Customer Reviews

Trouble Magnet (Pip and Flinx Novels)

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

 

 

This book is a stand-alone story that could have come almost anywhere in the series. The beginning of this book is a little like the comedian who says, "bang," and then continues with "and speaking of bombs." In other words, the first chapter feels to me like pap intended to shoe-horn it into the series as it stands and feels forced and unnecessary. For some reason that never clarifies he felt the need to bring Peot and the Vom into the story as driving experiences and places this story soon after "Bloodhype" (1973, out of print), and also soon after the more recent books, "Flynx's Folly" (2003) and "Sliding Scales" (2004).

That being said it's an OK Flinx story but not a great one. It moves along just fine, but a significant portion of the book is not about Flinx, but about building a situation from which Flinx must save, or in turn do battle with, strangers. The book is about a group of street urchins (or teenage gang if you prefer) on some unimportant planet (who for some reason have access to advanced theft technology with very short notice) who need to be rescued multiple times by a bored visiting Flinx (visiting for reasons given, but ultimately unimportant). The characters are fairly thin and the Flinx character is not significantly enhanced by this story. So, if you don't know him already, you won't really meet him in this book and if you are long-time fan, as I am, you won't learn anything new about him that couldn't be summarized using one terse sentence at the beginning of the next novel.

The end of the story adds a little to the arc (can you say "technology indistinguishable from magic", I knew you could), but it's likely a pointless addition as it's clear that there is nothing added that Flinx will be able to use in the next story. At the end of the book ADF uses an unsubtle "look over there, the next book" thread, with barely comprehensible logic by Flinx, based on one word from a character that was both introduced and dies in this book; that word is "Gestalt." (His web site already says the next books are "Patrimony" and "Flinx Transcendent" and mentions "Gestalt" in the timeline.)

Also annoying is that there were many more typo errors in this volume (hardback) than I have come to expect from modern books. For example, especially in the current computer publishing age, you would think that a sentence with "of" instead of "or" would be caught automatically, of one where a doubled word is doubled showing an obvious edit point. Considering the plethora of uncommon and made-up words in the lexicon of this book the typos significantly effected my reading enjoyment.

The bottom line is that if you are waiting for the next Flinx book to move the "void" and Tar-Aiym weapon system story lines forward, you are still waiting because this is not it. However, if you are looking for an enjoyable, quick read, throwaway Flinx story, this is it. Only you can decide if that is worth paying the hardback price. I can say that it really won't matter if you read this book now or in 2 years, because it won't make a difference to the next book (always assuming the next book moves the story along).

Trouble Magnet is a somewhat boring book that is a slightly better read than the other more recent Flinx books. The interesting thing about Flinx is discovering who he is and not so much the adventures he gets into. Thankfully in this book, Flinx gets a lead on finding who his father may be so his character has the possibility to grow. Sadly, the story suggests that when times get too tough for him to handle on his own and he faces imminent death, he will be 'saved' by friends with the powers of a deity. This cheapens future adventures as his life will never be seen as being in real jeopardy in future books regardless of the plot. Foster would do well to wrap-up the series in the next two-to-three books but apparently money talks over integrity. It's a shame as the earliest Flinx books were some of my favorites growing-up and I miss their quality.

Wait until paperback!

The assignment is simple after all things he has gone through since his origin as a eugenics experiment gone bad. All Philip "Flinx" Lynx has to do is search the humongous uninhabited Sagittarius sector to find a planet sized ancient weapons platform built by the alleged extinct Tar-Ayim and then persuade it to help save the galaxy from the Great Emptiness. In exchange for finding and convincing the needle in this haystack, Flinx's injured beloved Clarity Held will remain on New Riviera healing amidst friends Bran Tse-Mallory and Eint Truzenzuzex.

Accompanied by Pip the mini dragon, Flinx begins his mission even as he wonders with friends like he has sending him on a fool's errand whether he should be wasting his time. He decides a detour is in order so that he can decide whether to to do the quest or not. He and Pip stop in the hoodlum controlled city of Malandere on Visaria. There he intervenes when a gang of thugs mug an insect looking alien. One of the young punks Subar sort of reminds Flinx of himself so he tries to help the lad until the gang robs mob leader Piegal Shaeb. Undecided whether to help the kid as this means battling with Shaeb's lethal lizard mercenaries, Flinx instead is sidetracked as he finds some information on himself.

