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A review by john87
Alien: River of Pain (Novel #3) by Christopher Golden
3.0
Note: this is a review of the audible audio drama.
After the previous two lackluster entries in the "canonical trilogy" I decided to opt for the audible drama of River of Pain instead. I'm glad I did as the production was really well done (spotty accents notwithstanding) and elevated the material from being mere run of the mill filler to an enjoyable Alien romp that really nailed the atmosphere of the films, Alien 3 in particular.
However when it's not delivering tense and bombastic sci-fi horror & carnage it can get bogged down in some of the minutiae of the characters' day to day; leading to it feeling more like a glorified soap opera set in the Alien universe more than anything. Another issue, exclusive to the audio drama, were the kid actors that didn't always land the mark.
Otherwise it's a fun albeit predictable ride which I'd very much recommend over reading the actual novel itself. If only to hear more of Jonesy's oblivious purring.
After the previous two lackluster entries in the "canonical trilogy" I decided to opt for the audible drama of River of Pain instead. I'm glad I did as the production was really well done (spotty accents notwithstanding) and elevated the material from being mere run of the mill filler to an enjoyable Alien romp that really nailed the atmosphere of the films, Alien 3 in particular.
However when it's not delivering tense and bombastic sci-fi horror & carnage it can get bogged down in some of the minutiae of the characters' day to day; leading to it feeling more like a glorified soap opera set in the Alien universe more than anything. Another issue, exclusive to the audio drama, were the kid actors that didn't always land the mark.
Otherwise it's a fun albeit predictable ride which I'd very much recommend over reading the actual novel itself. If only to hear more of Jonesy's oblivious purring.