Customer Reviews

Flinx's Folly: A Flinx & Pip Novel

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Okay, I've been reading the stories of Flinx and Pip for years now and I'm a huge fan. I'll admit that Foster's habit of jumping around chronologically in the novels he releases gets a little old (i.e. not within each story, but you're never certain where each new novel will fall in Flinx's life). Even given that I've usually enjoyed each one as it was released. The relationship between Flinx and Pip is explored in each book, Flinx learns more about his past, his powers continue to develop and Flinx matures and learns.

However, there's little of that in this novel. The only real development in this novel is that Flinx hooks up with Clarity again (and a few other characters, but I won't spoil that).

His powers are no more understand at the end of this book. The evil that he senses in earlier stories is about the same in this book. The powers that are influencing his powers and headaches are only developed in the smallest way.

Overall, I just found it kind of boring. Not much happens. Most of the story is driven by a jealous boyfriend and Flinx's headaches.

I'm not saying skip this one. If you're a fan of Flinx and Pip, you'll definitely be getting it, but save yourself some money and wait for the paperback. If you're new to the series, do not start with this story, but read some of the earlier stories like "For Love of Mother Not"

I think the title of this book really should have been "Yet Another Flinx and Pip Novel." Serving mainly to reunite Flinx with some of his old friends and allies, introduce a few new (and somewhat implausible) enemies, and further propound on the "Great Evil That Threatens The Universe As We Know It," this novel feels annoyingly like filler intended to keep fans happy until Foster gets around to wrapping up the series.

In Flinx's Folly, true to its name, a number of the titular hero's choices, from past stories and current, come back to haunt him. Fleeing both from a mysterious new group of fanatics devoted to the cleansing of the universe and from his own increasing mental turmoil, Flinx seeks out his former lover, Clarity Held, on the paradise planet of New Riviera. There he becomes the unwitting target of her would-be fiancee's jealous rage. The orphan prodigy who has outwitted interstellar crime lords, hostile aliens, and Commonwealth authorities is inexplicably defeated by a scheming corporate ladder-climber, and rescued by one of the least credible deus-ex-machinas in the entire series.

The one and only thing that is actually resolved in this novel is Flinx's ultimate choice: whether or not to accept his role in confronting the aforementioned Great Evil. In the end though, his choice is rendered moot by an annoying plot twist that once again leaves him fleeing from enemies and friends alike.

With all of my objections, however, this is still a Flinx and Pip novel, and as such is worth reading for devotees of the series simply so as not to have missed anything. I heartily wish that I'd waited for the paperback version to come out, however, as the hardcover price is too much to pay for filler. I await the release of Sliding Scales later this year with equal parts trepidation and anticipation.

I "panned" the previous Flinx book, _Reunion_, as being little more than a placeholder.

This one does a tad better, as it actually is something of a "reunion" with Flinx meeting up with several of the past favorite characters. Unfortunately, it's all pretty rushed.

And the story is being transformed to Flinx as an unwitting "Fifth Element" (ala Luc Besson), albeit without a Gary Oldham to play the central Zorg "bad guy." Well, actually, the "corporate VP" would have fit that fairly well, except that he's a too-easily vanquished monster that started the story masquerading as a thoughtful wannabe-fiance.

Did I mention that the story seems rushed?

I get the sense that Foster isn't really interested in Flinx anymore except as a salable franchise. There's a clear way to progress the story, because there's the "Fifth Element" thing; Flinx as the not-totally-understood weapon against the Ultimate Evil.

Unfortunately, the results aren't as engaging as the earlier books in the "Saga."

Alan's earlier works were impressive in there creativity and imagination. The beginning Flinx novels are some of the best science fiction written. However, these later novels feel tired and formulistic. Simple plot devices are used to move these stories forward.
Here are some things that I feel have been detracting from what could have been much better. In the beginning novels the author loved to weave a complex and suspenseful story together. Now it seems like authors love has shifted to nature, and only due to some publisher's insistence does he concede to concern himself with the development of the main characters. The science fiction has been reduced to simple references to enstien-bose condensates and other "scientific" sounding phrases- not very imaginative either.
My general feeling is that the author has long ago got tired of Flinx, and but for some contract he signed with his publishers does he force this story on. Why else would the imaginative stories be reduced to Flinx becoming the 5th element to ward off some vast evil that is approaching. That idea made for a mediocre movie, so why use it to propel a series of books.
If you are new to the series, read the authors earlier works. If you are the author, you should find a new agent that will allow you to put this series to an end, so as to end your torture. For the rest of us- I guess we can just skip reading and go directly to the crib notes- and watch the 5th Element again.

This is the eighth in Alan Dean Foster's series about a boy and his flying mini-dragon. Of course, Flinx is no longer a boy, has some very strange mental powers, and has managed to attract the attention of a host of unsavory characters. Subject to burst of psychic energy, Flinx makes accidental contact with a being that has suddenly become interested in Commonwealth space. This life form is something of a cosmic vacuum cleaner. Where it passes, nothing is left. And Flinx's fleeting contact tells him that the creature is both vast and evil. And it has a special dislike for Flinx, who, somehow, holds the key to saving the universe.

Still unsure about what to do, Flinx (Phillip Lynx) heads for the planet of New Riviera, a paradise planet where an old lover and friend, Clarity Held works as a bioengineer. At this point the plot starts moving by fits and starts, unable to make up its mind about whether it is a suspense/love story or suspense/alien menace story. What at first seems to be an interesting diversion gradually becomes the primary focus, despite having little to do directly with the initial developments of the book.

This works against the book, which becomes a story stuck inside a story, both of which are primarily related by having occurred at the same time and place. The reader keeps waiting for the connections to become clearer, but all you get is a dues ex machina transition from one to the other. This is jarring, and, in my mind, badly weakens the story, which really lacks the compelling storytelling for which Alan Dean Foster is known.

It is fairly clear that this is novel is intended as a bridge to develop both the impending doom plot as well as several interesting returns to Flinx's past. Eventually, we will solve the puzzle of who and what Flinx really is, but it won't happen in this volume. Instead, this is one of those books you have to read if you want to get to where the series is going. Hopefully, once things settle down, the future will bear more fruit. In the light of that, you may want to wait for the next volume to appear before committing to this one.

"Flinx's Folly" could have been much better. After all, Philip Lynx (aka Flinx) is an interesting character, smart, empathic, a mild telepath, and bonded to an Alaspinian mini-drag (a sort of snake with wings). And Flinx has had many other adventures, most of which have been entertaining, and some of which have been exhilirating.

However, most of the exhilirating adventures ("The Tar-Aiym Krang," "For Love of Mother-Not") are long behind Flinx, or, perhaps, have been put in stasis. For what we get in "Flinx's Folly" is warmed over romance coupled with a couple of the wildest deus ex machina plot twists that Alan Dean Foster has ever written.

Granted, in previous Flinx novels, Flinx often got out of trouble with what _looked_ like a deus ex machina, only to find out later that it was due to his own abilities, previous memories that had been walled off, or friends he didn't know he had (or that still lived). But in this book, Flinx gets out of trouble three times -- and all three are via deus ex machina of various types, and in only one case is the deus ex machina explained!

And although there are some humorous moments, and a bit of romance, it's not enough to leaven the mix in my opinion.

Which is why I'm giving "Flinx's Folly" 2 1/2 stars on the head. I think it's dead average; the writing is good, the pacing brisk, but really, there's nothing new here nor was there any reason to write this book except to further the series. Let's hope the next book will be the conclusion, so poor Flinx can finally find a nice woman to settle down with (whether it's Clarity Held or not) and get on with life.

Barb Caffrey

I have read every Flinx story so far, and this has to be the least useful of them all. What do I mean? Well, there is no new info given (at least none that readers could not have gleaned from the earlier stories) and the story itself has stagnated - -Flinx gets in trouble, gets out of trouble and in the process learns very little about himself and even less about what is happening to him. There is really no need to continually place him in mortal peril 2-3 times per story anymore - the character and story have moved past that point. What we are all waiting for is "What's next?" Who are the entities in Flinx's dreams (though some are explained in this story, there were no surprises); what part, if any, will the UU's play; how much longer can the Commonwealth continue to ignore that a Meliorare experiment is still running around loose?

Also, the story is too darn short! There is obviously so much more to be told, why not tell it? Believe me - Flinx would be as aggravated as I am about the lack of information!

So why give this 3 stars? I can't help myself - ADF is one of my top 2 favorite SciFi authors and he still writes as well as ever! The Commonwealth is as colorful as I remember, the human species hasn't advanced so far that it is unrecognizable, and we all need a little dry humor in our lives.

Take it for what it's worth: if you have read the other stories, you don't have to read this one because you already know most of the answers, but you should read it because it's Flinx! If you haven't read any of these stories, go back to "For Love of Mother-Not" and start there.

Let me start off by saying that I like the Flinx books, but I wouldn't give the entire series higher than a 4. There's nothing really deep here, but they're a fun read.

That said, this one is a fun read too, but the plot could really use some help. My problems with it include:

1: a group of fanatical assassins bent on destroying the universe. I have to say this seems pretty arbitary to me, since you'd think a group like that would have made an appearance before if they were going to be important.

2: He decides to look up Clarity Held, an old crush from Flinx in Flux. Granted, I haven't read that book yet, but it seems like Flinx has some other people who would be much more understanding and trustworthy than someone he only knew for a little while. What about Mother Mastiff, or Tse-Mallory and Truzenzuzex? This comes across as an awkward attempt to re-introduce a love interest.

3: Clarity's engaged to a nice-seeming fellow who suddenly goes on a jealous rampage, monopolizing the rest of the book. Um, Clarity seems like a sharp girl. You'd think she would have noticed a character flaw like homicidal jealousy before.

4: After everything Flinx has been through, the jealous madman finally gets the drop on him. Luckily however, old friends Tse-Mallory and Truzenzuzex happen to be in the neighborhood, and very randomly come to his rescue.

5: This one is a personal problem of mine. Tse-Mallory and Tru show up, rescue Flinx and Clarity, then promptly get shoved back offstage. Come on! I want to see more of these two!

All this amounts to a plot created out of non-sequiturs and deus ex machina. On the bright side, the characters are as much fun as ever. And we get to see a bunch of folks who haven't been around in a while, along with a promise of seeing more of them soon. For myself, I was content to borrow this from my public library, but I'd say it was worth reading once.

Ok, I gave it only 3 stars! I wanted to give it more, after all this is a Flinx book. I do recommend it for all those who have been following the series for years, as have I. This book seems to give a hint at greater things to come, or that Alan is gitting tired. I hope the former is true, I for one am going to contenue to read whatever commonwelth book he produces.

More...
1) Another group of fanatics want him dead!
2) He seeks out Clarity Held, after 6 years (good - remmeber longtunnel).

3) Truzenzuzex and Tse-Mallory show up seeking his help (good)!
4) They come to some conclusions that long time readers figured out a long time ago (ok).
5) We are left hangging, waiting and hopping that more will be reveiled in the future!

P.S. on scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 7.

I really liked the beginning books in this series but with this one I've had enough; I can't take it anymore - hearing about Flinx's headaches, his problems using his talent, his passivity, it just drives me nuts. And if you get to the end of this book, you will feel cheated, just like I did, when you realize the whole build-up throughout the book gets wiped out in one page.

Seriously?

I feel like this was a season finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or some crap sitcom where a main character gets shot and no resolution, so you feel artificially inspired to watch the next season.

After reading the reviews for the following books, I think I am going to stop here and not continue with the series. If you don't mind not having the plot advance for another 4 novels though, please feel free to read this book and the rest after it.