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Aliens / Predator / Prometheus Universe
Predator: Concrete Jungle (Aliens Vs. Predator) by Nathan Archer
Two over-heated New York City cops are suffering a sweltering summer not improved by the appearance of some of the nastiest corpses they've ever had the priviege to investigate. But this is only the beginning... Detective Shaefer realises that his involement in the case may be more than circumstantial when the military shows a covert interest in police procedure. Remembering the tales told by his missing brother, Dutch, about strange aliens and government cover-ups, Shaefer and his partner suspect there is more to the investigation than they're ever going to find out by conventional means.
327 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
April 1, 2023
Fun and fast read by Archer. Oddly enough, this is a novelization of a comic, but Archer runs with it nicely. I loved the movies Predator and Predators and fans of these iconic films will probably like this as well. Do not expect a literary masterpiece here, but this plays out like the action films listed above.
Our main protagonists are a pair of homicide cops in NYC; this starts off when they stumble across a mass murder of gang members, all hoisted up by their feet to the rafters of an old apartment building and skinned. It seems there is a Predator loose in the Big Apple! Archer paces the story nicely, and we follow one of the cops (Dutch's brother no less) back to the scene of the first Predator movie while action continues to unfold in NYC. Pure pulpy popcorn and done well. 3 stars!
Our main protagonists are a pair of homicide cops in NYC; this starts off when they stumble across a mass murder of gang members, all hoisted up by their feet to the rafters of an old apartment building and skinned. It seems there is a Predator loose in the Big Apple! Archer paces the story nicely, and we follow one of the cops (Dutch's brother no less) back to the scene of the first Predator movie while action continues to unfold in NYC. Pure pulpy popcorn and done well. 3 stars!
January 28, 2018
This is a pretty good read.
Film Noir meets Science Fiction.
The references to They Live were pretty cool too.
Film Noir meets Science Fiction.
The references to They Live were pretty cool too.
January 25, 2018
What book just gave me EXACTLY what I wanted from it? THIS BOOK DID!
A direct sequel to the original AHNOLD movie, fitting between Predator and the oft-maligned Predator 2, it does not pretend to be what it's not. It's sci-fi action pulp trash of delicious proportions. And I dug it.
Go read it. It'll make you a goddamn sexual Tyrannosaurus...just like me.
A direct sequel to the original AHNOLD movie, fitting between Predator and the oft-maligned Predator 2, it does not pretend to be what it's not. It's sci-fi action pulp trash of delicious proportions. And I dug it.
Go read it. It'll make you a goddamn sexual Tyrannosaurus...just like me.
April 4, 2018
"And then he didn't hear anything but a thick dripping sound, like steak sauce going on."
"He was packing serious heat, he had a good buzz on from sampling the latest shipment, he had a hot new bitch waiting for him-all was right with the world."
Every cop, villain and army stereotype on full display, this book is one hot mess. In spite of itself and its mary sue quality, it still manages to be fun. It doesn't really answer any questions you might have about the whereabouts of Dutch or what's going on other than the present hunt but it still satisfied my taste for the Predator mythos.
"He was packing serious heat, he had a good buzz on from sampling the latest shipment, he had a hot new bitch waiting for him-all was right with the world."
Every cop, villain and army stereotype on full display, this book is one hot mess. In spite of itself and its mary sue quality, it still manages to be fun. It doesn't really answer any questions you might have about the whereabouts of Dutch or what's going on other than the present hunt but it still satisfied my taste for the Predator mythos.
October 10, 2021
Like the Aliens and Aliens vs. Predator novels that have been released, this Predator novel is not an original work, instead it is based on the first comic book series from the 1989 written by Mark Verheiden: Predator: Concrete Jungle. While I thought Verheiden's original ideas for Aliens wound up getting a little ridiculous, I think his work on the first Predator comics had some really stellar ideas. In some ways it was a bit ridiculous, but Nathan Archer did an incredible job fleshing out the story. It made the more ridiculous elements flow a lot better. Now, it's been no secret that Verheiden's comics clearly influenced the ideas behind Predator 2, so if you're reading this book well after Predator 2 and thinking Nathan Archer is quite unoriginal, it's quite a bit the other way around.
Since I'm sure Dark Horse wasn't allowed to use Dutch originally, Verheiden created, basically, his twin. However, rather than being on a special forces rescue team, he is a New York cop. It was pretty clear he wanted to write about Schwarzenegger and just wasn't allowed to. I thought this was a rather silly idea and it would have been better to just write about someone else, which is why I think the way Predator 2 turned out was much better. They tried to tie the story too closely to the original Predator film when they really didn't have to. I quite liked his partner character though, Rasche. He was one of the best parts of the book, because Shaefer is painfully rather one dimensional. So there isn't much character development there other than he's the only one who can fight the Predators and seem to win in hand to hand combat.
Much like Predator 2 it starts off with the Predators attacking drug dealers and killing them all in an incomprehensible fashion. Shaefer and Rasche are on the scene to try and figure out what happened. Rather than keep the Predators a mystery, since we all know what they basically are after seeing the first film Verheiden and Archer reveal the alien creatures right away. However, in Shaefer's universe there is still quite a bit of mystery surrounding the hunters and soon things lead to what looks like a government cover-up. The infamous General Phillips from the first movie shows up again, which I thought was actually a rather cool overlap from the first film.
