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The X-Files: Middle Grade #8
Voltage
Acts of nature'or acts of revenge? When Agents Mulder and Scully are sent to investigate the freak lightning storms killing off residents in a small Oklahoma town, they uncover a jolting pattern. All of the electrified victims also happen to be enemies of a man named Darren Oswald. Now Scully and Mulder have to find a way to defuse Darren'before he strikes again.
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 3, 2017
“I don’t know how fast he is with this thing,” Mulder cautioned, adding with a grin, “he might be as quick as greased—”
“Don’t say it,” Scully said (excerpt from Voltage)
Voltage, which is a juvenile adaptation of a Season Three episode of The X-Files titled “D.P.O.”, is set in the small town of Connerville, Oklahoma. FBI Agents Mulder and Scully investigate a series of freak lightning-related deaths which they eventually connect to the only person to have survived a lightning strike: an emotionally charged youth named Darin Peter Oswald. Although Darin possesses an uncanny expertise at arcade gaming, it’s nothing compared to his other extraordinary ability: he can generate and control massive amounts of lightning and manipulate any electrical devices in his immediate vicinity. With his newfound powers, Darin Oswald sets out to exact his own high-voltage revenge and win the affections of his boss’s wife.
Written for a juvenile audience, the novelization was well-paced and maintained a respectable suspense throughout its 100-some pages. Young readers are sure to relish the story's compelling characters and exciting climax. The first time I read this book was about nineteen years ago, having recently become a fan of the series during its original third-season run. Author Easton Royce (a pseudonym for writer Neal Shusterman) deftly adapts the antagonistic Darin Oswald to paper, fleshing out the character even more so than what we saw in the episode. Chapter 11, in particular, provides especial insight into the night Darin acquired his bizarre abilities after being struck by lightning in the pasture near his house. Readers are also treated to Darin’s memories of the time his former teacher, Sharon Kiveat, offered him the job at her husband’s garage, which first triggered his deadly infatuation with her. Unlike the televised episode, the book depicts the days following Darin’s accident when he first came to realize his unique gift—by bringing a dead flashlight back to life and melting it with excessive amounts of electrostatic charge—and how he, as a troubled youth, treated this uncanny ability with adolescent recklessness, much in the same way a toddler wielding his dad’s handgun. Because this novelization is based on the show’s original shooting script, it included an interesting scene that didn’t make it to broadcast: in this deleted scene, Mulder questions a reticent scientist named Dean Greiner at the Astradourian Lightning Observatory—an “amazing” building, according to Mulder, with its ornate atrium and its cluster of lightning rods adorning the roof like a bed of needles. I would’ve enjoyed seeing this structure translated to the small screen.
Much as I enjoyed the book, there were a few noticeable flaws that prevented me from giving it a top-notch rating. Early in the story, Scully briefly reflects on some of her past cases with Mulder, one of which included “a human monster who digested other people’s fat” (p.11), an obvious reference to fat-sucking vampire Virgil Incanto from the episode “2Shy”. However, episode chronology sets “2Shy” AFTER “D.P.O.” Therefore, how could Scully muse over a human monster that she has yet to encounter? Another problem I had with this adaptation is that it leaves out a key exchange between Mulder and Scully in which they briefly discuss the game-changing events that occurred in recent myth-arc episodes. I realize that the author wants to keep the details of Mulder and Scully's investigations confined to this episode; however, given what the agents just went through in the “Anasazi” trilogy (2x25-3x02), I think that by conveniently ignoring this dialogue does a disservice to the agents’ relationship and how it has developed as a result of those key mythology episodes.
“Don’t say it,” Scully said (excerpt from Voltage)
Voltage, which is a juvenile adaptation of a Season Three episode of The X-Files titled “D.P.O.”, is set in the small town of Connerville, Oklahoma. FBI Agents Mulder and Scully investigate a series of freak lightning-related deaths which they eventually connect to the only person to have survived a lightning strike: an emotionally charged youth named Darin Peter Oswald. Although Darin possesses an uncanny expertise at arcade gaming, it’s nothing compared to his other extraordinary ability: he can generate and control massive amounts of lightning and manipulate any electrical devices in his immediate vicinity. With his newfound powers, Darin Oswald sets out to exact his own high-voltage revenge and win the affections of his boss’s wife.
Written for a juvenile audience, the novelization was well-paced and maintained a respectable suspense throughout its 100-some pages. Young readers are sure to relish the story's compelling characters and exciting climax. The first time I read this book was about nineteen years ago, having recently become a fan of the series during its original third-season run. Author Easton Royce (a pseudonym for writer Neal Shusterman) deftly adapts the antagonistic Darin Oswald to paper, fleshing out the character even more so than what we saw in the episode. Chapter 11, in particular, provides especial insight into the night Darin acquired his bizarre abilities after being struck by lightning in the pasture near his house. Readers are also treated to Darin’s memories of the time his former teacher, Sharon Kiveat, offered him the job at her husband’s garage, which first triggered his deadly infatuation with her. Unlike the televised episode, the book depicts the days following Darin’s accident when he first came to realize his unique gift—by bringing a dead flashlight back to life and melting it with excessive amounts of electrostatic charge—and how he, as a troubled youth, treated this uncanny ability with adolescent recklessness, much in the same way a toddler wielding his dad’s handgun. Because this novelization is based on the show’s original shooting script, it included an interesting scene that didn’t make it to broadcast: in this deleted scene, Mulder questions a reticent scientist named Dean Greiner at the Astradourian Lightning Observatory—an “amazing” building, according to Mulder, with its ornate atrium and its cluster of lightning rods adorning the roof like a bed of needles. I would’ve enjoyed seeing this structure translated to the small screen.
