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The Abductors: Conspiracy
When the search for a missing teenager becomes an investigation into an extraterrestrial plot to infiltrate humanity, ex-cop Richard McCallum encounters the tabloid myths as he joins the fight against the Klar, before he becomes the next missing person. Reprint.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1996
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 6, 2018
William Shatner has done lot of Star Trek books but few others have done books. His book have not been that good
Here we have much better story than most books but unlucky after over 20ys I forgot it but do know it was really good
Here we have much better story than most books but unlucky after over 20ys I forgot it but do know it was really good
January 29, 2012
This book isn't a bad read. You could have it finished in a day. Unfortunately actor Jonathan Frakes didn't write this book. In May of 2005, Mr. Frakes himself told me this at an autograph show in Philadelphia, PA. He considered this book a "bad career move" a became very angry when I asked him a question about it. Oh and don't ask him to sign it either. When I did, he grabbed it, signed it, and then slammed it down on the table. I have never went near him again. You want to read the book fine, but don't bring it up if you ever get the chance of meeting this actor. The man will get mean real quick. He did with me.
February 22, 2023
I was interested in this book because it takes place in Portland (where I am from) and because I have always admired Jonathan Frakes' acting and directing. However...I spoke with Mr. Jonathan Frakes in person about this book at a Comicon. He did NOT write it. He told me that the guy who wrote it found a dishonest way to "purchase" Frakes' name to sell the book! Frakes is upset about this, and rightfully so, and wants everyone to know and spread the truth out there that he didn't write this book and does not support the use of his name on it.
April 5, 2020
A quick read that speeds along quicker than an alien abduction beam, this book clearly has its ideas on being a Hollywood blockbuster movie. There are plenty of characters (maybe too many?) but little depth to them. The book is marketed as the first in a series and ends leaving plenty of scope for sequels but none were ever released. Ultimately a forgettable adventure.
December 16, 2022
I was browsing the local used book store when I happened across this. The first thing I noticed was that the layout of the cover, the text they used, and the imagery was nearly identical to William shatners Tek-War. For this reason alone I was unable to resist the purchase.
The back of the book says very little as to what the book is about and instead just blast us with reminders that Frakes is a Trek star. So I didn't really know what I was going to get.
As far as what's happening on the inside though, this one was not a winner. I question how much of the book is Frakes and how much is the co author (Dean Wesley Smith). Like Tek-War I think it's safe to assume that the the person with their name in bold on the cover is more of a producer, than the real creative talent at work here. But I could be wrong!
The book is actually well written, the pacing is fine, and the langue is effective. Going to credit Smith with successes here. Where the book loses me, is the near cringe worthy plot and the excessive use of scifi tropes.
In summary, an alien race known as the Klar are about to Launch a full scale take-over of the earth by kidnapping old people and sending their robot duplicates in to every major city in the world strapped with a hydrogen bomb. But, a Private Detective and his fat cop buddy get sucked in to the fray by linking up with a rich lady who's company has been hunting these things for years.
It's one of those "straight to the top" tropes, as the Vice President and President are central figures in the fight and their involvement is a bit hokey. Much of the book is spent explaining to each new important character, what the Klar are, and that they do indeed exist! So it gets repetitive.
But for all that explaining. We never learn much about who the Klar are, where they are from, etc. So they are a very one dimensional enemy. They want to blow up the world! Nuff said.
None of the chareracters really stand out. They all just kind of forward the plot along by filling in the next person with what's happened so far, and what they are going to do next. At no point do any plans not go exactly right. It's just a large strings of convenient victories for every one right down to the super happy ending.
But, I enjoyed it over all. It was a decent time killer and felt very much like a 90s TV episode. By that I mean, it's a condensed plot line, and even though the world is at stake. You know it isn't gonna end and our main cast are all perfectly likable good guys.
The back of the book says very little as to what the book is about and instead just blast us with reminders that Frakes is a Trek star. So I didn't really know what I was going to get.
As far as what's happening on the inside though, this one was not a winner. I question how much of the book is Frakes and how much is the co author (Dean Wesley Smith). Like Tek-War I think it's safe to assume that the the person with their name in bold on the cover is more of a producer, than the real creative talent at work here. But I could be wrong!
The book is actually well written, the pacing is fine, and the langue is effective. Going to credit Smith with successes here. Where the book loses me, is the near cringe worthy plot and the excessive use of scifi tropes.