This leads Shaefer to go on his own hunt, butting heads with his commanding officer as is tradition in 80's/90's cop related stories. This search for answers doesn't give Shaefer any insight into his brother's whereabouts, but it does lead him to the original area in Central America where Dutch managed to kill one. There Shaefer faces his own Predator and also kills it, perhaps a bit quicker and easier than Dutch did, which was a bit ridiculous. However, this was a four issue comic book originally... so they didn't have a lot of pages to devote to a long drawn out epic battle.
Shaefer then returns to New York City to face all the other Predators and put up a good fight. This is the part that I found rather ridiculous. Predator 2 had a single hunting party, which makes way more sense, but this novel has a full scale hunting expedition with multiple vessels hovering over NYC. I think this was jumping the gun a little bit in epic scale and I'm not surprised this never really happens again in any of the other Predator tales. It kind of makes the Predators unbeatable in so many ways...
Overall, Archer did an impressive job fleshing out this somewhat overwhelming tale. The original story tries to do too much and travel to too many places to stay together seamlessly, but with Archer having more space he manages to bring more details into the mix and give it the flow it rather desperately needed.
Since I'm sure Dark Horse wasn't allowed to use Dutch originally, Verheiden created, basically, his twin. However, rather than being on a special forces rescue team, he is a New York cop. It was pretty clear he wanted to write about Schwarzenegger and just wasn't allowed to. I thought this was a rather silly idea and it would have been better to just write about someone else, which is why I think the way Predator 2 turned out was much better. They tried to tie the story too closely to the original Predator film when they really didn't have to. I quite liked his partner character though, Rasche. He was one of the best parts of the book, because Shaefer is painfully rather one dimensional. So there isn't much character development there other than he's the only one who can fight the Predators and seem to win in hand to hand combat.
Much like Predator 2 it starts off with the Predators attacking drug dealers and killing them all in an incomprehensible fashion. Shaefer and Rasche are on the scene to try and figure out what happened. Rather than keep the Predators a mystery, since we all know what they basically are after seeing the first film Verheiden and Archer reveal the alien creatures right away. However, in Shaefer's universe there is still quite a bit of mystery surrounding the hunters and soon things lead to what looks like a government cover-up. The infamous General Phillips from the first movie shows up again, which I thought was actually a rather cool overlap from the first film.
This leads Shaefer to go on his own hunt, butting heads with his commanding officer as is tradition in 80's/90's cop related stories. This search for answers doesn't give Shaefer any insight into his brother's whereabouts, but it does lead him to the original area in Central America where Dutch managed to kill one. There Shaefer faces his own Predator and also kills it, perhaps a bit quicker and easier than Dutch did, which was a bit ridiculous. However, this was a four issue comic book originally... so they didn't have a lot of pages to devote to a long drawn out epic battle.
Shaefer then returns to New York City to face all the other Predators and put up a good fight. This is the part that I found rather ridiculous. Predator 2 had a single hunting party, which makes way more sense, but this novel has a full scale hunting expedition with multiple vessels hovering over NYC. I think this was jumping the gun a little bit in epic scale and I'm not surprised this never really happens again in any of the other Predator tales. It kind of makes the Predators unbeatable in so many ways...
Overall, Archer did an impressive job fleshing out this somewhat overwhelming tale. The original story tries to do too much and travel to too many places to stay together seamlessly, but with Archer having more space he manages to bring more details into the mix and give it the flow it rather desperately needed.
April 11, 2020
I have an obsession with two things (well, lots of things, really, but two that fit the context of this review): Predator and campy sci-fi novels. I love Predator in all the forms – the original movie, AVP, Predators – everything but ALL but AvP Requiem.
I knew going into it that the plot would be asinine, the characters wooden, the action didactic. And this was all true – but in terms of fun this novel met my expectations. The pace was fast, the writing was concise but not juvenile, the characters were likable if not very introspective, and the only thing that really sucked was the ending. I also laughed quite a bit at the ridiculous stuff in it. Schafer’s relation to Dutch for one!
Because it amused me, I love Predator, and it filled almost all expectations I had for it, I gave this thing 4 stars.
I knew going into it that the plot would be asinine, the characters wooden, the action didactic. And this was all true – but in terms of fun this novel met my expectations. The pace was fast, the writing was concise but not juvenile, the characters were likable if not very introspective, and the only thing that really sucked was the ending. I also laughed quite a bit at the ridiculous stuff in it. Schafer’s relation to Dutch for one!
Because it amused me, I love Predator, and it filled almost all expectations I had for it, I gave this thing 4 stars.
September 29, 2017
This novel was based on the very first Predator comic series, which was released before the movie Predator 2. There were many elements of the movie that appeared here first.
This story takes the Predators from the jungle into the city, and also establishes the fact there is an entire race of Predators who have been traveling to Earth for centuries. This series focuses on the brother of Dutch, Arnold's character in the original Predator film. He's a New York Detective and the Predators track him down. The story starts in New York, moves to Central America and then back to New York. There's some drug cartels involved and plenty of gory action.
If you like Predator, you're sure to enjoy this. We've seen so many Predator stories since this was released it's hard to remember how fresh this was at the time, but still a really good read.
This story takes the Predators from the jungle into the city, and also establishes the fact there is an entire race of Predators who have been traveling to Earth for centuries. This series focuses on the brother of Dutch, Arnold's character in the original Predator film. He's a New York Detective and the Predators track him down. The story starts in New York, moves to Central America and then back to New York. There's some drug cartels involved and plenty of gory action.