Much as I enjoyed the book, there were a few noticeable flaws that prevented me from giving it a top-notch rating. Early in the story, Scully briefly reflects on some of her past cases with Mulder, one of which included “a human monster who digested other people’s fat” (p.11), an obvious reference to fat-sucking vampire Virgil Incanto from the episode “2Shy”. However, episode chronology sets “2Shy” AFTER “D.P.O.” Therefore, how could Scully muse over a human monster that she has yet to encounter? Another problem I had with this adaptation is that it leaves out a key exchange between Mulder and Scully in which they briefly discuss the game-changing events that occurred in recent myth-arc episodes. I realize that the author wants to keep the details of Mulder and Scully's investigations confined to this episode; however, given what the agents just went through in the “Anasazi” trilogy (2x25-3x02), I think that by conveniently ignoring this dialogue does a disservice to the agents’ relationship and how it has developed as a result of those key mythology episodes.
February 18, 2019
The X-Files, Voltage, by Easton Royce
The X-Files, Voltage, had my attention from the very beginning. It begins with a pizza driver trying to deliver a pizza but when he arrives to the location, no one is there. He figures that it was a crank call so he decides to go to the arcade that is close by. While he’s there he runs into a creepy kid that challenges him in the video game. Little does he know that the kid has special abilities to control electrical devices. The boy can turn machines on and off! When the pizza delivery guy gets freaked out, he tries to escape in his car, but his car just dies all of a sudden. When Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate the scene of the crime, they see that the pizza delivery guy’s body was completely burned up.
Mulder and Scully investigate paranormal cases in the x-files and this is one of those cases. Darin Oswald, is a video game genius that they start to look into because of his strange behaviors and the victims just happens to be people that Darin doesn’t like.
The book is so interesting that it was hard to put down and I liked it so much that I went out to get another X-Files book!
The X-Files, Voltage, had my attention from the very beginning. It begins with a pizza driver trying to deliver a pizza but when he arrives to the location, no one is there. He figures that it was a crank call so he decides to go to the arcade that is close by. While he’s there he runs into a creepy kid that challenges him in the video game. Little does he know that the kid has special abilities to control electrical devices. The boy can turn machines on and off! When the pizza delivery guy gets freaked out, he tries to escape in his car, but his car just dies all of a sudden. When Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate the scene of the crime, they see that the pizza delivery guy’s body was completely burned up.
Mulder and Scully investigate paranormal cases in the x-files and this is one of those cases. Darin Oswald, is a video game genius that they start to look into because of his strange behaviors and the victims just happens to be people that Darin doesn’t like.
The book is so interesting that it was hard to put down and I liked it so much that I went out to get another X-Files book!
June 8, 2024
Diese Romanfassung der Episode D.P.O. der dritten Staffel von Akte X bietet mit seinem schlichten Erzählstil quasi das Extrakt der Serie. Wer die Mysteryserie der 90er Jahre mag und eine anspruchslose Urlaubslektüre für unterwegs sucht, macht mit diesen schmalen 118 Seiten nicht viel falsch. Fazit: Für Fans geeignete Lesekost.
November 25, 2019
I quite enjoyed this book. As I am unable to watch television, these books are my only insight to the x files and I really like them. This one in particular has been put together very well and is an easy read.
May 9, 2018
Another awesome book
March 26, 2024
Youtube
May 21, 2024
Fino ad ora è il più brutto della serie.
Gulp!
Gulp!
December 27, 2024
Scully and Mulder investigate several people dying from lighting.
November 26, 2025
Zakochany dzieciak z piorunującymi mocami. Nudne, ale przynajmniej jego perspektywa była ciekawa.
March 18, 2017
Eine schöne, kurze Lektüre, auch wenn sie einen wieder daran zweifeln lässt, ob es überhaupt Menschen mit Gewissen gibt. Autoren scheinen das nie zu denken.
March 28, 2024
Lightning catchers!
July 15, 2020
This books is a literal write-up of the third episode of season 3: D.P.O.. It was easy to read and told the story accurately. I would say this is a 'bare bones' write-up in that there is little to no embellishment upon what was shown on screen. There may be a bit more clarity regarding what a character is thinking at any particular moment, but nothing that couldn't be inferred. The only advantages to reading the book rather than just watching the show is that the dialogue is easily readable and not muffled by mumbling actors and it can be read on and off anywhere. At barely over 100 pages it can even be read in the time taken to watch it.
February 15, 2014
A small book which if I remember was close to the TV series as possible. Must be over 20 years old now but still enjoyable! You can relate to the characters completely if you watched the series on TV in the 90's, which I did. Great stuff!!
September 3, 2016
I was hoping that I would love this book because I love x-files the television show. However the writing was fair at times, and it was just really hard to stay interested in the book. It's super short and I felt like the same details just kept being reiterated.
July 7, 2016
Com uma história meio que tirada das mangas, este é um dos piores livros da série, em que o argumento se aproxima muito dos quadrinhos de super heróis. Arrstado e com um final pedante, o livro falha na maior qualidade dos anteriores: a diversão!
July 20, 2016
Love these short little books, it's like reading my favourite episodes!
Book #4 completed for #booktubeathon :D This was for the challenge to read only after sunset.
Book #4 completed for #booktubeathon :D This was for the challenge to read only after sunset.
Read
September 9, 2016I loved this book. I love the idea sci-fi lightning its the first i had ever read a book on it. I love the idea of lightning and how it works and overall this book was enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews