Copyright 1995.
Patrick Brogan is a twenty year vet of the New York Police. In the year 2040 he accepts a transfer to Altor. The main city of Demeter City has a serious crime problem and needs the expertise of cops from Earth. So he finds himself on an alien world inhabited by many alien species. Brogan and his partner Jack Haldane another human are investigating the shady dealings of Mrax Computers. The company was recently bought by an Earth corp called Cost & Gnostra. It seems the Mafia are attempting to establish themselves on Altor. Brogan finds out it is run by his old college buddy who he thought that he killed back on Earth. Only he survived using his new nanotechnology. Now Brogan and his colleagues Haldane and Jane Castle are prisoners in his version of virtual reality twentieth century New York. Meanwhile Brogan’s family is held hostage by the nanotech computer that has come to live. Now Brogan and his colleagues must save themselves and Brogan’s family and stop the Deity-Father’s insane plan to rule the universe.
Remember back in 1994-95 the hit TV series Space Precinct? The Gerry Anderson show that had humans and aliens fight crime on this alien world. The aliens would basically act like humans and usually talk with a British accent. Sounds like a comedy but has played straight which made it even more funny. No. Well you are probably like 99.99999% of the population at that time. The show at least in America was put on at around midnight on a Sunday so hardly anyone knew it existed. Only young shiftless night owls like me that didn’t have a job and stayed up late to watch. This was a bizarre but fascinating show. Surprisingly it also spawned three tie-in novels. Each written by David Bischoff who is responsible for the greatest book series in human civilization Mutants Amok.
The first book is a very bizarre yet fun read. You have the Mafia who come in with their pasta and pizza in their commissary. Computers that come alive with tongues and walk and talk. Nanotechnology was a new field back in the nineties so this was a new thing. Bischoff gives us some introductory background on Demeter City and its origins which we never did get in the TV series. He also was aware of the goofy accents used like the Creon police captain Podly who spoke in thick Irish accent. As the character Brogan mentions he thought the Irish were the most Irish in the universe until he moved to Altor and found out otherwise. This brings back good old memories. I have the entire series on DVD and you can find episodes on Youtube. Give it a try.
THE BOOKS THAT TIME FORGOT. 