Customer Reviews

Ship of the Damned

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

 

 

For those who crave crisp plotting, engaging characters (including the bad guys), and above all, originality, I commend all three of Mr. David's published novels to your attention. If he hasn't skyrocketed to well-deserved fame comparable to Cussler or Koontz, it may be because he's constantly challenging us with new ideas and fresh treatments of old themes in a way that requires some thought on the reader's part...an effort those willing to make will find amply rewarding.

I shorted David a star on this one because, for the first time, he's treading on more familiar ground...speculation concerning the Philadelphia Experiment. Using some of the cast from his previous novel "Fragments," he embroils them in a sinister government plot to murder the motley crew stranded in a pocket of space-time created when a Navy crusier was enveloped in a high-strength magnetic field in 1943. Why kill them? Because the exiled individuals have developed psychic powers of great destructive power...and are looking to break out into our defenseless world...

David's writing here is far more choppy and action-packed than his previous works, which for some will be a plus. For me this approach takes away from his proven ability to create characters we care about and gradually drive up the tension as a seemingly benign situation grows gradually more threatening.

But I quibble. The bottom line is I recommend this book highly. Even when not at the top of his game, David's unique mix of SF/horror/technothriller is as good as your likely to find until his next book.

In 1943, the government considered the experiment a major success since they teleported the Navy's USS Norfolk. However, a cover-up was deemed necessary because of the impact on the crew. Several immediately died and many acquired a deadly disease. However, the nightmare part included the forging of humans with the ship's bulkhead as if their subatomic particles merged. Five decades later the cover-up remains airtight due to the actions of a top-secret agency not found in any of the authorization or appropriation bills.

Dr. Wes Martin and social worker Elizabeth Foxworth are working with seven people sharing the same nightmare involving a multidimensional ship. As the two researchers work together on this plane and in dreamland, the survivors of the Norfolk snatch a nuclear-armed carrier. The Feds send to the other side their deadliest agents to confront the crew of the Norfolk at any cost including the lives of Wes and Elizabeth who are on the same plane. If the Feds fail nuclear disaster is imminent.

SHIP OF THE DAMNED stars the Philadelphia Experiment with the expectation that Mulder and Scully will appear any moment. The story line is loaded with non-stop action as the numerous and complex subplots blend together into an awesome climax. The characters are secondary to the action, which leaves readers wanting more insight into those survivors living on the other side. Fans of total action thrillers with conspiracies, technology, and potential nuclear disaster in a science fiction climate will devour James F. David's latest tale.

Harriet Klausner

To be perfectly honest, I have no clue WHY I picked up a copy of this book considering I was not a huge fan of the prequel. I guess it was just curiousity in the end, and we all know what that did to the cat...

Taking up a little after the point where FRAGMENTS left off, SHIP OF THE DAMN follows the same group of characters in another bizarre, out-of-this world adventure. Once again, all of the characters are something less than one-dimensional and only the villians seem to have any real depth (and that ain't saying a whole lot either). The plot, which tries to pass off as a possible alternative to the Philadelphia Experiment, runs pretty bland with random spurts of action that always seem to finish just as they get interesting. And, yet again, the author's writing style is like the Hardy Boys meets Oliver Stone's NATURAL BORN KILLERS: a mix of junior high school dialgue mixed (unsuccessfully) with gritty violence. In fact, it was so amateurish that I stopped mid-way through the book, leaving to collect dust until I find someone to purchase my slightly used copy.

I didn't read the apparent prequel to this book, but I don't think that should be a requirement.
The book is a disjointed jumble of one-dimensional characters and "action" (repeated over and over) -- one improbable conspiracy theory piled on top of another.

Inspired by the Philadelphia Experiment (A World War II Navy attempt to develop electronic camouflage for US warships), David imagines a 1940s warship trapped in a static dimension where time doesn't flow and the crew members (those who haven't been permanently fused with bulkheads) have developed dangerous extrasensory powers.

A secret government office keeps the ship's crew contained in their horrible limbo but occasionally one escapes. Assassination teams are dispatched with dispatch. A "permanent solution," is desirable and becomes more urgent when the nuclear-armed Nimitz disappears from the Atlantic.

Meanwhile Dr. Wes Martin and social worker Elizabeth Fox (last seen in "Fragments," along with retarded savant Ralph who also makes a crucial appearance) are trying to help a group of unrelated people with a recurrent and debilitating dream of being aboard an empty ship in a desert.

