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Bionic Reviews: Cyborg by Martin Caidin (1972)

Posted in Bionic Man, books, pop culture, reviews, Six Million Dollar Man, TV shows with tags Bionic Review, Book Report, books, pop culture, reviews, Six Million Dollar Man, SMDM Book, TV shows on June 21, 2012 by Paxton

This is the first of an ongoing feature where I read, watch and review books, comics and TV shows featuring The Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman. Click the Bionic Review banner to see the Bionic Review archive page. Click the smaller banner to see only those specific reviews.

The Six Million Dollar Man began as a 1972 super-spy novel called Cyborg by Martin Caidin. It was a classic 70s spy book but with the added fantastical elements of human biological enhancements (called bionics).

Above are two paperback covers for the book. I own both. On the left is one of the original paperback covers with no mention of The Six Million Dollar Man on the cover. On the right is a later paperback edition with not only a bolded and underlined mention of the show at the very top, but Lee Majors’ face in the lower right. The cover on the right would actually be modified and used again for the sequel novel, Cyborg 2: Operation Nuke when it hit paperback.

Cyborg would not be the first time Caidin wrote about bionics. In 1968 Caidin wrote The God Machine which dealt with the topic of bionics and artificial intelligence. Caidin would incorporate those aspects into this novel. Caidin wrote Cyborg as the first in a series. The book was picked up and adapted into the first Six Million Dollar Man TV movie in 1973. The studio made a few small changes to the character of Steve Austin for the TV show. The biggest change would be to Austin’s bionic eye. In the novel the eye is blind for Austin. However it is outfitted with a microfilm camera and a laser. Yes, he can shoot lasers out of his bionic eye, which is crazy-awesome and I wonder why they didn’t incorporate that in the show (well they did, but only in Austin’s son during one of the reunion movies). Also, the TV version of Austin is much more powerful and can run faster than the book version. They also toned down the hardcore grittyness of the spy novel for the TV series.

Cyborg UK cover Cyborg novel

So, how is the book? It’s actually a pretty good 70s spy novel. It sets up the origin of Steve Austin and his accident in much the same way the TV show did. It spends a believable amount of time on the bionic surgeries as well as his rehabilitation both physically and mentally to his new bionic parts. If anything is different than the TV show it’s that you don’t get the awesome “bionic sound” whenever Steve uses his abilities and, like I said, the performance of his “bionic parts” is slightly different. Steve gets the same bionic parts in the book that he does in the show (right eye, left arm, both legs) but he also gets a steel plate in his head and a radio transmitter in one of his ribs.

There are two good missions Steve goes on in this novel. One is a “water mission” so we see Austin’s bionic enhancements helping him in the ocean. He gets to use his “critical mission” limbs that let him swim faster and and breathe underwater by hooking up his scuba breather to his leg. Pretty awesome. Steve also goes on a desert mission where he’s stranded for what seems like days. Many good uses of his bionics in this book.

So, yes, this book is pretty good. Typical 70s spy novel. It’s a bit slow in parts (as 70s novels tend to be), but intersting enough for me to keep reading. I definitely look forward to reading more about the literary Steve Austin.

Caidin wrote three sequel novels to Cyborg. All of Caidin’s Austin novels stay true to the original and do not incorporate the character elements of the TV show.

Check out other Bionic Reviews on the Bionic reviews archive page.

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Review of Oz Book 5: The Road to Oz (1909)

Posted in books, Classic literature, pop culture, Wizard of Oz with tags Book Report, book review, books, movies, Oz books readthru, Wizard of Oz on June 11, 2012 by Paxton

One year after Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, Baum released the fourth Oz sequel; The Road to Oz: In Which Is Related How Dorothy Gale of Kansas, The Shaggy Man, Button Bright, and Polychrome the Rainbow’s Daughter Met on an Enchanted Road and Followed it All the Way to the Marvelous Land of Oz. Yes, that is the “official” title.

(Via pixiepalace.com)

Like the other books in the series, this book is a “road trip” book. A bunch of characters start off walking and meet a bunch of other crazy characters before eventually arriving in Oz. And in this book, that summary is literally what happens. There’s really no villain in this book. No threat or conflict to resolve. The characters just journey from Point A to Point B and end up in Oz for a celebration. That’s it. So, the story is a tad thin. However, the illustrations by John Neill throughout the book are gorgeous and very detailed. In fact, in the front of the book, we are treated to a really nice illustrated map of the land of Oz and the surrounding magical countries that Baum keeps adding to the landscape in each successive book. And I’m sure this map will change as I get further into these books.

