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Aliens / Predator / Prometheus Universe
Alien: Prototype
Dead cargo!
Venture, a direct rival to the Weyland-Yutani corporation, will accept any risk to crush the competition. Thus, when a corporate spy "acquires" a bizarre, leathery egg from a hijacked vessel, she takes it directly to the Venture testing facility on Jericho 3.
Though unaware of the danger it poses, the scientists there recognize their prize's immeasurable value. Early tests reveal little, however, and they come to an inevitable conclusion, they need a human test subject...
Enter Zula Hendricks.
A member of the Jericho 3 security staff, Colonial Marines veteran Zula Hendricks has been tasked with training personnel to deal with anything the treacherous planet can throw their way. Yet nothing can prepare them for the horror that appears - a creature more hideous than any Zula has encountered before.
Unless stopped, it will kill every human being on the planet.
Venture, a direct rival to the Weyland-Yutani corporation, will accept any risk to crush the competition. Thus, when a corporate spy "acquires" a bizarre, leathery egg from a hijacked vessel, she takes it directly to the Venture testing facility on Jericho 3.
Though unaware of the danger it poses, the scientists there recognize their prize's immeasurable value. Early tests reveal little, however, and they come to an inevitable conclusion, they need a human test subject...
Enter Zula Hendricks.
A member of the Jericho 3 security staff, Colonial Marines veteran Zula Hendricks has been tasked with training personnel to deal with anything the treacherous planet can throw their way. Yet nothing can prepare them for the horror that appears - a creature more hideous than any Zula has encountered before.
Unless stopped, it will kill every human being on the planet.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 29, 2019
About the author
Tim Waggoner
264 books690 followersTim Waggoner has published nearly fifty novels and seven short story collections, and his articles on writing have appeared in Writer’s Digest and Writers’ Journal, among others. He's won the Bram Stoker Award and has been a finalist for both the Shirley Jackson Award and the Scribe Award. He teaches creative writing at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Visit him on the web at www.timwaggoner.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
November 20, 2019
While I'm not the kind of guy who typically reads media tie-ins, as soon as I saw that this was written by Tim Waggoner I became intrigued. I'm a huge fan of the Alien movies, and seeing Waggoner as the scribe left me with hope that this would be a true to form sci-fi/horror blend.
Those of you who may have similar reservations about this book need not fear, I had a blast reading it, and Waggoner managed to bring something completely new to the table. Alien: Prototype follows Zula Hendricks, Colonial Marine turned security trainer and Tamar Prather, corporate spy for Venture, a Weyland-Yutani competitor. When an ovomorph is brought to a Venture colony, the resident scientist decides they must study it with a human test subject, and it all goes downhill from there.
I enjoyed following Hendricks, she was a strong female lead who's out for one thing, hunting Xenomorphs. Tamar Prather is all about working for herself and whoever will pay her the most. The other characters in this book were written decent enough and Waggoner shows that he knows his Alien stuff. Everything felt like it fit perfectly in the universe. Due to certain circumstances within the book, the Xenomorph here is deadlier than ever before. All I can say without spoiling anything is that it's called a Necromorph, and for good reason. Waggoner does an excellent job switching back and forth between perspectives here, and keeping the story interesting until we can get what we all want, Xenomorph action; There's plenty of that on display here and fans of the series won't be disappointed.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The Necromorph is just as deadly as advertised and brings something new and interesting to a very familiar world. There's enough blood and gore here to satisfy anyone who's into that, even if you aren't necessarily a fan of the franchise.
Those of you who may have similar reservations about this book need not fear, I had a blast reading it, and Waggoner managed to bring something completely new to the table. Alien: Prototype follows Zula Hendricks, Colonial Marine turned security trainer and Tamar Prather, corporate spy for Venture, a Weyland-Yutani competitor. When an ovomorph is brought to a Venture colony, the resident scientist decides they must study it with a human test subject, and it all goes downhill from there.
I enjoyed following Hendricks, she was a strong female lead who's out for one thing, hunting Xenomorphs. Tamar Prather is all about working for herself and whoever will pay her the most. The other characters in this book were written decent enough and Waggoner shows that he knows his Alien stuff. Everything felt like it fit perfectly in the universe. Due to certain circumstances within the book, the Xenomorph here is deadlier than ever before. All I can say without spoiling anything is that it's called a Necromorph, and for good reason. Waggoner does an excellent job switching back and forth between perspectives here, and keeping the story interesting until we can get what we all want, Xenomorph action; There's plenty of that on display here and fans of the series won't be disappointed.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The Necromorph is just as deadly as advertised and brings something new and interesting to a very familiar world. There's enough blood and gore here to satisfy anyone who's into that, even if you aren't necessarily a fan of the franchise.
November 22, 2019
I have really loved the Alien audiobooks and audio dramas of the last few years. This one just disappointed a little. First, I didn't realize that I needed to have read some of the Alien graphic novels before listening to this to find out about The Adventures of Amanda and Zula Killing Aliens. I could somewhat figure it out, although I am desperate to know what happened to Amanda, so I'll be tracking down the graphic novels for sure.
Second, there was A LOT of set up in this book, and it didn't really pay off. In Alien: The Cold Forge, there was quite a lot of set up as well, but the payoff was worth it (holy moly Blue trying to escape the aliens was TENSE). To me, the scariest part of the aliens is when they are stalking people. It's the sustained suspense of people trying to avoid (or kill) the aliens when they could suddenly appear from anywhere and strike. There just wasn't a lot of that in Alien Prototype. For example, using the robot aliens from the training grounds to attack the Alien was kind of clever, but not worth the endless time we spent on the training grounds before that.
Third, there's the Alien itself. It's more like Alien: Accidental Prototype since it wasn't intentional that it ended up crossed with a flesh-eating disease. I was intrigued by that setup, but it just didn't work for me. Like, aliens are already pretty darn deadly as they are. Adding in that this Alien can infect you with a flesh-eating disease that kills you in about 30 seconds just didn't make it scarier for me. It seems like lazy writing if you have to add in a flesh-eating disease to make the Alien scary or interesting. Kind of like the Jurassic Park/World nonsense that you have to keep building bigger and scarier dinosaurs rather than just making a good story. Okay, so you have this additional worry that the Alien can infect you from several feet away, but honestly if there is an Alien a few feet from you it's already REALLY worrying. The whole "dual drives" of the Alien thing also made the Alien seem a bit indecisive which meant it was actually a little less scary.
And fourth, speaking of the "dual drives" thing, there was so much repetition. Did you know that the Alien is driven by its nature to kill and reproduce, but the flesh-eating diseases also drives it to infect people? Yes? Oh too bad because you will be beaten over the head with it. And did you know that as a synthetic, Bridget doesn't have to worry about either the flesh-eating disease or the Alien trying to impregnate her? Well you will never forget it because it will be mentioned again and again, sometimes within a few sentences.
The bright spots? Zula and Tamar are badass ladies on opposite sides of the empathy coin. They both get the opportunity to show how badass, clever, and prepared they are. And if there is another theme to a good Alien story it's badass women kicking Alien butt.
I think overall this book suffers from comparison to The Cold Forge and Isolation, which I think did the suspense and tension much better. As for the narration, I think Sarah Mollo-Christensen is okay. She narrated Isolation as well, and she does an okay job at differentiating voices. I suppose she does have a strange way of enunciating at times, but it didn't bother me. I've listened to Isolation a couple of times and both times enjoyed it a lot. Sadly, I'm returning Prototype.
Second, there was A LOT of set up in this book, and it didn't really pay off. In Alien: The Cold Forge, there was quite a lot of set up as well, but the payoff was worth it (holy moly Blue trying to escape the aliens was TENSE). To me, the scariest part of the aliens is when they are stalking people. It's the sustained suspense of people trying to avoid (or kill) the aliens when they could suddenly appear from anywhere and strike. There just wasn't a lot of that in Alien Prototype. For example, using the robot aliens from the training grounds to attack the Alien was kind of clever, but not worth the endless time we spent on the training grounds before that.