The action moves these two groups and opposing agendas closer. Elizabeth determines to enter the dream as the government assassins decide to invade the ship where all will meet in a prolonged, fast-paced chase to the end.

While the government thugs are typical of their fictional (we hope) ilk, Foxworth and Martin are appealing characters doing fascinating work with extrasensory phenomenon and Ralph is a thoroughly likeable hero. The pace never flags, although there might be one villainous group too many - a mesmerized cult aboard the old ship.

I can hardly think of any author working today who is more original than James F. David. Footprints of Thunder is as different as Fragments which followed. Ship of the Damned however is a quasi-sequel of sorts. You don't have to have read Fragments to understand what is going on here, however it certainly paints a wonderful backdrop to what happens in this novel.

According to everything I have read about the subject, the so-called Philidelphia Experiment really DID happen. Now whether or not what actually happened coincides with this book, well I would prefer to believe that the REAL incident was a lot less conspiracy-minded than this book would have us believe...but for just a moment, lets suppose it happened the way Mr. David describes. Well then, this book really hits a home run for originality. Forget what you may THINK may happen. From the so-called 'Specials' with unique powers to a loveable retarded character who is easily one of my favorite protagonists I have read about in the past 10 years (also featured in Fragments). The action is full and plenty and well-drawn out, too. Combine that with what could possibly be the Mother of all Government Conspiracies and this isn't just a great story, it could very well be one of my favorite action/adventure tales of the past decade.

For those who are new to the world of James F. David, he isn't easy to find at your local bookstore...however it IS worth it when you finally locate one of his truly entertaining novels. Personally my favorite is 'Before the Cradle Falls'. If you are into time-travel with a splash of murder-mystery, and hey, who ISN'T -- this is definitely a book you need to find. All I can say is this: unique and fun are just two of the words which describe the books by Mr. David. Find out for yourself which adjectives best describe his novels...read his books! But first, good luck finding them. Save some time and just order them on-line here at amazon and make sure you clear away some time so you can enjoy them all one right after another. You won't be disappointed.

I love the way James F. David can take some bizarre little real life blurb from history and turn it into a thrilling creep show with a unique perspective. It's a wild ride and loads of fun with Ralph (I adore him!) at the wheel of an other dimensional go-kart, and Jett along for the ride. But Jett (the kind of bad boy girls swoon over - think Vin Diesel in Pitch Black) is more than just a really good secret agent... like those he's been sent to destroy, he's "Special". If you like a story with great characters, a thrill or two, and some psi-power stuff thrown in for fun, you will love Ship of the Damned!

Being a bit of a closet afficianado (sp?) on the Philadelpha Experiment, I picked up SHIP OF THE DAMNED with high hopes ... and perhaps that was my undoing. Had I left my expectations at the door, I might've enjoyed the read a bit more than the 2-star rating, but, unfortunately, the author composes very short, almost terse chapters that do little to stimulate the imagination; rather, he just pushes the plot along. As his prose and storytelling style has been placed on par with Tom Clancy by some reviewer, I think it's a dramatic overstatement. Mr. David attacks his story with an almost "look, ma, I can write" mentality, giving very little depth to his characters or the events they fantastically find themselves caught up in. It's high on plot and low on facts and science, so leave the brain at the door if you want to enjoy this ride on the SHIP OF THE DAMNED.

This book is a definite improvement over James David's last novel, "Fragments." The author's skills as a horror/thriller writer are definitely improving. There is a little more attention paid to character development, although part of this is due to fact that many of the same characters from "Fragments" are present in this one.

"Ship of the Damned" does stand well on its own though. The world that the author creates, the bubble universe in which the ship of the title resides, is compelling and draws you in, as do the people who have been trapped there. It does beg the question of what would happen if a group of people developed psionic abilities. You definitely find out here.

While the author has refined his skills somewhat, I believe he can refine them further. I would recommend that he observe the way that authors such Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Anne Rice and Clive Barker create characters. While I admit that King and Rice can get a bit long winded some times, on the whole they get you emotionally invested in the characters and let you get to know them as people.

If James David can fully master this trick and couple it with his very original concepts, he'll be golden.

This is a fabulous story! I bought it at the train station before a long trip and was so happy with my decision. I could not put this book down. The story is fresh and captivating! A must read.