Publishing Information
Authors: Howard Weinstein and A.C. Crispin
Publisher: Pinnacle Books Inc., 1430
Broadway, New York, NY 10018
ISBN: 0-523-42259-8
Canadian ISBN: 0-523-43251-8
Copyright: 1984, Warner Bros., Inc.
Comments
Expertly co-written by two somewhat established
authors, this novel examines the Visitors arrival from the
point-of-views of various original characters
in New York. There is also a brief stop-over by some of our
favourite L.A. Resistance members.
Major Plot Points
Memorable Moments
p. 117 The Mayor of New York answers
media questions about the Visitors
"Do I believe it?" he began. "You mean,
do I believe the horse manure being shovelled at us about
scientists hiding cancer treatments from the world because they want
more grants?"
The reporters laughed in spite of the tension
and jostling.
... "No, I do not like them being here.
I don't like the way they've made themselves at home and
redefined our civil liberties. Big favour they're doing us, sharing
their so-called superiority with us. Democracy and human rights
are what make us superior, and I have a question for the American people."
For dramatic effect, he glared directly into a camera balanced on
a shoulder, his finger wagging.
"Who are we going to believe - some mysterious
beings from another planet, or the doctors and scientists who've
served us and saved so many lives by pursuing knowledge all these years?
Are we going to let them turn this world into one great police state,
spiriting our best minds away in the dark of night on the most transparent,
trumped-up charges?"
p. 243 Dr. Donnenfeld meets the L.A.
Resistance
"Who's your MCP charmer here, Julie?"
Julie Parrish made a face. "I'm happy
to say he's not mine, Hannah. This is Ham Tyler, our resident
professional intelligence agent. He's managed to cobble together
a makeshift system of communications between resistance groups around
the world, and since it's definitely a case of hang together or hang separately,
we put up with his . . . eccentricities."
"Moonlighting as a consultant, eh, Mr. Tyler?"
asked Donnenfeld, thinking that Tyler had an ideal face for his
undercover kind of life - it had no very distinctive features. He'd
fade into any crowd.
"Yeah, and wait'll you amateurs get my bill,"
he said, unsmiling.
"We're Ham's favourite charity," Julie said
sarcastically.
Tyler ignored the dig. "How about taking
care of your business so we can get home before daylight?" His voice
carried the authority of one used to being obeyed. Scrutinizing him,
Hannah decided that behind the macho chauvinist demeanour, there
was a keen intellect. As she met his nonreflecting eyes, the scientist
shuddered to think what kind of covert mayhem and bloodshed that intellect
had been reserved for up till now. Still, she knew they needed professionals
in this business, and Tyler was definitely one of them.
The Back of the Book ...
A Great Promise Has Been Broken...
They came from their dying world - peacefully - with a great gift of knowledge. But their dark, secret purpose soon emerged to crush the promise. Millions died. The worst tyranny since Nazi Germany soon engulfed every nation.
A Great Hope Still Lives...
Now New York - the communication centre of
the entire world - is in alien hands. Now all the world is in the
tyrant's grip. But even as the grip tightens, the resistance
lives. And as long as one human soul fights back, hope remains
alive.
Let the Tyrant Beware!
Review by Wendy Rathbone (Taken from The V Files)
As I read the first book, I wondered why the Visitors were taking people for food and not Earth animal life. This book answers that question, as well as many more. This Visitors have plans to take animals, too, but at a later date. Humans, it appears, are not being taken solely for food. Apparently, the Leader of the Visitors planet is in need of combat troops for a vast army he is forming. War in the greater parts of the galaxy seem to be in full swing, and the Visitors need people they can control, converted humans and humans for breeding stock for future food and soldiers so they (the Visitors) have a better chance of winning. This second novel fills in a lot of blanks left open in the first. It takes place simultaneously with the first novel and follows events that occur in the Eastern part of the United States, namely, New York City.
East Coast Crisis is a very optimistic book. It shows humans in favourable, intelligent ways. While V has several characters who have been converted (brainwashed) by the Visitors, and other humans who simply became traitors to the human race in return for material goods and wealth, East concentrates on the other side. The humans are shown to be strong and worthy, with weaknesses and strengths that are realistic and interesting and yet often more ordinary less dramatic than those humans in V.
The resistance group on the East coast calls themselves White Christmas. Even their name is optimistic. They have a shared leadership of about three or four people who are the initial organizers of the resisters. Pete Forsythe, a famous baseball player and aspiring medical student (he is getting too old to continue in baseball for much longer and wants another career) is one of th major organizers. During a dangerous raid, White Christmas loses two of their members. The two die under Visitor fire. Pete feels responsible for them and takes their deaths very badly. Death, for the White Christmas group, is a grim reality that they hadn't had to face before this incident. Pete barely makes it through his guilt and mental anguish intact to continue leadership within the resistance group. This emotional touch in the novel illustrates that no human, no matter how rigid or heroic they appear on the outside, is born without a breaking point.
On the topic of death, this book has less death and carnage than the first novel, V. The book is about life and success; never about failure.
Also, in the story, the West coast resistance group is not at all ignored. Mike Donovan, Juliet Parrish, Ham Tyler and others make minor appearances occasionally. All the events that occur in the East coincide exactly with those in the West. Both V and V: East Coast Crisis are perfectly consistent with each other. In V, the West coast resistance group raids a big press conference and it is during th is conference, aired live on national television, that the public sees what the Visitors really look like: lizards. This is not ignored in the East. White Christmas watches this happen on television and what they see makes them that much more devoted to their cause. Everything the West resistance does either directly or indirectly affects the East. This is very interesting and shows the authors have done their homework except for one thing. If you've already read or seen V, V: East Coast Crisis loses some of its surprise, suspense, and impact since you know what's going to happen. Therefore the book depends chiefly on strong characterization. And it works. To make the book even more realistic, minor characters include Dan Rather and Isaac Asimov, who comment upon the situation when the Visitor ships first arrive.
The authors of this novel have done their research, and done it well. The book is a believable portrayal of life in the East, and the introduction of the East coast resistance group, White Christmas, during the Visitor crisis on Earth.
East Coast Crisis has a good point, too, which V did not come right out and say. "Just maybe the petty squabbles over borders and resources, the now meaningless feuds that had dragged on for centuries, might now give way to a different perspective."
For a science fiction or horror theme which
is potentially quite pessimistic, this book comes away with a very optimistic
look at Humanity and planet Earth.
Ordering Information
All of the "V" novels are currently out of
print. However, you can often find used copies at reasonable prices
at the Advanced
Book Exchange.
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