Alien: Isolation The Novel Bursting January 2019!

[Hudson]

It does feel like he hasn't actually played the game. I associate intense fear and panic with Isolation, and there's just none of that in here. It's like he didn't experience it for himself.

The most egregious example I've gotten to so far is the San Cristobal scene with Kuhlman. The whole sequence is glossed over when it was actually the most tense in the game through that point. I understand that the sneaking around doesn't push the plot forward, but the Alien doesn't even appear which makes the entire thing seem trivial. Amanda just goes and gets Morley's key card. And as has been mentioned, the Alien seems absent. I'm about halfway through. I'm still not into the flashbacks. I think you can embed exposition without interrupting the forward momentum of the story. It's what the reader's interior access to the character is for. Feels like the story gets put on pause a lot.

[HuDaFuK]

Yeah, I mentioned it in my review and it rings even more true now that I've finished - considering what a terrifying and all-pervasive force the Alien was in the game, it comes across as pretty incidental in the novel. I think the worst bit is when Amanda

Spoiler

just starts killing them towards the end. I don't wanna be harsh on DeCandido because generally I liked his writing but way to miss the entire point of the game.

[close]

The more I think about it, the more the novel reminds me of ADF's Alien 3 novelisation - starts out really well but by the end if feels as though time and/or the author's interest was running out.

[The Old One]

I'll pass then.

[Samhain13]

I think the worst bit is when Amanda

Spoiler

just starts killing them towards the end.

[close]

Spoiler

How does one turn the aliens from f**king Isolation into cannon fodder material? Way to kill my fanboy boner.

[close]

[Still Collating...]

I think the worst bit is when Amanda

Spoiler

just starts killing them towards the end.

[close]

https://i.imgur.com/6SZvvbP.jpg

Spoiler

How does one turn the aliens from f**king Isolation into cannon fodder material? Way to kill my fanboy boner.

[close]

Spoiler

What the hell? I'm not into making the aliens invincible, ever, but when you're adapting this particular story, the one moment where you don't get the aliens killed is here!

[close]

What a shame, a pass for me as well. Wasted potential to really expand the story of the station. All the new backstory for Amanda in the world can not win me over when you make her blonde. 

[Stitch]

Why are people taking issue with purple working joes?

[HuDaFuK]

Because that's lavender at best.

Spoiler

How does one turn the aliens from f**king Isolation into cannon fodder material? Way to kill my fanboy boner.

[close]

Spoiler

I wouldn't go as far as to say they become canon fodder - if memory serves she kills one or maybe two - but the fact she literally just walks up to one and cooks it with her flamethrower when in the game its so explicitly unkillable felt like a really bizarre change to make.

[close]

Another slightly odd thing I noticed with the book - at the beginning, DeCandido is big on giving every piece of tech we encounter a proper technical designation, from pistols to the access tuner to the freaking welding torch Amanda uses to effect repairs on Luna. But then later on he completely gives up on this and talks about generic "shotguns". Seemed a little strange.

[Still Collating...]

Why are people taking issue with purple working joes?

Cause in full on bright light they are as white and pale as can be, doesn't really scream purple or blue. Though I'd give that a pass, maybe Amanda's colorblind but her blond hair is what really bugs me cause I keep thinking how can that be just casually mistaken?

[The Cruentus]

Because that's lavender at best.

Spoiler

How does one turn the aliens from f**king Isolation into cannon fodder material? Way to kill my fanboy boner.

[close]

Spoiler

I wouldn't go as far as to say they become canon fodder - if memory serves she kills one or maybe two - but the fact she literally just walks up to one and cooks it with her flamethrower when in the game its so explicitly unkillable felt like a really bizarre change to make.

[close]

Another slightly odd thing I noticed with the book - at the beginning, DeCandido is big on giving every piece of tech we encounter a proper technical designation, from pistols to the access tuner to the freaking welding torch Amanda uses to effect repairs on Luna. But then later on he completely gives up on this and talks about generic "shotguns". Seemed a little strange.

To be fair

Spoiler

the Alien being unkillable is only a gameplay mechanic, its not literally meant to be invincible but I can agree killing it so easily and casually is a disservice. I was looking forward to this book as well.

[close]

[Corporal Hicks]

https://www.thezombiechimp.com/2019/08/05/alien-isolation-novel-review/

Positive review here.

[The Old One]

I see, I don't waste time on mediocrity though.
And you can't kill an adult Alien with fire, as Covenant established.

[Corporal Hicks]

https://scifibulletin.com/books/tie-in-fiction/alien-review-alien-isolation/

Another reviewer who enjoyed it.

[Samhain13]

Why are people taking issue with purple working joes?

Cause in full on bright light they are as white and pale as can be, doesn't really scream purple or blue. Though I'd give that a pass, maybe Amanda's colorblind but her blond hair is what really bugs me cause I keep thinking how can that be just casually mistaken?

Maybe he just thought she would look better as a blond. I found it hard to believe he could have mistaken that, he must have seen a picture of her before. So he choose to do that for whatever reason.

[Hudson]

Because that's lavender at best.

Spoiler

How does one turn the aliens from f**king Isolation into cannon fodder material? Way to kill my fanboy boner.

[close]

Spoiler

I wouldn't go as far as to say they become canon fodder - if memory serves she kills one or maybe two - but the fact she literally just walks up to one and cooks it with her flamethrower when in the game its so explicitly unkillable felt like a really bizarre change to make.

[close]

Another slightly odd thing I noticed with the book - at the beginning, DeCandido is big on giving every piece of tech we encounter a proper technical designation, from pistols to the access tuner to the freaking welding torch Amanda uses to effect repairs on Luna. But then later on he completely gives up on this and talks about generic "shotguns". Seemed a little strange.

I thought that was an annoying aspect of the description. Not sure why it couldn't just be a hack tool, it had to be a "Halfin" or whatever. The fact that this went on for nearly every item Amanda picked up was irritating.

Finished it this morning. Overall, it's not an effective look at the franchise in novel form. The whole thing is just one overly long awkward experience. I began to dread the flashback chapters to be honest. Ugh. Pacing was horrendous all the way through. There's nothing about any of the secondary characters that's expanded upon. I thought it would've been cool for us to get some kind of through-line with Ransome. Nope. The Alien doesn't feel very dangerous. There's no tension. Very disappointing to have what is essentially another swing and miss at this story. The plot of the game still feels incomplete to me. The web series is a disaster. And now this, which essentially amounts to 378 pages of a set up for Amanda and Zula's friendship to be carried on in future books and comics. 2/5 overall. Didn't take long to get from The Cold Forge to here, but I'm still looking forward to the upcoming novels.

[The Old One]

Ouch, definitely passing now.