Wild Cards Volume One

The First Wild Cards Book 1987

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Wild Cards Review

This is a review of the first Wild Cards book. I'm writing this review as I read the book, because I want to write down my impressions of the individual stories as I have them. Since this isn't a novel, by the time I read the last story in the book, I might not have as fresh a memory of the first story.

Be aware that I'll spoil the plot for every story I review here, so don't read these reviews unless you don't mind being spoiled.

Wild Cards Volume One

Prologue - From Wild Times: An Oral History of the Postwar Years, by Studs Terkel (Pantheon, 1979)

Of course, a real book about the postwar years by Studs Terkel doesn't exist, but using the device of a Studs Terkel oral history provides an immediate sense of realism to the book. (A similar device was used in the more recent World War Z by Max Brooks.) The story told in the prologue is about the arrival of the alien Dr. Tachyon (not his real name) to Earth in 1946. He insists that he needs all the world's military to help him find a germ weapon from his home planet that has landed on Earth. The military and governments ignore him, which sets up the plot for the rest of the books.

This chapter was excellent. It was extraordinarily well written and lended an air of authenticity to the chapters that followed.

Thirty Minutes Over Broadway! Jetboy's Last Adventure

Howard Waldrop wrote "Thirty Minutes Over Broadway! Jetboy's Last Adventure". Jetboy is probably loosely based on the comic book character of Airboy, who was inspired by pulp fiction about pilot aces. In the story, he's a 19 year old former fighter pilot who faked being older so he could fly in World War II at the age of 14. He's retired and watches movies all the time now instead of adjusting to the real world. The government reactivates Jetboy to stop a scar-faced Nazi-ish crimelord named Dr. Tod who's flying a blimp over New York City.

Dr. Tod has found the germ weapon that Dr. Tachyon was searching for in the prologue. During the battle, Jetboy dies, and the germ weapon is released over New York City, which sets off the wave of mutations which make the Wild Cards setting what it is.

I loved this chapter too. The characterization of Jetboy as an already-washedup-hero at the age of nineteen was interesting and almost depressing. His last words: "I can't die yet. I haven't seen The Jolson Story."

The Sleeper

Roger Zelazny wrote "The Sleeper". This is the origin tale of Croyd Crenson, a ninth grader who is mutated by the germ weapon. Crenson's infection differs from other Wild Cards'. He is constantly being reinfected by the virus, which causes him to fall asleep for long periods of time. Every time he awakens he has a new appearance and new powers.

Croyd Crenson uses his powers to steal in order to support his family. (His father is killed and his mother suffers from dementia or something.) He eventually starts using amphetamines to stave off sleep and new transformations, but those have side effects which affects his mood.

The conflict of the story comes from Crenson trying to come to terms with his constantly changing appearance and abilities. By the end of the story, Crenson seems to have achieved some acceptance of his condition, but I'm sure he'll show up in other stories in the future, and we'll see if that's really the case or not in them.

I enjoyed this story, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two stories.

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