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David Hagberg's Flash Gordon #1
Flash Gordon: Massacre in the 22nd Century
Sent on a mission to investigate the mysterious reappearance of the Interstellar Exploration ship GOODHOPE, Colonel Flash Gordon and his companions, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov discover much more than they had bargained for. Stranded in deep space, the trio find themselves drawn against their will into a war of worlds which has lasted thousands of years...and which threatens the very existence of the planet Earth.
Auf ihrer Mission, die das geheimnisvolle Wiederauftauchen des interstellaren Forschungsraumers goodhope klären soll, entdecken Flash Gordon und seine beiden Begleiter Dale Arden und Dr. Hans Zarkov mehr, als sie erwartet hatten.
Im tiefen Raum gestranded und ohne die Möglichkeit zur Heimkehr findet sich das Trio in einen interstellaren Krieg hineingezogen, der schon seit Jahrtausenden andauert - und der jetzt auch die Existenz der Erde bedroht.
Auf ihrer Mission, die das geheimnisvolle Wiederauftauchen des interstellaren Forschungsraumers goodhope klären soll, entdecken Flash Gordon und seine beiden Begleiter Dale Arden und Dr. Hans Zarkov mehr, als sie erwartet hatten.
Im tiefen Raum gestranded und ohne die Möglichkeit zur Heimkehr findet sich das Trio in einen interstellaren Krieg hineingezogen, der schon seit Jahrtausenden andauert - und der jetzt auch die Existenz der Erde bedroht.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
202 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
84 people want to read
About the author
David Hagberg
80 books137 followersaka David Bannerman, Sean Flannery, David James, Robert Pell, Eric Ramsey
David Hagberg is a former Air Force cryptographer who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Arctic, and the Caribbean and has spoken at CIA functions. He has published more than twenty novels of suspense, including the bestselling High Flight, Assassin, and Joshua's Hammer.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidh...
David Hagberg is a former Air Force cryptographer who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Arctic, and the Caribbean and has spoken at CIA functions. He has published more than twenty novels of suspense, including the bestselling High Flight, Assassin, and Joshua's Hammer.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidh...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 16, 2019
Having read all six of the Flash Gordon novels written by Ron Goulart under the “Alex Raymond” name it’s time to turn my attention to another 6-book set in the Flash Gordon universe. David Hagberg is the author this time, a fairly prolific author under a variety of pseudonyms, but almost always producing action-oriented thrillers or military fiction. Those influences are very evident here in this first book.
I’ve done quite a bit of immersion in Flash Gordon-related media over the past six months, from books, to films, to the original 1930’s serials, and a fair number of comics. So it is with some confidence that I can say this really is not a traditional Flash Gordon story. It takes place in the year 2376 AD. Flash Gordon is a Colonel in Earth’s military, and a widower for the past eight years. Dr. Zarkov is an old man in his 80s and Dale Arden is his niece. Not exactly “canon” if such a thing exists for these characters. One could substitute different character names for all three main characters and still have the same story. No planet Mongo. No Ming the Merciless, or anything else familiar to traditional Flash Gordon stories.
But despite that, I found this to be an enjoyable read. The author brings the plot and the story aspects up to date (1980s) using technological jargon that is much more sophisticated than the older versions. It has a sort of Star Trek feel to it. The humans on Earth have built a “Federation” of planets for example. The term “prime directive” is used when interacting with alien civilizations. There is even a giant spaceship in the shape of a cube, 3 kilometers long on each side. No, it’s not the Borg. This novel predates that concept by almost a decade.
The plot involves our three characters encountering a derelict spaceship (the aforementioned cube) that had been launched from Earth 200 years previously and not expected to return. But when they board it, they discover all crew members aboard have been murdered while in cryogenic sleep. All but one who is missing. But it seems the ship is being controlled by somebody or something and indeed, they are sucked into an FTL journey to a distant planet where they crash land. Eventually they find a huge futuristic city but that also appears to be devoid of any life.
The book does end with some answers to their questions but it is clear that this set of books will all be connected. An actual series instead of a group of stand-alone books like the Ron Goulart ones were.
Bottom line: while clearly a new approach to the Flash Gordon saga, this was still a fun read. The characters are one-dimensional, but I expected that. Dale did show some feistiness at first, but this proved to be short-lived unfortunately. She still serves as somebody to get in trouble and have to be rescued. Flash is still the brawn of the group and Dr. Zarkov the brains. So…maybe it’s more like the originals than I thought. I am looking forward to book two to see where this goes and that is always a good sign.