If you like Predator, you're sure to enjoy this. We've seen so many Predator stories since this was released it's hard to remember how fresh this was at the time, but still a really good read.
June 10, 2020
This was a bit disappointing for me. Rumor has it that this was the original script to Predator 2 so I had high expectations for it but after reading this I’m kind of glad that they went with the movie that we got. This felt very dull and uninspired. The descriptions were very flat and it was hard to really feel engaged with any of the characters in the story. The predators just didn’t feel is menacing as they usually do in other stories. If you’re looking for a good predator tie a novel to read I recommend skipping this one and checking out Predator: Big Game. That is a much better rendition of this type of story ......also the violence is described much better.
June 25, 2024
Predator: Concrete Jungle" by Nathan Archer is a thrilling novel that plunges readers into the heart of an urban jungle where the iconic Yautja hunters stalk their prey with deadly precision. This action-packed adventure takes the Predator franchise to new heights, delivering an intense and immersive experience that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.
Set in the gritty cityscape of New York, "Predator: Concrete Jungle" introduces us to Detective Schaefer, a seasoned cop with a haunted past. As he investigates a series of brutal murders plaguing the city, he soon discovers that he is facing a foe unlike any he has encountered before. The Yautja, with their advanced technology and ruthless hunting instincts, turn the concrete jungle into their own hunting ground, leaving a trail of carnage in their wake.
Nathan Archer skillfully captures the essence of the Predator universe, staying true to the iconic creatures' lore while expanding upon it with his own imaginative twists. The narrative is fast-paced and action-packed, propelling readers from one adrenaline-fueled encounter to the next. Archer's vivid descriptions bring the urban setting to life, immersing readers in the chaos and danger of the city streets.
One of the strengths of "Predator: Concrete Jungle" lies in its characterization. Detective Schaefer is a compelling protagonist, haunted by past failures and driven by a relentless determination to protect his city. As he delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the Predator's presence, Schaefer's personal journey intertwines with the escalating hunt, creating a layered narrative that adds depth to the story.
The Predator itself is depicted with chilling accuracy, showcasing its formidable strength, agility, and technological prowess. Archer captures the primal nature of the Yautja, highlighting their merciless pursuit of worthy prey. The suspense builds as the Predator systematically eliminates its targets, creating a sense of dread and anticipation as readers wonder who will be next in its deadly game.
In addition to the gripping action sequences, "Predator: Concrete Jungle" delves into the moral complexities of the hunt. Archer explores the blurred lines between predator and prey, raising thought-provoking questions about the nature of survival and the lengths one will go to protect what they hold dear. These deeper themes add an extra layer of depth to the story, elevating it beyond a mere action-packed thriller.
Fans of the Predator franchise will appreciate the nods to the original movie, as well as the expansion of the lore surrounding the Yautja civilization. Archer's attention to detail and his ability to capture the essence of the Predator's mystique make "Predator: Concrete Jungle" a must-read for both die-hard fans and newcomers to the franchise.
In conclusion, "Predator: Concrete Jungle" is a pulse-pounding novel that immerses readers in the heart-pounding chaos of an urban jungle. Nathan Archer's masterful storytelling, vivid descriptions, and compelling characters bring the Predator universe to life, delivering a thrilling and immersive reading experience. With its intense action, moral complexities, and exploration of the Predator's deadly nature, this novel is a standout addition to the franchise.
Set in the gritty cityscape of New York, "Predator: Concrete Jungle" introduces us to Detective Schaefer, a seasoned cop with a haunted past. As he investigates a series of brutal murders plaguing the city, he soon discovers that he is facing a foe unlike any he has encountered before. The Yautja, with their advanced technology and ruthless hunting instincts, turn the concrete jungle into their own hunting ground, leaving a trail of carnage in their wake.
Nathan Archer skillfully captures the essence of the Predator universe, staying true to the iconic creatures' lore while expanding upon it with his own imaginative twists. The narrative is fast-paced and action-packed, propelling readers from one adrenaline-fueled encounter to the next. Archer's vivid descriptions bring the urban setting to life, immersing readers in the chaos and danger of the city streets.
One of the strengths of "Predator: Concrete Jungle" lies in its characterization. Detective Schaefer is a compelling protagonist, haunted by past failures and driven by a relentless determination to protect his city. As he delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the Predator's presence, Schaefer's personal journey intertwines with the escalating hunt, creating a layered narrative that adds depth to the story.
The Predator itself is depicted with chilling accuracy, showcasing its formidable strength, agility, and technological prowess. Archer captures the primal nature of the Yautja, highlighting their merciless pursuit of worthy prey. The suspense builds as the Predator systematically eliminates its targets, creating a sense of dread and anticipation as readers wonder who will be next in its deadly game.
In addition to the gripping action sequences, "Predator: Concrete Jungle" delves into the moral complexities of the hunt. Archer explores the blurred lines between predator and prey, raising thought-provoking questions about the nature of survival and the lengths one will go to protect what they hold dear. These deeper themes add an extra layer of depth to the story, elevating it beyond a mere action-packed thriller.
Fans of the Predator franchise will appreciate the nods to the original movie, as well as the expansion of the lore surrounding the Yautja civilization. Archer's attention to detail and his ability to capture the essence of the Predator's mystique make "Predator: Concrete Jungle" a must-read for both die-hard fans and newcomers to the franchise.
In conclusion, "Predator: Concrete Jungle" is a pulse-pounding novel that immerses readers in the heart-pounding chaos of an urban jungle. Nathan Archer's masterful storytelling, vivid descriptions, and compelling characters bring the Predator universe to life, delivering a thrilling and immersive reading experience. With its intense action, moral complexities, and exploration of the Predator's deadly nature, this novel is a standout addition to the franchise.
June 24, 2025
This was fantastic! They should have made this Predator 3.
Plot: Predator shows up in New York and begins hunting...Dutch's brother...who's a cop! It's insane, over the top, bombastic and great fun.
It's an adaptation of a graphic novel (which I'm going to read next!)
Plot: Predator shows up in New York and begins hunting...Dutch's brother...who's a cop! It's insane, over the top, bombastic and great fun.
It's an adaptation of a graphic novel (which I'm going to read next!)
October 17, 2023
A fun fast read
April 5, 2021
You aren’t going to get any smarter reading this first of the Predator novels, but you’re sure as hell gonna have a lot of fun.
Predator: Concrete Jungle is a quick, no nonsense, action packed thriller/horror/sci-fi mashup that proves just how awesome a design the original Predator was, and, unfortunately, just how far down the tubes the franchise ended up quickly going when they decided to cast Donald Glover as a follow up to Arnold.
The book won’t win any awards or do anything new/exciting for the Predators, but what the hell...the story was fun and that’s all that matters.
Predator: Concrete Jungle is a quick, no nonsense, action packed thriller/horror/sci-fi mashup that proves just how awesome a design the original Predator was, and, unfortunately, just how far down the tubes the franchise ended up quickly going when they decided to cast Donald Glover as a follow up to Arnold.
The book won’t win any awards or do anything new/exciting for the Predators, but what the hell...the story was fun and that’s all that matters.
March 9, 2023
Much like the movies this was a fun cheese fest.
November 9, 2024
This was really a sequel to the original Arnold movie in many ways. The book was fun to read, if you're a fan of the Predator, etc.
February 11, 2021
1.5 stars.
I found myself rolling my eyes a lot reading this book. It got increasingly corny as the story went on with B movie action storylines but without the fun that makes them watchable. Not enough detail with the fights to build a picture in your mind and I hated Dutch's brother (yes Dutch from the film) as he's a "badass motherfucker" and that's all.
Noticed the next book is basically a sequel from this so will be skipping that for the next Predator book.
I found myself rolling my eyes a lot reading this book. It got increasingly corny as the story went on with B movie action storylines but without the fun that makes them watchable. Not enough detail with the fights to build a picture in your mind and I hated Dutch's brother (yes Dutch from the film) as he's a "badass motherfucker" and that's all.
Noticed the next book is basically a sequel from this so will be skipping that for the next Predator book.
December 5, 2018
How is it possible for what's essentially a monster-action movie to become boring? I don't know, but this Predator novel actually managed.
December 17, 2019
There are few movies that had as much impact on me growing up as Predator. Though it was released in 87, when I was a mere two years old, the first time I saw it, it scared the ever loving bejeezus out of me. I mean proper hiding-behind-the-sofa-and-just-peeking-out-at-all-the-wrong-moments-fear. When I, years later, rediscovered the film, it became one of my all time favorites that I rewatched again and again.
So when I discovered that there were Predator comics in my formative years as a teenager, it was practically a given that I would read every single comic I could get my hand on. Predator: Concrete Jungle was one such comic. So when I found out that there was actually a novelization of the comic, I just had to read it.
This is my way of saying I am very biased in this review.
Although I now haven't read the comic in... oh, so many years, the faint memories tell me that the book follows the comic almost word for word. The events are essentially the same though due to the different mediums, the book comes across as a lot more introspective. Schaefer is given a lot more depth than he ever had in any of the comics or its sequels and you see things from a different angle in certain cases.
But in essence, it's a pretty straight forward story about the titular aliens (though no actual name had been given them beyond "the hunters" at that point) though this time it's set in a metaphorical jungle. They do make a quick little excursion to an actual jungle, though. Have no fear, purists. They do visit the scene of the original movie.
If you're a Predator fan, it's worth noting that a lot of the concepts and lores presented in this story have since been retconned or changed ever so slightly. But that's to be expected since the movie sequel hadn't even come out at the time and changed heavily from conception to completion. The comics are probably, today, considered their entirely own, seperate continuity from the films (which can barely maintain any sort of continuity as is).
It's competently enough written that it didn't put me off but I did notice quite a few spelling mistakes and the like. Which is odd considering I read the 1998 reissue so things like that should definitely have been ironed out at that point. It also struggled with time, especially as far as Schaefer's trip to South America was concerned. The way it was written, it was like it took place over a day or two but it's revealed to actually have been several weeks. That obviously makes sense but the book makes very little mention of it and at first I thought it was a it laughable that everything was progressing so quickly when it really should've been taking a ton of time.
Oh, and the ending is just insanely abrupt. The book I was reading was 327 pages long and the last 30 pages or is all the ending gets. And it's supposed to be this big, intense, punch-up brawl but then just when it's getting good, it... kind of ends.
Maybe it's a bit harsh to give it just 3/5 stars for that but the truth is... that's really all the story is worth. It's not a particularly groundbreaking book and it plays most things extremely safe. It's not offensively bad or anything but neither is it particularly stunning either. I'll remember the comics long after I forget about this one.
It's the equivalent of fast food. Not necessarily disgusting but you're unlikely to remember it long after leaving the restaurant.
So when I discovered that there were Predator comics in my formative years as a teenager, it was practically a given that I would read every single comic I could get my hand on. Predator: Concrete Jungle was one such comic. So when I found out that there was actually a novelization of the comic, I just had to read it.
This is my way of saying I am very biased in this review.
Although I now haven't read the comic in... oh, so many years, the faint memories tell me that the book follows the comic almost word for word. The events are essentially the same though due to the different mediums, the book comes across as a lot more introspective. Schaefer is given a lot more depth than he ever had in any of the comics or its sequels and you see things from a different angle in certain cases.
But in essence, it's a pretty straight forward story about the titular aliens (though no actual name had been given them beyond "the hunters" at that point) though this time it's set in a metaphorical jungle. They do make a quick little excursion to an actual jungle, though. Have no fear, purists. They do visit the scene of the original movie.
If you're a Predator fan, it's worth noting that a lot of the concepts and lores presented in this story have since been retconned or changed ever so slightly. But that's to be expected since the movie sequel hadn't even come out at the time and changed heavily from conception to completion. The comics are probably, today, considered their entirely own, seperate continuity from the films (which can barely maintain any sort of continuity as is).
It's competently enough written that it didn't put me off but I did notice quite a few spelling mistakes and the like. Which is odd considering I read the 1998 reissue so things like that should definitely have been ironed out at that point. It also struggled with time, especially as far as Schaefer's trip to South America was concerned. The way it was written, it was like it took place over a day or two but it's revealed to actually have been several weeks. That obviously makes sense but the book makes very little mention of it and at first I thought it was a it laughable that everything was progressing so quickly when it really should've been taking a ton of time.
Oh, and the ending is just insanely abrupt. The book I was reading was 327 pages long and the last 30 pages or is all the ending gets. And it's supposed to be this big, intense, punch-up brawl but then just when it's getting good, it... kind of ends.
Maybe it's a bit harsh to give it just 3/5 stars for that but the truth is... that's really all the story is worth. It's not a particularly groundbreaking book and it plays most things extremely safe. It's not offensively bad or anything but neither is it particularly stunning either. I'll remember the comics long after I forget about this one.
It's the equivalent of fast food. Not necessarily disgusting but you're unlikely to remember it long after leaving the restaurant.
June 27, 2021
Ok so...I really like all the references to the movies; with John being Dutch's brother, the joke about Schwarzennegger's sci-fi movie, etc. It was really cool, and I liked the characters ok; Rasche get way better through the book.
BUT I got two problems. John Schaefer character was...bland for me. The book start him off silent, in-tuned type, which lead me to think he was going to be smarter than Dutch (who pretty smart in the movie), but than he on his own and you realize he's really not...he doesn't piece thing together when it come to the Feds or anything. He doesn't even ask the right questions, like why the feds didn't want a fight. He just assume they covering their own butts; not thinking maybe they're trying to save millions of peoples. And I get that he has a sense on these creature but still, its like he doesn't care at all for any human life. Even when people point out that these creature could destroy the world if they want revenge, he just shrugs it off. No question if he's doing the right thing, no really planning at all other than blast things. He was just a muscle head that finally got to go buck wild with explosives. I just didn't like him, there were moments that I did, but overall I didn't care for him.
My second problem was the ending. Like John goes out of his way, to stand up with some sort of moral idea of saving people (even though what he's doing could kill millions of more people than what have already died), but he indicates he wants to stop them. That it wasn't just about surviving them, he want to stop them from killing anyone else in his city; his cops, his crooks, etc. BUT after all this, it ends with the Predators choosing to leave, John letting them, and than HE points out that they just made the hunt MORE interesting for the Predators, and that the will be back again. Meaning that instead of these hunts being more or less random every few years, they could become yearly and the death total going to skyrocket.
It just seem like a super redundant plot that had no purpose. I mean I get him trying to survive, no one going to let themselves die, but he contradicts himself when you compare that he says in the book to his actions at the end of the book. For one, he returns to a heavily populated place, like this is New York, they got a huge park. They have docks, but no just in the middle of a random street.
And there was no set up, like they had all day to plan, cause they were waiting for the right target, they even point out the thugs snoozing, waiting for action. They couldn't sit their and compile a list of what they do know; like that water mess with their tech; which they just saw hours previously. Yah they use that, but they didn't plan too, it was on the spot. He knows their masks can be messed with, that they don't notice things like knives if they grab you, etc. No traps, no arrange combat, or coordinated assault; no just go in ablaze and see what happens. I mean, they could have figure things out before they shot a ship, call the Predators down, put civilians and thugs alike to death. They had the time, the author points out they had the time.
I like a lot of things about this story but a lot of it felt pointless and bland. Which for the first Predator book I've read, that does not inspire confidant for the rest of the series of books. I do hope the next one is better.
BUT I got two problems. John Schaefer character was...bland for me. The book start him off silent, in-tuned type, which lead me to think he was going to be smarter than Dutch (who pretty smart in the movie), but than he on his own and you realize he's really not...he doesn't piece thing together when it come to the Feds or anything. He doesn't even ask the right questions, like why the feds didn't want a fight. He just assume they covering their own butts; not thinking maybe they're trying to save millions of peoples. And I get that he has a sense on these creature but still, its like he doesn't care at all for any human life. Even when people point out that these creature could destroy the world if they want revenge, he just shrugs it off. No question if he's doing the right thing, no really planning at all other than blast things. He was just a muscle head that finally got to go buck wild with explosives. I just didn't like him, there were moments that I did, but overall I didn't care for him.
