THE Prisoner - A NOVEL

PENGUIN BOOKS

Written by Thomas M. Disch

Copyright Carlton International Media Limited, 1967, 2001 All rights reserved

Thomas M. Disch's The Prisoner is a novelization of the TV series The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan. The book and TV series also inspired the TV update, The Prisoner, starring Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel. The novelization is about a former retired British secret agent who is gassed and kidnapped from a train - and then brought to and detained in a place called The Village. The powers that be use psychological methods on the secret agent in order to convince him to reveal his secrets.

As much as I liked the original TV series, Disch's novelization is much more European in feeling compared to what I remember of the TV series as far as the narrative and characterization is concerned. While the lack of names in the TV series was acceptable, while reading the novelization, the lack of names was more of an irritating nuisance to me as you never really connect with anybody - especially with the main character in the beginning. You really want to know the real name of Number 6, so you can relate to him. The characters in The Village are more relatable as people in doing their professions, instead of as real characters. Granted you get to know the characters by their Numbers, but the characters happy acceptance of being numbers instead of as people with their own names is a little irritating. The ordered society of The Village is a little too Orwellian, especially when they reveal the films of Number 6's previous interrogations, which Number 6 is naturally upset about when he sees them. Number 6's liaisons with his girlfriend is interesting because you are never really sure if she really was his girlfriend - or was she a plant to gain his secrets. It would be too bad if she was a plant, as I fell in love with her.

Since the main character is known as Number 6, it was quite a nod to the reader that the character received his designation number 6 in Chapter 6 of the novelization.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Mission Earth 3 - The Enemy Within

Galaxy Press

Written by L. Ron Hubbard

Copyright: 1986, 1988, 2005 L. Ron Hubbard Library

Cover Art: Gerry Grace

Cover artwork: copyright 1988 L. Ron Hubbard Library.

All rights reserved.

The Enemy Within, part of the 10 book Mission Earth series, continues the adventures of alien combat engineer Jettero Heller who was sent to Earth from Apparatus space to study the planet. Heller is also being hampered to the point of attempted assassination by Soltan Gris, the Apparatus government officer in charge of Earth, who Heller believes is really working with him as the Apparatus government prepares to invade Earth.

In this satire about politics and intelligence gathering, it is fun to see the seemingly innocent Heller try to learn more about Earth and make things better for the planet while Gris frantically searches for a way to get a revealing communications message recording from Heller to preserve Gris's status quo as well as trying to kill Heller. Gris is totally clueless to the fact that his new sweet girlfriend is actually a tramp just using him while being so innocent. In the meantime, Gris works with the leaders of the political underworld to stop Heller from becoming famous.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.