The Man from UNCLE novels: An Analysis

[rallamajoop]

So, I've been poking through the library of old licensed fiction from the old Man from UNCLE paperback series and magazine. A few are good, but most (as general fan consensus seems to agree) fail to capture the spirit of the series in any particularly convincing way, or are just not that well written, or (and frequently) both. It's a matter of

Comments

[mrua7]

Wow, very impressive. You put a lot of work into this. Thank you for posting it.

[rallamajoop]

Thanks! (And if you actually read the whole lot, I am doubly impressed - writing it all up at all felt like such a self-indulgent exercise) As I think I've already proved with my piece on UNCLE's female staff characters, when I get started on a topic like this it tends to get away from me a little.

[st_crispins]

Definitely impressive work. I have all the novels and magazines and read them a lot when I was writing the diss. Haven't looked at them in years though your various notes and observations bring back memories.

There are several good pieces of research on the novels by Al Tonik, a fan from long ago, that were published in the HQ newsletter.

Kathyy Crighton also published an interview with Avallone in a SF mag. I missed the gathering which he attended and after hearing about him, was glad I did.

[rallamajoop]

There are several good pieces of research on the novels by Al Tonik, a fan from long ago, that were published in the HQ newsletter.

I actually remember you mentioning that in your book! (which TBH I have still not quite finished reading, because I keep getting myself side-tracked by stuff like this) Would love to get a look at those someday.

Kathyy Crighton also published an interview with Avallone in a SF mag. I missed the gathering which he attended and after hearing about him, was glad I did.

Oh boy, that bad, huh? What was he supposed to have done?

[st_crispins]

Apparently, he was self-important and pretty obnoxious. Considering how his MFU novel is not the best, he didn't seem to be aware of that. And even though it was an UNCLE gathering of fans, he didn't talk all that much about his process writing MFU

[rallamajoop]

Can't say I'm that surprised about Avallone (he wouldn't be the only author who gives you the sense the job wasn't much more than an easy paycheck), but it's still disappointing. I'd half-hoped he might have picked up some of the spirit of the series after turning in his first book, given his enthusiasm for writing more and that he included Dr. Egret in his second, but it doesn't sound like that was the case.

Ever read the UNCLE Files? They have a couple of interesting maps that fans used to figure out how the HQ was laid out and where those entrances were.

I've heard of those - they do sound very interesting (may go looking for a copy sometime when I have a little more disposable income available again). I've found scattered scans online here and there - oddly, I've think I've found (parts of) two quite different versions of the floor layout, so I'm wondering if perhaps there were two different editions