(Via Oz-central.com)

So, the story starts off with Dorothy back in Kansas. She’s out strolling around the Kansas plains with Toto (who returns for the first time since Book 1). Dorothy bumps into a wandering vagabond called The Shaggy Man. Obviously not fearing for her life that a disheveled hobo has shown interest in her, Dorothy begins giving him directions but stops because she believes this hobo to be stupid. Dorothy, again, in this book is kind of a dick. She corrects people’s grammar and, like just happened, she tells people they are too stupid to understand certain directions she is giving them. Anyway, the Shaggy Man is in possession of something called a “love magnet” (yeah, I know) that causes anyone that sees him to fall madly in love with him. Where he got it, he doesn’t say. Dorothy leads the Shaggy Man to a crossroads that should lead him where he wants to go, but as she turns to leave, the crossroads multiplies from 2 to 7 to 18 to infinity. Confused, the travelers decide to just pick a road and begin their journey to wherever the hell they are supposed to go. Along the roads they meet Button Bright, a child in a sailor suit who is anything but bright, and Polychrome, the rainbow’s daughter. It’s this group that will travel the fairy roads to Oz.

The first stop is in Foxville, home of a bunch of anthropomorphic foxes. The Fox King magically turns Button Bright’s head into a fox as a reward for being “clever” but doesn’t know how to turn it back when Button Bright objects. So the group leave and end up in Dunkiton, where a similar fate is bestowed upon Shaggy Man, except it’s a donkey head. The group is told that the only thing that will fix them is the Truth Pond, only found in Oz. So the adventurers head towards what they hope is Oz.

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Review of Oz Book 3: Ozma of Oz by L Frank Baum (1907)

Posted in books, movies, Wizard of Oz with tags Book Report, books, Oz books readthru, pop culture, reviews, Wizard of Oz on April 18, 2012 by Paxton

It’s time to take a look at the next book in the original Baum Oz series; Ozma of Oz. Click the image above to see the previous entries in my Oz book read through.

ozma of oz - books of wonder

Ozma of Oz was released in 1907. It is the third book in the series. It had been three years since the last Oz sequel, Marvelous Land of Oz. It also featured the triumphant return of Dorothy Gale.

This book was sort of a departure. Instead of taking place in Oz, it takes place in a neighboring fairy land called Ev. Dorothy is traveling with her uncle on a boat when a storm hits and carries Dorothy to the fairly land of Ev. There Dorothy meets more crazy weird characters that she winds up traveling with. Once Dorothy realizes she’s in a similar fairly land that happens to neighbor with Oz, she doesn’t yearn to travel home to Kansas, like in the first book, she longs to return to Oz.

Also returning in this book are the original three companions; Scarecrow, Tin Man (Nick Chopper) and Cowardly Lion, who makes his first appearance since Book 1. And, obviously since the book is named for her, Princess Ozma also returns. The new characters we meet are Billina, a talking hen, Tik-Tok the mechanical man and the Hungry Tiger, a companion of the Cowardly Lion that is always hungry (obviously). We also meet the royal family of Ev (who need rescuin’) and the Nome King. Tik-Tok and the Nome King would prove popular enough that they would feature in several books later in the series. One of them written by Baum himself.

Gnome_king_oz_cover tik_tok_of_oz

So Dorothy becomes stranded in Ev. Dorothy is joined by the hen, Billina, and eventually Tik-Tok, the mechanical man. We also meet these characters called The Wheelers (who show up in the movie Return to Oz) and Dorothy is taken hostage and locked away by the current Princess of Ev. The current Princess is very vain and can change her head whenever she wants. She keeps like 30 heads in her closet. So, the Princess wants Dorothy’s head, is refused and locks up Dorothy and her friends. Hearing about this, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion come with Ozma and her army from Oz across the Deadly Desert to rescue her. Next we get this whole back story about the land of Ev. The original King was a douchebag (my words, not Baum’s). He sells his entire family to the Nome King, who is a very magical being, in exchange for long life. Then the idiot king goes and drowns himself in despair for what he’s done. Like beheadings in the first book, this book is filled with people who drown themselves or nearly get drowned. Dorothy is almost drowned in the beginning of the book. This king does it to himself and there are several other mentions of drowning throughout the book. This Baum guy has serious issues. He should get them looked at, STAT.

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Review of Oz Book 2: The Marvelous Land of Oz by L Frank Baum (1904)

Posted in books, movies, pop culture, Wizard of Oz with tags Book Report, books, movies, Oz books readthru, pop culture, reviews, Wizard of Oz on March 5, 2012 by Paxton

And so I continue my journey down the yellow brick road. A few weeks ago I finished the original Wizard of Oz book by L Frank Baum and posted my review here. Now it’s time to continue the series with Book 2: The Marvelous Land of Oz.

I mentioned previously that I’ve read the original Oz book several times. I have never read any of the other books in the series. EVER. So this was the first time I’d delved in to the original Baum Oz sequels in my life. Needless to say, I was a little nervous but also excited.

First, a little background on this book. It was published in 1904, four years after the original Oz book. Baum had not intended to write a sequel. There was a stage play adaptation of the first book in 1902 that became very popular. Baum actually dedicates the book to comedians David Montgomery and Fred Stone who portrayed the Tin Man and Scarecrow in that stage production. It should also be noted that this book’s story and structure was written with an eye towards adapting it as a stage play. You will notice these elements as you read the story. Baum also stated in the foreward that he decided to write the sequel due to the large volumes of mail he received from young fans asking for more adventures in Oz. Baum included the Tin Man and Scarecrow in the book because they were the most popular characters with fans.