In summary, an alien race known as the Klar are about to Launch a full scale take-over of the earth by kidnapping old people and sending their robot duplicates in to every major city in the world strapped with a hydrogen bomb. But, a Private Detective and his fat cop buddy get sucked in to the fray by linking up with a rich lady who's company has been hunting these things for years.
It's one of those "straight to the top" tropes, as the Vice President and President are central figures in the fight and their involvement is a bit hokey. Much of the book is spent explaining to each new important character, what the Klar are, and that they do indeed exist! So it gets repetitive.
But for all that explaining. We never learn much about who the Klar are, where they are from, etc. So they are a very one dimensional enemy. They want to blow up the world! Nuff said.
None of the chareracters really stand out. They all just kind of forward the plot along by filling in the next person with what's happened so far, and what they are going to do next. At no point do any plans not go exactly right. It's just a large strings of convenient victories for every one right down to the super happy ending.
But, I enjoyed it over all. It was a decent time killer and felt very much like a 90s TV episode. By that I mean, it's a condensed plot line, and even though the world is at stake. You know it isn't gonna end and our main cast are all perfectly likable good guys.
March 16, 2010
Three stars is probably a bit generous. Not a bad effort per se, but it definitely reads more like a YA novel than something for serious sci-fi fans. Frakes mixes a cliche detective noir plot together with a cliche alien invasion story and comes up with something...well, only slightly less cliche. Frakes then enhances the been-there-done-that feel by not including the sorts of specific, technical details that really sell a story about aliens, weaponry, politics, and police work. At one point, he does tell us the characters are shooting AK-47s...and then two pages later they somehow change into M-16s as if by magic. He does include some good geographical details, but that's about it for the technical stuff. Apparently, Frakes is not big on research. Still, it's well-written enough to be amusing, if you enjoy books that read like Sci-Fi Channel Original Movies. At least the special effects are better in books. Oh, and the ending of the story sets itself up for a sequel...so, be prepared not to get all the loose ends wrapped up for you.
September 5, 2012
It wasn't horrible but its no Dune!
June 12, 2019
An enjoyable mystery in a sci-fi setting, with just enough Raymond Chandler-ness in the main character to add some whimsy without making him a caricature. The lack of technobable (or even any scientific explanation of anything) makes for a decisive break from any Star Trek-laden expectations. The quotes from actual mystery novels at the beginning of each chapter was a nice touch, and actually helps set the mood.
April 18, 2022
While neither ground-breaking in contents nor Nobel Prize level literature, The Abductors: Conspiracy provided fun and thrill for my day on the train and left me a bit disappointed that Frakes and Smith never wrote the sequels that both probably intended to write.
April 19, 2025
I came into this with low expectations. Nothing against Mr. Frakes, but when the cover is using his acting in Star Trek as a main reason to get the book, I get a bit dubious. The illustrator even made one of the characters on the cover look similar to Mr. Frakes' character on Star Trek.
Was I glad I was wrong. It's well written. The plot is wonderful. I basically picked up the book and finished reading it within a day. It's one of the rare books that I don't want to stop reading.
Was I glad I was wrong. It's well written. The plot is wonderful. I basically picked up the book and finished reading it within a day. It's one of the rare books that I don't want to stop reading.
May 20, 2018
Presents itself like future SF, but it's more Private Investigator. A clunky tellathon with baffling quotes heading the chapters. Chapter 1: "A bad forgery's the ultimate insult." This quote seems ironic since some claim Cpt. Riker didn't write this, yet they sell him in the cover art and the blurb. DNF.
July 8, 2023
I thought this was going to be a Star Trek book with Jonathan Frakes on the cover, but I was wrong. However, this was a fun read and had some great moments. I know Jonathan Frakes didn’t write the book, but that only added to its mystery. Pure science-fiction pulp and nothing more than that.
October 30, 2020
Can't believe I read this whole silly book. Don't ask Jonathan Frakes about it, he hates it (and didn't really write it)
May 30, 2014
Dear Mr. Frakes:
Your commitment to the, shall we say, Sci-Fi Community over the decades has been tremendous and much appreciated. You are one of the few Star Trek family that took your power and position seriously and still embrace it to this day, and for that we will always be grateful. I realize this book is almost 20 years old - time goes by so quickly. And while, as you probably know, it does feel (especially at the beginning) more like a book written by a junior in high school than an accomplished novelist/science fiction scion, Conspiracy does sort of grow on you (so to speak), and by the end the reader is left with far more positive feelings than millions of other books far more reputable give to their audience - with the glaring exception of the heartrending realization the rest of the series did not get published. We may never know what will happen next to McCallum, the Klar, the Fosters, or if Henry will ever stop eating doughnuts. True, "quaint" and "goofy" may be the two most readily applicable words for this book - despite the scenes of rather grotesque horror, the unnecessary ubiquity of certain obscenities that appear halfway through the book, and a terrorist threat that even CTU would quail at confronting. The quotations from mystery stories at the beginning of each chapter would work better if they related to the content of the chapter, but they are fine little frills. Still and all, it's a fine story from back in the day before ubiquitous cell phones, wireless networking, and post-9/11 attitudes. It would be impossible to go back and pick up the same flavor and tone, I admit, but finishing the story is worth whatever external changes may be necessary. You have quite a realm of possibilities: are the Klar the real enemies? is anyone/anything else behind them lurking on the horizon? is one of the Inner Circle of freedom fighters secretly working with the Klar? will the citizens of the world find out the truth? The next few installments of the series could go in rather engaging directions. If you find your convention schedule slowing down at all in the next few years, I for one would appreciate you picking up the story again, with or without Dean Wesley Smith, and letting us know what happens next. I probably wouldn't want to spend $22.95 on a hardcover, but we can negotiate that later.
Thanks again for all your good, hard work over the years,
Christopher Rush,
Fan of Science Fiction
Your commitment to the, shall we say, Sci-Fi Community over the decades has been tremendous and much appreciated. You are one of the few Star Trek family that took your power and position seriously and still embrace it to this day, and for that we will always be grateful. I realize this book is almost 20 years old - time goes by so quickly. And while, as you probably know, it does feel (especially at the beginning) more like a book written by a junior in high school than an accomplished novelist/science fiction scion, Conspiracy does sort of grow on you (so to speak), and by the end the reader is left with far more positive feelings than millions of other books far more reputable give to their audience - with the glaring exception of the heartrending realization the rest of the series did not get published. We may never know what will happen next to McCallum, the Klar, the Fosters, or if Henry will ever stop eating doughnuts. True, "quaint" and "goofy" may be the two most readily applicable words for this book - despite the scenes of rather grotesque horror, the unnecessary ubiquity of certain obscenities that appear halfway through the book, and a terrorist threat that even CTU would quail at confronting. The quotations from mystery stories at the beginning of each chapter would work better if they related to the content of the chapter, but they are fine little frills. Still and all, it's a fine story from back in the day before ubiquitous cell phones, wireless networking, and post-9/11 attitudes. It would be impossible to go back and pick up the same flavor and tone, I admit, but finishing the story is worth whatever external changes may be necessary. You have quite a realm of possibilities: are the Klar the real enemies? is anyone/anything else behind them lurking on the horizon? is one of the Inner Circle of freedom fighters secretly working with the Klar? will the citizens of the world find out the truth? The next few installments of the series could go in rather engaging directions. If you find your convention schedule slowing down at all in the next few years, I for one would appreciate you picking up the story again, with or without Dean Wesley Smith, and letting us know what happens next. I probably wouldn't want to spend $22.95 on a hardcover, but we can negotiate that later.
Thanks again for all your good, hard work over the years,
Christopher Rush,
Fan of Science Fiction
May 16, 2015
Aliens have been on Earth for the last 50 years. They are planning on taking over, but they only sent 50 ships. So, they are taking things slowly and carefully. It now seems that their plans are finally reaching the endpoint. It is up to a private eye and a secret organization to stop them in time.
For a period of time, it was a trend to get science fiction actors to write novels (for some reason, it was only the guys) or biographies (a few women did get in on this though). Naturally, all of the stories were in the science fiction genre. Most of the books openly admitted to having a professional writer team up with the actor. Also, most of the books were okay but forgettable, more gimmick than literature.
