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Endworld #3
Twin Cities Run
Book by David Robbins
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 11, 2019
This book was pure cheese. But it was a fun read.
August 3, 2013
In preparation for the aftermath of World War III, wealthy filmmaker Kurt Carpenter established a survivalist retreat in the wilds of northwestern Minnesota. He called this retreat "the Home" and his followers "the Family" and left the Family instructions on how to rebuild society after the war. Now, one hundred years after the end of the war, the Family is forced to explore the wastelands outside of their sanctuary to find the cure for an epidemic of "premature senility" that has been plaguing members of the family.
That's the premise for David Robbins' '80s post-apocalyptic Endworld series. In the third of the series, Twin Cities Run, a group of "Warriors" (a sort of social class) from the family attempt to venture to (yup) Twin Cities, Minnesota, so search for medical supplies. Our group of heroes include Hickcock, a guy who carries twin six-guns and has a fondness for the Old West; Joshua, the group's Empath, which is sort of like a priest, I guess; Geronimo, a superb Native American hunter and tracker; and their leader, Blade, a big "hunky" (yes, the word "hunky" is used, if I recall) dude with rippling muscles who (you guessed it) carries around a bunch of knives. Joining them is an African-American woman named Bertha, a refugee from Twin Cities they picked up in the last volume. They all pile into the SEAL, their armored vehicle, and head to Twin Cities, but when they arrive they find themselves in the middle of a territory war between the four local gangs: the Porns, the Horns, the Wacks and the Nomads. Turns out "Minnesota nice" was one of the things that didn't survive WWIII. You betcha.
I gather that this series has its fans and the edition I read was a 2010 Leisure Books reprint (with a really sucky cover, I might add), but I have to say the whole thing was pretty dumb. The writing is pretty simplistic, along the lines of a Filmation cartoon (think He-Man and Bravestarr). The characters' names sort of fit in with that cartoony feel, being so obviously descriptive of their most apparent attributes (Blade/knives, Hickcock/"Old West" dude, Geronimo/"Indian" dude, Joshua/spiritual dude). Another guy, an Asian (or "partly Chinese") named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (!) makes an appearance and, yup, he carries a katana.
I've noticed that when reading I do often tend to examine the racial/ethnic matters within a story, but usually it is because these matters are very noticeable despite the fact that they may not be intentional. Robbins appears to be making a show of having a racially diverse cast of characters, but the diversity is limited to racial stereotypes. Another weird thing is that when Bertha, the African-American woman who joined up with them, is taken to the Home the Family is shocked because they've never seen a black person before. It is explained that Kurt Carpenter, the founder, tried to pull a Noah and include someone of every race when he founded the Home. Apparently, he couldn't find any black people?
Also problematic is that Hickcock and Bertha sort of have the hots for one another, which is not problematic itself but their terms of endearment for one another are rather unusual. He calls her "Black Beauty." She calls him "White Meat" and sometimes "honky!" I personally never found "honky" to be as offensive as other racial slurs, but it still seems a little weird. Some of the dialogue is unintentionally hilarious ("'Don't I get a hug?' Bertha baited him. 'I missed you, honky!'" I would seriously hate to see this conversation if the roles were flipped). I'm not saying the book is racially offensive or anything, but Robbins writes like he's never met a real non-white person in his life, so he relies on stereotypes. It's just dumb.
Story-wise, there is some pretty good action and it progresses pretty well (despite one hanging plot thread--maybe he intended to resolve that in a later volume). Overall the action is pretty PG-13 except for one instance that creeped me out in a way that the author probably never intended.
The action is okay enough to grant the thing two stars, but what dropped it another star for me was the obvious proselytizing of the story. There is a point in the story where Joshua debates bible scripture with a member of the Horns and convinces him to try to seek a peaceful solution to the gang war in Twin Cities. While it was Joshua quoting all the scripture, I had the feeling it was Robbins preaching at me. Not the sort of thing I'm very receptive to, especially when I just want to read about survival in a post-apocalyptic nightmare.
