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Vintage TV tie-in paperback
318 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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1056 people want to read
About the author
Martin Caidin
192 books81 followersMartin Caidin was a prolific and controversial writer. Most of his work centered around the adventures of pilots and astronauts. A number of his books were notable for their reasonable, realistic predictions of then-futuristic technology.
Caidin's body of work was prolific and varied, ranging from additional speculative/SF novels such as Marooned, which was made into an acclaimed film and considered a harbinger of the Apollo 13 accident, to a novel based upon the character Indiana Jones. He also wrote many non-fiction books about science, aviation and warfare.
Caidin began writing fiction in 1957. In his career he authored more than 50 fiction and nonfiction books as well as more than 1,000 magazine articles. His best-known novel is Cyborg, which was the basis for "The Six Million Dollar Man" franchise. He also wrote numerous works of military history, especially concerning aviation.
In addition to his writing Caidin was a pilot and active in the restoration and flying of older planes.
Caidin's body of work was prolific and varied, ranging from additional speculative/SF novels such as Marooned, which was made into an acclaimed film and considered a harbinger of the Apollo 13 accident, to a novel based upon the character Indiana Jones. He also wrote many non-fiction books about science, aviation and warfare.
Caidin began writing fiction in 1957. In his career he authored more than 50 fiction and nonfiction books as well as more than 1,000 magazine articles. His best-known novel is Cyborg, which was the basis for "The Six Million Dollar Man" franchise. He also wrote numerous works of military history, especially concerning aviation.
In addition to his writing Caidin was a pilot and active in the restoration and flying of older planes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
March 3, 2014
A technical marvel and solid piece of science fiction, Cyborg is a good read. Caidin shows his technical prowess here and his knowledge of the military and political landscape of the times is apparent. The creative elements of the work are outstanding and relatively forward thinking. It had to have been good - a TV show was made from it!
However, I think the editor was asleep at the wheel. The book suffers from distracting word repetition, over-grandiose description and in at least one place an entire paragraph that could have been cut without consequences. There are many places where the pacing is jarring and stuttering and makes you stop and think, "Where is the editing?" One sentence shows the work of a talented and experienced wordsmith, the next demonstrates it required proofreading. It reads like a solid third draft; it needed another pass.
A representative of its time, the book is now definitely dated, with its misogynistic males treating three of the four prominent females as objects and the fourth as, generally, an automaton. A bigoted view of non-white non-Americans is present as well, if subtle. That said, again, consider the timeframe in which it was written and set and you can almost let it slide.
The book is an enjoyable read, especially the action, and once you ease into the author's style, you can forget its faults and take the book for what it is: a foray into a believable world where a man can be rebuilt in spectacular fashion into an entirely new thing - and maybe learn a little bit about himself in the process.
However, I think the editor was asleep at the wheel. The book suffers from distracting word repetition, over-grandiose description and in at least one place an entire paragraph that could have been cut without consequences. There are many places where the pacing is jarring and stuttering and makes you stop and think, "Where is the editing?" One sentence shows the work of a talented and experienced wordsmith, the next demonstrates it required proofreading. It reads like a solid third draft; it needed another pass.
A representative of its time, the book is now definitely dated, with its misogynistic males treating three of the four prominent females as objects and the fourth as, generally, an automaton. A bigoted view of non-white non-Americans is present as well, if subtle. That said, again, consider the timeframe in which it was written and set and you can almost let it slide.
The book is an enjoyable read, especially the action, and once you ease into the author's style, you can forget its faults and take the book for what it is: a foray into a believable world where a man can be rebuilt in spectacular fashion into an entirely new thing - and maybe learn a little bit about himself in the process.
March 22, 2023
I’m of an age that when I was a kid my friends and I would sometimes invoke the sound effects from The Six Million Dollar Man when we played. Though I didn’t watch the show, it was a testament to the influence of a franchise that had a surprisingly large cultural presence. So when I saw a paperback copy of the novel that inspired the series, I was intrigued enough to try it out for myself and see what it was like.
What I discovered was the key distinction lay not in the media, but in the influence of the author. Martin Caidin was a writer of works of both fiction and nonfiction, and he had a reputation of striving for technical accuracy in his books. The technical element is understandably an important element of this novel, both in its description of the test flight in which Colonel Steve Austin suffers his horrific accident and in the detailed account of his reconstruction as the eponymous cyborg. Though fantastic in most respects – the novel was shelved under “science fiction,” after all – Caidin’s attention to detail adds to the plausibility of what he describes. Such a transformation may still be impossible today, but it’s a tribute to Caidin’s skills as a writer that it seems plausible enough in the 1970s.
Caidin’s gift as a writer is his ability to offer this detail without turning the narrative into a technical manual. It’s highly readable in this respect, and leavened with a good amount of action around Steve Austin, Super Operative. Yet there was a heavy dose of Gary Stu-ism in the novel that dampened my enjoyment of it. Austin’s abilities as a pilot are apparently equaled by his gifts as a lover, as the women he encounters practically throw themselves at him. It’s an aspect of the novel that makes it ever more of its time than the Cold War-era plot or the space program background, as there were more than a few such works in which manly he-men enjoyed their pick of women whenever and wherever they wanted. By comparison with some of Caidin’s later novels (read Dark Messiah for a particularly egregious example) it’s relatively restrained in this book, but to a reader today the protagonist still comes across as a narcissistic pig. Nor does it help that the women in the novel are two-dimensional characters who are there basically to reaffirm Austin’s manliness and be disposed of soon afterward. Were Caidin’s abilities at characterization on the same level as those of his technical writing the book might be a minor classic, instead of the moderately enjoyable relic of its time that it is today.
What I discovered was the key distinction lay not in the media, but in the influence of the author. Martin Caidin was a writer of works of both fiction and nonfiction, and he had a reputation of striving for technical accuracy in his books. The technical element is understandably an important element of this novel, both in its description of the test flight in which Colonel Steve Austin suffers his horrific accident and in the detailed account of his reconstruction as the eponymous cyborg. Though fantastic in most respects – the novel was shelved under “science fiction,” after all – Caidin’s attention to detail adds to the plausibility of what he describes. Such a transformation may still be impossible today, but it’s a tribute to Caidin’s skills as a writer that it seems plausible enough in the 1970s.
Caidin’s gift as a writer is his ability to offer this detail without turning the narrative into a technical manual. It’s highly readable in this respect, and leavened with a good amount of action around Steve Austin, Super Operative. Yet there was a heavy dose of Gary Stu-ism in the novel that dampened my enjoyment of it. Austin’s abilities as a pilot are apparently equaled by his gifts as a lover, as the women he encounters practically throw themselves at him. It’s an aspect of the novel that makes it ever more of its time than the Cold War-era plot or the space program background, as there were more than a few such works in which manly he-men enjoyed their pick of women whenever and wherever they wanted. By comparison with some of Caidin’s later novels (read Dark Messiah for a particularly egregious example) it’s relatively restrained in this book, but to a reader today the protagonist still comes across as a narcissistic pig. Nor does it help that the women in the novel are two-dimensional characters who are there basically to reaffirm Austin’s manliness and be disposed of soon afterward. Were Caidin’s abilities at characterization on the same level as those of his technical writing the book might be a minor classic, instead of the moderately enjoyable relic of its time that it is today.
September 17, 2023
The story which led to the television show. It could have been a classic, but this dated story is instead bogged down with 2D characters, casual sexism, and a hurried finish.
Martin Caidin is a technical author and writes a very plausible story. The first two thirds of this book are solid - test pilot (and former lunar astronaut) Steve Austin has a rather nasty accident, and is rebuilt by a team of experts. They make him stronger, faster, etc. - though the famous lines of intro to the TV show came from Hollywood, not Caidin.
After that, there is a rather quick transition to Steve Austin, nearly invincible special asset. He goes on two (or was it three?) missions for the US government, at least partly out of gratitude for the work done. Austin is a bit of a head case, and that comes through well.
Unfortunately, sexism also runs rampant. The three female characters (one of them repeatedly described as "stacked") are all very two dimensional. Published in 1970, I've read contemporary novels nowhere near this bad. Was it the author, described as "controversial", though most sources don't specify just how? No idea.
I had planned to read the sequels, probably won't bother now. I will still read Marooned - I'm definitely hoping for an improvement.
Martin Caidin is a technical author and writes a very plausible story. The first two thirds of this book are solid - test pilot (and former lunar astronaut) Steve Austin has a rather nasty accident, and is rebuilt by a team of experts. They make him stronger, faster, etc. - though the famous lines of intro to the TV show came from Hollywood, not Caidin.
After that, there is a rather quick transition to Steve Austin, nearly invincible special asset. He goes on two (or was it three?) missions for the US government, at least partly out of gratitude for the work done. Austin is a bit of a head case, and that comes through well.
Unfortunately, sexism also runs rampant. The three female characters (one of them repeatedly described as "stacked") are all very two dimensional. Published in 1970, I've read contemporary novels nowhere near this bad. Was it the author, described as "controversial", though most sources don't specify just how? No idea.
I had planned to read the sequels, probably won't bother now. I will still read Marooned - I'm definitely hoping for an improvement.
February 20, 2022
Den Roman habe ich in guter Erinnerung (ausgeliehen in der Bibliothek). Ein versehrter Pilot bekommt robotische Beine und auch einen künstlichen Arm. Er wird dadurch zu extremen Agenteneinsätzen befähigt und auch eingesetzt. Die Handlung war in der nahen Zukunft angesiedelt, die sich kaum von der Gegenwart unterschied. War eine spannende Lektüre damals. Das erste Mal, dass ich von Cyborgs las. Der Roman war so erfolgreich, dass daraus die TV-Serie "Der Sechs-Millionen-Dollar-Mann" wurde.
February 15, 2018
After more than 4 decades of putting it off, I sat down and read this book for my annual "Zombie- Cyborg Day" activities.
To say that the Six Million Dollar Man was one of my first geeky fandoms is an understatement. I can remember being 4 years old, sitting in my backyard, showing Charlie, the neighbor's sheepdog, my Bionic Man and Spider-man dolls and explaining how "Steve Austin has bionic eyes, arms, and legs". (BTW- Charlie. One of best audiences for my early geek lectures. And a damn fine pillow when I would fall asleep in the yard with him).
I watched the shows - I had the toys and the comics and the stickers and View Master disks and even the books. But, being 5 years old, my reading skills were limited. It wouldnt be until 1996 that I would sit down and read my first Six Million Dollar Man book- and that was because it was the one about Bigfoot. (Another early fandom as well. Seriously, what 4 year old could tell you the differences between Bigfoot and the Yeti. Being weird was pretty much my destiny).
I got this book during a trip to Las Vegas in December 1995 - I found a copy of the book behind a bundle of Stephen King and John Grishams and knew that I had to have it. And then shelve it on my library for another 22+ years.
But now, in the course about 4 days, I read the book. It does vary from the TV series - the arms are different. The eye is less bionic and more a mini-camera. And the body has had more implants then talked about in the tv series. But many of the early elements from the TV movie were there.
The book story of is made up of three parts Part One- Steve Austin - broken man, slowing being rebuilt. Part Two- Steve Austin - secret spy on his first mission. And Part Three - Steve Austin - veteran man of adventure, out to save the world and the girl. It gets a bit technical in places - but then again, this is a man with bionics in three of his four limbs. Technical is understandable.
But I suppose what is missing is the SOUND EFFECTS - you know the one. Steven Austin, running in slow motion, and you can practically HEAR it in your head. (I will confess - while reading about certain parts, I made the sound effect, just so it seemed right).
Would I recommend this book to other people - only if they are into the show. (Hey, there are a new generation of geeks & fangirls who's parents show the old shows on DVD. I can think of four little ones right now who are like this).
To say that the Six Million Dollar Man was one of my first geeky fandoms is an understatement. I can remember being 4 years old, sitting in my backyard, showing Charlie, the neighbor's sheepdog, my Bionic Man and Spider-man dolls and explaining how "Steve Austin has bionic eyes, arms, and legs". (BTW- Charlie. One of best audiences for my early geek lectures. And a damn fine pillow when I would fall asleep in the yard with him).