This time, it is Jonathan Frake (Lt. Will Riker from Star Trek: the Next Generation). I hate to say that this book fits the mold of being decent but not great. There are a few obvious mistakes (such as gun type changing in middle of a fight). But truthfully, nothing that really matters. The problem is more that the story can't decide if it is a sci-fi with a detective setting or a detective story with a sci-fi setting. That may seem like it is the same thing, but it really isn't. Instead of the two meshing together, they seem to fight each other to see which will come out on top. It reads like the publishers wanted sci-fi (to keep with the sales plan) while the writer(s) wanted a detective story.
Because of this, the detective and his friends are fairly well developed but the aliens are basically cardboard figures. The alien's plan doesn't make a lot of sense when you stop and think. While they seem stronger than humans, they aren't that much stronger so their plan would end up doing almost as much damage to them. That just doesn't make sense. The timing is also hard to swallow. The aliens have been here for 50 years setting up a plan. But in the week or so that the story takes place, everything goes belly-up.
It is fairly obvious that this was intended to be the first in a series, but nothing appears to have panned out. While there is some actual potential, the disparate story elements failed to mesh cohesively into a whole. It was almost like everyone liked the notion when it was first planned but grew tired as it progressed and did the minimum needed to finish the project. Still, I have read worse. It does make a nice addition to those who like to collect sci-fi items that aren't necessarily what you would first expect.
For a period of time, it was a trend to get science fiction actors to write novels (for some reason, it was only the guys) or biographies (a few women did get in on this though). Naturally, all of the stories were in the science fiction genre. Most of the books openly admitted to having a professional writer team up with the actor. Also, most of the books were okay but forgettable, more gimmick than literature.
This time, it is Jonathan Frake (Lt. Will Riker from Star Trek: the Next Generation). I hate to say that this book fits the mold of being decent but not great. There are a few obvious mistakes (such as gun type changing in middle of a fight). But truthfully, nothing that really matters. The problem is more that the story can't decide if it is a sci-fi with a detective setting or a detective story with a sci-fi setting. That may seem like it is the same thing, but it really isn't. Instead of the two meshing together, they seem to fight each other to see which will come out on top. It reads like the publishers wanted sci-fi (to keep with the sales plan) while the writer(s) wanted a detective story.
Because of this, the detective and his friends are fairly well developed but the aliens are basically cardboard figures. The alien's plan doesn't make a lot of sense when you stop and think. While they seem stronger than humans, they aren't that much stronger so their plan would end up doing almost as much damage to them. That just doesn't make sense. The timing is also hard to swallow. The aliens have been here for 50 years setting up a plan. But in the week or so that the story takes place, everything goes belly-up.
It is fairly obvious that this was intended to be the first in a series, but nothing appears to have panned out. While there is some actual potential, the disparate story elements failed to mesh cohesively into a whole. It was almost like everyone liked the notion when it was first planned but grew tired as it progressed and did the minimum needed to finish the project. Still, I have read worse. It does make a nice addition to those who like to collect sci-fi items that aren't necessarily what you would first expect.
Read
August 14, 2011here were a lot of things I liked about this book and I enjoyed reading it. Kind of a mystery-science fiction story, it was written in an honest, uncomplicated style. The characters could have been better developed though - I wanted to know a little more about McCallum. Also the plot might have been a little more interesting with a few twists. I really loved the detective book quotes at the heading of each chapter - from a wide variety of authors including two of my favorites, Ruth Rendell & Josephine Tey.
September 17, 2007
I bought this book from the 99cent store. It is written by Numbuh One from Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is freakin awesome the whole way through. The aliens are known as "The Klar". Nuclear bombs in briefcases, and The Klar make for a hell of an awesome read. Just pray you 99 cent store still carries it.
May 27, 2012
My friend (I shall not name him) did a great job ghosting for Frakes on this one.
An interesting story with some memorable scenes. Good for sci-fi fans looking for a light read.
An interesting story with some memorable scenes. Good for sci-fi fans looking for a light read.
October 14, 2016
There is no way Frakes wrote a word of this, but I still read the whole thing. Cheesy. Kind of a fun throw back to the novels I read as a kid, but dont expect much more.
November 17, 2016
"The Abductors: Conspiracy" - written by Jonathan Frakes and published in 1996 by Tor Books. Very entertaining sci-fi novel by a Star Trek actor.
Read
September 8, 2019The beginning we super promising and entertaining but sadly it kind went downhill. At least it was a short read that was decent.
May 27, 2014
Very interesting book. Great reading for sci-fi lovers. Well written.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews