Terminator 3: Terminator Hunt by Aaron Allston
01/07/2005 . Source: Tomas L. Martin 
pub: TOR. 317 page hardback. Price: $24.95 (US). $34.95 (CAN). ISBN: 0-765-30853-3. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.tor.com
In the first of Aaron Allston's 'Terminator' tie-ins, he introduced us to the post-Judgement Day world of John Connor's resistance against the all-powerful Skynet and its army of terminators and battle robots. While that novel jumped frequently back to the present day to tell its story, this book stays firmly in the future and I think it definitely improves for that.
The Terminatrix that was sent back in time for the events of 'Terminator 3' had only one thing missing from her good looks and lethal machinery: she sure as hell couldn't act. While saying, 'I like your gun' in a monotone voice works if you're about to snatch it and shoot the police officer in question, if you as a robot want to blend into society, it leaves something to be desired.
Skynet must have been reading the film's reviews, because the giant computer realises that the T-X lacks certain social abilities and in 'Terminator Hunt' it kidnaps a resistance member and uses him to train a T-X in being more human. Paul Keeley thinks he's back in modern day, but he's just jacked up to the machine, interacting over and over with the T-X.
The man teaches robot to be human is an old story but thankfully Allston doesn't linger on it. Instead, John Connor and other members of the resistance stumble across the facility where Paul and the T-X are located. After a building-demolishing battle, Paul is rescued and the T-X captured. But the links in Paul's mind allow the T-X to control him and allow her to escape.
With the knowledge the terminator T-X has, the resistance has to recapture it before it destroys them. To do that, Paul has to confront the things Skynet has done to his head and overcome people's mistrust of him after he betrayed them.
Needless to say, Allston continues giving us what we want from a 'Terminator' tie-in - guns, explosions, and terminators. In a nice touch and presumably so that Arnie is in it somewhere, the resistance have a reprogrammed T-800 fighting for them and his interaction with the now part-machine Paul is excellently handled.
Continuing from where 'Terminator Dreams' left off, 'Terminator Hunt' is a great little read, packed full of interesting characterisation and cracking set-piece action. Why Allston isn't directing his skills towards original settings is beyond me, because on this evidence, it would be good stuff.
Tomas L. Martin |
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