Project U.L.F

Comments

1. GS says:
   March 15, 2008 at 6:29 pm

   My review of Project U.L.F.:

   Stuart Clark is a rising star in science fiction, judging by the reaction to his splendid first novel, "Project U.L.F." A swift-moving adventure, it cleverly transfers "The Lost World" to, literally, a lost world; an unnamed planet 2.7 light years beyond Centauri Red 603. The easy prose and unwavering pace invite you to sit down, strap in, and enjoy the ride.

   The shameful past that Wyatt Dorren hides only fuels his drive as head of Project U.L.F., a division of the Interplanetary Zoo tasked with collecting unseen creatures from across the galaxy. He's become good at his job. Too good. And that means someone wants him out of the way. Wyatt and his team of misfits find themselves stranded on an uncharted and very dangerous planet, fending off Clark's imaginative repertoire of critters and beasties as they look for a way home.

   It comes as no complaint that "Project U.L.F."'s plot is relatively straightforward; that is the novel's strength. There are a number of twists, turns and betrayals, to be sure, but the joy is in riding along with Wyatt as he works overtime getting out of jams while travelling from Point A to Point Beta Epsilon. A movie thrillride if ever there was one, "Project U.L.F." packs in the set pieces while never feeling manufactured for show.

   The ensemble crew have their own trials along the way, and all (well, most all) come across as endearing despite their flaws. I particularly liked Chris, the naive medic who is much more than he seems, and Gon-Thok, the... what the heck is Gon-Thok, anyway? If anything, I thought Furball was underutilized -- while more was hinted at with his empathy, it didn't seem to come to fruition.

   If you're yearning for a good, solid adventure of the kind 'they don't seem to make anymore', you're in for a treat with "Project U.L.F.". Me? I'm just waiting for the next installment -- same Clark time, same Clark channel.

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