Customer Reviews

JOKERTOWN SHUFFLE (Wild Cards)

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

 

 

I don't think that anyone blames the authors individually the jumpers are just a terrible story arch.

Most of this story is set in a world where a madman released a bomb in 1946 that spawned the Wildcard Virus resulting in "Aces" gifted with superhuman powers and "jokers" cursed with various physical and mental deformities. While most stories are focused primarily on the Aces and the roundabout good they do humanity this one is focused primarily on the character of Hieronymous Bloat. Bloat genuinely concerned about the plight of the jokers and wants to use his mental powers to help. However he also never developed past the mental level of a particularly needy teenager. He quickly becomes a pawn in someone else's game.

The other reviews I've read here seem overly harsh to me. The only fantasy I've ever enjoyed was Tolkien, and I'm an avid reader (and critic) of Science Fiction, and I Loved this book, comic book elements and all. Yeah, Tachyon (or, more accurately, Melinda Snodgrass) is getting really boring really quickly, but I thoroughly enjoyed everything else about this book. We are first introduced to Bloat in this book and the events that unfold around him from here on out in the series (the Rox War) I thought were some of the most exciting and well-written of the entire series. I would say this book is well worth the read.

After the terrible 'One eyed Jacks', the Wild Cards make a return to form of a sort with 'Jokertown' shuffle. Of a sort, I say, because even though I enjoyed this book way more than the last one, I still think the Wild Cards have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

Start with the good? Well, the good is Walton Simon, who wrote another 'nobody' story, and this time more succesfully than other times, maybe because he doesn't have to carry a whole book on his back. Even Lewish Shiner surprises us with a story almost decent - how unbelievable is that?

The Really good is Stephen Leigh and Walter Jon Williams. Boy do these guys deliver. The Wild Cards need way many more writers like them. I've heard good things about 'Black Shadow', and it is all true. He's become one of my favorite characters. Strong, vicious, and ultimately just.

Leigh's Bloat is one of the main narratives in this Wild Cards book, and while I don't QUITE like his stuff as much as I like the Puppetman, but this is also high quality fiction.

The Bad, though, is the general story. The Jumpers were a mistake, making St. Lethem the villain was a mistake, some of the plot twists concerning Bloat seems like a mistake, and the entire Blaise character ark ( and some might say his entire character) have been misconcieved.

However, the REALLY bad is Melinda Snodgras's Tachyon.

What happened to the woman who wrote what is still one of the best Wild Cards stories out there 'Degredation Rites'? That story had real emotion, cleverness, subtlty. But this...

Her story in WC 9, 'Lovers' is an awful 'hit you over the head' feminist message thing. OK, so Tachy's a chauvinist, what else is new? The story is so weak, pathetic and uninteresting, it actually ruined several stories which were more or less related. The dignity of Tachyon is all gone ( I believe I've discussed the over-exosure of the character back in WC4. Boy, was I right). I do hope they'll kill Tach off and Snodgras will either try and write more stuff like 'degredation rites' or go away.

Because, at the end of the day, we need more stuff like 'Degredation Rites' to make the WC world interesting again. The Wild Cards aren't SUPERHERO stories - they're, at their best, an action and plot oriented attack on the problems of society using Science Fiction. Plotlines like the 'Jampers' only make the story weaker, because mindless action we can get elsewhere. The entire Jampers ark is, for this reader, insubstantial and reeking of Fantasy, not even wild Science Fiction.

Maybe this review has been too harsh. Jokertown Shuffle is entertaining. But to me, the Wild Cards can be much more than that, and I hope it'll return to form soon.

I've read the first 5 or 6 books in the series, and with the possible exception of Aces Abroad, I would recommend them. But maybe something went wrong in the last few books, because this one just plain stinks.

Character development has largely been traded for character complication, especially in Tachyon's case.

The series has always been more sci-fi than science fiction, but you'll need a crane to suspend your disbelief at some of the contrivances here, including a gang of bodysnatchers, two trips to alternate worlds, and a joker who can apparently manifest anything at all from thin air.

The Black Shadow passages are the one bright spot. Shadow is long overdue for development, and it was worth the wait. He emerges as an interesting character, and delivers the most satisfying action sequences to boot.

And to be fair, Bloat is a well-developed and believable character. However, I found him surprisingly boring.

The Wild Cards series used to be well-written and fairly sophisticated. Not unlike Alan Moore's Watchmen, it was an interesting, adult, and very believable look at superheroes. Now it has degenerated into a typical comic book.

Jokertown Shuffle is of similar quality to the last Wild Cards books. We learn more about Bloat and the Rox, and we discover who the man behind the Jumpers is.

Dr. Tachyon is still annoying, as he becomes involved with yet another woman, and Blaise is still causing problems.

The best part of the book is the mysterious character of Black Shadow getting a star turn, at last.

Wild Cards 09 : 01 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 01 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 02 And Hope to Die - John J. Miller
Wild Cards 09 : 03 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 02 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 04 Lovers 1 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 05 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 03 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 06 Lovers 2 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 07 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 04 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 08 Madman across the Water - Victor Milan
Wild Cards 09 : 09 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 05 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 10 Lovers 3 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 11 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 06 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 12 While Night's Black Agents to Their Preys Do Rouse 1 - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 09 : 13 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 07 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 14 Riders - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 09 : 15 Nobody Does It Alone - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 09 : 16 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 08 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 17 Lovers 4 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 18 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 09 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 19 While Night's Black Agents to Their Preys Do Rouse 2 - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 09 : 20 Lovers 5 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 21 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 10 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 22 Lovers 6 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 23 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 11 - Stephen Leigh

Who is that Bloat guy, anyway?

3.5 out of 5


Brennan and Wraith attacked, Kien Fadeout.

4.5 out of 5


Inner circle looks at the situation.

3.5 out of 5


Docs do it as Blaise descends into Jumper incest crossgender rape.

4 out of 5


Bloat's Walls are shaky.

3 out of 5


Tach discovers gender bladder issues as Blaise continues.

3 out of 5


Latham strategises.

3 out of 5


Drug raids, Rox life, and Trips has to get Flash.

4 out of 5


Durg goes Rox as pressure builds.

3.5 out of 5


Tach pregnant, tad distressed.

3 out of 5


Prime discussions.

3 out of 5


Shadow shakes it, as Sleeper wakes.

4 out of 5


Cage doc.

3 out of 5


Revelations for Veronica and Jerry, sort of secret Aces.

3.5 out of 5


Jerry gets what he wants as he puts his finger on a large part of the problem.

4 out of 5


Gathering of forces.

3 out of 5


Tachyon resistance.

3.5 out of 5


Peanut's death changes Bloat.

3 out of 5


Durg vs Shad as the assault musters.

4 out of 5


Turtles swim better than Takisians.

3.5 out of 5


Bloat rallies as attack begins.

3.5 out of 5


The Turtle has a geometric intervensionist brainwave, and Tach has more than one Baby now.

3.5 out of 5


Penguin tells Bloat a new trick.

3.5 out of 5