ENDWORLD #31 FREEDOM RUN BY DAVID ROBBINS

Copyright 2021.

The Family has decided to investigate why they never hear from the Free State of California and sent the Alpha Triad. Blade, Hickok and Geronimo use the time travel device and end up in Northern California. They soon find that the state is under martial law and terrorized by unknown mutant creatures. Thousands are missing as the state becomes a dictatorship. Blade soon finds out the Lords of Kismet have managed to take over. Using the shapeshifting Gualon they have replaced Governor Melnick and key personnel in state government. Now the Alpha Triad has to expose to the people of California that their government is not under their control.

The next installment of the new Endworld series goes back to its roots. First it has restored the run in the title. It has the original warriors that this series started out with and visits a familiar place. Since the series was revived the Family has been all but alone in their fight against the Lords of Kismet. Now they are actively starting to reform the old Freedom Federation. They start with the most powerful of the members the Free State of California. Robbins really has a firm grasp on the characters for they feel just like when I read this series back in the eighties and nineties. This was one of the best of the post-apocalypse series back in the day and I am glad to see it continue to thrive and move in new and exciting directions.

HIT RADIO BY DAVID ROBBINS

Copyright 2012.

Franco ‘Big Frank’ Scarvetti has a problem. His psycho son has killed a made man from another family. Now he has to get his son out of Las Vegas to hide out. So he manages to acquire a radio station in Yuba City. Louis who is nicknamed Cry Baby and his crew go off to a small town to manage this station. Cry Baby runs the station as any type of Mafia operation. A combination of shaking down local businesses for ad revenue to stealing and sabotaging the competitor’s transmitters. Val one of the crew falls in love with the secretary of the station. It all comes to a violent end as the mob enforcer The Iceman comes and pretty much kills everyone.

I love David Robbins Endworld series and it’s spinoffs. So I figured I would try some of his other genres that he has done. This sounded interesting and I loved it. Cry Baby is a complete over the top nutcase psycho. His management style is somewhere along the lines of Genghis Khan. Every character has a distinct personality. His crew all have their own little nicknames based on their character. Pretty Boy because he loves to look at himself in the mirror. Switch because of an affinity for switchblades. Dill because he loves dill pickles. Wolfman because he is real hairy. Finally Val the real hero of this story. Nicknamed after Valentino because he is so popular with the ladies. We get a real nice little romance with him and Misty. All ends with a wild killing spree by the Iceman. A cold killer who will once a month break the neck of a puppy or kitten to keep his killing edge. Naturally Val and Misty are the only survivors and go on to live happily ever after.

If there is one complaint is that the author mentions at the beginning this takes place in 1985. Yet he has these anachronisms such as DVDs. The movies Men in Black, Schindler’s List and Seinfeld. Movies and shows made well past 1985. In fact there is nothing in the book that clearly dates this taking place in 1985. Not a big deal but if you want to set something in a historical time you should make it feel like that time period. Otherwise this was an enjoyable book with a unique and fast paced story.

A GIRL A DOG AND ZOMBIES ON THE MUNCH BY DAVID ROBBINS

Copyright 2018.

Courtney Hewitt has survived WWIII. She managed to escape Minneapolis with her best friend Sally Ann. Sally Ann’s father who has a drinking problem and a boy who likes her named Billy. She also found a dog she named Gaga. Yet the countryside is filled with zombies. Soon the drunk father is killed but they pick up an eight year old girl named Sansa who lost her family. The group continues on to northern Minnesota and the survivalist compound they heard about on the radio. Along the way they not only fight zombies but a biker gang, a mutant bear, and the green chemical clouds that have a mind of their own. Billy is killed but they meet up with Gar from Arkansas. The group makes it to the compound and gets captured by some escaped convicts. Courtney manages to warn the compound and stop the convicts plans to take it over. As a reward Courtney and her friends are allowed to join the compound known as the Home.

The conclusion to the story of Courtney was a satisfying read. The story is a prequel to Robbin’s popular Endworld series. Courtney is the grandmother to Hickok and Gar I’m guessing is his grandfather. I know Robbins has revived his Endworld and this the third prequel he has done set in that universe. I hope he does some more because I am enjoying them. So the following is the blurb on the back cover:

Courtney Hewitt is having a bad week

First, World War III broke out. Then she lost contact with her family. Toxic chemical clouds appeared. So did dead people who crave to eat the living. As well as horrible mutations, bloodthirsty gangs, and outright crazies.

On the plus side, she found a dog.

You have to love a book that just says no matter how bad it gets everything will work out with a dog.

OMEGA SUB 6 RAVEN RISING BY J.D. CAMERON

Copyright 1992.

The Liberator has just picked up the two surviving families in New York. Now they are going to rendezvous with Perry and any survivors he picked up. The ship makes contact with some helicopters that are following them. They claim to be from the surviving Federal Government. A meeting is set up on an island in the Potomac. There Captain Donovan meets the new President Harry Murphy. Murphy was the former speaker of the house and now under the line of succession the President. At first Donovan is glad that the government still survives. He is taken to Raven Rock an underground facility where the COG(Continuity of Government) is located.