My second problem was the ending. Like John goes out of his way, to stand up with some sort of moral idea of saving people (even though what he's doing could kill millions of more people than what have already died), but he indicates he wants to stop them. That it wasn't just about surviving them, he want to stop them from killing anyone else in his city; his cops, his crooks, etc. BUT after all this, it ends with the Predators choosing to leave, John letting them, and than HE points out that they just made the hunt MORE interesting for the Predators, and that the will be back again. Meaning that instead of these hunts being more or less random every few years, they could become yearly and the death total going to skyrocket.
It just seem like a super redundant plot that had no purpose. I mean I get him trying to survive, no one going to let themselves die, but he contradicts himself when you compare that he says in the book to his actions at the end of the book. For one, he returns to a heavily populated place, like this is New York, they got a huge park. They have docks, but no just in the middle of a random street.
And there was no set up, like they had all day to plan, cause they were waiting for the right target, they even point out the thugs snoozing, waiting for action. They couldn't sit their and compile a list of what they do know; like that water mess with their tech; which they just saw hours previously. Yah they use that, but they didn't plan too, it was on the spot. He knows their masks can be messed with, that they don't notice things like knives if they grab you, etc. No traps, no arrange combat, or coordinated assault; no just go in ablaze and see what happens. I mean, they could have figure things out before they shot a ship, call the Predators down, put civilians and thugs alike to death. They had the time, the author points out they had the time.
I like a lot of things about this story but a lot of it felt pointless and bland. Which for the first Predator book I've read, that does not inspire confidant for the rest of the series of books. I do hope the next one is better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2018
Surprisingly OK. Don't expect it to be one of those complicated and deep Sci-Fi novels with a lot of meaning in it, but seriously, nobody expects that from Predator book. Like you don't expect the original movies to be like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Same here. Concrete Jungle is one of those novels you read just for fun. And unlike many other books of this kind, this one doesn't feel like a B-movie. Writing is acceptable, the original lore is treated well enough, so, fans won't feel bad while reading it, the story is way too basic and dull, but there's always enough motivation to keep reading and enough stuff to keep you excited. In other words, it feels exactly like Predator movies.
The problem is – it feels a lot like a second movie. I mean, a lot. Change LA to NY and make things a bit more complicated... and that will be it. Technically, this novel is better than movie. Way better, actually, thanks to how there's no those infamous cheap scenes like the one with the guns in subway, or the one with King Willie. Even though it's still an easy reading, it feels much better than Predator 2. The one can say that it's a Predator 2 in the way it was actually supposed to be. Unfortunately, it was written five years after the movie and... you know how it is. Yes, it's better, yes, there's better connection with the first movie, yest, it's more exciting, but... all in all it's the same exact thing. And we've already seen cops and gangsters in the big city fighting Predator. It's just... isn't fresh enough. It's a nice little something if you just want some Predator flavored “bubble gum”, it “tastes” quite good, but still, there's no real value. No calories. Nothing to make you remember it.
The problem is – it feels a lot like a second movie. I mean, a lot. Change LA to NY and make things a bit more complicated... and that will be it. Technically, this novel is better than movie. Way better, actually, thanks to how there's no those infamous cheap scenes like the one with the guns in subway, or the one with King Willie. Even though it's still an easy reading, it feels much better than Predator 2. The one can say that it's a Predator 2 in the way it was actually supposed to be. Unfortunately, it was written five years after the movie and... you know how it is. Yes, it's better, yes, there's better connection with the first movie, yest, it's more exciting, but... all in all it's the same exact thing. And we've already seen cops and gangsters in the big city fighting Predator. It's just... isn't fresh enough. It's a nice little something if you just want some Predator flavored “bubble gum”, it “tastes” quite good, but still, there's no real value. No calories. Nothing to make you remember it.
January 5, 2024
I’m a huge Predator fan, but I found this book truly disappointing.
Everything just missed the mark for me and relied a little too much on riding the coattails of the first film. I would have been okay with a couple of callbacks here and there or using Philips as a consistent thread through the movies and books, but shoehorning in Schaefer as Dutch’s never aforementioned brother and sending him to the location of the first film with verrryyy thinly stretched reasoning that only benefited the book’s B-plot was just unnecessary and detracted from any enjoyment I tried to get out of reading this. Dutch was mentioned too frequently for something to never come of it. ‘Something’ allegedly happens to him after the first film and it is constantly brought up, but that’s literally all we get.
The Predators themselves seemed downgraded as well. The ‘showdowns’ between them and the leads happened in a page or two and were taken down all too easily. Yes, they had their moments of badassery in taking down a bunch of gang thugs or police officers but when it was time for the leads to actually off one of them, they went down like flies. I think it was a bigger faux pas to keep bringing up Dutch and his Predator and how difficult it was for him or anyone else to defeat such a big bad, and then write them off the page so quickly. It just didn’t sit well with me.
I almost put the book down for good several times, and really should have stopped when Arnold and Dutch were mentioned on the same page as two separate people in the same universe; I think I might have pulled something rolling my eyes as hard as I did. The fact that Schaefer’s name couldn’t have been bothered to be spelled properly on the back cover (Schaefer with a C consistently throughout the novel, and Shaefer without the C on the back) should have tipped me off, but I finished it anyways. Not sure I’m happy I did.