This is a terrific stand alone Flinx adventure however, the prime theme of the series, is the battle against the evil Emptiness remains at the status quo. Flinx is at his best as he dishes out his brand of ethical justice inside a fine story line. However, once again, his fans will be disappointed that he took another R&R side trip.

Harriet Klausner

First of all, Alan Dean Foster has been one of my favorite authors for many years. One of his books (Sentenced to Prism) remains on my top ten list and at least a couple more would certainly be in my top 50. But come on--this makes 2 useless Flinx books in a row that haven't done anything to move the series along. I dabbled with this book on and off for a week and couldn't see any point to it. It's mostly just rehashing and there is no indication of anything to look forward to. ADF has always had a penchant for cramming as many polysyllabic words into a single sentence as possible, but it seems particularly egregious in this book where the plot goes nowhere, and I completely lost interest and gave up before I made it to page 100. Save your money.

Like many of you, I have read all of the Pip & Flinx books and really liked most of them. I'll admit I am hooked on them, so I buy the hardcovers when they come out. I have been waiting somewhat patiently for the main storyline to return to the Sentient Tar-Aiym Weapons System and Flinx controlling it to save the universe. But, again, I have been disapointed that like the recent books preceding this one, it goes on a tangential storyline. This book mentions that Flinx needs to "Save the Universe", but never more than a sentence or two. This book is not a bad little read and that's why I gave it 4 stars, but it's not really the meat-and-potatoes kind of stuff many readers were waiting for. I think most of us want future books to return to Flinx fighting the "All-Consuming Monstrous Evil" with that incredible Tar-Aiym weapons system.

This is the eleventh book in Foster's Flinx series, and I'll say up front I did not expect it to be *good*. But I started this series when I was sixteen, and dang it, I do want to know how it ends. But this is not the book where I found out. It is a complete waste of time for anyone not thoroughly familiar with the series, as it follows the protagonist through a series of encounters designed to showcase references to previous books, culminating in a completely unforeshadowed deus ex machina.

I'd have thought an old pro like Foster would be embarrassed to have this published underhis name, but of course several of his previous books have disillusioned me on this account.

But I still want to know how it ends, drat it.

Alan Dean Foster has written so many books that you kind of have to wonder if there's really a Mr. Alan, a Mr. Dean and a Mr. Foster, all cranking out words. But I'm assured that there's not, and here he's presented us with the 11th, or is is the 12th Pip and Flinx adventure.

As usual, they are on their way to some far away place in the Galazy to find a huge Tar-Aiym weapos system to ... well you know.

On the way he gets side tracked into an adventure on the crime ridden planet of Visaria. Here the story develops in typical Foster tradition with a lot of description of the planet, its people, its society and of course of the desparate situation in which the heros find themselves.

This book can be read as a free standing book and it will make sense. More fun will be had though by those of us who have ridden into adventure with Pip and Flinx before. Is this the best of the novels - No. Is it the worst - No. Is it great fiction - No. Is it a fun way to spend some cold winter evenings or an airplane ride, it sure is.

Trouble Magnet (2006) is the twelfth SF novel in the Pip & Flinx series, following Bloodhype in internal chronological order. In the previous volume, Flinx and Pip foiled an illegal drug distributor. The AAnn allied with the Commonwealth against a common enemy. Flinx helped a Tar-Aiym Guardian defeat and destroy a malignant lifeform.

In this novel, Philip Lynx is a biotechnically mutated human. Flinx has the intermittent ability to read emotions and occasionally to project them. He lives in a universe of mental noise and has frequent headaches.

Pip is an Alaspinian minidrag. Her species are natural empaths. They are also very dangerous pets, at least to those who attack them or their kin.

Subar is a thief in Alewev on Visaria. He is the junior member of a youth gang.

Chaloni is the leader of the gang. He is somewhat older than the others. He is Subar's idol.

Zezula is another gang member. She is the object of Subar's lust.

Dirran, Massi and Sallow are other members of the gang. Massi is the other female.

Ashile is a neighborhood confidant and friend of Subar. She loves Subar, but he is interested only in Zezula.

