Avon: A Terrible Aspect

Blake's 7

by Paul Darrow

In the frozen North of their mother planet, two brothers fight a duel to the death - and Rogue Avon is slain. This, the Federation feels, spells the end to rebellion in the universe, and the status quo of peace without freedom can continue. But they are wrong. The son of Rogue Avon, obviously an Earthling and entitled to return to the mother planet, has sworn to his mother to avenge his father. He manages to return to Earth, and there works out the inevitable conclusion to this ingenious and fascinating tale.

Genres: Science Fiction, Tv

190 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1989

Reviews

[* kyrat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prequel book for the character of Kerr Avon in Blake's 7 (BBC scifi from the 80's).

I love Paul Darrow, I love the character Kerr Avon. Blake's 7 is one of my favorite shows of all time, I enjoy the writing and dialogue in the show.
I was dying to read this book when I finally got it.

Now, I would still recommend it to die hard Blake's 7 fans who want the backstory on Avon, but to no one else.

The writing (despite it being Terry Nation & Paul Darrow's creation) is not that great. The portrayal of women is horrifying. They are all one dimensional sexual objects. The book contains the worst (and some of the more sexist) descriptions of sex I've ever read. [Think Robert Heinlein's misogynistic portral of women]. I'm not saying they had to make Rogue Avon seem like a sensitive guy or anything, but his going around 'banging whores' and then killing them is not really what I was looking for in the book. A terrible disappointment.
I finished it just so I could get the full story of Kerr Avon's past.

And now I must geek out and say I was also a little puzzled at the fact that the end didn't quite match what Kerr Avon told Del Grant had happened in the episode "Countdown". Terry Nation wrote that episode and Paul Darrow uttered the dialogue - so why couldn't they keep the stories consistent? Granted I haven't seen a few episodes of season 3, so maybe this is explained later...

[David Paul Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

oh dear! I think Paul has done a great job with the back story and certainly fleshed out the ruthlessness of the Federation. however, were we confined to the solar system? nothing made sense about the topography of the colony worlds. worth a read of you're a fan, but otherwise don't bother. also, the edition I had contained at least 5 grammatical or spelling errors.

[Alex Sarll]

A Terrible Aspect Ratio, more like - fucking state of that cover! There's an obvious risk to letting actors write adventures for their characters, and if you don't accept that as self-evident, you're welcome to read Matthew Waterhouse's story of Adric fighting racism in the American South, though on your own head be it. But Avon often felt like the protagonist in a self-insert fic already, either stealing the show or snarkily detached from whatever the other characters were getting worked up about. All the same, Darrow goes above and beyond by not just giving us the backstory of Kerr* Avon, but also the rivalry between his dad, Rogue Avon, and his bad uncle, Reiss. From the descriptions of his eyes and his strange half-smile, it's very clear that Rogue is also played by Darrow; come to that, I'm pretty sure Reiss is too, though he's 'phoning it in a bit there. And if that weren't already catnip enough for an analyst, early on we're treated to an account of Kerr's conception! I'm sorely tempted to share the whole thing with you, but let's leave it with his mother's opening line, "I had never been loved before and I would never again be loved so well", and move on - though noting as we do that I'm pretty sure every female character in this gets a considered assessment of her breasts. When you combine that with the way Darrow doesn't seem to know how space works, in either the standard or Blake's 7 sense, and the minimal degree to which it even aligns with the series' world, having much more of a decadent space-Rome feel, there were times when it felt less like it was written in the eighties than a forgotten slice of pulp from decades earlier. And part of me wonders if that, even down to details like Titan orbiting the wrong planet, might not be entirely deliberate. After all, the opening sentence mentions the Wars for Uranus, followed in short order by fleeing the Edge of Uranus and the Federation conquest of Uranus. Elsewhere, there's this spectacularly Darkplace speech:
"He was a rebel. Very impressive. A guerilla who scared the pants off certain members of the High Council. They've put them back on and they don't want to risk losing them again."

*We even find out what Kerr's short for. And I don't mean because he's four at the time.

[Chris Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a huge soft spot for this book, just like I have for the Blake's 7 TV series.
Avon was always my favourite character on television when I was a kid watching Blake's 7 (and that final episode!). He was ruthless, and a perfect opposite to Blake's heroism and humanity.
I have just read this again, because I recently picked up Paul Darrow's Lucifer trilogy, and "Avon - a Terrible Aspect" isn't without its faults, but then very few novels are.
I'm looking forward to reading the Lucifer trilogy, as Darrow revisits the origins of Avon.

