Attack on Area 51

Wingman #17

by Mack Maloney

After a mysterious disappearance, the ace fighter pilot is back, searching for answers to his missing memory—but still ready to defend post-WWIII America.  It’s been a decade since Hawk Hunter, famed American World War III hero and legendary pilot, vanished on an extraterrestrial mission to save his country. Presumed dead, Hunter found himself in a strange alternate universe where the planes were bigger than seemed possible and the dead walked the earth. Now he is back, and America needs his help once more. The fragile new America that Hunter helped build has shattered in his absence. He has no memory of where he has been for the past ten years, knowing only that he can bring peace to his beloved country once and for all. Seeking answers at the secret research base known as Area 51, Hawk uncovers a strange new threat to his fractured homeland. There is only one thing to do. His memory may be in tatters, but the Wingman has not forgotten how to fly.

Genres: Science Fiction

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Mack Maloney is the author of numerous fiction series, including Wingman, ChopperOps, Starhawk, and Pirate Hunters, as well as UFOs in Wartime – What They Didn’t Want You to Know. A native Bostonian, Maloney received a bachelor of science degree in journalism at Suffolk University and a master of arts degree in film at Emerson College. He is the host of a national radio show, Mack Maloney’s Military X-Files. Visit him on Facebook and at www.mackmaloney.com.

Mack Maloney is the Pen name for BRIAN KELLEHER

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were sixteen Wingman books many years ago that were great, and then a handful of wacky Starhawk books which seemed to feature the same character in an intergalactic setting that were okay but nowhere near as good as the originals, and then nothing for quite a while. Then, out of the blue (a very apt phrase if I do say so myself), this book appeared: Wingman #17. It's quite a bit shorter than the earlier books, which is okay, but there's not enough explanation of what's been going on and where Hawk has been and how he got back and... just a short mention of possible divine intervention, which fell a bit flat for me. On the other hand, it's great to have him back, and I look forward to the continuing adventures. It's a good story with considerable humor and excitement, very pulpy in flavor and fun from beginning to end.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This revie woriginally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.0 of 5

As you can see by the cover, this is the 17th book in a series, though it is the first one that I have read.

It is a bit uncommon these days to find a book or a series that is akin to serial pulp fiction. Think back on the days (if you are old enough [as I am]) to Doc Savage, The Executioner, Perry Rhodan, or even the more juvenile-targeted Mike Mars, or Tom Swift. This appears to be a book series that harkens back to these classic pulp adventure days.

Hawk Hunter was a World War III hero who vanished on an extra-terrestrial mission a decade earlier. He now returns to his very damaged America with an equally damaged memory. The noted Area 51 holds the key and Hawk must fight his way there and along the way he'll remember more and more about alternate universes and his actions among many of them. Fortunately, Hawk has an uncanny ability to maneuver in any ship that can fly, and he'll need that ability to survive.

This is just pure, adventure fun. This is the sort of book you read to take a break from the insightful, meaningful literature you might normally read. It is not intended to make a lasting impression, but rather be a bridge from one book to another. It is the snack food - the Kit-Kat Bar - of books. And in this role it does a fine job.

I was suitably entertained. It made me miss the old Doc Savage books I read as a teen and I thought it did a nice job of staying current in the sci-fi/adventure worlds.

I would be very willing to venture into this Wingman world again when I have an afternoon where I am looking for something to read.

Looking for a good book? Attack on Area 51 by Mack Maloney is a Wingman novella that moves along very swiftly, won't hold any lasting impressions on the reader, but will satisfy the craving for some quick adventure.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Eoghann Irving · Rating 3 out of 5]

_Attack on Area 51_ is the 17th book in the Wingman series by Mack Maloney. A series that started back in 1987 when the notion of having a story set after WWIII against the USSR and a devastating nuclear strike on the US would have seemed like a decent notion. Wisely the specific details are left out of references in this latest story.

Not that it really matters because this is pure pulp material. Our hero Hawk Hunter (so you know he's a real pulp hero) is a man's man. He can fly any airplane and the girls swoon and throw themselves at him (even the highly educated psychologist ones apparently). This is not a book that deals in subtlety.

A lot of the ideas are hokey. For example St. Louis is now called Football City after the football game that runs 24/7 there as a form of gambling. The US has broken down into a bunch of warring city states, many of them controlled by factions like the Asian Mercenary Cult (can you be a mercenary and a cultist at the same time?)

When I said this was pulp, that's what I meant. It's pure unapologetic pulp fiction. Not a pastiche, not modernized. Just pulp. Oh and the author made Area 51 central to the book. I think I've mentioned before that I wish people would stop using Area 51. It's way overdone at this point.

And yet despite all that I've said, and the fact that Hawk Hunter is ridiculously perfect and that none of the other characters actually get to have a character and that in fact the female character I referenced simply gets referred to as _the shrink_ the whole time, I have to admit I enjoyed reading this. It was fast paced, it was fun and it required no real effort or thought on my part. I'd happily read more.

I can't honestly describe it as good writing, but I did find it fun.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Wingman series of books started in the late 1980s with a premise of a war started with the Soviet Union and only a handful of survivors. The series falls squarely in with other men's fiction series like The Destroyer or The Executioner. The hero is a man's man as well as a ladies man. These kind of pulp adventures are always fun for a quick read. This is the 17th book in the series and what looks like an attempt to restart the series.

When a wrecked space shuttle is investigated, a body is found. When the body is found to still be alive and revived, it turns out to be Hawk Hunter. Hawk was last known to be travelling into space to battle his nemesis and feared lost. After a pretty brief recovery, Hawk is out to find out what might have happened to him. He thinks the answers lie at Area 51. Getting there means battling lots of nameless, faceless bad guys, but Hawk can seemingly fly any sort of plane, so this is no problem.

It's best not to take this type of story that seriously. There are ludicrous displays of action and plot holes abound. The novella ends with enough open questions that there could easily be more in the series.

I was given a review copy of this book by Open Road Media and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this book.

[Suzy Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am sure, if I were a teenaged boy, I would love,this series. Unfortunately, I am a middle-aged mother of a soon-to-be teenaged boy ... and it just doesn't sing for me. The Wingman is a post-apocalyptic hero-figure. He drinks like a fish, channels some kind of ninja-force Russian plane smooshing mojo and objectifies women (but at least he doesn't publicly rape them like the 'baddies' in the novel - although bedding Asian comfort women is pretty much the same thing if you look at it through my filters!) and saves the world on a daily basis ... Oh, all the while pining for his one true love, who he met while escaping from Europe to return to the paradise that isn't the food old U S of A (which isn't .. United, I mean!)

I read all of it. Every word. I have done my Lenten penance.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like 2009's Star Trek movie this uses the idea of parallel universes to sort of reboot the franchise, so we can forget about the "Starhawk" series and those last few Wingman books. Which this would be good if it means a revival of the series.

There are some errors, especially concerning the battle in Detroit, but it's a Wingman book so you kind of expect that. Could have used some cooler dogfighting scenes and more soft-core porn but for a novella you can't expect much. The ending leaves it wide open for that stuff to happen in the future.

That is all.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

if you liked any of the other wingman novels you will love this one. The only knock against the book is its length. Hopefully the author has many more stories up his sleeve

[Mike Seiber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a bad ebook. It was very entertaining but I wished for a longer book after all these years of no Wingman books.

[Mary Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need to be longer

Typical Mack Maloney, mishmash bringing back bits and pieces of stories to create his action packed adventures. Good quick read

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

too short, but a good story reintroducing Hawk back into the Wingman timeline.