Customer Reviews

Operator B (Cemetery Dance Novella Series, No. 7)

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

 

 

This is one of my favorite Edward Lee books. I wish someone would reprint it, as the Cemetery Dance version sold out long ago and it is almost impossible to find. This and "The Stickmen" are Lee's only real ventures into SF, and this one was the best.

An alien aircraft is discovered and a pilot is called upon to have his hands modified into three fingers to steer the craft. He has to leave his family and live in seclusion in order to do this, and the toll it takes on them is well described. The flights in the spacecraft and the places the pilot goes are very interesting. I won't spoil the adventure for any future readers.

True, this is a short book, but it was published as part of Cemetery Dance's novella series, so readers should expect such when they purchase it. True, I would have loved to have seen this stretched into 400-500 pages (Why are all of the trite and boring SF stories 600-700 pages and the really great ones so short we wish they were longer...? This plagues me) but I am thankful for the story I was given and grateful I was able to read it. It is worth the money if you can find it.

Ed Lee, one of the masters of writing well-executed, gross-out, hard-core horror novels (of which I am a fan), proves that his stories can be just as taut and tightly woven in the science-fiction/thriller realm with "Operator B," the tale of a cocky, yet thoughtful, Air Force test pilot who must decide between the ultimate sacrifice or the security of the nation.

With a shocking conclusion that will leave you breathless and a running commentary on what it really means to sacrifice one's life for one's country, forsaking family and friends, this is a well-crafted, unique tale stamped with Lee's hallmark style.

Don't let the size of this relatively short novella fool you. Lee makes every sentence and every word count. Equal parts science fiction, drama, and military thriller, "Operator B" will appeal to fans of the "X-Files," "Fringe," and "Ancient Aliens."

For me, this is probably the most well conceived and fully formed story that Edward Lee has ever written. The lack of Lee's regular horror, gore, and sex might surprise long-time readers of his work, but the narrow focus of the story and the character's incredible situation will have you glued to each page. I was very impressed with Lee's restraint and hope he revisits what I think could be a continuing story.

Author Lee's research in medical science and military technology is meticulous and adds another layer of realism to the story. I could relate to the main character's drive for success, trying to balance his personal life with his career. "Operator B" is a great little suspenseful science fiction story that I'm thrilled to see back in print. The original hardcover publication only had 450 copies, so this new paperback will allow this gem to find a much larger audience. Highly recommended.

I just finished Ed Lee's OPERATOR B, and I'm floored. This is a short, sharp, shock of a read. Containing none of the gross-out sickness Lee has built his reputation on, instead OPERATOR B delivers an outstanding story of covert military test pilots with almost lethal intensity. Lethal to your sense of boredom, that is. OPERATOR B is sure to entertain any reader lucky enough to stumble upon it. I only wished it were longer, and from what I understand, he is developing it into a full-length novel. Read this stripped-down, entertaining booklet as a prologue to the real deal, and I'll bet you'll be chompin' at the bit for the novel to be released, as I am.

Lee has performed a great job expostulating on themes of duty to one's self, family, and country in his sharp narrative. Not a phrase is wasted. It really catapults the reader into some classic science fiction tropes, and beyond. Highly recommended for just about anyone.

Yeah! This book is going to be released by Necro Publications as a trade paperback in 2007.

I was really enjoying this book, until I discovered the missing images at locations 1564 -1596. Apparently in the physical book, we are getting a look inside a dossier that includes a few pictures; unfortunately, in the kindle edition, all we get is an image of a camera with a line through it, and the text "the image is missing."
This is very disappointing.