It becomes clear that the current President is a power mad dictator. He is drafting all the citizens he captures into his COG. Including Percy who is captured in Georgia. He has plans to brainwash the crew of the Liberator. Luckily Donovan and Percy manage to break out with freed prisoners and escape. They make it safely to the sub and threaten to nuke Raven Rock if they try to stop them. The cowardly President backs down but vows revenge.

The final book in the series went out on a high note. They find the government run by a power mad dictator. We find out the white-shirts were created by a chemical C-210 that was used during the war and somehow mutated. A subplot is resolved on their home island with the dogs being captured and peacefully domesticated. Indeed the story ends with them requesting Liberator bring back plenty of dog food.

A good solid series with potential in exploring an entire planet and having kooky adventures among the survivors. But the Soviet Union collapses and most of these type series evaporated into the mists of time. Apparently the threat of nuclear war was gone and publishers scrambled for other ways to end the world. So we never do find out the further adventures of the U.S.S. Liberator as it cruises the world helping survivors.

OMEGA SUB 5 DEATH DIVE BY J.D. CAMERON

Copyright 1992.

The crew of the Liberator and colonists have settled down in their new home on the island of Espiritu. They run into a problem of some mysterious animals that are attacking and have killed someone. Donovan’s brother Charlie is left behind to deal with this threat as the sub takes off for New York. Finally they will rescue the survivors that they found out about. Along the way they have to battle a pod of radiation psychosis infected sperm whales. They go through the Panama Canal that is now opened thanks to their last visit when they nuked it open. Going along the East Coast they get another message of survivors. A group in Argyle Georgia are besieged by white-shirts. So Percy the executive officer and a seaman are dropped off to make it inland. They manage to find an old Chevy Chevelle and make it to Argyle. Only the compound has been overrun by white-shirts. They do manage to rescue a brother and sister from the crazed zombies. The Liberator reaches New York and in the nick of time rescue the two families from being overrun by white-shirts.

So the fifth book finally gets around to going and rescuing those two families trapped on an island in New York. Nice of them to finally get around to it and like any good cliche story they come in the nick of time. We find out the island they have established themselves on has a problem with a pack of killer dogs. It also establishes some mysterious survivors with sighting a helicopter and a brief radio broadcast. Otherwise not a lot happens in this book. Except of course getting the Liberator to the east coast and doing some more exploring.

OMEGA SUB 4 BLOOD TIDE BY J.D. CAMERON

Copyright 1991.

The Liberator comes on a group of ships around a yacht. After chasing the boats off they board the yacht and find a man killed and woman barely alive after being raped and tortured. They also find the thirteen year old daughter hiding underwater to escape the attackers. They find out the boat was attacked by pirates from Borneo. The pirates attacked survivors on Funafuti in the Ellice Island chain. So they go there to check it out. While scouting the island Captain Donovan is captured. The pirates are from Borneo and lead by Pagon the Invincible. Pagon an educated man has plans for world domination starting in the south Pacific. His Golden Dawn is headquartered on Peleliu island. The crew of the Liberator manage a daring rescue and they nuke the pirates to end their threat.

So David Robbins is back writing and will finish off the series. I enjoy his writing and he crafts an enjoyable action tale. The sub is attacked by a flock of seagulls and it is theorized that animals as well as humans have been effected by the radiation psychosis. So we have had wolves, jaguars and sharks go nuts as well as seagulls. Interesting that Donovan seems to love using nukes to solve his problems. In the last three out of four books nukes have been employed quite casually. Hordes of psychotic white shirts in San Francisco. Nuke’em. Need to blast a hole in the Panama Canal. Nuke it. Need to wipe out crazy Bornean pirates. Nuke’em. Not complaining. I mean that is an effective way to deal with problems. I guess after a nuclear war there isn’t any need to restrain such behavior.

OMEGA SUB 2 COMMAND DECISION BY J.D. CAMERON

Copyright 1991.

Captain Donovon of the Liberator the last American submarine to survive WWIII is looking for a base to establish itself. Their first stop is the Marshall Islands. After a run in with the mysterious sub Nemesis which results in a nuclear attack on a derelict Japanese fishing fleet the Liberator continues on its way. In the Marshall Islands the crew is attacked by the natives and Donovon’s brother is captured. After a fight they make peace with the natives. At a feast the volcano blows and they barely manage to escape the destruction of the island. It is soon obvious that the war has triggered volcanos all over the island chain.

This isn’t all the sub has to worry about. The Charkov the most advanced Soviet sub is stalking The Liberator. It’s captain believes the Liberator to be responsible for WWIII and wants revenge. So a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues with the other rogue sub Nemesis also lurking around.

The second book in the series was written by David Robbins the author of the popular Endworld Series. This was good choice as he always manages to write an interesting story. He would go on to write the majority of the books in the series. I was surprised at how caught up in the story I became. There was real tension in the submarine battle that kept me wanting to read more. Robbins managed to keep the characters in character from what Jahn established in the first book. Show he read the first book and was professional enough to try and maintain some sort of continuity for the series. Very often that doesn’t happen in these series with multiply authors.

He did some research on subs but there were some stuff that I didn’t buy. He has the two subs communicate by radio underwater. Now I suppose he envisioned some advanced technology in the 21st century. Still in 2019 that ability still doesn’t exist and seemed highly unlikely. Otherwise this was a good book.

ENDWORLD #30 SYNTHEZOIDS BY DAVID ROBBINS

Copyright 2017.

Blade, Hickok and Yama the three warriors who went to Bangkok using the time machine they appropriated from Thanatos have come down with an illness. It is a reaction to using the machine according to Alvis the robot they also appropriated from there last visit to Thanato’s tower. He does suggest that a cure is also there. The warriors are already undermanned from their last encounter with the shapeshifter that penetrated their home. So it is decided that Rikki-Tikki-Tavi will take three warrior trainees with him to the tower. The three are Eleanor who favors herself a medieval swordwoman. Crom who favors himself a barbarian and Kanto who has an admiration for Italian medieval assassins. A fourth Sherlock manages to get on the trip also. He is a genius who has taken the name of his hero the greatest detective in literature. So this group along with Alvis head out to the Dark Lords tower. Along the way they battle mutant panthers, mutant giants with two heads, flesh-eating mist, and a strange metal cube that turns into a robot. At the tower they find out Thanatos is still alive and able to transfer his consciousness and be near immortal. He gives the warriors the cure because he wants an alliance. The Lords of Kismet are after him too and he needs all the allies he can get.

The newest installment to the Endworld series is another winner. Robbins has really managed to keep the revived series from over twenty years ago going strong. The current one doesn’t feel dated at all. We get introduced to a new batch of warriors who have their own eccentricities and flaws. He also set up for what promises to be a big fight with the Lords of Kismet. Thanatos is an interesting character and I was surprised to see him still around. He will make a good ally but also one that can’t be trusted. As Rikki says he believes that he is maneuvering to get them wiped out in the battle to rid himself of two enemies. Should prove for some interesting drama in future books.

WILDERNESS FRONTIER STRIKE BY DAVID THOMPSON

Copyright 1996.

Nat King is a mountain man living in Colorado in 1840. A former accountant he left New York so he could live free. Now he lives with his Shoshone wife Winona and their son and daughter. One day a strange portal opens up and out comes a snake-man. Followed by a seven foot man in a leather vest. The man wears twin Bowie knives and has a strange gun. The snake-man runs off and he takes the unconscious stranger back to his home. The stranger is Blade the leader of The Alpha Triad. Three warriors who guard The Home hundreds of years in the future. Blade along with Hickok and Geronimo were attempting to kill Thanatos. Thanatos was a genius mutant who with his army of mutants and zombies attempted to take over the Freedom Federation. He was defeated and now Alpha Triad was caught in his time machine as he escaped into the past. His friends were deposited hundreds of miles away. Geronimo to battle his ancestor Blackfeet and Hickok stuck in old Saint Louis. Now they must somehow unite in the past and stop Thanato’s plan to turn the native tribes into zombies and conquer the country.

When the newest Endworld book came out there was stuff about Thanatos and his time machine. Sounded like a story never told but actually it was in this book. About five years after Endworld was cancelled David Robbins put the characters in his popular Wilderness series. A series about the adventures of a mountain man in the 1840’s.Written under the name Thompson I never knew this existed until recently. A bold move to include such science fiction stuff like mutants, zombies , time travel and automatic weapons in a western series. It could alienate the hard core western fans. Still it fit nicely in the story and his main characters exposure to the future element stuff was at a minimum.

I’m glad I found this book since it fills in some gaps from the last Endworld book and came in handy for the just released new book that I will do next week. It also gave me a chance to check out his western books and this is his most popular series. Now at over a hundred written I found the western elements just as entertaining as the futuristic stuff. Robbins has a great feel for this time and has done some research. I can see myself checking out more of these books in the future.

ENDWORLD #29 THE LORDS OF KISMET BY DAVID ROBBINS

Copyright 2016.

Blade has decided to confront the Lords of Kismet head on after their failed attempt to destroy the Home. But how to get to Asia when they are thousands of miles away and have no plane. The answer is salvaging a time machine from an old enemies lair. Thanatos had used it to send Alpha Triad back in time in an untold story. Now they plan to use it to get to Asia. Going back one hour in time and to the destination of Bangkok. Blade, Hickok and Yama are chosen for the mission.

Things go wrong right from the start. The three warriors are scattered apart. They find that Bangkok is under the rule of Dhurga. The lords are ancient beings that were the Hindu gods of old. Using demigods and other fantastical creatures they rule the humans with an iron fist. The people are totally cowed and now meekly serve the Lords including being used as food. Blade and the other warriors find that they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

A new Endworld book. Just after reading a new Survivalist book. Makes me feel like its 1986. Robbins still hasn’t lost his touch. Indeed the series is going as strong as ever. The characters are still the same that I loved thirty years ago. He has crafted a new threat for the warriors. It ends with Blade planning to use the time machine to go back in time to fight the Lords of Kismet. The story about Thanatos was never told so I wonder if that will be written about in a future book. Can’t wait for the next book.