I watched the shows - I had the toys and the comics and the stickers and View Master disks and even the books. But, being 5 years old, my reading skills were limited. It wouldnt be until 1996 that I would sit down and read my first Six Million Dollar Man book- and that was because it was the one about Bigfoot. (Another early fandom as well. Seriously, what 4 year old could tell you the differences between Bigfoot and the Yeti. Being weird was pretty much my destiny).
I got this book during a trip to Las Vegas in December 1995 - I found a copy of the book behind a bundle of Stephen King and John Grishams and knew that I had to have it. And then shelve it on my library for another 22+ years.
But now, in the course about 4 days, I read the book. It does vary from the TV series - the arms are different. The eye is less bionic and more a mini-camera. And the body has had more implants then talked about in the tv series. But many of the early elements from the TV movie were there.
The book story of is made up of three parts Part One- Steve Austin - broken man, slowing being rebuilt. Part Two- Steve Austin - secret spy on his first mission. And Part Three - Steve Austin - veteran man of adventure, out to save the world and the girl. It gets a bit technical in places - but then again, this is a man with bionics in three of his four limbs. Technical is understandable.
But I suppose what is missing is the SOUND EFFECTS - you know the one. Steven Austin, running in slow motion, and you can practically HEAR it in your head. (I will confess - while reading about certain parts, I made the sound effect, just so it seemed right).
Would I recommend this book to other people - only if they are into the show. (Hey, there are a new generation of geeks & fangirls who's parents show the old shows on DVD. I can think of four little ones right now who are like this).
October 23, 2014
I was a real fan of "The Six Million Dollar Man" back in the day. I read this after the show had been canceled & was surprised how well the series had done by it. There's a bit more grit to the novel than they showed on TV at the time. This is definitely my favorite novel by Caidin.
April 29, 2020
Sometimes books are better because they are linked to some happy memory.
That's the case for Cyborg, a not so stunning novel but rich in memories for me.
This novel gave birth to a great tv series, that anybody born in the '70s - like me - will remember: The six-million-dollar man.
Of course there are some differences between book and tv series, but Colonel Austin is there. He is the fascinating, promising austronaut who almost loses his life during a test flight crash. He for sure loses legs and one arm, half an ear and an eye. Enters Oscar Goldman, CIA. He tells the doctors that there are 6-million dollars, ready to give new life to Colonel Austin. To rebuild him, actually, with enhanced and never seen before features. And of course, CIA is very much interested in the outcome.
The plot is very easy, there are quite a lot of technical details both in terms of aircraft specifications and bionics/cybernetics against a very poor psychological characterizations of the characters. I actually smiled a bit at the portrait of the few women in the book: the sighing bride-to-be, disappearing soon after the accident following Doc Well's order without fighting; the thriving nurse who mixes duties and pleasure and is pushed aside after her services; the Israeli partner in the mission to fight evil Russians - who seems quite the thing at the beginning, but ends up half dead, being carried in the desert on the powerful shoulders of this Alpha man, propelled by his bionic legs, like a Tarzan carrying his Jane.
It was fun.
That's the case for Cyborg, a not so stunning novel but rich in memories for me.
This novel gave birth to a great tv series, that anybody born in the '70s - like me - will remember: The six-million-dollar man.
Of course there are some differences between book and tv series, but Colonel Austin is there. He is the fascinating, promising austronaut who almost loses his life during a test flight crash. He for sure loses legs and one arm, half an ear and an eye. Enters Oscar Goldman, CIA. He tells the doctors that there are 6-million dollars, ready to give new life to Colonel Austin. To rebuild him, actually, with enhanced and never seen before features. And of course, CIA is very much interested in the outcome.
The plot is very easy, there are quite a lot of technical details both in terms of aircraft specifications and bionics/cybernetics against a very poor psychological characterizations of the characters. I actually smiled a bit at the portrait of the few women in the book: the sighing bride-to-be, disappearing soon after the accident following Doc Well's order without fighting; the thriving nurse who mixes duties and pleasure and is pushed aside after her services; the Israeli partner in the mission to fight evil Russians - who seems quite the thing at the beginning, but ends up half dead, being carried in the desert on the powerful shoulders of this Alpha man, propelled by his bionic legs, like a Tarzan carrying his Jane.
It was fun.
April 5, 2021
The Six Million Dollar Man! Well, his roots, anyway.
Steve Austin began here, and the first TV Movies held pretty damn close. The book version had no vision in his right eye. Instead, it served as a camera, taking pictures of what he looked at. I can't say the limbs were any less powerful than in the series, as they never get specific. The times he used them, they performed admirably. And he never had to do anything that triggered my pet peeve, from the series: Austin has a normal spine, which means he can't lift heavier weights, just because he's got a strong arm. He should have regularly broken his own back!
Astronaut turns test pilot -- crashes experimental orbital vehicle -- save by modern medicine and high-tech interventions -- goes on missions for OSI. Checks across the board. He invades a secret Russian sub base, in South America, then he violates Egyptian territory to get evidence of illegal nukes being stockpiled by... Russia, again! Well, it was around 1970 that it was written, so that figures. Along the way he learns to love his new limbs and finds love in a woman's arms. Ah, how sweet.
Fun, high adventure and high angst.
Steve Austin began here, and the first TV Movies held pretty damn close. The book version had no vision in his right eye. Instead, it served as a camera, taking pictures of what he looked at. I can't say the limbs were any less powerful than in the series, as they never get specific. The times he used them, they performed admirably. And he never had to do anything that triggered my pet peeve, from the series: Austin has a normal spine, which means he can't lift heavier weights, just because he's got a strong arm. He should have regularly broken his own back!
Astronaut turns test pilot -- crashes experimental orbital vehicle -- save by modern medicine and high-tech interventions -- goes on missions for OSI. Checks across the board. He invades a secret Russian sub base, in South America, then he violates Egyptian territory to get evidence of illegal nukes being stockpiled by... Russia, again! Well, it was around 1970 that it was written, so that figures. Along the way he learns to love his new limbs and finds love in a woman's arms. Ah, how sweet.
Fun, high adventure and high angst.
