crichton's work, I'd recommend The Andromeda Strain or Airframe.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Watch or listen to the video version:

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

Book Review: The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson *** and a 1\2 out of *****

Almost everybody knows the story of Superman and the planet Krypton with its red sun. Everybody knows that Superman is the only son of Jor-El and Lara, who shipped him off to Earth moments before the planet Krypton was blown to smithereens. But Kevin J. Anderson's novel, The Last Days of Krypton, proves that there is much more to the story. And what a story it is!

From political shenanigans, to sibling rivalry, to the plots of the evil dictator Zod, to the mute villain Nam-Ek, to the true nature of Brainiac, to earthquakes and flash floods, Anderson's Krypton has to be one of the most unfortunate planets in the universe. And that's what makes this book so entertaining and flawed at the same time.

With straightforward prose and a quick pace, Anderson tells the story of Krypton in an exciting, never-lagging manner, with one disaster after another, while the endearing characters try to overcome those ordeals. The novel is full of adventure, romance, villains and action, which makes it an almost epic tale that sheds new light on the whole Superman mythos.

But in trying to combine all the different mythologies that have been created over the decades, Anderson also creates a novel that doesn't leave the reader room to breathe and suspend his/her disbelief. As Anderson crams his 400+ pages with disaster after disaster that the story becomes more of a space opera than anything else, which, of course, might have been Anderson's intention in the first place (the book begins with a list of all the characters in the novel - Dramatis Persoane - as if it were an opera or a play). And, also, the stilted dialogue surely doesn't help.

But, overall, the flaws don't take away from the fact that this is a hugely entertaining book, with enough imagination and forward momentum to make it an addictive read and a must for fans of The Man of Steel. And on the long run, it's probably going to become the final word on the story of Krypton.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

Book Review: THE BIG DARK SKY By Dean Koontz. *** and a 1\2 out of *****

(c) Amazon.

Dean Koontz returns to some of his favorite themes in The Big Dark Sky, letting his obsessions, fears, and hopes all come through loud and clear. And in doing so creates one of his most effective and memorable novels in years. Although Koontz came close with his wonderful novel Devoted, published in 2020, The Big Dark Sky is a better, more nuanced book in many ways. It is also much darker.

The plot: A group of people from different backgrounds has converged at a remote ranch in Montana. Each person has a reason to go there, from facing painful childhood memories, to investigating a series of strange phenomena, to escaping from a seemingly omnipotent killer. Each one of them is haunted, seeking answers to questions they can no longer ignore. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the ranch, a disturbed visionary works on completing his manifesto of terror and mass murder, unaware that his fate is also connected to the ranch and the people headed there.

With echoes from some of his earlier books, especially Phantoms, Strangers, and Demon Seed, Koontz delivers a tale that is compelling, wondrous, and disturbing. It has a questioning, marveling quality and a nasty, darkly witty edge that have been missing from his books for years.

It isn't a perfect book, though, with a number of slow-going chapters near the beginning of the book, and a short slump around the middle section. But for the most part, the writing is crisp, the main concept fascinating, and the characters likable. And the villain is one of the most terrifying creations of Koontz's career. Highly recommended for fans and newcomers alike.

Watch/Listen to review here:

 

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2022.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

Book Review: ENEMIES AND ALLIES By Kevin J. Anderson *** and a 1\2 out of *****

Enemies and Allies, Kevin J. Anderson's second novel for DC, after the superbly entertaining The Last Days of Krypton, is a clever, serious story about Batman and Superman's first encounter in 1956.

Taking his cue from the works of Frank Miller and Jeph Loeb, both of whom are thanked in the preface, Anderson creates a tale infused with a paranoid, Cold War feel, with the threat of nuclear annihilation looming over the characters. Anderson's depictions of characters, from Superman, to Batman, to Lois Lane, to Jimmy Olsen, are well-crafted and endearing, and the dialogue always rings true. But the main villain, Lex Luthor, comes off as one-dimensional and somewhat cartoonish, which might have to do with his over-the-top plan for world domination. Which brings me to the main fault of the book. Although Anderson brings a depth and a weight to the historical and technical aspects of the story, they don't gel with the Sci-Fi elements, which feel cliched and underdeveloped. This makes the book uneven in tone, as the broad, "Golden Age" comic book aspects seem in constant battle with the solemn tone that Anderson chooses to tell his tale, making Enemies and Allies less fun than it should be.

But fans of Batman and Superman will find a lot to enjoy here, as both heroes are treated with love and care, and Anderson's short chapters make this a fast page-turner, and a good if not very memorable addition to the DC cannon.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2020.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of the feature film Wingrave, released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon.

Book Review: BLADE RUNNER 2: THE EDGE OF HUMAN. By K. W. Jeter. *** and a 1\2 out of *****

Long before the official movie sequel to Blade Runner (1982) was released in theaters as Blade Runner 2049 (2017), another official sequel, this time in the form of a novel, was released in 1995 as Blade Runner 2: The Edge of Human, written by K. W. Jeter.

It's a curious creation, partly because Jeter wrote the book as a sequel not just to the 1982 movie directed by Ridley Scott, but also to Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? on which the film was based. This makes for an interesting if slightly challenging read, as their are several differences between the original novel and the 1982 film, in characters, plot, and even intent. But Jeter mostly succeeds in marrying the two universes of the book and film together, by working out the myriad dangling plotlines of both stories, and explaining away several plot holes from the film, one of which - that Deckard was supposed to hunt down six replicants, not five - the whole plot of Jeter's book hinges on.