Now, to the book itself. It’s actually not bad. Baum’s boundless imagination really shines through. The structure of this book is very similar to the first Oz book, but Baum populates the story with so many fun and interesting characters you can’t help but be charmed by it. Dorothy doesn’t appear, though she’s mentioned a few times. Neither does the Cowardly Lion appear. The story seems to take place a few years after Dorothy’s departure. It centers on an eclectic group led by new character Tip who is being raised by the witch Mombi. He flees the witch after she threatens to turn him into a garden statue and takes a walking talking pumpkin-headed man named Jack with him. Along the way they acquire a Saw Horse, the original Scarecrow, King of Emerald City and the original Tin Man, Emporer of the Winkies. They also acquire HM Wogglebug, TE and a magically re-animated creature called the Gump.

The group meets HM Wogglebug, TE.

This group travels across Oz after an army of girls takes over the Emerald City. The group try to get to Glinda the Good Witch to get her help in expelling the army. There’s a lot of talk about the Wizard and Baum certainly does his fair share of ret-conning the character of the Wizard. Amongst the denizons of Oz the Wizard is no longer considered a non-magical “humbug” but a bumbling good natured fellow who happened to be a bad wizard (although an actual “wizard” nonetheless). It is also shown that the Wizard wasn’t as reclusive as he was during the first book. No one had really ever seen him before when Dorothy arrived at the Emerald City, but in this book Mombi mentions at one point that she was visited by the actual Wizard and that he taught her several magical tricks as payment for a big favor she performed (revealed later in the book). There is even a discussion of who ruled Oz before the wizard showed up, which I think is interesting Oz history. This means the Wizard showed up, battled the previous ruler of Oz, won and then usurped the throne. That’s most definitely a change in character for the previously bumbling character. And I like it. But this is just the beginning as we see an army of girls sack the Emerald City, the Scarecrow lose all of his stuffing (again!) and have it replaced with actual money and a magical chase through Oz featuring Glinda the Good and Mombi. We even see the Deadly Desert that has been mentioned in both books that surrounds the land of Oz. This “deadly” desert in later books will turn anyone who touches it into sand. Just not this time. Anyway, the group of heroes save the Emerald City and there is much rejoicing.

Oh, I forgot, this book mentions several times the Tin Woodsman’s proper name, Nick Cutter. I don’t remember that being mentioned in the first book, but it’s mentioned in this book several times. I thought that was weird. When it came up at first I was like, “Who the f**k is Nick Cutter?!”. It’s the Tin Woodsman. Interesting trivia for you.

So, in the first book, the beheadings count was up to 42, all but one being doled out by Mr Cutter. However, there are no beheadings in this book which causes the series average to plummet to 21. I’ll be keeping track of the beheadings as I read. We’ll see if anyone gets their heads chopped off in Book 3 (fingers crossed).

So if you are interested in more Oz goodness, definitely give this book a chance. It’s a fun read.

Here is my checklist of the Oz books and I’ve checked off the ones I’ve read so far. Up next is Ozma of Oz.

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Review of Oz Book 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum (1900)

Posted in books, movies, pop culture, Wizard of Oz with tags Book Report, books, movies, Oz books readthru, pop culture, reviews, Wizard of Oz on February 22, 2012 by Paxton

Earlier this year I vowed that I was going to read all of the original 14 Oz books this year. And to hold myself accountable, I’m going to blog reviews of the books as I read them.

And so the journey begins.

I began my reading with my Books of Wonder copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I’ve read this two or three times now, but it’s such a quick and easy read I had no problem jumping right in.

It’s hard not to compare this book to the 1939 movie with Judy Garland and company. That movie is so iconic it’s tough not to picture it when you are reading. However, I did my best. Denslow’s illustrations really help, though. Plus, the basics of the plot in this book are woven all through the movie. But the differences between this book and the movie make the book that much more endearing.

Wizard of Oz 1st edition

Like I said, the basics are the same. Young Dorothy and her dog Toto are whisked away to the land of Oz by a cyclone leaving behind Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. There she travels to the City of Emeralds to see Oz, the great and powerful, in hopes that he can return her to Kansas. Along the way she meets the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion. While these basics are the same, the journey these characters make is different and much more dangerous than the MGM movie.

Some of the differences in the book include Dorothy meeting the Good Witch of the North in Munchkinland instead of Glinda, the Good Witch of the South (who she meets in the movie). Glinda doesn’t show up until the very end of the book. Also, and I think many people know this now, the magical shoes are silver in the book instead of ruby. We also don’t meet the Wicked Witch of the West face to face (they talk a lot about her) until the last third of the book. And those are just some of the differences to the movie.

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