January 29, 2019
The novel the TV show Six Million Dollar Man was based on. I tried to read it back in 1999 but couldn't finish it and I lost that copy of the book. Got it cheap off eBay recently and decided to try reading it again. I've been on a Bionic Man kick lately. Pretty good. Caidin is a little describe-y describe-y in his writing, but the story is solid. Steve Austin is a more serious spy with more serious bionic upgrades like eye lasers and finger darts.
April 24, 2023
I have been watching THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and decided to read the book again.
September 2, 2011
You take a chance when you reread a book you loved, especially when the last time you read it was 35 years ago.
And I read this book a lot.
I loved The Six Million Dollar Man, and everything about it.
Including Martin Caidin's novel.
Which is not much known, these days. Heck, there's an entire generation that doesn't know the excitement of rebuilding someone better, stronger, faster than before *cue theme* ...
See what I mean? That either brings back charming memories of a TV show that went campy long before the bigfoot episode, or means absolutely nothing. Which is a shame.
Steve Austin of the novel is a different fellow than happily friendly Steve Austin from TV ... both walked on the moon, flew planes, and became multiple amputees in horrifying test-plane crashes. That's about where the similarity ends.
Cyborg is an adventure novel, with science fiction elements ... science fiction enough that the technologies described still haven't come to fruition, regardless of the advances in prosthetics.
It's the first of a series of four novels that walks on the edge of (and frequently crosses into) the Hairy Chested Men's Adventure Novel genre.
The women are toned, buxom, and sexually available, and the weapons are big and well described. Austin is an irascible son of a bitch, with an assortment of chips on his shoulders, and sense of duty.
But most of all, the adventures are solid. Austin gets a few more Inspector Gadget like features, but ones that make sense if you are secret government agency paying for a human asset that you need to do superhuman feats of derring-do to take a couple of pictures for you.
And there were Russians. Adventure novels were a lot better in the Cold War ... we had clearly identifiable bad guys back in those days.
There's a strong element of my teenage crush on Lee Majors active in my rating. I admit it. Most of you might not go beyond four stars. But I still love this book.
And I read this book a lot.
I loved The Six Million Dollar Man, and everything about it.
Including Martin Caidin's novel.
Which is not much known, these days. Heck, there's an entire generation that doesn't know the excitement of rebuilding someone better, stronger, faster than before *cue theme* ...
See what I mean? That either brings back charming memories of a TV show that went campy long before the bigfoot episode, or means absolutely nothing. Which is a shame.
Steve Austin of the novel is a different fellow than happily friendly Steve Austin from TV ... both walked on the moon, flew planes, and became multiple amputees in horrifying test-plane crashes. That's about where the similarity ends.
Cyborg is an adventure novel, with science fiction elements ... science fiction enough that the technologies described still haven't come to fruition, regardless of the advances in prosthetics.
It's the first of a series of four novels that walks on the edge of (and frequently crosses into) the Hairy Chested Men's Adventure Novel genre.
The women are toned, buxom, and sexually available, and the weapons are big and well described. Austin is an irascible son of a bitch, with an assortment of chips on his shoulders, and sense of duty.
But most of all, the adventures are solid. Austin gets a few more Inspector Gadget like features, but ones that make sense if you are secret government agency paying for a human asset that you need to do superhuman feats of derring-do to take a couple of pictures for you.
And there were Russians. Adventure novels were a lot better in the Cold War ... we had clearly identifiable bad guys back in those days.
There's a strong element of my teenage crush on Lee Majors active in my rating. I admit it. Most of you might not go beyond four stars. But I still love this book.
November 24, 2020
This is the novel that "The Six Million Dollar Man" is based upon. You all know the show's intro: "Steve Austin, astronaut: a man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger. Faster."
While there are differences between the book and the show, the basic plot is the same. Colonel Steve Austin is an astronaut who is injured in an experimental spacecraft test when it crashes to earth, losing his legs, his left arm, and one eye in the process. His friend, Dr. Rudy Wells, is tasked by Oscar Goldman of the Office of Strategic Operations to rebuild Steve using bionics, or cybernetic implants. Wells can repair the body, but can Steve's mind reconcile the differences? He's now a man, who wishes that he died in the crash. Steve recuperates, but still feels like he is less of a man, especially a man without a mission. The OSO gives him that mission: to be a spy for the U.S. Government.
I enjoyed this this book, but not just for nostalgic reasons. I tried to read the book outside the hype of the television show that the book spawned. The book was entertaining on its own. Clearly, it was entertaining enough for the author who write three more books, independent of the TV show.
One of the biggest differences between the TV show and the book that should have been worked into the show, was that Steve could actually replace his limbs with one that fit the mission (including swim fins built into the feet, supplemental oxygen in the arms). The book portrays the rebirth of Steve Austin as a super-spy, rather than a superhero (which is what the show focused on).
While there are differences between the book and the show, the basic plot is the same. Colonel Steve Austin is an astronaut who is injured in an experimental spacecraft test when it crashes to earth, losing his legs, his left arm, and one eye in the process. His friend, Dr. Rudy Wells, is tasked by Oscar Goldman of the Office of Strategic Operations to rebuild Steve using bionics, or cybernetic implants. Wells can repair the body, but can Steve's mind reconcile the differences? He's now a man, who wishes that he died in the crash. Steve recuperates, but still feels like he is less of a man, especially a man without a mission. The OSO gives him that mission: to be a spy for the U.S. Government.
I enjoyed this this book, but not just for nostalgic reasons. I tried to read the book outside the hype of the television show that the book spawned. The book was entertaining on its own. Clearly, it was entertaining enough for the author who write three more books, independent of the TV show.
One of the biggest differences between the TV show and the book that should have been worked into the show, was that Steve could actually replace his limbs with one that fit the mission (including swim fins built into the feet, supplemental oxygen in the arms). The book portrays the rebirth of Steve Austin as a super-spy, rather than a superhero (which is what the show focused on).
October 13, 2013
Not even really a 3, I gave it that because it has historical significance and nostalgia. I remember waiting for each new episode when it first came out. I suspect most people don't remember this but after the pilot-movie, the next few episodes came out erratically and were on Friday nights as special events. I don't think ABC really trusted that the public was going to get on board with the show. But it did and it became a regular weekly series eventually. But I remember vividly as a boy how strange it was handled. And I wanted more definitely.