As a sequel to Blade Runner (1982), the book works fairly well, picking up shortly after the events of the film and adding a number of entertaining twists and surprise appearances by characters that supposedly died in the film. As a sequel to Philip K. Dick's book, it is slightly less effective, as the tone of Dick's original novel clashes considerably with the tone and story of Ridley Scott's film. The book also slows down near to a halt near the middle, with a couple of jarring out of character instances for Deckard, but it picks up again near the end, delivering a grand, fiery finale, with a terrific and haunting final twist that is sure to please fans of the film.

For fans of both Dick's book and Scott's 1982 movie adaptation, this comes highly recommended, as it features a plethora of fascinating details and twists, and pushes the story in a complex and compelling direction. But newcomers and non-fans should stay away.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2020.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of the feature film Wingrave, released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon.

Watch the expanded video version of this post:

HONEYMOON (2014) *** out of four

Directed by Leigh Janiak

An intriguing premise, engaging performances, and a truly eerie mood, make this a beguiling psychological thriller. The dialogue may be a little pedestrian, but as a mystery it keeps one hooked till the harrowing end. A neat twist on an old sci-fi premise.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2018.

Quick Review: THE OA: Season 1 (2016)

Another high-profile, critically-acclaimed Netflix original series, The OA: Season 1 (2016) is a massively disappointing foray into psychological Sci-Fi, with heavy-handed dialogue, humorless performances, and lackluster plotting.

It is all the more disappointing since the pilot is so impressive and visually majestic, right up to the final shot. But as the series progresses, the story gets thinner, the characters more annoying, and the tone more pretentious. It all leads up to an unrewarding and terribly exploitive finale, which is borderline insulting to viewers who'd stuck with it till the end. Avoid.

All episodes written by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. Directed by Zal Batmanglij.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2017

Flashback Review: DEEP RED (1994)

Original VHS Cover

Glum Sci-Fi thriller with a murky script. But an endearing cast led by an intense Michael Biehn, and energetic, stylish direction by Craig R. Baxley [Dark Angel (1990), Stephen King's Storm of The Century (1999)] keep things afloat. A watchable curiosity from the 90's TV/Cable movie craze.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Review: STRANGER THINGS: SEASON 1 (2016)

Fun, polished, and very well-produced horror/thriller TV show set in 1983, with terrific performances from all involved (especially Winona Ryder as a mother trying to find her missing son, and Millie Bobby Brown as the psychic, Eleven) and spot on characterization.

What is surprising, however, is how unoriginal the plot is, as it borrows wholesale from Stephen King's It and Firestarter and plenty of Steven Spielberg's movies from the early 80's. I get the idea of paying tribute to what you loved watching growing up, but the show hasn't a single fresh idea under its sleeve.

It is true that the well-written characters and the filmmakers' masterful grasp of atmosphere make this an entertaining and compelling show, but considering the hype, and the quality of all other aspects of the show, one would expect a little bit more effort to have been put into the plotting (there are plot holes galore), while the final episode is probably the weakest installment of the whole series, with an ending that fails to give a satisfying, emotionally resonant conclusion to the story.

Still, flaws aside, this is quality TV, with plenty to offer, and one of the most entertaining dark fantasies to air on TV in a long, long time. Recommended.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Book Review: THE FILMS OF JOHN CARPENTER. By John Kenneth Muir.

Compelling, carefully researched, and clearly written guide to the films and career of John Carpenter. Covering everything from the films, to the screenplays, to the TV projects, this is essential reading and a treasure trove for fans of Carpenter and the horror/Sci-Fi genre.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Flashback Review: ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)

Original Theatrical Poster

One of Carpenter's most ambitious projects to date, Escape From New York (1981) is the auteur at his best. Visually, this is Carpenter firing on all cylinders, creating shot after shot of atmospheric, shadow-laden visuals and a world that feels ugly and spellbinding at the same time. It is also Carpenter's coldest, most cynical film, with nary a character that can be considered a "hero". Here, all characters - including Snake Plissken - are selfish, violent, nihilistic people, looking out for themselves and themselves alone, resulting in a bleak, yet darkly humorous film.

With Escape From New York, Carpenter delivered a hit that looked and felt big, despite costing only $5 million dollars, proving that he was ready for the big leagues. This led to him making what many consider his best film, The Thing (1982), a ferocious, bleak masterpiece of Lovecraftian proportions.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Quick Review: ODD APOCALYPSE by Dean Koontz

I am a huge Dean Koontz fan. I consider Odd Thomas (2003) to be one of his best novels. But I have to admit, I found most of Koontz's recent novels, especially most of the sequels to Odd Thomas, disappointing and repetitive. The good news is Odd Apocalypse is the best Koontz book in years, and the best sequel to the original novel. It still suffers from being too long for its own good (the plot isn't complex enough for 400+ pages), and from Koontz's annoying tendency to preach. But it's an atmospheric tale, with an imaginative concept, and it's darker and edgier than most of his recent output. For the first time in years, I am looking forward to the next Odd Thomas adventure. Recommended.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2015.