UNION: A Novel of Invasion and Resistance

by Van Allen Plexico, Chris Kohler (illustrator)

In the labor pits of Earth, Jack Gael is a slave to the alien conquerors known as the Union--until the day he discovers a lost weapon of incalculable power, and becomes the Gladiator.
Now Jack must forge his own Union and strike back against Earth's evil alien masters, if humanity is to be from alien domination.
But can Jack's oddball team of resistance fighters-- a renegade scientist, a time-lost Roman Centurion, and a mysterious time-traveler --long survive against the aliens and their the diabolical, robotic Kratons?
And just who exactly is the strange man in blue who's pulling all their strings--the strange immortal known only as John Smith?
The latest pulp adventure novel from the author of VALIDUS-V and the SENTINELS series, UNION draws its inspiration from great Valiant comics like X-O, Magnus and Doctor Solar; particularly those written by Jim Shooter and Bob Layton and masterfully illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith, to whom the work is dedicated.
"A truly fast paced, action-adventure SF tale that owes it roots to the comics of the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties... Plexico (has) won lots of writing awards in the past. UNION may deliver him another."
--Ron Fortier, Pulp Fiction Reviews

268 pages, Paperback

Published March 23, 2024

About the author

Van Allen Plexico has written a dozen novels and contributed to at least that many anthologies, but is best known for his popular and critically-acclaimed SENTINELS superhero novels, as well as the two-time Novel of the Year Finalist LORDS OF FIRE and its sequels in the "Shattering" space opera series. In the realm of nonfiction, he co-wrote the best-selling DECADES OF DOMINANCE and SEASON OF OUR DREAMS books about Auburn football and created the ASSEMBLED! books, exploring the history of Marvel’s AVENGERS comics. He writes and edits for numerous publishers including Airship 27, Pro Se Press, Permuted/Swarm Press, Maple Street Press, New Babel Books, Adamant, and White Rocket, along with occasional columns for RevolutionSF.com and the War Eagle Reader. He serves as an Associate Professor at Southwestern Illinois College.

Reviews

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems like a low rating, but for people who loved the original Valiant Comics of the 90s, like I did, add another half to full star easily. This is an easy, breezy, pedal to the floor adventure, by design, and the execution of that design is really fun for the right reader. I do feel that perhaps it leans so much on the Valiant nostalgia that a non-fan might not get it, but I had a blast.