Here's the reality. As a book, the story borders on not being readable. It is dated but that is the least of its problems. It drags. The characters are unlikeable and cliched. Apparently the author never heard the phrase "show, don't tell." Its bad writing. You can find better fan fic all over the place. BUT it is a hell of an idea for its time. The problem is that aside from feelings of nostalgia and/or historical interest - there just isn't any reason to read this. I struggle to figure out how it got published in the first place and I wonder if the exec's at ABC didn't have the idea relayed to them, I just don't see them wasting their time reading this. Anyway, it wouldn't get published today and if it did no one would buy it. It would be another $0.99 kindle that no one buys.
3 for the memories.
Here's the reality. As a book, the story borders on not being readable. It is dated but that is the least of its problems. It drags. The characters are unlikeable and cliched. Apparently the author never heard the phrase "show, don't tell." Its bad writing. You can find better fan fic all over the place. BUT it is a hell of an idea for its time. The problem is that aside from feelings of nostalgia and/or historical interest - there just isn't any reason to read this. I struggle to figure out how it got published in the first place and I wonder if the exec's at ABC didn't have the idea relayed to them, I just don't see them wasting their time reading this. Anyway, it wouldn't get published today and if it did no one would buy it. It would be another $0.99 kindle that no one buys.
3 for the memories.
March 15, 2011
The inspiration for the Six Million Dollar Man, Caidin writes a technically correct and detailed story and description of the first bionic man. The story of Steve Austin's crash, physical and mental transformation, and rebirth is told in a technical and often dry manner. The details of his surgeries takes up the bulk of the book, examining in a fairly realistic way how a man might cope with being a triple amputee and being a government science experiment- all issues that the TV show basically encapsulated into a six second intro.
My copy was full of grammatical, spelling and printing errors. The characterization of all but the main characters is shallow, and the two action sequences at the end of the book are a small payoff for anyone who opened this book hoping for a great adventure story.
Overall this book should receive more credit for its groundbreaking work on cybernetic theories, and I wouldn't be suprised if we see much of Caidin's guesswork on bionic limbs finally come to fruition in the near future (if perhaps 50 years too late).
My copy was full of grammatical, spelling and printing errors. The characterization of all but the main characters is shallow, and the two action sequences at the end of the book are a small payoff for anyone who opened this book hoping for a great adventure story.
Overall this book should receive more credit for its groundbreaking work on cybernetic theories, and I wouldn't be suprised if we see much of Caidin's guesswork on bionic limbs finally come to fruition in the near future (if perhaps 50 years too late).
September 30, 2018
I have been wanting to read this book for more than forty years, when I noticed it mentioned in the closing credits of The Six Million Dollar Man, my favourite TV show of the time. Was it worth the wait? Yes and no. As a fan of the TV show I enjoyed lots of the extra bionic features Steve Austin has, which include webbed feet that come out of his regular feet, a hidden microphone in his leg that can be pulled out to make recordings, and poison darts that fire through a fake finger. All this is wonderfully bonkers but not quite so bonkers as the submarines disguised as porpoises - that would certainly have appealed to my younger self. For the most part it’s pretty well written, but the attitude towards women is one of the major flaws, which is bad enough to make a twenty-first century reader wince. Steve Austin is also somewhat amoral by the end, which is not a criticism of the book (he is in many ways an upgrade of Frankenstein’s monster) but that’s not my bionic man. Also the last page is bionic cheese.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2020
I have looked for this book for a long time. I found it in a second-hand store, of all places! This has been on my hunt list ever since I learned that it was the inspiration for the TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man." Caidin shows his attention for information and detail. And boy does he! The plot of this book could be written in a paragraph, and the story could be told with less than half the pages. For my taste, there are too many details, and the real action doesn't start until you get about 2/3 through the book. Caidin does weave an interesting and intriguing story, but the attention to detail is on steroids. Three stars for that reason...
August 29, 2014
I feel I'm being generous in giving this book three stars. I did enjoy reading it (mainly I think because I like the TV show Six Million Dollar Man based off of the book). The book really isn't well written and feels at the end like two different stories. Also, I can't stand how women are portrayed in the book as only objects for sexual conquest (it's one of the shortcomings of the TV show as well). If you really like the TV show, I will saying that the opening few episodes follow the book pretty closely (except for the very end of the book).
March 21, 2015
Certainly a darker take on the TV series "Six Million Dollar Man," and really enjoyable and quite an extended series on surviving a horrific crash. A bit formulaic in that some of the women are really subservient but overall satisfying. Accepting his replaced superior limbs is within the realms of possibility. It would be good to see a remake of the original series where the character had few dimensions.
January 4, 2020
This book was the basis for the Six Million Dollar Man TV series. Not a bad read, it was interesting for the teenaged me to read the book. It had some things covered in the series and then some other things that may have only been briefly touched upon or not at all. Typical of any book, even for a tv series, they can't include all that is in the book. It was a family show after all. Recommended for fans of the show or maybe just a stroll down memory lane for some people.
February 18, 2014
Exquisite details in writing. The technical details were amazing and presented as realistic and a great examination of how a human would act in the given situation. One has to wonder if our connections to machines have created a new breed of cyborgs in our day and age with similar psychological impact.
June 5, 2018
A product of its era. If you want to read a book produced during the height of the cold war, based on American superiority, where the protagonist is a man's man, the women are both deceptively beautiful and cunning, and the danger is a little long winded, you got your book.
It has not aged well, but not a bad book, and a fast read.
It has not aged well, but not a bad book, and a fast read.
October 17, 2017
Great story, could we do something like making a half robot from a man whose body is shattered and almost dead? Should we? This book takes readers into the life of Steve Austin, the man who the government saved from death by using bionics and now he is returning the favor by thwarting the bad guys.
June 4, 2024
The book upon which the 1970s series "The Six Million Dollar Man" was based. This book was adapted into a television movie, which became the pilot for the series.
Viewers of the series know the premise: Colonel Steve Austin tests pilots a plane, crashes, is given bionic implants, develops speed/power beyond a normal human and uses these skills in the service of the government.
The novel departs from the series in several ways. First, the actual accident and ultimate recovery/surgery are laid out in great detail. Whereas the series covers this in the opening credits, the novel dedicates approximately 200 pages, or 60% to this. The author provides an extensive review of Steve's background as a Vietnam veteran, his experience as the youngest astronaut to land on the moon and his career as a test pilot prior to his anticipated return to space as an astronaut to occupy Skylab II. Significant detail is provided on the accident, the extent of Steve's injuries, how it is possible to maintain his life given the extent of the injuries, the plan to deal with his mental state upon recovery and good technical detail on the bionics implanted and how they interact with the remaining biological tissues, nerves, etc. There are other departures from the series dealing with the specific powers, Steve's bitterness over being made into a cyborg and his being used as a governmental weapon. This makes him into a more well rounded character than the happy James Bond-esque spy he becomes in the series.
The above details are provided largely by exposition/narration. There is actually very little dialogue in the novel. However, the aeronautical, medical and scientific narrative detail is engrossing during the first 60% of the novel and does not detract from the pacing to this point. While comprehensive, one does not feel they are reading a technical manual and, unless you are an actual surgeon or scientist, all that is outlined seems possible.
There are a few items that hold me back from giving this a full four stars. First, women are not treated well in this novel. They are inevitably highly attractive and serve as potential (or actual) love interests with no character development. One is actual described as being stacked. They are conquests for Steve to prove that he is still masculine and "fully operational". While this is reflective of the time in which it was written, it is an eye roller. Also, his first mission is over reliant on exposition which does not keep the story moving forward as with the first 60% of the novel.
The third act is where most of the action takes place. This is a mission which takes place in the Middle East and occurs shortly after the Six Day War, and it deals with much of its fall out. This is very action packed and relies a bit more on dialogue vs. straight narration as there is another character involved. This person is a woman who is a bit more developed than the prior females in the novel but still described as extremely attractive. There is some lethality here not present in the TV series but is more realistic given the situation. However, Steve doesn't register any remorse or regret with the killings. While better than the second act, it still has presents negative stereotypes of Arabic people, reflecting the American views of the 1970s.
Overall, a 3.75 and worth read.
Viewers of the series know the premise: Colonel Steve Austin tests pilots a plane, crashes, is given bionic implants, develops speed/power beyond a normal human and uses these skills in the service of the government.
The novel departs from the series in several ways. First, the actual accident and ultimate recovery/surgery are laid out in great detail. Whereas the series covers this in the opening credits, the novel dedicates approximately 200 pages, or 60% to this. The author provides an extensive review of Steve's background as a Vietnam veteran, his experience as the youngest astronaut to land on the moon and his career as a test pilot prior to his anticipated return to space as an astronaut to occupy Skylab II. Significant detail is provided on the accident, the extent of Steve's injuries, how it is possible to maintain his life given the extent of the injuries, the plan to deal with his mental state upon recovery and good technical detail on the bionics implanted and how they interact with the remaining biological tissues, nerves, etc. There are other departures from the series dealing with the specific powers, Steve's bitterness over being made into a cyborg and his being used as a governmental weapon. This makes him into a more well rounded character than the happy James Bond-esque spy he becomes in the series.
The above details are provided largely by exposition/narration. There is actually very little dialogue in the novel. However, the aeronautical, medical and scientific narrative detail is engrossing during the first 60% of the novel and does not detract from the pacing to this point. While comprehensive, one does not feel they are reading a technical manual and, unless you are an actual surgeon or scientist, all that is outlined seems possible.
There are a few items that hold me back from giving this a full four stars. First, women are not treated well in this novel. They are inevitably highly attractive and serve as potential (or actual) love interests with no character development. One is actual described as being stacked. They are conquests for Steve to prove that he is still masculine and "fully operational". While this is reflective of the time in which it was written, it is an eye roller. Also, his first mission is over reliant on exposition which does not keep the story moving forward as with the first 60% of the novel.
The third act is where most of the action takes place. This is a mission which takes place in the Middle East and occurs shortly after the Six Day War, and it deals with much of its fall out. This is very action packed and relies a bit more on dialogue vs. straight narration as there is another character involved. This person is a woman who is a bit more developed than the prior females in the novel but still described as extremely attractive. There is some lethality here not present in the TV series but is more realistic given the situation. However, Steve doesn't register any remorse or regret with the killings. While better than the second act, it still has presents negative stereotypes of Arabic people, reflecting the American views of the 1970s.
Overall, a 3.75 and worth read.
March 28, 2018
An okay, but dry, bit of hard sci-fi. As most of us know, Col. Steve Austin is a former Apollo astronaut and test pilot, terribly maimed in an experimental aircraft crash. Caidin goes to great lengths to explore the psychology of such a person. But for some reason, Austin never directly narrates his own feelings or thoughts. All this information is filtered the secondhand point-of-view of Rudy Wells, one of Austin's doctors. We also get a lot of old fashioned early 70's sexism and very unenlightened attitudes towards disability. Before the option of replacing Austin's legs and arms with bionics is raised, everyone just assumes that his injuries make him useless and pitiable. All the characters agree that he would be better off dead. At one point Austin attempts suicide to try to escape the "hopeless" fate of living as an amputee, and this is presented as "courageous." Even though he has PhDs in engineering and history and assorted other degrees, there's no consideration at all of the idea that even with his disabilities, Austin could continue to make great contributions and have a fulfilling life as an engineer, professor, or mentor to other astronauts. If he's disabled, his life is over, according to this book. I'm sure it reflects the prevailing attitudes of the time, but the ableism is just as shitty as the sexism.
Caidin also goes into some technical detail regarding the bionic limbs themselves, and the process of integrating them into a living person. I personally found that interesting, but I can definitely see how a reader expecting more of an adventure story would find that section dull. In a passage that seems quaint from a modern day viewpoint, Dr. Wells explains the amazing new surgery called a "heart valve replacement." While we are still not to the point of creating bionic limbs indistinguishable from the originals, heart valve replacement is something almost routine- if the story was written today, the characters and the readers would not need this kind of detailed explanation.
Once Austin is tooled up and and gets his head straight, the secret government agency that pays the bills sends him out on a couple secret missions. They are bog standard Cold War spy thriller sequences. Austin infiltrates a secret Soviet submarine base, and steals a new model of MiG fighter that the Soviets and Egyptians have deployed in the Middle East. Austin's new bionic legs save the day, but these action sequences are never more than mundane. The second half of the book trys to shows us a more of Austin's point of view, but it turns out he's sort of uninteresting. He never gives any meaningful insight into what it means to be the world's first cyborg. Just a lot of karate chops and wandering in the desert until they get rescued by Israeli helicopters.
The premise is interesting. I can see why it was adapted into the "Six Million Dollar Man" TV series. However, Caidin's writing style is the dry detached prose beloved of hard SF writers of the sixties. That's not really my favorite style of storytelling, so I think that, along with the old-fashioned attitudes, is why I never warmed up to this book.
Caidin also goes into some technical detail regarding the bionic limbs themselves, and the process of integrating them into a living person. I personally found that interesting, but I can definitely see how a reader expecting more of an adventure story would find that section dull. In a passage that seems quaint from a modern day viewpoint, Dr. Wells explains the amazing new surgery called a "heart valve replacement." While we are still not to the point of creating bionic limbs indistinguishable from the originals, heart valve replacement is something almost routine- if the story was written today, the characters and the readers would not need this kind of detailed explanation.
Once Austin is tooled up and and gets his head straight, the secret government agency that pays the bills sends him out on a couple secret missions. They are bog standard Cold War spy thriller sequences. Austin infiltrates a secret Soviet submarine base, and steals a new model of MiG fighter that the Soviets and Egyptians have deployed in the Middle East. Austin's new bionic legs save the day, but these action sequences are never more than mundane. The second half of the book trys to shows us a more of Austin's point of view, but it turns out he's sort of uninteresting. He never gives any meaningful insight into what it means to be the world's first cyborg. Just a lot of karate chops and wandering in the desert until they get rescued by Israeli helicopters.
The premise is interesting. I can see why it was adapted into the "Six Million Dollar Man" TV series. However, Caidin's writing style is the dry detached prose beloved of hard SF writers of the sixties. That's not really my favorite style of storytelling, so I think that, along with the old-fashioned attitudes, is why I never warmed up to this book.
November 20, 2019
I’m going to do a kind of off-the-cuff review of Cyborg by Martin Caidin which was the inspiration behind the 1970’s TV series, The Six Million Dollar Man.
I’m going to admit I didn’t get through the whole book, only about 43% of the way through, but I think from what I read that is a fair amount of the book. Astronaut and test pilot Steve Austin in the testing of a new lifting body that can traverse space and return to earth, the vehicle crashes and Austin loses both legs, an arm and an eye. He’s rushed to a hardened secret facility in the Colorado mountains, and slowly prosthetics are added for him to become a cyborg, the first man with artificial limbs indistinguishable real limbs (yes, the price tag for this in the book is six million dollars). The problem I had with the book is in the characterization of Austin. Even before he regains consciousness, flight surgeon and friend Rudy Wells asserts that because of the horrific injuries Austin will kill himself. I’ve read a lot about the astronauts and seen movies about the test pilots that had “the right stuff” and were recruited to NASA, and although, I know of no case in which a test pilot sustained these type of injuries it doesn’t seem that the type of man attracted to that job, that had “the right stuff” would evince that attitude, and sure enough as soon as Austin regains consciousness the first thing he does is drag himself off the bed and attempts suicide. Maybe if this were a passing phase in Austin’s recovery it would be plausible, but Caidin keeps harping on it and Austin is always dour, and even after he agrees to having the bionics attached the change in his mood is slight and seems to be because he’s instilling a false sense of confidence of the doctors and nurses so that he might make another suicide attempt.
Martin Caidin was an aerospace engineer (he also wrote the novel Marooned which was made into a movie in 1969) and is very good on the engineering aspects, he accurately describes the technology of the early 70’s that lead to the space shuttle. Austin is a test pilot leading to the shuttle program. If you’re a techie or engineering nerd you’ll love the chapters that go over the technology that will give him back his arms and legs and then some, the bionics will replicate Austin’s natural appendages, but Austin’s abilities and strengths will be enhanced. The technology is Caidin in his element, the characterizations of the humans and emotions attached to the technology don’t ring true.
I’m going to admit I didn’t get through the whole book, only about 43% of the way through, but I think from what I read that is a fair amount of the book. Astronaut and test pilot Steve Austin in the testing of a new lifting body that can traverse space and return to earth, the vehicle crashes and Austin loses both legs, an arm and an eye. He’s rushed to a hardened secret facility in the Colorado mountains, and slowly prosthetics are added for him to become a cyborg, the first man with artificial limbs indistinguishable real limbs (yes, the price tag for this in the book is six million dollars). The problem I had with the book is in the characterization of Austin. Even before he regains consciousness, flight surgeon and friend Rudy Wells asserts that because of the horrific injuries Austin will kill himself. I’ve read a lot about the astronauts and seen movies about the test pilots that had “the right stuff” and were recruited to NASA, and although, I know of no case in which a test pilot sustained these type of injuries it doesn’t seem that the type of man attracted to that job, that had “the right stuff” would evince that attitude, and sure enough as soon as Austin regains consciousness the first thing he does is drag himself off the bed and attempts suicide. Maybe if this were a passing phase in Austin’s recovery it would be plausible, but Caidin keeps harping on it and Austin is always dour, and even after he agrees to having the bionics attached the change in his mood is slight and seems to be because he’s instilling a false sense of confidence of the doctors and nurses so that he might make another suicide attempt.
Martin Caidin was an aerospace engineer (he also wrote the novel Marooned which was made into a movie in 1969) and is very good on the engineering aspects, he accurately describes the technology of the early 70’s that lead to the space shuttle. Austin is a test pilot leading to the shuttle program. If you’re a techie or engineering nerd you’ll love the chapters that go over the technology that will give him back his arms and legs and then some, the bionics will replicate Austin’s natural appendages, but Austin’s abilities and strengths will be enhanced. The technology is Caidin in his element, the characterizations of the humans and emotions attached to the technology don’t ring true.
April 7, 2023
3.7/5
Martin Caidin's basis for the Six Million Dollar Man show is a solid sci-fi romp with so much technological jargon that it threatens the weight of the book itself. Half of this 300-page novel is dedicated to all the advancements in bionics that man has to offer, and in the hands of a less skilled writer, it would be an extremely boring 100 pages or so to get through. Caidin maintains enough human drama to at least keep it somewhat interesting even in its dullest parts.
There's a lot here to like, though. The technology that they use to rebuild Steve Austin after a tragic plane crash is fascinating to read about, and the subject's responses to being fused to this technology are also fascinating and bring a human element to the man-turned-Cyborg. Do I think this middle act dragged down the whole book? Somewhat, perhaps, but it was necessary. No one overcomes the kind of injuries Steve sustains overnight, and it makes the action- and tension-filled third act all the more worthwhile. I won't go into details about what Steve Austin goes through in that third act, but as much as it's all definitely a product of its time, it's still a really cool book that I think is worth a read, especially by fans of sci-fi, spy novels, and the show that spawned from this.
Martin Caidin's basis for the Six Million Dollar Man show is a solid sci-fi romp with so much technological jargon that it threatens the weight of the book itself. Half of this 300-page novel is dedicated to all the advancements in bionics that man has to offer, and in the hands of a less skilled writer, it would be an extremely boring 100 pages or so to get through. Caidin maintains enough human drama to at least keep it somewhat interesting even in its dullest parts.
There's a lot here to like, though. The technology that they use to rebuild Steve Austin after a tragic plane crash is fascinating to read about, and the subject's responses to being fused to this technology are also fascinating and bring a human element to the man-turned-Cyborg. Do I think this middle act dragged down the whole book? Somewhat, perhaps, but it was necessary. No one overcomes the kind of injuries Steve sustains overnight, and it makes the action- and tension-filled third act all the more worthwhile. I won't go into details about what Steve Austin goes through in that third act, but as much as it's all definitely a product of its time, it's still a really cool book that I think is worth a read, especially by fans of sci-fi, spy novels, and the show that spawned from this.
July 9, 2019
My one phrase run-down: Yes, this character was the basis for a pillar of my childhood but the nostaglia wasn't enough to win me over.
Like many, many other reviewers, I read this book because of its relationship to the campy 70s tv show, of which I have great childhood memories. I've got cred here, people: in addition to thinking Steve Austin was the height of cool, the Death Probe still sends shivers down my spine, and my first love was Jaime Sommers.
Alas, the excitement at the discovery of this book on a friend's bookshelf (yes, we' re older than 30 so we have bookshelves) was short-lived. Caiden was an accomplished pilot with a mind for science and an admittedly prolific writer but that rarely seemed to translate into good stories. As with other books, he progressed with a maddeningly slow pace and focused obsessively on technical minutia, the contemporary realism of which is completely beside the point. I wanted adventure, not ceaseless passages detailing cybernetic surgery. Steve was more of a techy spy than a superhero, which I wouldn't have minded if he hadn't been, well, such a jerk.
In the end, I'm glad that I experienced the source material for a much-beloved tv franchise but I'll never treasure this book as I do those youthful memories.
Like many, many other reviewers, I read this book because of its relationship to the campy 70s tv show, of which I have great childhood memories. I've got cred here, people: in addition to thinking Steve Austin was the height of cool, the Death Probe still sends shivers down my spine, and my first love was Jaime Sommers.
Alas, the excitement at the discovery of this book on a friend's bookshelf (yes, we' re older than 30 so we have bookshelves) was short-lived. Caiden was an accomplished pilot with a mind for science and an admittedly prolific writer but that rarely seemed to translate into good stories. As with other books, he progressed with a maddeningly slow pace and focused obsessively on technical minutia, the contemporary realism of which is completely beside the point. I wanted adventure, not ceaseless passages detailing cybernetic surgery. Steve was more of a techy spy than a superhero, which I wouldn't have minded if he hadn't been, well, such a jerk.
In the end, I'm glad that I experienced the source material for a much-beloved tv franchise but I'll never treasure this book as I do those youthful memories.
August 23, 2024
The book that was the basis for the TV movie and series "The Six-Million Dollar Man," a show I watched regularly as a child... it was pretty interesting, because there were a lot of a familiar names popping up, but the characterizations were very different from the show. The book was published as science fiction, which makes sense since it is dealing with futuristic technology, but it is really more in the category I would call Men's Adventure, with all the standard tropes of that genre thrown in (there is a subplot through the first half of the book dealing with Steve's doctors basically throwing pretty women at him in an attempt to help with his "recovery" that made me roll my eyes, every time it got mentioned). This was my choice for a book published in 1972 and is definitely a book of its era. All that said, I did enjoy it and I'm sort of interested in seeing where some of the other books in the series went with the characters.
November 7, 2017
This has aged rather badly when it comes to the treatment of women. The women in this story are there to be fucked or rescued.
The technology described is interesting but not enough to gloss over the fact that the doctors in the story essentially pimp out one of the nurses to the 'hero' so that he doesn't get depressed over the mistaken belief his uglies don't work. Oh no!
The main character is a complete and utter tosspot who despite being engaged and about to be married at the start of the book never once enquires about the whereabouts of his fiancee. Yep I can really feel the depth of the love in that relationship.
The technology described is interesting but not enough to gloss over the fact that the doctors in the story essentially pimp out one of the nurses to the 'hero' so that he doesn't get depressed over the mistaken belief his uglies don't work. Oh no!
The main character is a complete and utter tosspot who despite being engaged and about to be married at the start of the book never once enquires about the whereabouts of his fiancee. Yep I can really feel the depth of the love in that relationship.
June 3, 2022
Certainly well written and nothing terrible, probably monumental for its time especially with the sophisticated attention to detail regarding the biology of the body. The story read fairly modern. I didn't star it higher because I felt the process of becoming the cyborg was way too long and I drifted off during the action scenes toward the back. This is probably because of all the science fiction I've watched over the years, most notably Robocop which did a really good job at portraying a cyborg transformation. In fact, I wonder if this book served as any kind of influence for Robocop. Not at all a bad book, simply dated for someone like me.
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