The Cybernauts

The New Avengers #5

by Peter Cave

Vintage TV tie-in paperback

Genres: Thriller

156 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1977

About the author

At various times, British author Peter Cave has been a reporter and an newspaper editor and a magazine editor. He is best known in literary circles for the number of novelizations he has done for television shows.

Reviews

[Ant Koplowitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The iconic New Avengers on one of their more exciting 1970s adventures with the cybernauts. It’s based on the series 1 episode Last of the Cybernauts…? which was written by series creator Brian Clemens. The novel’s been put together by Peter Cave, who adapted several of the first series into book form, in a fairly flat and uninspiring style. This is a shame, because it is a cracking story on screen, but doesn’t really come across in the same way on the page.

The final scenes and the ending are different from the broadcast episode, and I wondered whether Clemens’ original story was as the book, as opposed to the slightly truncated ending in Purdey’s flat that was shown on TV. Caves’ writing doesn’t really do justice to the creepiness and brutal terror that the cybernauts are able to engender visually, but it’s a quick read which takes you back to the heady days of 1977. A good literary filler for when you’re at a loose end, but don’t expect too much.

© Koplowitz 2013

[Andy]

1ST EDITION. DIFFERENT TITLE ON THE COVER: THE CYBERNAUTS.