I’ve done quite a bit of immersion in Flash Gordon-related media over the past six months, from books, to films, to the original 1930’s serials, and a fair number of comics. So it is with some confidence that I can say this really is not a traditional Flash Gordon story. It takes place in the year 2376 AD. Flash Gordon is a Colonel in Earth’s military, and a widower for the past eight years. Dr. Zarkov is an old man in his 80s and Dale Arden is his niece. Not exactly “canon” if such a thing exists for these characters. One could substitute different character names for all three main characters and still have the same story. No planet Mongo. No Ming the Merciless, or anything else familiar to traditional Flash Gordon stories.
But despite that, I found this to be an enjoyable read. The author brings the plot and the story aspects up to date (1980s) using technological jargon that is much more sophisticated than the older versions. It has a sort of Star Trek feel to it. The humans on Earth have built a “Federation” of planets for example. The term “prime directive” is used when interacting with alien civilizations. There is even a giant spaceship in the shape of a cube, 3 kilometers long on each side. No, it’s not the Borg. This novel predates that concept by almost a decade.
The plot involves our three characters encountering a derelict spaceship (the aforementioned cube) that had been launched from Earth 200 years previously and not expected to return. But when they board it, they discover all crew members aboard have been murdered while in cryogenic sleep. All but one who is missing. But it seems the ship is being controlled by somebody or something and indeed, they are sucked into an FTL journey to a distant planet where they crash land. Eventually they find a huge futuristic city but that also appears to be devoid of any life.
The book does end with some answers to their questions but it is clear that this set of books will all be connected. An actual series instead of a group of stand-alone books like the Ron Goulart ones were.
Bottom line: while clearly a new approach to the Flash Gordon saga, this was still a fun read. The characters are one-dimensional, but I expected that. Dale did show some feistiness at first, but this proved to be short-lived unfortunately. She still serves as somebody to get in trouble and have to be rescued. Flash is still the brawn of the group and Dr. Zarkov the brains. So…maybe it’s more like the originals than I thought. I am looking forward to book two to see where this goes and that is always a good sign.
October 18, 2014
First published at TheQwillery.com
I found this particular book at a very overpriced used bookstore. My only experience with Flash Gordon was the 1980 so bad it's fun film by the same name. It appears the book was released a few months before the movie and I have to wonder at the timing, maybe they hoped for a resurgence. I know Flash Gordon has had a long history in comics and serials, but I have never attempted to read or watch any of them. So, on a whim, I bought the book to see what it had to offer.
The story starts off with a Trans Federation ship finding a long lost spaceship the GOODHOPE, on a routine trip between planets. The GOODHOPE appears to be a ghost ship adrift in space. The Federation Military Forces seize the vessel and send a team to explore it in hopes of gaining answers about it and its crew's fate. The team is Flash Gordon, Dr. Hans Zarkov, and Dale Arden (Dr. Zarkov's niece). Almost immediately upon entering the vessel Flash Gordon and his team discover everyone aboard the ship has been murdered except for one missing crew member. Then, Flash and his team are attacked by none other than the Trans Federation as they are overly anxious to claim their prize. Flash and his team fight off the Trans Federation, and in the process, the ship, using some kind of self defense mechanism, launches itself into deep space, something far too advanced for this ship to do. They arrive 165 light years away from earth to crash land on an empty planet. They wander the jungle fighting off strange animals to find a deserted city still maintained by robot janitors that are hell bent on attacking Flash and his team. Dale gets kidnapped, and as Flash and Dr. Zarkov try to rescue her, she reappears to tell them she's fine and reveal the big secret. I don't want to ruin it for those of you planning on reading the book. I will say it ends in such away as to launch a series even if it was short-lived.
As you can tell from my recap there's plenty of action in the story with a bit of mystery. It keeps the pace of the book high and keeps you wondering what happened to the crew and why the ship sent them to a deserted planet. I'll be honest I wasn't hoping for a lot in this book and because of that I was pleasantly surprised that it was a fun read. It's a light pulpy sci-fi book.
The character's are very stereotypical and one dimensional. David Hagberg attempts to give Flash a little depth by making him a widow, but doesn't go much father than mentioning it a few times. Dale is an archaic female character with no other purpose than to swoon over Flash, have emotional meltdowns, and need rescuing. Dr. Zarkov is old and sickly and tires easy. He also likes to be smart sometimes. I'm being a little flippant, I know, and realize with such a short book and a lot happening there isn't a lot of room for depth. I also understand that these types of books were meant to be read and discarded. It's literary junk food.
If you like your sci-fi pulpy and fast-paced, you'll enjoy this book. If you're a fan of Flash Gordon, you'll enjoy this book. Apparently, this is a whole new take on the character. If you don't fall under either category, I'd stay away from it. This is a book to check out at a library or borrow from a friend. Due to a few scenes in which women seem to have to get undressed around Flash, and due to some minor violence, I'd recommend the book to older teens and adults.
I found this particular book at a very overpriced used bookstore. My only experience with Flash Gordon was the 1980 so bad it's fun film by the same name. It appears the book was released a few months before the movie and I have to wonder at the timing, maybe they hoped for a resurgence. I know Flash Gordon has had a long history in comics and serials, but I have never attempted to read or watch any of them. So, on a whim, I bought the book to see what it had to offer.
The story starts off with a Trans Federation ship finding a long lost spaceship the GOODHOPE, on a routine trip between planets. The GOODHOPE appears to be a ghost ship adrift in space. The Federation Military Forces seize the vessel and send a team to explore it in hopes of gaining answers about it and its crew's fate. The team is Flash Gordon, Dr. Hans Zarkov, and Dale Arden (Dr. Zarkov's niece). Almost immediately upon entering the vessel Flash Gordon and his team discover everyone aboard the ship has been murdered except for one missing crew member. Then, Flash and his team are attacked by none other than the Trans Federation as they are overly anxious to claim their prize. Flash and his team fight off the Trans Federation, and in the process, the ship, using some kind of self defense mechanism, launches itself into deep space, something far too advanced for this ship to do. They arrive 165 light years away from earth to crash land on an empty planet. They wander the jungle fighting off strange animals to find a deserted city still maintained by robot janitors that are hell bent on attacking Flash and his team. Dale gets kidnapped, and as Flash and Dr. Zarkov try to rescue her, she reappears to tell them she's fine and reveal the big secret. I don't want to ruin it for those of you planning on reading the book. I will say it ends in such away as to launch a series even if it was short-lived.
As you can tell from my recap there's plenty of action in the story with a bit of mystery. It keeps the pace of the book high and keeps you wondering what happened to the crew and why the ship sent them to a deserted planet. I'll be honest I wasn't hoping for a lot in this book and because of that I was pleasantly surprised that it was a fun read. It's a light pulpy sci-fi book.
The character's are very stereotypical and one dimensional. David Hagberg attempts to give Flash a little depth by making him a widow, but doesn't go much father than mentioning it a few times. Dale is an archaic female character with no other purpose than to swoon over Flash, have emotional meltdowns, and need rescuing. Dr. Zarkov is old and sickly and tires easy. He also likes to be smart sometimes. I'm being a little flippant, I know, and realize with such a short book and a lot happening there isn't a lot of room for depth. I also understand that these types of books were meant to be read and discarded. It's literary junk food.
If you like your sci-fi pulpy and fast-paced, you'll enjoy this book. If you're a fan of Flash Gordon, you'll enjoy this book. Apparently, this is a whole new take on the character. If you don't fall under either category, I'd stay away from it. This is a book to check out at a library or borrow from a friend. Due to a few scenes in which women seem to have to get undressed around Flash, and due to some minor violence, I'd recommend the book to older teens and adults.
December 31, 2024
Nice action, great intrigue, and a mysterious planet make this a fun read. I don't know much about Flash Gordon except for the movie with the Queen soundtrack but it was fun and reminded me a bit of the Buck Rogers TV series.
September 14, 2025
few notches missing to being more...
March 29, 2020
Massacre In The 22nd Century is the first in a 6 part series by David Hagberg.
An interstellar starship arrives home to Earth..the issue is this ship departed 200 years ago and was presumed lost.
No one is answering onboard, Hans Zarkov is enlisted to gain entry onto the spaceship to investigate what was happened since he’s an expert on older technology. Dale and Flash are going along for the ride.
What they find onboard will change their lives forever and will catapult them into a war which has been going on for thousands of years..will they ever make it back to Earth?
Quite honestly the plot of this book blew my mind.. It was fantastic! Detailed and well structured but overall utterly fascinating and the ending left me In no doubt I’ll be reading the entire series. I was hooked from chapter 1!
Characters wise I loved Flash and Zarkov.. Dale’s a little bit annoying when she ignores what’s asked of her.. she’s impulsive.. hopefully as the series continues, she will start to work better with them as Flash/Zarkov accept her as part of the team.
As the story continues it setups the series perfectly.. it gives you just enough to grab you.. suck you in.. masterfully securing my attention.. so much so I’ve started book 2 already.
What Massacre In The 22nd Century shows me is that a good story will stand up to the test of time.. this story was written 5 years before I was born but still effortlessly consumed me.
Old school science fiction and I loved it!
An interstellar starship arrives home to Earth..the issue is this ship departed 200 years ago and was presumed lost.
No one is answering onboard, Hans Zarkov is enlisted to gain entry onto the spaceship to investigate what was happened since he’s an expert on older technology. Dale and Flash are going along for the ride.
What they find onboard will change their lives forever and will catapult them into a war which has been going on for thousands of years..will they ever make it back to Earth?
Quite honestly the plot of this book blew my mind.. It was fantastic! Detailed and well structured but overall utterly fascinating and the ending left me In no doubt I’ll be reading the entire series. I was hooked from chapter 1!
Characters wise I loved Flash and Zarkov.. Dale’s a little bit annoying when she ignores what’s asked of her.. she’s impulsive.. hopefully as the series continues, she will start to work better with them as Flash/Zarkov accept her as part of the team.
As the story continues it setups the series perfectly.. it gives you just enough to grab you.. suck you in.. masterfully securing my attention.. so much so I’ve started book 2 already.
What Massacre In The 22nd Century shows me is that a good story will stand up to the test of time.. this story was written 5 years before I was born but still effortlessly consumed me.
Old school science fiction and I loved it!
August 12, 2025
There's a *little* problem with Flash Gordon: Massacre in the 22nd Century. It's not Flash Gordon. Yes, there's a character named Flash Gordon (and Hans Zarkov and Dale Arden), but he's not *really* Flash Gordon. And the universe he occupies isn't the Flash Gordon one. There's no Mongo. There are no Hawk Men or Lion Men. No Prince Thun or Prince Barin. No Aura. And, explain this to me, no Ming the Merciless!
This all just feels like generic sci-fi; and dull generic sci-fi at that. Change the names and this would feel like dozens of other throw away pulp filler from the 80's.
Flash is a total wet rag, brooding his way through the whole meaningless affair, Dale is just sorta... there, and Zarkov is far from being the avuncular mentor they seem to think that they're presenting him as and instead has the personality of a saltine cracker.
This was a thoroughly disappointing read. I know the rating isn't great, but I chalked that up to book snobbery. I was wrong. It's just really bad.
This all just feels like generic sci-fi; and dull generic sci-fi at that. Change the names and this would feel like dozens of other throw away pulp filler from the 80's.
Flash is a total wet rag, brooding his way through the whole meaningless affair, Dale is just sorta... there, and Zarkov is far from being the avuncular mentor they seem to think that they're presenting him as and instead has the personality of a saltine cracker.
This was a thoroughly disappointing read. I know the rating isn't great, but I chalked that up to book snobbery. I was wrong. It's just really bad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2021
This series begins with a re-imaging of Flash Gordon. Flash is now a widowed man with a more brooding personality. Dr. Zarkov is no longer the robust figure from the past but rather a frail old man, though non the less intelligent. Dale is still not fully developed.
The story starts with Earth as a center of world spanning federation. A long lost sleeper ship is discovered and when Zarkov is tasked with entering it before a slightly antagonistic mega corporation can enter it and seize it for salvage. But it turns out when Zarkov, Flash, and Dale enter the old ship becomes a booby trap and they are whisked away. Thus begins an adventure on a whole new planet (not Mongo).
The story starts with Earth as a center of world spanning federation. A long lost sleeper ship is discovered and when Zarkov is tasked with entering it before a slightly antagonistic mega corporation can enter it and seize it for salvage. But it turns out when Zarkov, Flash, and Dale enter the old ship becomes a booby trap and they are whisked away. Thus begins an adventure on a whole new planet (not Mongo).
September 9, 2023
I am so angry that the author of these Flash Gordon novels changed because the first 6 were so good and this one is...not.
Dale is simpering, weak, an idiot. Zarkov is feeble, frail, emaciated. They are liabilities, not assets, and Flash is the only one who has any sort of competency.
This is the first in a series of books with the same author and continuing plot, and I'm not going to read the rest. What a disappointment.
Dale is simpering, weak, an idiot. Zarkov is feeble, frail, emaciated. They are liabilities, not assets, and Flash is the only one who has any sort of competency.
This is the first in a series of books with the same author and continuing plot, and I'm not going to read the rest. What a disappointment.
June 23, 2017
A fun quick sci-fi read. Flash Gordon is just short of Superman. He is macho, athletic, caring, loyal, he'd be the perfect man if he wasn't still hung up on his dead wife. The story has unique characteristics, and is was fun to read, but not real in depth.
July 7, 2017
Though published in 1980 this Flash has nothing to do with the movie version,this one being more on the intellectual side. Interesting lost spaceship story will appeal to Star Trek or perhaps even Twilight Zone.
November 9, 2023
Absolutely compelling reading when you’re a 13-year-old boy and as an adult, it’s still pretty well written.
November 7, 2024
A quick and extremely exciting read.
October 19, 2013
Great 80's sci-fi!!!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews