Creature from the Black Lagoon: Time's Black Lagoon

Despite my long-standing love of this shambling, soggy Creature, I may never have bought this novel had I not seen it was written by Paul Di Filippo, the highly regarded author of such collections as THE STEAMPUNK TRILOGY and novels such as COSMOCOPIA (and the wonderful A YEAR IN THE LINEAR CITY, which I read a few years ago). That's what I find so intriguing about Dark Horse's tie-in novels, that the editors have chosen such well-established, not to mention distinctly original literary fantastists, to write them (and I've already ordered ALIENS: NO EXIT, by B. K. Evenson -- Brian Evenson, another unique author I've enjoyed). So I knew this novel was bound to be a fun, assorted grab bag, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. TIME'S BLACK LAGOON was just as enjoyable as Jeff VanderMeer's recent, action-packed Dark Horse tie-in, PREDATOR: SOUTH CHINA SEA, but with a different, more casual and friendly tone (until the end chapters, where it gets pretty damn frenzied and apocalyptic, too; let's just put it this way, there isn't just one Creature in this book -- not by a long shot -- and there are other creatures on a microscopic level that might pose an even greater threat). One reader whose comments I perused complained that the novel was slow, but the only thing slow are the wits of those who can't appreciate the novel's human, likable characters, delightful sense of humor, radical reimagining of the Creature and its origins, and such imaginative plot devices as a time machine (embodied in an iPod!) that can open a portal into the Devonian Period. The early chapters intrigue as we witness the protagonist's growing obsession with the Creature, his introduction to a time machine his researcher friend has developed, and his inevitable journey into the far-flung past. The early sequences in the Devonian, as the protagonist and his girlfriend seek out the Creature (and find much more than they bargained for), really made me feel like I was tromping through the muck along with them, sort of like "Survivorman" meets "Jurassic Park." The plot gets even more mind-blowing and head-spinning from there, but always in a perfectly accessible way. The novel is way better than it needs to be, but that's just what I would expect from an author like Di Filippo. I recommend it highly; it's good-natured, fantastically fun, witty and clever and inventive. You might even get a little awed by the time traveling science. Just a thoroughly enjoyable book.

It's 2015, and seeking a way to adapt humans to the new environment caused by global warming, two marine scientists go back in time to find and study the Gill-man. The book respects and pays homage to the original 1950s films, while bringing the concerns and themes right up to date in the 21st century. There are just so many good ideas in here: beginning with the fact that time travel is possible - but the earliest you can go is 300 millions ago (no trips to yesterday), and the idea that the time machine is controlled by an iPod (shades of a Delorean - "If you're gonna go, go in style.") To say any more is to risk spoilers, but over the course of the book we find out what really happened in the 1950s and the unexpected origin of the Gill-man (make that Gill-people). Even if you are not a big Creature fan, I still recommend this book. All the backstory is filled in (which can make the first few chapters a little slow if you've seen the films a dozen times), and just on its merits as a time travel book it's worth reading. Oh, and the climax -- the last 60 pages -- simply will not let you go. I know the odds are slim, but I'd love to see these images on the big screen.

Once I started into this book I couldn't put it down. If you love anything about the Creature and any stories dealing with time travel you should love this book. It is very well written and puts a nice spin on the Creature story. It ties in very well to the original films. A must read for Creature fans!

Heh. A Creature from the Black Lagoon novel? I picked this up on impulse and found it be rather enjoyable. It's a bit slow getting started, but the pace keeps picking up all the way to the end. The story is not a retread of the old movie, but a SciFi/pulpy tale sequel of sorts. I'm not usually a fan of liscenced properties, but this book has me interested in this new series from Dark Horse, and am looking forward the Elizabeth Hand's Bride of Frankenstein novel.