Customer Reviews

Comeback Tour (Dark Future)

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3 star:		(1)
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In the early 1990s, Kim Newman (writing as Jack Yeovil) wrote the four-novel "Demon Download cycle" set the the "Dark Futures" Universe. The books were more recently (2005/2006) brought back into print by Black Flame in Mass paperback editions. The novels were slightly modified in order to update many of the pop cultural references. They therefore feel less dated now than the originals novels. Although the books are out of print, copies are readily obtained through Amazon marketplace.

I would like to address a matter that I haven't seen discussed elsewhere: what order should they be read. This is a confusing issue if you haven't already read the books. There is the original publication order which is not the same as the numbered order on the book covers which is not the same as the internal chronological order. So to set the record straight:


Publication Order

Demon Download (1990/2005)
Krokodil Tears (1990/2006)
Comeback Tour (1991/2006)
Route 666 (1994/2006)


Book Cover Numbering

(This is the wrong order. Someone at the publisher must of made a mistake.)

1. Demon Download
2. Route 666
3. Krokodil Tears
4. Comeback Tour


Internal Chronology

1. Route 666
2. Krokodil Tears
3. Demon Download
4. Comeback Tour


I would recommend that the books be read in order of internal chronology. I think the overall flow of the stories works best this way.

Apparently there was supposed to be a 5th "Demon Download" novel (called "U.S. Cavalry") which was never written. This novel would have been about the final battle against main villain of the series. Kim Newman (Jack Yeovil) has said that he has no intention of returning to the Dark Future universe to write this novel. Even without the final novel, the series is quite readable on its own. There is no massive cliffhanger at the end of last book. Each of the novels tells a self-contained story and does not really suffer even if read out of order. Still, the series grows on you with each volume, and I found myself really missing the 5th book after reading "Comeback Tour".

Overall I found the series to entertaining and fun to read. I wouldn't say it rises much above that level though. This is definitely not Newman's best work. I would probably rate the books as follows:


1. Route 666 ( 3.0 stars )
2. Krokodil Tears ( 3.5 stars )
3. Demon Download ( 3.5 stars )
4. Comeback Tour ( 3.5 stars )


Kim Newman is an very talented writer. I would highly recommend his "Diogenes Club" stories and his "Anno Dracula" books.