Everything just missed the mark for me and relied a little too much on riding the coattails of the first film. I would have been okay with a couple of callbacks here and there or using Philips as a consistent thread through the movies and books, but shoehorning in Schaefer as Dutch’s never aforementioned brother and sending him to the location of the first film with verrryyy thinly stretched reasoning that only benefited the book’s B-plot was just unnecessary and detracted from any enjoyment I tried to get out of reading this. Dutch was mentioned too frequently for something to never come of it. ‘Something’ allegedly happens to him after the first film and it is constantly brought up, but that’s literally all we get.
The Predators themselves seemed downgraded as well. The ‘showdowns’ between them and the leads happened in a page or two and were taken down all too easily. Yes, they had their moments of badassery in taking down a bunch of gang thugs or police officers but when it was time for the leads to actually off one of them, they went down like flies. I think it was a bigger faux pas to keep bringing up Dutch and his Predator and how difficult it was for him or anyone else to defeat such a big bad, and then write them off the page so quickly. It just didn’t sit well with me.
I almost put the book down for good several times, and really should have stopped when Arnold and Dutch were mentioned on the same page as two separate people in the same universe; I think I might have pulled something rolling my eyes as hard as I did. The fact that Schaefer’s name couldn’t have been bothered to be spelled properly on the back cover (Schaefer with a C consistently throughout the novel, and Shaefer without the C on the back) should have tipped me off, but I finished it anyways. Not sure I’m happy I did.
October 29, 2022
I read this as the first novel in the Predator Omnibus that consists of three short (220+ page) novels. Thought I might enjoy all three, and I still may come back to the second one but I just couldn't do this. Let me say first that I did very much want to love Concrete Jungle; I refused to quit, but the writing itself is not that great.
The story had several plotholes: they take a mask from one of the predators and then they . . . forget that they have it until later. One of the main characters gets captured with the mask and then the G-men . . .forget that he has it/don't take it from him and he escapes. The story has multiple instances of aging, overweight NYPD cops overpowering multiple special forces troops (sorry, I can buy the part about alien hunters but you lost me with the NYPD being super soldiers; they're not).
Again, I wanted to both love the story and put the book down -because it's so bad. Again, may read the second novel, by this same author because I'm so fascinated by the subject. Apparently the book is based upon a comic book series. That comic series actually came out BEFORE Predator 2, so it reads with a lot of references to the first Predator movie but with zero references to Predator 2 even though this book came out after Predator 2. Predator 2 evidently takes a lot of influence from the comic book series (although this book takes place in New York).
The story had several plotholes: they take a mask from one of the predators and then they . . . forget that they have it until later. One of the main characters gets captured with the mask and then the G-men . . .forget that he has it/don't take it from him and he escapes. The story has multiple instances of aging, overweight NYPD cops overpowering multiple special forces troops (sorry, I can buy the part about alien hunters but you lost me with the NYPD being super soldiers; they're not).
Again, I wanted to both love the story and put the book down -because it's so bad. Again, may read the second novel, by this same author because I'm so fascinated by the subject. Apparently the book is based upon a comic book series. That comic series actually came out BEFORE Predator 2, so it reads with a lot of references to the first Predator movie but with zero references to Predator 2 even though this book came out after Predator 2. Predator 2 evidently takes a lot of influence from the comic book series (although this book takes place in New York).
November 9, 2019
The book was okay at best. It did not have a good flow to it and kept jumping around all over the place. Any parts that had any form of action lasted only a page or two. The author really made the Predators seem a lot weaker than they are portrayed in the movies. In this story, it seemed that they were fairly easy to surprise and easy to kill. Shaf even kills one halfway through the book and he made it look easy, whereas in the movies the main characters struggle to even kill one.
One of the main characters is supposed to be the brother of Dutch, the character Arnold Schwarzenegger plays in the original Predator movie. One thing that annoyed me greatly was that they even mention Arnold in the book. (This is not a spoiler) One character thinks to himself that these aliens can't be real because "things like this only happen in scifi shows or in an action movie with Schwarzenegger" They also tried way to hard to make as many references and quotes from the original Predator film. At one point the character related to Schwarzenegger's character even says "It bleeds. That means we can kill it" which is practically the exact same line Schwarzenegger says in the movie which is "If it bleeds, we can kill it"
This is the first book based on the Predator universe that I have read and I have to admit I did not enjoy it.
One of the main characters is supposed to be the brother of Dutch, the character Arnold Schwarzenegger plays in the original Predator movie. One thing that annoyed me greatly was that they even mention Arnold in the book. (This is not a spoiler) One character thinks to himself that these aliens can't be real because "things like this only happen in scifi shows or in an action movie with Schwarzenegger" They also tried way to hard to make as many references and quotes from the original Predator film. At one point the character related to Schwarzenegger's character even says "It bleeds. That means we can kill it" which is practically the exact same line Schwarzenegger says in the movie which is "If it bleeds, we can kill it"
This is the first book based on the Predator universe that I have read and I have to admit I did not enjoy it.
February 19, 2025
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
I'm finally going through my tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
I'm finally going through my tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
May 12, 2025
A few months ago I got all jazzed up about the Predatorv franchise. I re-watched the movies I've seen and watched all I haven't, went down the YouTube wormhole on Predator society, checked out the new Marvel comics and I bought these Predator novels from the 90s. I was stoked for this one as I read Predator: Big Game back when it came out and have memories of it being good. Unfortunately, this one left a lot to be desired.
