A dark, page-turning techno-thriller.
Cold Forge is the story of a disabled geneticist and a cold Company auditor, on a top-secret research base in close orbit around a star. You can probably guess the research subject from the title, but don't worry, that's basically all the story has in common with Alien Resurrection.
Alex White has a background in military research, and this is clear while reading. There's an air of authenticity in the book's setting - which is remarkable for a story set in 2179. Everything has been thought through, from the astrophysics to the station's security to the lead character's medical regime to the biology of the aliens themselves. A *lot* of thought and research has gone into this book. The downside is that it's also quite jargon-filled, so progress could be tricky if you're not technically minded. If you're at home with a Crichton techno-thriller then you should do fine.
A particular quirk of the book is its writing style. It's written in the present tense, which makes everything more intense and immersive. And the core trait of the writing is that although it's written in the third-person, everything is strictly from the perspective of one character per chapter, in kind of a Song Of Ice And Fire style. This can be quite disturbing, because it quickly becomes apparent that one of the minds the story inhabits is that of a horrible person; there's crude nastiness right from the first page. As you proceed through the story this becomes more interesting, as the brutal, remorseless psyche of a corporate overachiever is compared with that of the aliens. There's a strong American Psycho vibe.
The other lead character interfaces with the world via an android body surrogate, as she's so heavily disabled. Although androids and body swapping are common in science fiction, I've never seen the two combined before, and it makes perfect sense. She's a character I could empathise with enormously, as I have a chronic illness that necessitates most of my interaction with the wider world being via computers. Her writing is spot-on.
The downside to the book (in my opinion), which is the only reason this review falls just short of five stars, is how dark it is. Part of that is due to the characters' perspectives, with one almost an alien in human form and the other alienated from regular life. There's a lot of pain and violence, viscerally felt. But it's also the lack of humanity - 80% of the dialogue is argument and discord, and virtually every exchange expletive-filled. There's a bit of an Alien 3 vibe to the dehumanisation, and makes for a gritty read.
But to each their own - the nastiness might not be a problem for you. In which case, Cold Forge is one of the better instalments to the Alien canon in every respect. It's a character-driven piece with real subtext, a thinker as well as a thriller. It's immersive sci-fi. And it's well researched, with the alien lifecycle making a lot more sense during the read. I'm probably not the only fan of the series who'd like to see Alex White hired as canon consultant for future films. It's respectful of the universe it inhabits, with nods varying from small characters in Aliens to the decaying Seegson corporation seen in Alien Isolation (the best Alien screen media in decades, I think).
This isn't a book that depends on being an Alien fan - it has plenty of strengths for the general reader. But if you *are* a fan, then Cold Forge is essential.
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![[Alex White]のAlien: The Cold Forge (English Edition)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511EgxWO-RL._SY346_.jpg)
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Nick Porter
American Psycho + Michael Crichton + Alien 3
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Absolute Masterpiece
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Cj81
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2019年5月23日に英国でレビュー済みAmazonで購入
There Are Worse Things Than Snatchers !!!
2019年5月23日に英国でレビュー済み
Well being a fan of the film franchise and having watched them recently I wanted more but there wasn't so I knew the books could offer me the imaginative fantasy science fiction world to continue the humans fight against the deadliest monsters in the known galaxy aka the Xenomorphs or Snatchers known in the book. Fantastic from the first page to the last although I feel it ended on a bit of a downer how fast things changed for certain characters that's my only grumble. It was a tense ride through 400 and odd pages but well worth it so give it a read.
2019年5月23日に英国でレビュー済み
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Matthew McCormick-Rimmer
Brilliantly original yet still familiar terror in space... A must read!
2018年4月27日に英国でレビュー済みAmazonで購入
Brilliantly original yet still familiar terror in space... A must read!
2018年4月27日に英国でレビュー済み
Well I had particularly high expectations for this novel, it did not disappoint, truly brilliant piece of writing, the story is solid, it’s familiar yet original, it’s riveting, the author knows exactly how to mix suspense with terror and both build through what is a perfect length tale, novels should always have a start, middle and strong finish, this one does, it delivered, recommend to all.
2018年4月27日に英国でレビュー済み
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TheA11EUN
A new twist!
2018年5月11日に英国でレビュー済みAmazonで購入
