The Cyborg King: Novel

by Ron Goulart, Gil Kane

Interplan Law Service agents Rex, Chavez, and Sniffer, the robot dog, are sent to stop Jigsaw, a cyborg, from taking over the most powerful computer in the galaxy

Genres: Science Fiction

190 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1981

About the author

Pseudonyms: Howard Lee; Frank S Shawn; Kenneth Robeson; Con Steffanson; Josephine Kains; Joseph Silva; William Shatner.
Ron Goulart is a cultural historian and novelist. Besides writing extensively about pulp fiction—including the seminal Cheap Thrills: An Informal History of Pulp Magazines (1972)—Goulart has written for the pulps since 1952, when the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction published his first story, a sci-fi parody of letters to the editor. Since then he has written dozens of novels and countless short stories, spanning genres and using a variety of pennames, including Kenneth Robeson, Joseph Silva, and Con Steffanson. In the 1990s, he became the ghostwriter for William Shatner’s popular TekWar novels. Goulart’s After Things Fell Apart (1970) is the only science-fiction novel to ever win an Edgar Award.

In the 1970s Goulart wrote novels starring series characters like Flash Gordon and the Phantom, and in 1980 he published Hail Hibbler, a comic sci-fi novel that began the Odd Jobs, Inc. series. Goulart has also written several comic mystery series, including six books starring Groucho Marx. Having written for comic books, Goulart produced several histories of the art form, including the Comic Book Encyclopedia (2004).

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second prose novel that Goulart wrote based on the newspaper comic strip he scripted and that Gil Kane illustrated beginning in 1977, Starhawks, featuring officers of The Hoosegaw that orbits Esmeralda. (The strip ran until 1981, with other authors and artists taking over and filling in over the final years.) This one is set in Empire 33, and is a bit sillier than the first book, Empire 99. Rex, his partner Chavez, and their robotic canine companion Sniffer pursue a powerful super computer which has fallen into the hands of a megalomaniacal cyborg with aspirations to rule the galaxy. There are plenty of zany events and eccentric supporting characters along the way; Doc Ajax always provides a laugh. I preferred the first book, but enjoyed this kookier one, too. Gil Kane provided some excellent interior illustrations.

[Tentatively, Convenience · Rating 3 out of 5]

review of
Ron Goulart's Star Hawks #2: The Cyborg King
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - October 6, 2016

Having just written a glowing(-in-the-dark) review of Goulart's Clockwork's Pirates / Ghost Breaker (see my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/... ) I reckon I don't have to feel too bad about not liking this one nearly as much. I never saw the comic strip that this is intertwined w/ but judging by the illustrations I doubt that I'd be very impressed. As usual, tho, Goulart's imagination & humor are enjoyable. Take this menu scene:

""Thark steak with Mars gravy . . . had that for lunch," he said, reading off the entrees. "Claws au gratin (Callisto style) . . . Cocoyam ragout . . . that's a possibility . . . Venusian talking salad . . . nope, too noisy . . . Reuben sandwich (Earth style)["]" - p 7

Then again, some of the jokes, like a robot or android musician's arm flying off due to customer violence, I'd read in other bks of his & they weren't as funny this time around. Then again again, ideas like having a jealous telekinetic girlfriend sabotage someone's attempts at having an independent sex life are pretty funny:

""Only last night I was about to initiate an intimate exchange with Auditor McMinn—she's that dappled Jovian in Accounting—when my trousers cam climbing back up my shanks."

""Oh. So?"

""I would drop the devils, they'd immediately rise back up and refasten at my waist," said the unhappy Star Hawk. "Down and up, down and up. None of this is doing my fabled rep as a devil with the ladies any damn good."" - p 10

Doc Ajax, a main character, reminds me of the artist Stelarc:

"The doors of her office had whooshed open and a plump, round-faced man with four arms came hurrying in. He was bald on top, but sported abundant crinkly sideburns which nearly engulfed his ears and jawline. He was wearing a rumpled blue labsmock and a pair of Earth-style rimless spectacles. Two of his arms had come with his body, the other pair were attached to him with a compact harness of his own invention." - p 16

This theme of enhancing (or replacing) one's body w/ mechanical appurtenances is central to the bk since The Cyborg King is someone who chooses to only retain part of his biological head in favor of wearing different machine bodies:

""Let me see . . . what sort of body am I in the mood for? Something lithe and glittery I think."

""The silver-plated one, sir?"

""Too gaudy."

""The chrome?"

""No, dear boy, much too ponderous for this time of the evening. What do you think, Ztak?"

""You can plop your blinking head in a shopping bag for all I care, Jigsaw," said the bulky lizard man in the lucite armchair. "Put something on, so we can have out blooming confab."" - p 77

Some of the Star Hawk crew en route to thwart Jigsaw's plans for genocide are captured in nets by ape-men. They're scared off by the unexpected:

"Oompah ooompah oom pah pah!

""What in blue blazes is that?" said Doc Ajax.

""A calliope," said Rex. "Can't figure why these louts would be playing one at a time like this."

"Ooompah oom pah pah!

""A very eccentric ritual, if ritual it be," observed Doc, grunting and puffing.

"The strands of metallic netting that had been digging into Rex's flesh relaxed, then fell away.

"The ape-men in charge of netting them went scurrying away into the night forest.

""Well, I'll be hydrogenated! That dreadful music has scared 'em clean off."" - p 86

Chavez, the Star Hawk agent w/ the dowsing rod ever in quest for moisture meets a mind reader:

""I might."

""What is that the answer to?"

""You were wondering, 'Would this nifty lady be interested in a roll in the hay?' "

"Chavez stopped grinning. "Hoy! I am not overly keen about having my every lecherous thought anticipated."

""Don't you feel it simplifies a relationship?" Debbi rested a hand on his knee, speaking in a whisper into his nearest ear. "I don't believe in using my ESP gift solely in my work on the Psychic Squad. No, when you have a little extra something, you have to use it. On top."" - p 88

Goulart's a one-man Vaudeville show from Outer Space, the gags just keep coming:

"Shatterbox went stomping through the rehearsal room. '"Excuse the intrusion, MJQ," he said, "we have to get to Storeroom Two."

""Oh, nothing bothers me. I could practice at a yodelers' convention during a monsoon," said the six-armed green man. "In fact, once on Venus I—say, I haven't met you, sir, I'm the Modern Jazz Quintet, considered by critics the best one-man band in the universe." He held out several green hands." - p 111

Having a 6-armed man have a name that's a take-off of the Modern Jazz Quartet pleases me to no end. The possibilities are endless. Imagine a 91 armed critter named "PSO" for "Pleasure-Seeking Organism".

"Zicker smiled, ceased smiling, cleared his throat. "Shatterbox, you are suspected of transporting enemies of the illustrious Jigsaw regime. These enemies of the state, whom you transported through the Badlands, are charged with conspiracy to commit . . . What's this blamed word? All blurry."

"The nearest lieutenant leaned to look. Appears to be transom, sir."

""How could they commit transom?"" - p 156

I'm sure PSO cd find a way.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sillier than the first novel (Empire 99), but in many ways better. This time the action takes place on Empire 33, a place that "smells like the universe's biggest sweat sock." As Doc Ajax might say, "Quiverin' Quasars!!"

Full review here: http://superheronovels.com/2011/05/12...

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too bad tale. Pretty silly. =)