The protagonist is the brother of Dutch Schaefer and Predators have come to New York to hunt him, but the story doesn't do much with the premise. The most interesting part is when Schaefer (brother doesn't get a first name, or if he does I've already forgotten it...) finds his way back to the site where the original movie took place in order to figure out what these Predators are. According to the book, Dutch survived his encounter with the Predator, but has been missing since then, so brother is ignorant to Dutch's experience. There was a great opportunity here to play with the original source material, but it wraps up pretty quickly with nothing gained and the story returns to the janky plot in New York.
Overall, just didn't feel like the writer didn't know how to play in the Predator playground. I bought the follow-up novel, again starring the Schaefer brother, hope it's better than this one.
The protagonist is the brother of Dutch Schaefer and Predators have come to New York to hunt him, but the story doesn't do much with the premise. The most interesting part is when Schaefer (brother doesn't get a first name, or if he does I've already forgotten it...) finds his way back to the site where the original movie took place in order to figure out what these Predators are. According to the book, Dutch survived his encounter with the Predator, but has been missing since then, so brother is ignorant to Dutch's experience. There was a great opportunity here to play with the original source material, but it wraps up pretty quickly with nothing gained and the story returns to the janky plot in New York.
Overall, just didn't feel like the writer didn't know how to play in the Predator playground. I bought the follow-up novel, again starring the Schaefer brother, hope it's better than this one.
August 20, 2022
Entertaining Predator fan fiction about the cop brother of Arnold's character from the first movie taking on numerous alien hunters in NYC and South America. Plenty of fun action but so much time is spent on characters guessing at the creatures reasons and abilities. The original and the most recent, Prey, are the best in the film series because of their show don't tell storytelling. After finishing the film series I wanted more Predator action and this worked. I bought this and 2 other stories in the Predator Omnibus years ago but never bothered with them until now. I probably would have appreciated this a bit more it I read it before Prey. Didn't love this but still looking forward to the rest of the stories.
June 12, 2024
Decent read! It's not the best story in the Predator franchise, but it's by no means the worse. For creating a character who's just a relative of an established character, it's not distracting nor does it take away from his character.
Every character is decently fleshed out and have their own voices. The action is fun and well-described and is what you expect from the franchise. It's a pulpy sci-fi novel and that's all it's trying to be. For having 306 pages, I think it's worth the read, especially if you're a fan of the franchise. It may not add a ton to the overall lore, but it's a fun in-universe side story. Worth the read.
Every character is decently fleshed out and have their own voices. The action is fun and well-described and is what you expect from the franchise. It's a pulpy sci-fi novel and that's all it's trying to be. For having 306 pages, I think it's worth the read, especially if you're a fan of the franchise. It may not add a ton to the overall lore, but it's a fun in-universe side story. Worth the read.
July 29, 2025
As a huge fan of the Predator movies, I was excited to dive into this book hoping for the same intense, suspenseful energy. While there were a few cool moments and nods to the franchise, overall it just didn’t hit the mark for me.
The pacing was uneven, and some of the action felt a little underwhelming compared to what I expect from Predator stories. I didn’t feel super connected to the characters, and the plot was predictable at times.
That said, it’s not a bad read—it’s just not one that stood out. If you’re a die-hard fan like me, it might still be worth checking out, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
The pacing was uneven, and some of the action felt a little underwhelming compared to what I expect from Predator stories. I didn’t feel super connected to the characters, and the plot was predictable at times.
That said, it’s not a bad read—it’s just not one that stood out. If you’re a die-hard fan like me, it might still be worth checking out, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
October 7, 2025
Pure 80's camp, fun read. Pretty quick to get through and it was difficult for the story to drag since it did well switching perspectives. Actually made me worried for the main characters since the book had no problem introducing characters just for them to be killed brutally later, though you never know which will live and which won't. Stayed true to the comics and the source material, though the movie was very different from this book. The author's writing felt a little silly and over the top at times but I think that was intentional to get the 80's macho feel the original movie was known for. Overall a fun time.
Favorite line: "Anyone who got in their way would be hamburger."
4⭐️
Favorite line: "Anyone who got in their way would be hamburger."
4⭐️
February 16, 2024
I love some an adaption of a pre-existing publication every now and again because I love exploring stories deeper, but this reads exactly like those adaptions you'd read as a kid for your favourite movies coming out. Is this made for kids?
His use of fuck is so inconsistently odd. He drops it for the first time like halfway through and then at weird points like "he was just so fucking bored" but let's his tough-as-nails drug lords say "crap" instead. It's like he got the news halfway through his draft that his characters could swear.
It's alright.
His use of fuck is so inconsistently odd. He drops it for the first time like halfway through and then at weird points like "he was just so fucking bored" but let's his tough-as-nails drug lords say "crap" instead. It's like he got the news halfway through his draft that his characters could swear.
It's alright.
March 26, 2020
This book for me had a lot of good moments and terrible moments. A lot of the story seem recycled material from the movies and the characters not that original at all. Didn't give to much attention to the actual predators and I feel they were poorly portrayed. They came across as a more primitive creature than a advanced alien race and the ending with all it's build up was incredibly disappointing. Good points is that it is action packed and easy to get through.
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