Third, there's the Alien itself. It's more like Alien: Accidental Prototype since it wasn't intentional that it ended up crossed with a flesh-eating disease. I was intrigued by that setup, but it just didn't work for me. Like, aliens are already pretty darn deadly as they are. Adding in that this Alien can infect you with a flesh-eating disease that kills you in about 30 seconds just didn't make it scarier for me. It seems like lazy writing if you have to add in a flesh-eating disease to make the Alien scary or interesting. Kind of like the Jurassic Park/World nonsense that you have to keep building bigger and scarier dinosaurs rather than just making a good story. Okay, so you have this additional worry that the Alien can infect you from several feet away, but honestly if there is an Alien a few feet from you it's already REALLY worrying. The whole "dual drives" of the Alien thing also made the Alien seem a bit indecisive which meant it was actually a little less scary.
And fourth, speaking of the "dual drives" thing, there was so much repetition. Did you know that the Alien is driven by its nature to kill and reproduce, but the flesh-eating diseases also drives it to infect people? Yes? Oh too bad because you will be beaten over the head with it. And did you know that as a synthetic, Bridget doesn't have to worry about either the flesh-eating disease or the Alien trying to impregnate her? Well you will never forget it because it will be mentioned again and again, sometimes within a few sentences.
The bright spots? Zula and Tamar are badass ladies on opposite sides of the empathy coin. They both get the opportunity to show how badass, clever, and prepared they are. And if there is another theme to a good Alien story it's badass women kicking Alien butt.
I think overall this book suffers from comparison to The Cold Forge and Isolation, which I think did the suspense and tension much better. As for the narration, I think Sarah Mollo-Christensen is okay. She narrated Isolation as well, and she does an okay job at differentiating voices. I suppose she does have a strange way of enunciating at times, but it didn't bother me. I've listened to Isolation a couple of times and both times enjoyed it a lot. Sadly, I'm returning Prototype.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2022
“Alien: Protype” is a familiar-feeling, but refreshingly unpretentious take on the (let’s face it, VERY well-trodden) “Alien gets loose in a facility and wrecks havoc” storyline, a narrative that has marked most of the franchise’s major creative output since…well, the moment of its existence.
Two things help to elevate the proceedings here, however: 1.) Tim Waggoner’s penchant for funny, at times even self-aware plotting (for better and worse, “Prototype” never feels like it’s taking itself uber-seriously) and 2.) the presence of Zula Hendricks, last seen slaying the Xenomorphs in the comic “Alien: Defiance.” Her inclusion alone helps make “Prototype” feel distinctly connected to the broader “Alien” narrative, transforming what are fairly stale proceedings into something that’s just a wee-bit more interesting and “plugged in”, stakes-wise. “Prototype” isn’t a great book, but it’s rarely a slog – which, for tie-in novels for this particular franchise, is kind of an automatic win.
Two things help to elevate the proceedings here, however: 1.) Tim Waggoner’s penchant for funny, at times even self-aware plotting (for better and worse, “Prototype” never feels like it’s taking itself uber-seriously) and 2.) the presence of Zula Hendricks, last seen slaying the Xenomorphs in the comic “Alien: Defiance.” Her inclusion alone helps make “Prototype” feel distinctly connected to the broader “Alien” narrative, transforming what are fairly stale proceedings into something that’s just a wee-bit more interesting and “plugged in”, stakes-wise. “Prototype” isn’t a great book, but it’s rarely a slog – which, for tie-in novels for this particular franchise, is kind of an automatic win.
January 11, 2020
In a lonely outpost on Jericho 3 scientists looking to exploit the value of a seized alien egg allow a human test subject to become impregnated. Unbeknownst to them their test subject had been suffering from cellular necrosis- now the newly emerged xenomorph has integrated the disease into its on DNA. The new necromorph is on a mission to spread disease and death to every remaining human in the colony.
September 3, 2024
Not my favorite of the Alien franchise so far. A LOT OF ACTION so that made it two stars instead of one☺️
March 22, 2023
Absolutely fantastic pacing!
It starts up fast, and just keeps going until the end, never letting up once.
A worthy entry in the franchise!
It starts up fast, and just keeps going until the end, never letting up once.
A worthy entry in the franchise!
February 14, 2024
Really gross and creepy!
December 16, 2019
"Alien: Prototype" is a 2019 novel by Tim Waggoner. The book is part of the recent series of novels and comics that follow the exploits of Amanda Ripley and Zula Hendricks. In terms of chronology, "Prototype" falls after "Alien: Isolation" (in its myriad forms of media--videogame, novel, animated series) and "Aliens: Defiance" (comic series), but comes before "Aliens: Resistance" (comic series). You needn't necessarily have read what comes before "Prototype" to understand it, but it does help set up the characters of Zula and Davis if you have some context as to their past exploits.
A corporate spy steals a xenomorph egg; The spy works for Venture, a company that competes with Weyland-Yutani. The egg is taken to Jericho 3, a scientific research facility that also houses a space colonist training program. Surprise surprise! Things go wrong, a xenomorph gets loose in the facility, and it's up to Zula Hendricks and her team of Colonist Protection Force trainees to vanquish yet another of one of science fiction's most fearsome creatures.
Just as you might expect, "Alien: Prototype" fits very neatly (too neatly?) into the formula that we've come to expect from Alien novels: Human discovers alien, underestimates threat, xenomorph gets loose, and gory pandemonium ensues. It's quite the entertaining formula, and Tim Waggoner puts an effective spin on it, but in the end it's exactly what you would expect. Waggoner does try to add some variables to the story that we haven't seen before, such as a xenomorph that caries a disease, and also adding a new corporation that competes with Weyland-Yutani. But in the end, these additions are just not enough to raise the plot of the novel above what Alien readers are already familiar with.
"Alien: Prototype" is a well-written novel. The pacing and action are very tight, and it never feels as if the book drags. Mr. Waggoner doesn't waste space on unneeded filler, and the result is a lean, mean, read that--while predictable--is still an entertaining good time. I appreciated the author's obvious care in crafting the setting. He clearly put some thought in creating the physical layout of the facility, and also gave a new perspective on space colonization that we have not seen before. As someone who is in the military, I also found that some of the jargon used by Zula really is used in the military, and it's always nice to see that. There is less profanity in this novel than I have seen in other Alien novels, and that is fine by me.
Like the plot, the characterization in "Prototype" is caricatured. There's a tough heroine who just wants to kill xenomorphs, an evil scientist, a greedy corporate hack, and the list goes on. The most well-rendered and compelling characters end up being androids. The author raises some interesting questions about androids and their behavior and cognitive abilities, and this content steals the show in terms of characterization. I wish the author had taken a more nuanced approach to corporate intrigue. Venture and Weyland-Yutani are treated just as you would expect--as faceless, greedy, ghouls who are after nothing but money. In his novel "Alien: Covenant: Origins," Alan Dean Foster gives one of the best story treatments of Weyland-Yutani that I've seen, and I wish other writers would pick up on that cue.
For the record, I very much enjoyed "Alien: Prototype." It's absolutely an entertaining, well-written novel that deserves to be part of the Alien pantheon. However, looking to the future, Titan Publishing needs to give readers something new. The tried and true formula is starting to sag, and plot devices are becoming overly familiar. I thought Tim Lebbon's Rage War trilogy was a step in the right direction, and I would love to see more of that kind of fare going forward.
A corporate spy steals a xenomorph egg; The spy works for Venture, a company that competes with Weyland-Yutani. The egg is taken to Jericho 3, a scientific research facility that also houses a space colonist training program. Surprise surprise! Things go wrong, a xenomorph gets loose in the facility, and it's up to Zula Hendricks and her team of Colonist Protection Force trainees to vanquish yet another of one of science fiction's most fearsome creatures.
Just as you might expect, "Alien: Prototype" fits very neatly (too neatly?) into the formula that we've come to expect from Alien novels: Human discovers alien, underestimates threat, xenomorph gets loose, and gory pandemonium ensues. It's quite the entertaining formula, and Tim Waggoner puts an effective spin on it, but in the end it's exactly what you would expect. Waggoner does try to add some variables to the story that we haven't seen before, such as a xenomorph that caries a disease, and also adding a new corporation that competes with Weyland-Yutani. But in the end, these additions are just not enough to raise the plot of the novel above what Alien readers are already familiar with.
"Alien: Prototype" is a well-written novel. The pacing and action are very tight, and it never feels as if the book drags. Mr. Waggoner doesn't waste space on unneeded filler, and the result is a lean, mean, read that--while predictable--is still an entertaining good time. I appreciated the author's obvious care in crafting the setting. He clearly put some thought in creating the physical layout of the facility, and also gave a new perspective on space colonization that we have not seen before. As someone who is in the military, I also found that some of the jargon used by Zula really is used in the military, and it's always nice to see that. There is less profanity in this novel than I have seen in other Alien novels, and that is fine by me.
Like the plot, the characterization in "Prototype" is caricatured. There's a tough heroine who just wants to kill xenomorphs, an evil scientist, a greedy corporate hack, and the list goes on. The most well-rendered and compelling characters end up being androids. The author raises some interesting questions about androids and their behavior and cognitive abilities, and this content steals the show in terms of characterization. I wish the author had taken a more nuanced approach to corporate intrigue. Venture and Weyland-Yutani are treated just as you would expect--as faceless, greedy, ghouls who are after nothing but money. In his novel "Alien: Covenant: Origins," Alan Dean Foster gives one of the best story treatments of Weyland-Yutani that I've seen, and I wish other writers would pick up on that cue.
For the record, I very much enjoyed "Alien: Prototype." It's absolutely an entertaining, well-written novel that deserves to be part of the Alien pantheon. However, looking to the future, Titan Publishing needs to give readers something new. The tried and true formula is starting to sag, and plot devices are becoming overly familiar. I thought Tim Lebbon's Rage War trilogy was a step in the right direction, and I would love to see more of that kind of fare going forward.
March 4, 2021
I went into this book expecting it to be much better than it was.
Having read Alien: Defiance, I was excited to read the continuation of Zula Hendricks' story, as she takes up a post at a research colony, training their Colony Protection Force.
The premise, too, of a corporate spy getting their hands on a Xenomorph egg and giving it to one of Weyland-Yutani's rivals, excited me, as I was expecting some level of corporate warfare in the story.
These two plot points combine to set Zula, once again, on a collision course with the most deadly creature in the cosmos, though this time there's a twist (more on that later).
The plot itself, though somewhat simple, is enjoyable. It takes the basic premise of the original Alien film - one unstoppable killing machine picking people off one by one - and extends it to an entire colony, somewhat reflecting the events that would have transpired in Aliens.
Again, we have a badass female character with experience fighting the Xenomorph, leading clueless soldiers to wipe it out. In the meantime, human greed is responsible for things going from bad to worse throughout the story, and, perhaps satisfyingly, the architects of the Xenomorph's escape all meet grim ends.
The final battle against the Xenomorph is very well-written and exciting, with some clever call-backs to one of the earlier scenes in the book.
However, this is one of those cases where the writing lets down the plot. I found a lot of it to be very repetitive; in many cases it would be certain sentences being used over and over with only minor changes, but occasionally there would be a paragraph of internal monologue followed almost immediately by dialogue that completely repeats what has just been told to the reader.
In fact, this is probably my main issue with the book: lots of telling, very little showing. I was not given many chances to interpret events, instead having everything explained to me on a level that seriously slowed the story.
The writing style is probably my main gripe about this book. Not to say it's particularly bad, it just did not feel conducive to a story of this type. I will say, though, that the characterisation was strong, even if they were, for the most part, quite one-dimensional.
My other complaints are much more personal, relating to my interest in continuity and canon; in this case, I am opposed to certain ideas regarding the Xenomorph that are presented in this story.
First of all, I dislike the idea of the Xenomorph inheriting a disease from its host, as this does not seem in fitting with the perfection of the organism. They have evolved/been engineered to inherit beneficial qualities from the host, and a disease definitely does not fit this idea.
However, I am willing to accept it on the basis that it is a rare thing, possibly even a rare defect, and ultimately has a negative effect on the Xenomorph's effectiveness. My headcanon is that other Xenomorphs would quickly kill it to protect the hive.
Secondly, this story seems to suggest that a lone Xenomorph is capable of laying an egg (or possibly eggs). It also seems to overlook the idea of a Drone/Warrior transitioning into a Queen.
I am undecided on whether I like the idea of individual Xenomorphs being capable of laying eggs, though would believe that a Xenomorph on its way to becoming a Queen may display this behaviour.
These, though, as aforementioned, are very personal complaints. However, as petty as they may seem, I cannot bring myself to completely overlook them, and as such I've given this book three stars.
For my own personal enjoyment, and in order to regard this book as a canonical entry in the franchise, I have had to overlook the personal issues mentioned, but I do not regret reading this book, and overall it was enjoyable.
I would recommend it, as long as you aren't a reader who is greatly bothered by repetitive writing, and as long as you can either overlook certain continuity errors, or just aren't that bothered by overall canon.
It is still a good Alien story, and I strongly believe fans of the franchise will find something to enjoy in this book despite its shortcomings.
Having read Alien: Defiance, I was excited to read the continuation of Zula Hendricks' story, as she takes up a post at a research colony, training their Colony Protection Force.
The premise, too, of a corporate spy getting their hands on a Xenomorph egg and giving it to one of Weyland-Yutani's rivals, excited me, as I was expecting some level of corporate warfare in the story.
These two plot points combine to set Zula, once again, on a collision course with the most deadly creature in the cosmos, though this time there's a twist (more on that later).
The plot itself, though somewhat simple, is enjoyable. It takes the basic premise of the original Alien film - one unstoppable killing machine picking people off one by one - and extends it to an entire colony, somewhat reflecting the events that would have transpired in Aliens.
Again, we have a badass female character with experience fighting the Xenomorph, leading clueless soldiers to wipe it out. In the meantime, human greed is responsible for things going from bad to worse throughout the story, and, perhaps satisfyingly, the architects of the Xenomorph's escape all meet grim ends.
The final battle against the Xenomorph is very well-written and exciting, with some clever call-backs to one of the earlier scenes in the book.
However, this is one of those cases where the writing lets down the plot. I found a lot of it to be very repetitive; in many cases it would be certain sentences being used over and over with only minor changes, but occasionally there would be a paragraph of internal monologue followed almost immediately by dialogue that completely repeats what has just been told to the reader.
In fact, this is probably my main issue with the book: lots of telling, very little showing. I was not given many chances to interpret events, instead having everything explained to me on a level that seriously slowed the story.
The writing style is probably my main gripe about this book. Not to say it's particularly bad, it just did not feel conducive to a story of this type. I will say, though, that the characterisation was strong, even if they were, for the most part, quite one-dimensional.
My other complaints are much more personal, relating to my interest in continuity and canon; in this case, I am opposed to certain ideas regarding the Xenomorph that are presented in this story.
First of all, I dislike the idea of the Xenomorph inheriting a disease from its host, as this does not seem in fitting with the perfection of the organism. They have evolved/been engineered to inherit beneficial qualities from the host, and a disease definitely does not fit this idea.
However, I am willing to accept it on the basis that it is a rare thing, possibly even a rare defect, and ultimately has a negative effect on the Xenomorph's effectiveness. My headcanon is that other Xenomorphs would quickly kill it to protect the hive.
Secondly, this story seems to suggest that a lone Xenomorph is capable of laying an egg (or possibly eggs). It also seems to overlook the idea of a Drone/Warrior transitioning into a Queen.
I am undecided on whether I like the idea of individual Xenomorphs being capable of laying eggs, though would believe that a Xenomorph on its way to becoming a Queen may display this behaviour.
These, though, as aforementioned, are very personal complaints. However, as petty as they may seem, I cannot bring myself to completely overlook them, and as such I've given this book three stars.
For my own personal enjoyment, and in order to regard this book as a canonical entry in the franchise, I have had to overlook the personal issues mentioned, but I do not regret reading this book, and overall it was enjoyable.
I would recommend it, as long as you aren't a reader who is greatly bothered by repetitive writing, and as long as you can either overlook certain continuity errors, or just aren't that bothered by overall canon.
It is still a good Alien story, and I strongly believe fans of the franchise will find something to enjoy in this book despite its shortcomings.
October 30, 2019
Only from audible. The narrator was barely acceptable IMO. She did this over enunciating thing that drives me crazy.
But lots of xenomorph action from the start. Filled with idiot scientists and a mercenary who want to weaponize the xenomorph and or find out more about it to bring back to evil mega Corp Weylund Yutani. Chaos and death ensues in a delightfully dark and amusing manner.
But lots of xenomorph action from the start. Filled with idiot scientists and a mercenary who want to weaponize the xenomorph and or find out more about it to bring back to evil mega Corp Weylund Yutani. Chaos and death ensues in a delightfully dark and amusing manner.
November 3, 2021
Aliens goes woke, and in a bad way.
Let me preface this by saying I don't mind a very inclusive story. I have been binging the Expanse books for the last couple weeks and they might be my new favorite book series ever, and they're also probably the most inclusive books I've ever read. The thing is, they're well written.
This book on the other hand, is not. It reads like 8th grade fan fiction that some edgy girl wrote. It even has a Mary Sue self insert, who is a genius, an excellent shot, a martial arts expert, 7 feet tall (not exaggerating, she's supposedly over 2M tall) and so hot and charismatic she screws everyone who swings towards women and some who don't. It's ridiculous. Every single character who the reader is supposed to like checks one of the woke boxes and doesn't forget to mention it in every sentence, 'as a black woman I shot the alien in the face, and my boss babe boots crushed its skull because I'm an empowered minority woman who's also a lesbian'. Obviously that's hyperbole, but it's not off by much. And of course, every character we're not supposed to like is a straight man, and usually white. The original Alien cast was diverse as hell, same for Aliens and every other main franchise movie, but no one complained, because it wasn't the entirety of their character.
Even if you're a fan of the franchise, skip this one. I got it for free through audible and I want a refund for the time I wasted listening to this crap. Tim Waggoner is a terrible author, and this is a terrible book.
Let me preface this by saying I don't mind a very inclusive story. I have been binging the Expanse books for the last couple weeks and they might be my new favorite book series ever, and they're also probably the most inclusive books I've ever read. The thing is, they're well written.
This book on the other hand, is not. It reads like 8th grade fan fiction that some edgy girl wrote. It even has a Mary Sue self insert, who is a genius, an excellent shot, a martial arts expert, 7 feet tall (not exaggerating, she's supposedly over 2M tall) and so hot and charismatic she screws everyone who swings towards women and some who don't. It's ridiculous. Every single character who the reader is supposed to like checks one of the woke boxes and doesn't forget to mention it in every sentence, 'as a black woman I shot the alien in the face, and my boss babe boots crushed its skull because I'm an empowered minority woman who's also a lesbian'. Obviously that's hyperbole, but it's not off by much. And of course, every character we're not supposed to like is a straight man, and usually white. The original Alien cast was diverse as hell, same for Aliens and every other main franchise movie, but no one complained, because it wasn't the entirety of their character.
Even if you're a fan of the franchise, skip this one. I got it for free through audible and I want a refund for the time I wasted listening to this crap. Tim Waggoner is a terrible author, and this is a terrible book.
March 3, 2020
Maybe I've done too many of the Alien books this year but this one felt pretty generic except for the xenomorph itself, this time it's a necromorph! Infected with a cellular necrosis disease. The xenomorph adapted it to its own biology and weaponized it, which also caused an internal conflict where it wanted to both infect and murder / impregnate everyone.
Other than that you've got your strong heroine, shady corporation, and people willing to exploit and profit off of that leading to the xenomorph outbreak
Other than that you've got your strong heroine, shady corporation, and people willing to exploit and profit off of that leading to the xenomorph outbreak
October 20, 2020
Alien: Prototype was awesome! I thought the unique character twist about the Alien was unique. As a fan of the movies (yes, even Ressurection) I really liked Waggoner's treatment of this beloved franchise. Best of all, it was hard to tell who was gonna get picked off - and when!
- Review from Amazon Bestselling Author Julian Michael Carver
Author of Triassic and MEGACROC
- Review from Amazon Bestselling Author Julian Michael Carver
Author of Triassic and MEGACROC
February 14, 2022
Well done story. Truly enjoyed this one. If you are an alien fan, this is a good book to read.
May 24, 2024
Read this after Cold Forge and the difference is night and day. This book is really, really bad.
First of all, the alien itself is really dumb. When I first read the name "necromorph", I thought it would be something interesting like necromancy, eg maybe the alien resurrect after death or maybe corpses resurrect like zombies but, no. It just means a disease, "cellular necrosis", has genetically bound to the xenomorph and it... Coughs on people to spread this necrosis? How is this more terrifying than the xenomorph itself? Literally, the alien coughs on people to spread the virus.
The sections with the alien are also weird, like from it's POV. And the author describes the cellular necrosis as being in a symbiotic state? As if it's driving the xenomorph's behaviour? Xenomorphs are terrifying because of their "otherness" but having POV sections removed the mystery of them.
The xenomorph is introduced, and on the loose, far too quickly. There's no real suspense or tension
The writing is really poor. Things are repeated, the descriptions are bad, the dialogue is poor, there are inconsistencies. The characters aren't particularly interesting. There is an abundance of "telling, not showing". It's honestly a chore to read. The characters are caricatures, for example:
'She was a Hispanic woman with short black hair and a take-no-shit attitude.'
'He was a broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, well-muscled black man. Fitness wasn’t just a health thing with him—it was practically a religion.'
It's also completely riddled with clichés, poor descriptions, a complete lack of flair.
Also, this isn't unique to this book, but I'm tired of the evil scientist trope in Aliens always finding xenomorphs "beautiful", "perfect" etc and turning evil.
Honestly, I could go on, but this is the first book I've read in quite a while that actually irritated me from the beginning. I cannot believe this book was published, licensed, and then included in a three-story anthology.
This is the first book I've read by this author, who had apparently written over 50 books. Honestly, this makes sense. He can't take long writing them, or editing them. Many seem to be movie tie-ins, too.
Avoid.
First of all, the alien itself is really dumb. When I first read the name "necromorph", I thought it would be something interesting like necromancy, eg maybe the alien resurrect after death or maybe corpses resurrect like zombies but, no. It just means a disease, "cellular necrosis", has genetically bound to the xenomorph and it... Coughs on people to spread this necrosis? How is this more terrifying than the xenomorph itself? Literally, the alien coughs on people to spread the virus.
The sections with the alien are also weird, like from it's POV. And the author describes the cellular necrosis as being in a symbiotic state? As if it's driving the xenomorph's behaviour? Xenomorphs are terrifying because of their "otherness" but having POV sections removed the mystery of them.
The xenomorph is introduced, and on the loose, far too quickly. There's no real suspense or tension
The writing is really poor. Things are repeated, the descriptions are bad, the dialogue is poor, there are inconsistencies. The characters aren't particularly interesting. There is an abundance of "telling, not showing". It's honestly a chore to read. The characters are caricatures, for example:
'She was a Hispanic woman with short black hair and a take-no-shit attitude.'
'He was a broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, well-muscled black man. Fitness wasn’t just a health thing with him—it was practically a religion.'
It's also completely riddled with clichés, poor descriptions, a complete lack of flair.
Also, this isn't unique to this book, but I'm tired of the evil scientist trope in Aliens always finding xenomorphs "beautiful", "perfect" etc and turning evil.
Honestly, I could go on, but this is the first book I've read in quite a while that actually irritated me from the beginning. I cannot believe this book was published, licensed, and then included in a three-story anthology.
This is the first book I've read by this author, who had apparently written over 50 books. Honestly, this makes sense. He can't take long writing them, or editing them. Many seem to be movie tie-ins, too.
Avoid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2024
Tamar Prather is a corporate espionage mercenary. While teamed up with a group of space pirates, she discovers a greatly coveted Xenomorph egg aboard a ship and absconds with it. She brings it to her sometime employer, Venture, a massive biotech company and rival to Weyland-Yutani, hoping to received a big payday for her find. When the chief scientist sees the discovery he can't wait to use it to produce a Xenomorph of his own to study. But he makes the mistake of using a host with a virulent disease in his blood, producing a uniquely deadly Xenomorph that can pass the infection onto others. Meanwhile, Zula Hendricks is a former colonial marine hired by Venture to train a new Colonial Protection Force for the planet their facility is on. Though she's battles Xenomorphs before, nothing could prepare her for the nightmare she's about to face.
I have to admit, the introductory part of the book felt disjointed and hard to get into. There were a lot of characters and a lot going on in three or four directions. However, once the Xenomorph entered the picture, all bets were off. The story ramped up quickly and steadily, the action intense and heart-racing. The last 3/4 of the book definitely made up for the uneven qualities in the beginning.
I have to admit, the introductory part of the book felt disjointed and hard to get into. There were a lot of characters and a lot going on in three or four directions. However, once the Xenomorph entered the picture, all bets were off. The story ramped up quickly and steadily, the action intense and heart-racing. The last 3/4 of the book definitely made up for the uneven qualities in the beginning.
August 23, 2024
A fun and fast paced novel featuring familiar characters from the comics and games. There was some repetition with words and phrases, and that took me out of it a bit, but otherwise this is an enjoyable book with decent writing.
August 17, 2021
Great story set in the sci-fi/horror world of Alien. There's not a lot of xenomorphs in this one, but it was still a great story. Essentially a movie in book form. If you are a fan of Alien at all, this is well worth a read.
The audiobook was well done, but the narrator was female, so some of the male voices she tried to do sounded a little odd, but that's a small complaint...still worth listening to!
The audiobook was well done, but the narrator was female, so some of the male voices she tried to do sounded a little odd, but that's a small complaint...still worth listening to!
April 5, 2023
Enjoyable, if slightly lacking in xenomorph action.
June 27, 2022
So much wasted potential! The setup of an alien that spreads disease had me really intrigued! It was actually kind of scary and unexpected. But then it just boiled down to just another weapon in its arsenal, including (for reasons that still don’t make sense) pulse-rifle-proof armour, and boils that jet acidic black goo (but not if the plot needed to keep someone alive).
The plot convenience here was very notable! The alien had abilities at some points that seemed to vanish when main characters needed to survive. And then it seemed to gain abilities to help it survive because the book wasn’t over yet (apparently it can sense when grenades are being launched now?). And who fires grenades at a standing target anyway, rather than at the target’s feet?
The physics in action sequences turned on and off to suit plot, and the characters were either smart or stupid to suit the book length.
Suffice to say, I wasn’t a fan of this wasted opportunity. I was hoping for something fresh (e.g. imagine an alien who could create progeny through disease, bypassing eggs altogether? Imagine people being infected and then birthing larvae without the need for facehuggers? Terrifying!). But I got the same old stuff, but badly plotted.
The plot convenience here was very notable! The alien had abilities at some points that seemed to vanish when main characters needed to survive. And then it seemed to gain abilities to help it survive because the book wasn’t over yet (apparently it can sense when grenades are being launched now?). And who fires grenades at a standing target anyway, rather than at the target’s feet?
The physics in action sequences turned on and off to suit plot, and the characters were either smart or stupid to suit the book length.
Suffice to say, I wasn’t a fan of this wasted opportunity. I was hoping for something fresh (e.g. imagine an alien who could create progeny through disease, bypassing eggs altogether? Imagine people being infected and then birthing larvae without the need for facehuggers? Terrifying!). But I got the same old stuff, but badly plotted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2023
I am quite a fan of the Alien Saga. It wasn’t until recently that I started on the books. Having read and listened to a handful now, there are definitely better and worse authors when it comes to the building of this world. I quite enjoyed Prototype and it’s delving to the aliens specific biology of picking up traits of its host.
This novel also uses dramatic irony well.
This novel also uses dramatic irony well.
September 14, 2020
Tim Waggoner's "Alien: Prototype" has some good action sequences but overall it has a jarring disconnect between the fact that Colonial Marines are very familiar with Xenomorphs but the industrial spy, Tamar Prather, acquisition of a Xenomorph egg, and the subsequent use of a human test subject by Dr. Gagnon. Both Prather and Gagnon display no awareness that a Xenomorph life cycle but the military does? It is jarring to read about the ignorance of them versus the intimate knowledge that Zula Hendricks, former Colonial Marine, does.
What is interesting is the way a deadly virus is incorporated in the Xenomorph physiology which creates a even more deadly monster.
Check it out for hardcore fans.
What is interesting is the way a deadly virus is incorporated in the Xenomorph physiology which creates a even more deadly monster.
Check it out for hardcore fans.
January 8, 2021
When an industrial spy steals a Xenomorph egg from Weyland-Yutani, the Venture Corporation begins examining it at their planet-based facility known as the Lodge. Also at the Lodge, training its security personnel, is ex-Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks, who has the experience needed when the Xenomorph breaks free of containment.
The best word I could think of to describe the plot of this book is 'obvious'.
The set-up is so familiar as to be cliché, with an unethical scientist falling in love with the Xenomorph, the alien inevitably escaping and then the local badass having to hunt it down. There's nothing about it that you couldn't predict more or less from the very beginning.
Well, that's not entirely true, to be fair.
Waggoner introduces the idea that this particular specimen has incorporated a deadly virus into its genetic makeup and is therefore both alien killing machine and disease-infested plague vector. On a surface level this idea of the alien absorbing a disease from its host as well as the usual characteristics is an intriguing one, but the actual payoff in the text wobbles between silly and disappointing.
Honestly, is there really anyone who wants to read about a Xenomorph, whose whole concept from H. R. Giger was that it was beautiful in a disturbing way, which has pus-filled boils all over its body and which goes around coughing on people?
On a side note, if Waggoner was going to make a deadly virus part of the plot, he should've dedicated a bit more time to understanding how viruses work and that you can't just lob a vaccine at someone whose infected and have it cure them instantly.
Or am I being oversensitive about virus misinformation due to the currently ongoing global pandemic?
Another annoyance was the involvement of Zula Hendricks from the Aliens comics (as I understand it, this is set between 'Aliens: Defiance' and 'Aliens: Resistance').
It's not that she's a bad character, it's just that the idea that someone who has already fought the Xenomorphs just happening to take a job at a facility where a Xenomorph gets loose stretches credibility. With Ripley in the films there was always a legitimate reason she kept encountering these monsters in what is supposed to be a vast galaxy where they're almost unknown. Here, however, it's all too clear that the only reason Zula and the alien are both at the Lodge is so that the book can happen, with no further justification needed or offered.
Waggoner's prose is solid and engaging and some of the scenes are really well written; the training mission in the junkyard being particularly good. However, it's not enough to save a mediocre plot.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
The best word I could think of to describe the plot of this book is 'obvious'.
The set-up is so familiar as to be cliché, with an unethical scientist falling in love with the Xenomorph, the alien inevitably escaping and then the local badass having to hunt it down. There's nothing about it that you couldn't predict more or less from the very beginning.
Well, that's not entirely true, to be fair.
Waggoner introduces the idea that this particular specimen has incorporated a deadly virus into its genetic makeup and is therefore both alien killing machine and disease-infested plague vector. On a surface level this idea of the alien absorbing a disease from its host as well as the usual characteristics is an intriguing one, but the actual payoff in the text wobbles between silly and disappointing.
Honestly, is there really anyone who wants to read about a Xenomorph, whose whole concept from H. R. Giger was that it was beautiful in a disturbing way, which has pus-filled boils all over its body and which goes around coughing on people?
On a side note, if Waggoner was going to make a deadly virus part of the plot, he should've dedicated a bit more time to understanding how viruses work and that you can't just lob a vaccine at someone whose infected and have it cure them instantly.
Or am I being oversensitive about virus misinformation due to the currently ongoing global pandemic?
Another annoyance was the involvement of Zula Hendricks from the Aliens comics (as I understand it, this is set between 'Aliens: Defiance' and 'Aliens: Resistance').
It's not that she's a bad character, it's just that the idea that someone who has already fought the Xenomorphs just happening to take a job at a facility where a Xenomorph gets loose stretches credibility. With Ripley in the films there was always a legitimate reason she kept encountering these monsters in what is supposed to be a vast galaxy where they're almost unknown. Here, however, it's all too clear that the only reason Zula and the alien are both at the Lodge is so that the book can happen, with no further justification needed or offered.
Waggoner's prose is solid and engaging and some of the scenes are really well written; the training mission in the junkyard being particularly good. However, it's not enough to save a mediocre plot.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
December 3, 2019
This was an absolute blast to read! It's got everything you'd expect in a book based on the Alien franchise, but done in such a way that it feels fresh and not just a rehash of the movies. I mean how can you go wrong with a Xenomorph that is infected with a disease that rots flesh allowing it to cough on humans to spread the disease? You can't go wrong, that's how. Throw in some synthetics, a disgraced Colonial Marine, and a planet that is going through a major storm and you have a fun mindless book that will keep you entertained.
I could go through more of the plot, but I'd much rather just tell you it's not what you expect. No one is safe and the story goes into some interesting areas. We get a number of point of view scenes from the Xenomorph, which is pretty fun, especially when it is listening to its instincts as well as the instincts of the disease. This also leads me to the fact that there are some pretty violent scenes, there's no holding back in what the disease or the alien can do to soft squishy humans. If you've seen the movies, which I'm guessing you have, then you probably have an idea of the violence level, but there's something to reading about it that puts you more in the headspace.
I think this might be part of a series, but I only read this one and was just fine, so you should be good. But, I am intrigued what the other ones are like after reading this.
In the end, this is just a good fun story about a diseased alien trying to start a family while some evil humans stand in its way. If you are a fan of the Alien movies, than definitely check this out, and if you are not, then I don't know, the action is pretty non-stop, you might like that.
I could go through more of the plot, but I'd much rather just tell you it's not what you expect. No one is safe and the story goes into some interesting areas. We get a number of point of view scenes from the Xenomorph, which is pretty fun, especially when it is listening to its instincts as well as the instincts of the disease. This also leads me to the fact that there are some pretty violent scenes, there's no holding back in what the disease or the alien can do to soft squishy humans. If you've seen the movies, which I'm guessing you have, then you probably have an idea of the violence level, but there's something to reading about it that puts you more in the headspace.
I think this might be part of a series, but I only read this one and was just fine, so you should be good. But, I am intrigued what the other ones are like after reading this.
In the end, this is just a good fun story about a diseased alien trying to start a family while some evil humans stand in its way. If you are a fan of the Alien movies, than definitely check this out, and if you are not, then I don't know, the action is pretty non-stop, you might like that.
November 23, 2019
Predictable, Gory & not Up to Earlier Original Books
This book is the latest edition of the Alien series. The last book, was based on the Isolation game. Like the last book, it's somewhat of a letdown. Predictable, gory and fast moving, it's an entry that should've been more. Adding a new genetic equation in the evolution of the species, it just serves as an outlet to make the book similar to Alien Covenant on the gore quotient. What's lacking is corporate hijinks. I was hoping for a larger focus on this. The earlier original story books did a fantastic job of incorporating corporate greed vs the need to capture an alien and the stories were solid, not needing shock value. If you haven't read them, Alien, Out of the Shadows and Alien Sea of Sorrows were much better books of suspense, great characters and solid stories. This book did have Zula and her synth friend Davis who were very likable, but parts of the story were not addressed.
I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audio book. The same narrator from the last book was used and her voice is too soft. Her male accents aren't great either. I'm sorry they couldn't get the wonderful Tom Taylorson who did the Alien Covenant books. Just a so-so entry.
This book is the latest edition of the Alien series. The last book, was based on the Isolation game. Like the last book, it's somewhat of a letdown. Predictable, gory and fast moving, it's an entry that should've been more. Adding a new genetic equation in the evolution of the species, it just serves as an outlet to make the book similar to Alien Covenant on the gore quotient. What's lacking is corporate hijinks. I was hoping for a larger focus on this. The earlier original story books did a fantastic job of incorporating corporate greed vs the need to capture an alien and the stories were solid, not needing shock value. If you haven't read them, Alien, Out of the Shadows and Alien Sea of Sorrows were much better books of suspense, great characters and solid stories. This book did have Zula and her synth friend Davis who were very likable, but parts of the story were not addressed.
I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audio book. The same narrator from the last book was used and her voice is too soft. Her male accents aren't great either. I'm sorry they couldn't get the wonderful Tom Taylorson who did the Alien Covenant books. Just a so-so entry.
July 27, 2022
Starts strong with some space-pirate and -spy stuff which culminates in the theft of a xenomorph egg.. and then it's downhill into a militaristic Aliens rehash. The cover blurb promises "a creature more hideous than any Zula [a trained alien-fighter] has encountered before." What makes this alien more hideous than any other? This one has contracted a highly contagious cellular necrosis which, although it doesn't affect the alien, will kill a human in minutes.
They call it the Necromorph. An alien... that coughs.
So this whole thing is pretty schlocky. The alien itself is more gross than scary. There's enough gory kills to hold your interest, but the story & characters are pretty blah, especially toward the end when they just need to get on with it and kill that damn alien already. The prose isn't Fitzgerald, but it's serviceable. The only part that stuck out awkwardly to me was the alien-POV stuff, awkward because the alien is driven by instinct and can't really have a POV. Other than that, it was a decent way to kill some time, and got me curious about some of the other tie-in novels.
They call it the Necromorph. An alien... that coughs.
So this whole thing is pretty schlocky. The alien itself is more gross than scary. There's enough gory kills to hold your interest, but the story & characters are pretty blah, especially toward the end when they just need to get on with it and kill that damn alien already. The prose isn't Fitzgerald, but it's serviceable. The only part that stuck out awkwardly to me was the alien-POV stuff, awkward because the alien is driven by instinct and can't really have a POV. Other than that, it was a decent way to kill some time, and got me curious about some of the other tie-in novels.
May 12, 2022
Zula Hendricks, a character introduced in a series of Dark Horse Comics, returns in Alien: Prototype and is now working for Venture, a Weyland-Yutani rival, in an effort to save up enough money to continue her own personal war against the deadly Xenomorphs. A former Colonial Marine, her new job finds her training a colonial protective detail on a hostile planet used as a testing ground for Venture's colonization efforts. It's good timing, too, having this battle-hardened ex-Marine who's encountered her fair share of killer aliens living at the Lodge, because one of Venture's industrial spies has just recovered an alien egg for the science division to play with. Human trials begin in short order, but the volunteer that quickly finds himself on the wrong end of a face-hugger is a recent survivor of clinical trials for a flesh-eating bacteria vaccine. Oh boy!
So... you know how when the Xenomorph impregnates a host, it takes on that host's characteristics? And the dude that now finds himself host to an alien lifeform just so happens to have necrotizing fasciitis still lingering in his bloodstream? Well, it turns out that the biologically supreme killer with acid for blood can get a little bit grosser after all, especially after its body adapts to and then weaponizes necrotizing fasciitis by developing seeping lesions and spewing black clouds loaded with germs. Thank you, Tim Waggoner, for canonizing the Necromorph!
What I most enjoyed about Alien: Prototype is, in fact, the Necromorph itself. This thing is disgusting, and I adored every freaking moment with it. What's most compelling, though, is that Waggoner actually gives us some alien POV scenes, something that I don't believe has happened in the Alien lit-verse before (I could certainly be wrong, though!). They're brief, but certainly enjoyable, and paint a very compelling picture of a creature struggling with its competing instincts. It wants to breed and capture more humans to create more Xenomorphs, but it also desperately wants to spread its germs all over hell and back. The catch is, by incorporating necrotizing fasciitis into its biology, the flesh-eating bacteria has been upgraded to incredibly lethal proportions, killing the infected within moments. It makes for a neat bit of internal struggle within the alien killer, and makes for some rather pointed, albeit subtle, commentary about how nature can be deadly enough without humanity mucking things up and making it even worse.
It's interesting, too, that Alien: Prototype was itself published just a month before the COVID-19 outbreak began in China and spread worldwide. The book, in hindsight, takes on some inadvertent viewpoints that I suspect many of us will recognize in our on-going pandemic, particularly for essential workers. Retail employees will surely sympathize as one character notes, "Not only do we have to worry about getting eaten, we have to worry about catching a fatal disease, too. Nothing personal, Boss, but this job sucks harder every minute." Having to potentially sacrifice yourself to serve and protect others, all against the simmering underbelly of corporate greed, hits particularly hard when you're living through an actual, real-life pandemic. The sacrificial nature of workers in the corporate machine has always been a core, fundamental aspect of the politics of the Alien franchise, but Waggoner hits a truly interesting note here. I'm not going to go so far as to call Prototype prophetic, though, especially since none of Venture's colonists are storming the Lodge's administrators office protesting for their right to be infected, and a number of people actually do find themselves wishing they had a mask to wear!
Alien: Prototype is great fun to read, and Waggoner delivers all the expected franchise high-notes, with some added gross-out scenes for good measure, what with the sloughing, liquefying skin and all. Kudos, too, to Waggoner for bringing Zula Hendricks over to the prose side of the Alien tie-in universe and putting her center-stage. Now we just need her and Amanda Ripley to share page-space for a full-length novel...
So... you know how when the Xenomorph impregnates a host, it takes on that host's characteristics? And the dude that now finds himself host to an alien lifeform just so happens to have necrotizing fasciitis still lingering in his bloodstream? Well, it turns out that the biologically supreme killer with acid for blood can get a little bit grosser after all, especially after its body adapts to and then weaponizes necrotizing fasciitis by developing seeping lesions and spewing black clouds loaded with germs. Thank you, Tim Waggoner, for canonizing the Necromorph!
What I most enjoyed about Alien: Prototype is, in fact, the Necromorph itself. This thing is disgusting, and I adored every freaking moment with it. What's most compelling, though, is that Waggoner actually gives us some alien POV scenes, something that I don't believe has happened in the Alien lit-verse before (I could certainly be wrong, though!). They're brief, but certainly enjoyable, and paint a very compelling picture of a creature struggling with its competing instincts. It wants to breed and capture more humans to create more Xenomorphs, but it also desperately wants to spread its germs all over hell and back. The catch is, by incorporating necrotizing fasciitis into its biology, the flesh-eating bacteria has been upgraded to incredibly lethal proportions, killing the infected within moments. It makes for a neat bit of internal struggle within the alien killer, and makes for some rather pointed, albeit subtle, commentary about how nature can be deadly enough without humanity mucking things up and making it even worse.
It's interesting, too, that Alien: Prototype was itself published just a month before the COVID-19 outbreak began in China and spread worldwide. The book, in hindsight, takes on some inadvertent viewpoints that I suspect many of us will recognize in our on-going pandemic, particularly for essential workers. Retail employees will surely sympathize as one character notes, "Not only do we have to worry about getting eaten, we have to worry about catching a fatal disease, too. Nothing personal, Boss, but this job sucks harder every minute." Having to potentially sacrifice yourself to serve and protect others, all against the simmering underbelly of corporate greed, hits particularly hard when you're living through an actual, real-life pandemic. The sacrificial nature of workers in the corporate machine has always been a core, fundamental aspect of the politics of the Alien franchise, but Waggoner hits a truly interesting note here. I'm not going to go so far as to call Prototype prophetic, though, especially since none of Venture's colonists are storming the Lodge's administrators office protesting for their right to be infected, and a number of people actually do find themselves wishing they had a mask to wear!
Alien: Prototype is great fun to read, and Waggoner delivers all the expected franchise high-notes, with some added gross-out scenes for good measure, what with the sloughing, liquefying skin and all. Kudos, too, to Waggoner for bringing Zula Hendricks over to the prose side of the Alien tie-in universe and putting her center-stage. Now we just need her and Amanda Ripley to share page-space for a full-length novel...
October 25, 2019
Originally published October 25, 2019, at BORG.com.
Alien: Prototype review--Tim Waggoner upgrades your Xenomorph and Synth fix in new novel
Review by C.J. Bunce
If only the movies since Aliens had been this good.
Wrapping up the year's celebration of the 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic Alien, coming next week from author Tim Waggoner is the next novel of the Alien universe, Alien: Prototype. I've read most of the Alien tie-in novels, and this novel is right on the heels of the best of them, Tim Lebbon's Alien: Out of the Shadows. Three tough-as-nails female characters drive this story. Readers first meet Tamar Prather, a master of corporate espionage and all-around resourceful spy. Tamar self-driven and self-serving, and she breaks into Weyland-Yutani to steal a stasis pod housing a valuable trade secret, with a buyer at an opposing corporation ready and waiting.
Several hundred colonists live in the testing facility on the planet Jericho-3, and they're about to meet a threat even worse than your typical Xenomorph encounter. To protect them is Zula Hendricks (first introduced in the Aliens: Defiance comic series), a member of the security staff who has been training her squad for just this kind of alien encounter. Hendricks knows first-hand what works and what doesn't in combat, having lost her last platoon from her own bad judgment. Working for the new corporation is a new take on the franchise's synthetics, an upgraded cyborg named Brigette, and Hendricks' synth friend Davis, now assisting her but no longer in your typical synth bipedal form.
Despite Alien: Prototype′s requisite, nasty, sci-fi monster--and this time readers will meet an entirely new version of the Xenomorph even more difficult to defeat than her predecessors--the real villains of the Alien-verse continue to be the corporate wonks who refuse to heed the warnings of those who have encountered the Xenomorphs in previous clashes. But for the first time it's not Weyland-Yutani that is behind the decision-making leading to the next disaster.
Some Frankensteinian efforts combined with that colonial marines action from Aliens, All You Need is Kill/Edge of Tomorrow, and Starship Troopers, and more of what makes Alien... Alien: those weasely, dastardly, bastardly Burke/Paul Reiser types that ultimately teach us not to fool with mother nature--it all spells good sci-fi reading.
Waggoner knows his universe and its rules, what makes a soldier a colonial marine, and a synth a synth. The action makes for a quick, fun read.
For all fans of the Alien-verse, Alien: Prototype arrives in paperback in bookstores next week.
Alien: Prototype review--Tim Waggoner upgrades your Xenomorph and Synth fix in new novel
Review by C.J. Bunce
If only the movies since Aliens had been this good.
Wrapping up the year's celebration of the 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic Alien, coming next week from author Tim Waggoner is the next novel of the Alien universe, Alien: Prototype. I've read most of the Alien tie-in novels, and this novel is right on the heels of the best of them, Tim Lebbon's Alien: Out of the Shadows. Three tough-as-nails female characters drive this story. Readers first meet Tamar Prather, a master of corporate espionage and all-around resourceful spy. Tamar self-driven and self-serving, and she breaks into Weyland-Yutani to steal a stasis pod housing a valuable trade secret, with a buyer at an opposing corporation ready and waiting.
Several hundred colonists live in the testing facility on the planet Jericho-3, and they're about to meet a threat even worse than your typical Xenomorph encounter. To protect them is Zula Hendricks (first introduced in the Aliens: Defiance comic series), a member of the security staff who has been training her squad for just this kind of alien encounter. Hendricks knows first-hand what works and what doesn't in combat, having lost her last platoon from her own bad judgment. Working for the new corporation is a new take on the franchise's synthetics, an upgraded cyborg named Brigette, and Hendricks' synth friend Davis, now assisting her but no longer in your typical synth bipedal form.
Despite Alien: Prototype′s requisite, nasty, sci-fi monster--and this time readers will meet an entirely new version of the Xenomorph even more difficult to defeat than her predecessors--the real villains of the Alien-verse continue to be the corporate wonks who refuse to heed the warnings of those who have encountered the Xenomorphs in previous clashes. But for the first time it's not Weyland-Yutani that is behind the decision-making leading to the next disaster.
Some Frankensteinian efforts combined with that colonial marines action from Aliens, All You Need is Kill/Edge of Tomorrow, and Starship Troopers, and more of what makes Alien... Alien: those weasely, dastardly, bastardly Burke/Paul Reiser types that ultimately teach us not to fool with mother nature--it all spells good sci-fi reading.
Waggoner knows his universe and its rules, what makes a soldier a colonial marine, and a synth a synth. The action makes for a quick, fun read.
For all fans of the Alien-verse, Alien: Prototype arrives in paperback in bookstores next week.