In this story, Flinx is feeling depressed. He decides to test his assumptions that Humanx civilization is worth his efforts. He visits Visaria, one of the most disreputable worlds in the Commonwealth.

As Flinx is walking through a park, he notices an attempt to mug two Thranx. The heist goes wrong and the other gang members flee the scene. Flinx rescues Subar from his victims and the police.

Subar is impressed by Flinx. The offworlder is a little older than himself, but is much more suave and self-confidant. Subar shows Flinx his home and introduces him to Ashile. Eventually, Flinx manages to escape the admiring youth.

When Subar returns to the gang hideout, he finds himself defending his actions with Flinx. Then he is told of another plan to get some ready cash. They finagle their way into a warehouse containing some very valuable antiques and take a goodly amount away with them.

Chaloni fences some smaller items and receives a large amount of cash. He divides it with the other gang members. Subar buys some flashy clothes and shoes for himself and necklaces for Zezula and Ashile. But he makes the mistake of telling Ashile about the necklace for Zezula.

When Chaloni returns to the fence, he finds two others waiting for him. They represent the man who had originally smuggled the antiques to Visaria. After sufficient pain, Chaloni tells them everything he knows.

Subar notices a drink container on his way to the hideout and becomes suspicious. He sneaks in the back way and looks through a window into the main room. Zezula and Massi are tied on the couch. An alien brings in Chaloni's body. Then he is seen and has to flee under fire.

Subar contacts Ashile and tells her of his problems. After describing the situation, the only source of assistance that he can think of is Flinx. Subar and Ashile show up at Flinx's hotel and ask for help.

This tale involves Flinx with the local criminal boss. Flinx soon rescues the surviving gang members, but also has a bout of mindless destruction. The gang and Flinx retreat to the farm of a relative.

The story also leads Flinx to the last member of the Meliorare Society. The next novel -- Patrimony -- reveals the truth of his father. Read and enjoy.

Recommended for Foster fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure, alien cultures, and psionic talents. Any reader who is new to this series will want to start with the first volume: The Tar-Aiym Krang.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Almost totally disillusioned with Mankind and on a quest to find the world-destroying alien weapon, empath Philip Lynx stops at the planet Visaria in an attempt to discover some redeeming quality in his fellow humans. He is immediately involved with a group of street kids who attempt to attack some insectoid aliens. One of them, Subar, isn't quite as vicious as the rest and because Flinx sees something of his streetwise younger self in the boy, he helps them escape. Things go from bad to worse to even keel, with a crime boss whom the youngsters have robbed on their trail as well as a government official who was part of the project which involved Flinx's birth. Before he leaves Visaria, Flinx will have one more part of the riddle of his existence, and the name of the place--"Gestalt"--where he can find his father. This is a good story but it leaves much to be desired in the dialogue department because there's generally more narration than actual speech, and a good portion of it is the hero's thoughts. Flinx's pessimism and his solitariness are also a bit of a downer. I keep wishing the kid could be happy!

I read this one out of series order, because I didn't get a copy of it until after I'd read Patrimony. No big deal, because this book is pretty much a stand-alone Flinx adventure.

Flinx decides to visit Visaria, a planet where humans and their living conditions aren't exactly at their best, as he struggles with the certainty that only he can stop the evil that hurtles ever closer to the settled galaxy. If he decides to confront that evil, will it be worth risking his young life? Or can he justify going back to his love, Clarity Held, and living out his years with her? For he will have time enough to do that, and his children will have time to live out their lives, too. Is the human race as a whole worth the sacrifice of all those years yet to come?

Of course the ever curious Flinx manages to hook up with a group of disreputable adolescents who remind him of himself as a teenager on Moth. Of course those adolescents get into plenty of trouble, and Flinx finds himself involved and helping them even though he questions his own judgment every step of the way. It's a standard Flinx-on-a-planet tale, but for all that it is well done and entertaining. It also does contain a clue that leads Flinx on to the events of Patrimony, so in that respect it represents progress in the series overall. Now to read Flinx Transcendent, and wind up 35 or so years of waiting since I borrowed the first Flinx novel from one of my Grade 10 students because it had temporarily gone out of print!

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of 2005 science fiction EPPIE winner "Regs"