JMS Unplugged

Rating:
Summary: Good, but predicatable
Review: While "some" of these tales have been previously printed in _Tales from the New Twilight Zone_, they all have that flavor -- the setup, the odd goings-on, the twist, the strangely just conclusion. The bad guys get theirs, and the good guys, too, perhaps with a bit of poignancy tossed in. It's the formula that Rod Serling (and, even better, Richard Matheson) honed to a sharp edge during the orignal run of TZ, and JMS picks it up and runs with it admirably.

That, perhaps, is the primary problem with this collection. The stories end up feeling formulaic, and once you assume that there will be a twist ending, you end up spending more time trying to figure out what it will be than enjoying the trip there.

I recommend this book for JMS fans, and TZ fans, and for folks who Like That Sort of Thing. But it's not Joe's most imaginative or intelligent work. No regrets for having bought it, and I'm sure I'll pull it down off the shelf again, but I'm not going to send out copies of it at Christms, either.

Note: While the book is actually titled _Straczynski Unplugged_, Amazon continues to list it under the proposed title _JMS Unplugged_. The (rather washed-out) cover shot shows the correct title.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but predicatable
Review: While "some" of these tales have been previously printed in _Tales from the New Twilight Zone_, they all have that flavor -- the setup, the odd goings-on, the twist, the strangely just conclusion. The bad guys get theirs, and the good guys, too, perhaps with a bit of poignancy tossed in. It's the formula that Rod Serling (and, even better, Richard Matheson) honed to a sharp edge during the orignal run of TZ, and JMS picks it up and runs with it admirably.

That, perhaps, is the primary problem with this collection. The stories end up feeling formulaic, and once you assume that there will be a twist ending, you end up spending more time trying to figure out what it will be than enjoying the trip there.

I recommend this book for JMS fans, and TZ fans, and for folks who Like That Sort of Thing. But it's not Joe's most imaginative or intelligent work. No regrets for having bought it, and I'm sure I'll pull it down off the shelf again, but I'm not going to send out copies of it at Christms, either.

Note: While the book is actually titled _Straczynski Unplugged_, Amazon continues to list it under the proposed title _JMS Unplugged_. The (rather washed-out) cover shot shows the correct title.