April 16, 2021
Alien: Prototype by Tim Waggoner is a media tie-in novel based on 20th century Fox’s Alien Film Franchise. Set a few Decades after the events of the first film ALIEN. Alien: Prototype opens with some deep-space piracy. Tamar Prather is a spy who has been tasked with hanging around unsavoury types, the kind that attack and ransack other spacecraft. She is there because Venture, a Weyland-Yutani competitor, is always on the look out for valuable swag that can give it an edge against the other mega-corporations. And wouldn’t you know it, Tamar steals a very precious cargo. Ovoid. Glistening. You get the picture. This “prize” ends up at The Lodge, Venture’s facility on a planet called Jericho 3. The arrival of the egg precipitates events, much like one of those naughty chaos butterflies, but whipping up its own kind of dark hurricane.
The egg falls into the hands of Dr Gagnon, the stereotypical “mad scientist” type who becomes fascinated with the organism it contains. He also has no real morals holding him back from certain kinds of experiments, the kind that don’t often end well. He ends up with a Xenomorph, but there are complications. It’s not the same as the regular variety of Xeno, this one has picked up an extra ingredient in its mixture, one that makes it even deadlier than the normal kind. I know it’s a bit difficult to imagine how a creature like this could be any more dangerous. Maybe the mental image of a great white shark with a machine gun will serve here. Nope, this Xeno is far more dangerous than that!
As with any decent Alien tale, this Xeno is faced by people who are determined to stop it running amok. Zula Hendricks is an ex-Colonial Marine who has turned her hand to training a more civilian kind of security force, and it is her group of wet-behind-the-ears recruits that have to swallow their fear and face something truly dangerous, rather than the various neutered experiences they have received in their training to date. I won’t say much more as I really don’t want to spoil the sense of discovery you’ll get if you decide to read the book.
Alien: Prototype is a fun, relatively fast-paced book, with so many of the elements that I enjoy in an Alien novel. There is greed, some synthetic humans, and a bit of creature worship, along with a variety of encounters and combat situations that keep the interest. There are the typical scenes where the unaware get jumped by the Xeno, and there are scenes where the “very much aware” clash with it in desperate combat. There is some novel use of technology at times, and the “extra danger” this Xenomorph embodies is a really nice touch to add a splash of novelty to proceedings.
Overall, if you enjoyed any of the other Alien novels, such as Out of the Shadows or The Cold Forge, I think you’ll enjoy Alien: Prototype. If you’ve yet to dip into this series of novels, but love the Alien universe, I also think you’ll enjoy this book.
The egg falls into the hands of Dr Gagnon, the stereotypical “mad scientist” type who becomes fascinated with the organism it contains. He also has no real morals holding him back from certain kinds of experiments, the kind that don’t often end well. He ends up with a Xenomorph, but there are complications. It’s not the same as the regular variety of Xeno, this one has picked up an extra ingredient in its mixture, one that makes it even deadlier than the normal kind. I know it’s a bit difficult to imagine how a creature like this could be any more dangerous. Maybe the mental image of a great white shark with a machine gun will serve here. Nope, this Xeno is far more dangerous than that!
As with any decent Alien tale, this Xeno is faced by people who are determined to stop it running amok. Zula Hendricks is an ex-Colonial Marine who has turned her hand to training a more civilian kind of security force, and it is her group of wet-behind-the-ears recruits that have to swallow their fear and face something truly dangerous, rather than the various neutered experiences they have received in their training to date. I won’t say much more as I really don’t want to spoil the sense of discovery you’ll get if you decide to read the book.
Alien: Prototype is a fun, relatively fast-paced book, with so many of the elements that I enjoy in an Alien novel. There is greed, some synthetic humans, and a bit of creature worship, along with a variety of encounters and combat situations that keep the interest. There are the typical scenes where the unaware get jumped by the Xeno, and there are scenes where the “very much aware” clash with it in desperate combat. There is some novel use of technology at times, and the “extra danger” this Xenomorph embodies is a really nice touch to add a splash of novelty to proceedings.
Overall, if you enjoyed any of the other Alien novels, such as Out of the Shadows or The Cold Forge, I think you’ll enjoy Alien: Prototype. If you’ve yet to dip into this series of novels, but love the Alien universe, I also think you’ll enjoy this book.
January 6, 2021
Out of the newer Titan novels, I’d say this was the weakest but had a few redeeming qualities to it.
The book starts off fairly well and had me hooked when describing Zulus dream of a skeleton bone alien, it was fairly well written and set the mood. But like a teenager, this books mood swings were all over the place..
I absolutely loved the Necromorph. Easily the highlight of the book and it already being an alien, vicious and brutal, adding in something like cellular necrosis was brilliant in my mind. It brought a new darkness to this beast that I thought couldn’t achieve to be any more sinister. Each time the chapter would change perspectives to the alien, I was hooked. I really enjoyed being able to read about the battles it was having to procreate but spread this disease that it has. Trying to kill the alien became even harder and the pusulated lesions bursting over people or coughing up into a section of the bases air system to spread the sickness was a great read!
Then came the characters....all of them, forgettable and laughable at times. Like the recruits playing a joke that almost turns into a death on Zulu because she’s always so mean as their boss...uh ok.
I know Zulu continues on from this in comics, I believe, but I frankly don’t care. I couldn’t enjoy her story, the way she trained the recruits or her past relationship with Amanda or the xenomorph. Her dialogue was sloppy and at times, felt forced by the writer in trying to make me believe shes supposed to be a strong individual.
Although Davis (Zulus Android stuck in an earpiece) was fairly interesting and his battle with the Lodges AI in a chapter made me think of tron. It was different but overall worked for me.
Plus the way the alien escapes is extremely questionable. It’s mentioned previously that the doctor, who’s looking over the egg/alien, labs are extremely well enforced since he handles testing on subjects, especially with diseases. But the alien, once it bursts out of the volunteer, finds a small vent and escapes....and very casually goes back to running tests on the egg while sending his robot assistant to search for it in the vents. (Side note; I thought it was interesting that the author mentioned that the egg lips close back up. I don’t believe ever reading about that happening in the other books and was really hoping that it might lead to something but doesn’t get brought up again.)
Anyways, lots of up and downs in this one but I do have to say that this probably has my favorite written alien in the novel series so I’ll take all the puss filled necrosis sprayed on me for that alone!
The book starts off fairly well and had me hooked when describing Zulus dream of a skeleton bone alien, it was fairly well written and set the mood. But like a teenager, this books mood swings were all over the place..
I absolutely loved the Necromorph. Easily the highlight of the book and it already being an alien, vicious and brutal, adding in something like cellular necrosis was brilliant in my mind. It brought a new darkness to this beast that I thought couldn’t achieve to be any more sinister. Each time the chapter would change perspectives to the alien, I was hooked. I really enjoyed being able to read about the battles it was having to procreate but spread this disease that it has. Trying to kill the alien became even harder and the pusulated lesions bursting over people or coughing up into a section of the bases air system to spread the sickness was a great read!
Then came the characters....all of them, forgettable and laughable at times. Like the recruits playing a joke that almost turns into a death on Zulu because she’s always so mean as their boss...uh ok.
I know Zulu continues on from this in comics, I believe, but I frankly don’t care. I couldn’t enjoy her story, the way she trained the recruits or her past relationship with Amanda or the xenomorph. Her dialogue was sloppy and at times, felt forced by the writer in trying to make me believe shes supposed to be a strong individual.
Although Davis (Zulus Android stuck in an earpiece) was fairly interesting and his battle with the Lodges AI in a chapter made me think of tron. It was different but overall worked for me.
Plus the way the alien escapes is extremely questionable. It’s mentioned previously that the doctor, who’s looking over the egg/alien, labs are extremely well enforced since he handles testing on subjects, especially with diseases. But the alien, once it bursts out of the volunteer, finds a small vent and escapes....and very casually goes back to running tests on the egg while sending his robot assistant to search for it in the vents. (Side note; I thought it was interesting that the author mentioned that the egg lips close back up. I don’t believe ever reading about that happening in the other books and was really hoping that it might lead to something but doesn’t get brought up again.)
Anyways, lots of up and downs in this one but I do have to say that this probably has my favorite written alien in the novel series so I’ll take all the puss filled necrosis sprayed on me for that alone!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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