Granada - 1979 - 251 Pages
Hm - I seem to be the only one reading some of these novels.... I guess they're not really pulp (erm, no gore, no sex) - but they're good nonetheless.
In searching for a cover scan for this title I came across two (for Amazon) lengthy reviews, one on amazon.com, the other on amazon.co.uk. Both were rather negative. So before getting to the details here, let me just make something clear.....
When it comes to "entertainment", whether it be books, TV, or a movie, there is only one thing I demand - I want to be entertained. The word "entertained" would take a couple of pages to truly define - but for this post I'll simply say that "entertained" to me can mean many things, perhaps the entertainment made me think, perhaps it made me laugh, felt like crying, or got me excited. Or maybe it is just a fun way to pass the time. In short, I want to be entertained.
Xeno entertained me. In fact I thought it was very good. The criticisms made of it are valid, and as I read the points made I found myself nodding my head. Where I differed from the reviews was in the conclusion. Did the problems detract from the big picture, or not? For me - not. Some of the criticisms made are basically people wanting the book to be something it's not - but is that the authors fault?
Wild claims of being "the most stunning novel of global terror since Day of the Triffids" can easily be dismissed as the hyperbole of an over excited marketing fiend. It's all good.
I will say, the story is bookended by two brief (less than a page each) pieces that seek to wrap things up. Perhaps it's a cheap trick - but for me the story had run its course. More would just be... more.
Anyway - enough of all that. People are entitled to their opinion, and frankly there's no reason to defend this title at all.
I only knew Jones from a film based on one of his books - Colossus(The Forbin Project). I've not read any of his other work, so I can't tell where this one fits in quality wise.
Xeno tells the story of strange worldwide goings on. Planes are going missing mid flight, and then reappearing months later - the crew haven't aged, fuel is not depleted, and everyone is healthy. Then planes from the Second World War start to reappear.....
Despite first signs, those returning aren't exactly "healthy". For instance, they have an insatiable hunger for raw liver... and soon, that little creature from the front of the book is breaking out from a cyst that grows on the body.......
What are these little creatures? How can they be destroyed? What do they want? Who is snatching the planes?
Now, it must be said, the novel doesn't set out to answer all these questions and tie up all the loose ends for you. This worked for me. As things start to break down, and realization hits that getting rid of these tiny creatures - in the wilds of the US - would be no easy task, the other reviewers claim that it would another "100-200 pages" to truly finish up is probably right - but would it have made a better story, or just a more complete one? This is a pseudo end-of-the-world story, and it's concerns are more personal. Most of the story is told from the perspective of the great people trying to understand and destroy the menace, not the world wide reaction and effect.
The one flaw - but to be honest it just made me smile - is the handling of the Russians and their dogma. Okay - DF Jones goes a bit over-the-top, and given the current climate, it's all a bit laughable. But hey - this came out in the late 70's, so it can be forgiven. Colossus(The Forbin Project) has the same problem too.
Okay - from a pulp perspective it comes up real short, but I'm hoping these is room on this site for a mention of books just slightly off the gruesome path we all love.
I liked Xeno for what it is, and since it can be had cheaply, I'd say it's worth a punt.