My original review:

Now here's an unusual oddity.
I dropped on this years ago in a 2nd-hand bookshop, and as I always rather enjoyed "Blake's 7", I thought I'd give it a go. Paul Darrow, if you didn't know, played Avon in the tv series. Avon was the most interesting character of them all; a truly selfish and dangerous individual, kept in check only by Blake's leadership and his own desire for power. You never quite knew where you stood with Avon.
I was pleasantly surprised when I read this. Written in a clear style, this is the story of Avon's life before the events in "Blake's 7". It's not brilliant, but it is rather good.
It's not very easy to get hold of, either, but if you're a fan of the series and chance upon it, pick it up.

[P. Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of all the books written by Paul Darrow, this disaster has to be the worst. We are treated to the back story of Avon, his parents Rogue and Rowena and the taciturn little boy called Kergulen.

The book has numerous typographical errors throughout the volume; no doubt the editor even found it hard to get through... The portrayal of the Grant family does not match with what we learn from the television series, and the portrayal of Anna Grant in particular is horrible and completely unbelievable. The sex scenes are alarming as to how either Rogue or Avon himself comports himself with the opposite sex.

The science again is laughable with solar winds which can guide a craft through space and other gems of the author's imagination. No wonder both fans and fellow actors alike have come to call the title Avon: A Terrible Novel. With bad 'fan fiction' like this who would want to read more from Paul Darrow? As I've always maintained, Paul Darrow is a good actor, but I would not go as far as to say he's a good author. I've always called him a well-known fan fiction writer of dubious repute and I stand by that.

[Sean Randall · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Avon, onscreen and on the radio. Darrow's got a superb, unforgettable voice and the man himself is entertaining and intelligent. Sadly, this novel lacks some of that Humanity: it's a pool of filth, self-serving betrayal, cliches and errant exclamation marks without, as far as I can really ascertain, any remotely redeeming qualities at all. I've wanted to read it since I first saw Blake's 7, which of course was long after it was last in production. But I think if it is supposed to show much of a rationale for Avon's onscrene antics it does so by poking through his psyche and backstory in a most brutal and crindgeworthy fashion.

[EV · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel serves the purpose of fleshing out Avon's back story. It is written by the man who made Avon the icon he is and it had the blessing of the series creator Terry Nation. A lot of people seem to be mistakenly judging it as though it was written as a piece of contemporary fiction! It is clearly meant to be a genre piece and as Paul is an actor he probably also wrote it with a hope that it may be filmed in some capacity. I therefore cannot understand those who, as I say, criticise it as though it was meant to be literary fiction. Have these people never heard of genre fiction?
The book is fast paced and visual and fleshes out Avon's backstory, something that nobody else had even attempted to do before. I wish that Paul had narrated it as he really brings his other works to life with his wonderful voice.
Finally, the fact that Nation, who was very protective of his ideas, gave the book his blessing is good enough for me. The little ankle biters and armchair critics can toddle off!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Blake’s 7 series and this book about Avon written by the actor who portrayed him gives a lot of insight not just to his character’s behavior but of all of them as they interact with the circumstances that befall them. There’s also insight into his adopted brother Del Grant who’s instrumental in the events that occur.

It begins with the story of Avon’s father Rogue Avon and his complicated, dangerous journey from Phax’s city where Avon was conceived, through Gamma 15 and the Clouds of Magellan, then finally to Earth to die.

Then it is Kerr Avon’s turn to follow in his father’s footsteps. With his mother’s guidance, they lead along as different path of vengeance and betrayal. Meanwhile the various Federation powers are fighting amongst themselves and are about to implode.

Fave scenes: Rogue’s battle with Gilpin, the Guardian, Reiss’s visit to the Guardian and Avon meeting with Starets.

[Frank Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well. Well, well. A Terrible Aspect indeed. There was some good series background in this but there's heaps of Terrible in it too. There's a line about being thankful they aren't ruled by "weak homosexuals" and women get a completely disrespectful treatment.

I don't think it's a story in the spirit of the show to be honest. There are some really great moments and some terrific Avon lines but it's often overshadowed by a cringey sex infused plot. It's clearly supposed to capture the harshness of Avon's life before the Liberator but this could have been achieved with more tact.

Two stars from me.

I'm a big fan of Darrow as Avon and that hasn't changed but new readers should beware that reading how Darrow writes does give a poor impression of the man.

[David A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. You need to have seen BLAKE'S 7 or else it will be meaningless, but if you have :) it's good.

[Jill Rooney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a lot to do with Avon, but a lot to do with Paul Darrow's inner psyche. Don't misunderstand me, I adored the man, and Avon is my no 1 !

[Debra Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its slow but explains who avon is and how he can do what he does.

[Caroline Mersey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having gone to the trouble of tracking down a copy of this novel, I thought I'd better read it! The best way I can describe it is as if Ian Fleming had written a pulp Western set in space.

This is not a novel without flaws: the plotting is spotty (particularly in the first half), the characterisation is shallow, the portrayal of women is problematic and the choice of style tends to drive, rather than reflect the story. But what is interesting about this novel is not any of these things, it is the insight it gives into how Paul sees the background and motivations of a character he played and in part helped to create.

It's written with an actor's sensibility - all good lines and grand, cinematic entrances. And Paul's voice comes through extremely strongly in the text. It's impossible not to read it in his voice and you can almost imagine he wrote it with narrating the audio book version in mind. The narrative sections are precise and punchy, with language carefully chosen for its staccato rhythm.

The version of the Federation and Avon's back story that Paul presents is an interesting one. It lacks the poise and polish we came to expect from the series, but I suspect that was deliberately chosen to reflect the style of story. The grit and violence in the novel (and the frequent sex scenes) is something that was always missing from the rather polite series, but it is more in keeping with the later Avon than the one we meet in Space Fall.

The portrayal of Anna Grant is an interesting and canny one. Making her ultimately a figure of pity fits neatly with her problematic place in fandom, though this Anna still fails to convince as a woman who could capture Avon's heart. A more nuanced portrayal would have offered more, but I'm still not sure the fandom is entirely ready for that.

The novel's other weakness is its narrow focus on one thread of the backstory alone. Despite Paul's efforts to explain and tie in points of detail (the 'brother' who refers to Avon by his surname, the relationships with Del and Anna Grant and Tynus, the mysterious piece of paper in Avon's pocket on the London) it still feels odd that the first references to the nascent uprising of The Way Back and the Federation fears about Blake's return are only mentioned right at the end.

All in all this is a fast-paced read that provides one version of Avon's back story and some interesting insights into the mind of the author.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a great scene in Extras where the Ricky Gervais character meets Patrick Stewart, and it turns out that Stewart— known for the depth and intensity of his portrayals of profoundly insightful genius-level intelligences— is obsessed with fantasies of telepathically undressing unwilling women.

Blake's 7 was Star Trek through a lens darkly. The character of Kerr Avon was never meant to possess the empathy, the spirit of philosophical inquiry, or the moral core of a Kirk or a Picard; Avon's a rogue, an opportunist, a hacker. But Paul Darrow's performance in the role had a depth that underpinned the successes of the show. He could be acerbic and sarcastic in a way that suggested he was something frightened just below the surface, so that the deepening sense of fellowship that existed between him and his fellow rebels carried a powerful emotional weight. In his pivotal scenes, he seemed to grow honestly and believably from something like a sociopath to something not far from a hero. Much moreso than the stodgy Blake, Avon was the densely-dynamic centerpiece to a sprawling epic.

And this book reads very much like it was written by an adolescent. It's Ian Fleming with laser rifles. Avon (and his father before him) are constantly striking dramatic poses, sleeping with beautiful women, effortlessly saying cool stuff. It's great widescreen fun. But it's also kind of the literary equivalent of that Patrick Stewart guest appearance.

[Lucy Takeda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat interesting history of the character , Avon. However, the background is quite predictable. I also wish the father was referred to as Rogue rather than Avon, since my image of Avon is Kerr.

[Dave Lefevre · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan to the Blakes 7 universe and know a bit about it then you might find this book interesting. However it's for fans only. Darrow creates an interesting back story for Avon and emulates the bantering style of dialogue Blakes 7 was known for fairly well. He also inserts some of the grit and the sex he probably would have liked to see in the actual televised series. But, again, there is nothing here for the non-Blakes 7 fan.

[bluetyson]

isbn,original