On the whole, Endworld #3: Twin Cities Run was dumb, cliché and preachy. On the plus side, it's pretty easy to read and if I had to choose between reading this and staring at the other people waiting in the waiting room at the doctor's office, I might just read this (if no magazines--Time, Good Housekeeping, hell even Ok!-- were available). I don't think I'll continue with this series.
That's the premise for David Robbins' '80s post-apocalyptic Endworld series. In the third of the series, Twin Cities Run, a group of "Warriors" (a sort of social class) from the family attempt to venture to (yup) Twin Cities, Minnesota, so search for medical supplies. Our group of heroes include Hickcock, a guy who carries twin six-guns and has a fondness for the Old West; Joshua, the group's Empath, which is sort of like a priest, I guess; Geronimo, a superb Native American hunter and tracker; and their leader, Blade, a big "hunky" (yes, the word "hunky" is used, if I recall) dude with rippling muscles who (you guessed it) carries around a bunch of knives. Joining them is an African-American woman named Bertha, a refugee from Twin Cities they picked up in the last volume. They all pile into the SEAL, their armored vehicle, and head to Twin Cities, but when they arrive they find themselves in the middle of a territory war between the four local gangs: the Porns, the Horns, the Wacks and the Nomads. Turns out "Minnesota nice" was one of the things that didn't survive WWIII. You betcha.
I gather that this series has its fans and the edition I read was a 2010 Leisure Books reprint (with a really sucky cover, I might add), but I have to say the whole thing was pretty dumb. The writing is pretty simplistic, along the lines of a Filmation cartoon (think He-Man and Bravestarr). The characters' names sort of fit in with that cartoony feel, being so obviously descriptive of their most apparent attributes (Blade/knives, Hickcock/"Old West" dude, Geronimo/"Indian" dude, Joshua/spiritual dude). Another guy, an Asian (or "partly Chinese") named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (!) makes an appearance and, yup, he carries a katana.
I've noticed that when reading I do often tend to examine the racial/ethnic matters within a story, but usually it is because these matters are very noticeable despite the fact that they may not be intentional. Robbins appears to be making a show of having a racially diverse cast of characters, but the diversity is limited to racial stereotypes. Another weird thing is that when Bertha, the African-American woman who joined up with them, is taken to the Home the Family is shocked because they've never seen a black person before. It is explained that Kurt Carpenter, the founder, tried to pull a Noah and include someone of every race when he founded the Home. Apparently, he couldn't find any black people?
Also problematic is that Hickcock and Bertha sort of have the hots for one another, which is not problematic itself but their terms of endearment for one another are rather unusual. He calls her "Black Beauty." She calls him "White Meat" and sometimes "honky!" I personally never found "honky" to be as offensive as other racial slurs, but it still seems a little weird. Some of the dialogue is unintentionally hilarious ("'Don't I get a hug?' Bertha baited him. 'I missed you, honky!'" I would seriously hate to see this conversation if the roles were flipped). I'm not saying the book is racially offensive or anything, but Robbins writes like he's never met a real non-white person in his life, so he relies on stereotypes. It's just dumb.
Story-wise, there is some pretty good action and it progresses pretty well (despite one hanging plot thread--maybe he intended to resolve that in a later volume). Overall the action is pretty PG-13 except for one instance that creeped me out in a way that the author probably never intended.
The action is okay enough to grant the thing two stars, but what dropped it another star for me was the obvious proselytizing of the story. There is a point in the story where Joshua debates bible scripture with a member of the Horns and convinces him to try to seek a peaceful solution to the gang war in Twin Cities. While it was Joshua quoting all the scripture, I had the feeling it was Robbins preaching at me. Not the sort of thing I'm very receptive to, especially when I just want to read about survival in a post-apocalyptic nightmare.
On the whole, Endworld #3: Twin Cities Run was dumb, cliché and preachy. On the plus side, it's pretty easy to read and if I had to choose between reading this and staring at the other people waiting in the waiting room at the doctor's office, I might just read this (if no magazines--Time, Good Housekeeping, hell even Ok!-- were available). I don't think I'll continue with this series.
November 12, 2015
Another post-apocalyptic adventure series. Quick and easy read. Recommended
October 18, 2026
World War III done went and blew everything to kingdom come, leaving the planet a total desolate wasteland full of nasty mutants and crazy, no-good renegades. But out of the ashes rises our main man Blade, leader of a tough-as-nails fightin' crew called the Alpha Triad—including his buddies Hickock, Geronimo, and Joshua. They live in a hidden survivalist compound called "The Family". In this particular adventure, folks back home are gettin' real sick with a nasty, lethal disease. Blade and his boys have to load up their high-tech rig and make a dangerous "run" out to what's left of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) to fetch a vital medical serum that'll save their people. Now, this ain't no Sunday drive. To get that medicine, the boys have to shoot, slice, and punch their way through hordes of deranged humanoids, hideously deformed monsters that want to eat 'em for dinner, and local city factions that don't take kindly to strangers. If you like your pulp fiction fast, loud, and full of 1980s action-movie machismo, this book is a total blast. It's like a cross between Mad Max and an old-school western, with plenty of gun-slinging action to keep you turning pages faster than a hyperactive hound dog.
February 26, 2021
Blade and his warrior triad finally make it to the Twin Cities. They set out for them in book #2 but never made it. They take along a refuge that escaped the "Twins" to show them around on their quest for medical equipment. What they find are four warring factions. they get separated from each other and have to fight their way out and back home.
Much more action than the previous two volumes. Once the warriors get to the Twin Cities, it's almost none stop. Fighting to escape one gang or fighting to find their friends. A bit more toned down than some books of it's type, like The Phoenix series by David Alexander, but still a great series.
Much more action than the previous two volumes. Once the warriors get to the Twin Cities, it's almost none stop. Fighting to escape one gang or fighting to find their friends. A bit more toned down than some books of it's type, like The Phoenix series by David Alexander, but still a great series.
October 6, 2024
Det är rätt korta böcker i den här serien, det gör att recensionerna för varje enskild bok blir rätt korta. Jag vill ju inte bli alltför ta bort spänningen för andra som kanske kommer läsa böckerna framöver.
Jag har börjat gilla karaktärerna mer och mer, Blade, Geronimo och Hickok har visat sig vara rätt underhållande. De är visserligen alla lite väl ostoppbara, de klarar allt, liksom. Men de är definitivt inte osårbara.
Joshua, som ju kan ses som ett slags präst har fått börja visa att han faktiskt kämpar för sina vänner, trots att han är pacifist. Det är bra, han var lite för mycket av ett helgon för min smak innan.
Betyg: 6/10
Jag har börjat gilla karaktärerna mer och mer, Blade, Geronimo och Hickok har visat sig vara rätt underhållande. De är visserligen alla lite väl ostoppbara, de klarar allt, liksom. Men de är definitivt inte osårbara.
Joshua, som ju kan ses som ett slags präst har fått börja visa att han faktiskt kämpar för sina vänner, trots att han är pacifist. Det är bra, han var lite för mycket av ett helgon för min smak innan.
Betyg: 6/10
April 9, 2023
I am remembering how much I enjoyed this series when it first came out, and I'm glad I decided to reread it. There are a whole lot of new books in the series than back when I quit reading it. I look forward to finding out more about Mr. Robbins' new world, and just how much what is wrong is caused by the 'Watchers'. Because I suspect with the titles of the later books and the apparent expanding exploratory bounds these are the real bad guys - I could be wrong, but... Well if you've gotten this far into the series with me - you're probably having similar thoughts
June 15, 2010
Another one in the series that I never got to read as a kid - catching up now.
Same great stupid fun. There are elements coming into play that I find interesting. We'll see where they go. There also seems to be better continuity of story in these earlier volumes in the series.
I find it fascinating that Robbins always places his climax so near the end of the book. It makes for an exciting ride, but the wrap-up is usually written pretty poorly and leaves a lot to be desired...
Same great stupid fun. There are elements coming into play that I find interesting. We'll see where they go. There also seems to be better continuity of story in these earlier volumes in the series.
I find it fascinating that Robbins always places his climax so near the end of the book. It makes for an exciting ride, but the wrap-up is usually written pretty poorly and leaves a lot to be desired...
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August 14, 2011I enjoyed all the Endworld series
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews