Here are reviews, essentially, for each story, including a note on whether I would include them in my headcanon timeline of a combined Alien/Predator Universe — feel free to overlook that part of each title.
Overall thoughts for this anthology are at the end of this list.
The Titans:
A good opener, raising questions of fate and revenge — particularly, in the latter, whether revenge truly offers peace. Well-written, with a very small cast that we're quickly endeared with. A semi-predictable yet also not ending.
Canonicity verdict: Future-based, but characters seem particularly aware of Predators. References "marines' Spaceborne contingent". Rename this to "Colonial Marines" and it feels like a post-Aliens entry, in a time when Xenomorphs and Yautja have been encountered several times. Canon, with that Colonial Marines caveat.
The Distance In Their Eyes:
What does a Yautja do when a hunt doesn't go as planned? When it's ... disappointing? This story explores that question well, whilst also delivering some creepiness through the creature he hunts. There's a strong, unsettling quality to this story. I think my main problem with it is that it's so short. I would have liked more.
Canonicity verdict: There's no human factor in this one, and the Yautja characterisation feels consistent with wider lore, so I'll consider this one canon. Where in the timeline, though ... no clue. Could go anywhere.
Aftermath:
Well-written story that captured the characterisation of Dutch and the obsession that would surely follow an experience such as his. Some insight into the Yautja without destroying the mystery or alienness. Good action, good interactions between characters.
Canonicity verdict: Set in 1987, after the events of Predator. I appreciated how it didn't put any Yautja bodies or tech into human hands, and it felt consistent with the lore established by Hunting Grounds. I think this is another that fits comfortably into my canon.
Proving Ground:
A good, insightful story, although I didn't get along with the writing style. It was very "Tell", and very "stop/start", if that makes sense. Still, the set-up was good, offering insight into Yautja customs, and the dialogue was well-written without feeling too human. Despite not liking the writing style so much, I still wanted a bit more of it — some more description in places, maybe. In some ways it read like a screenplay.
Canonicity verdict: For starters, this one references the "Hard Meat", the Xenomorph, so that makes it easier to include. On top of that, nothing particularly contradicts canon. The timeframe isn't clear; something about it made me think it was set before the original Predator, and it being the origin of the "demonios" stories the squad's captive talks about.
Lion of the Himalayas:
Well-written overall, although repetitive in places. A decent story about grief, as well as going out on one's own terms. The portrayal of the Yautja felt accurate, though it played a small part. I liked the principle of it being a kind of legend — a boogeyman. That's how I like the Yautja to be depicted on Earth.
Canonicity verdict: Nothing about this strikes me as contradictory to wider Alien/Predator lore. Set ~2009 (Burj Khalifa recently built)
The Fix is In:
I remember enjoying the story this serves as a sequel to, and I enjoyed this one too, though it's much slower paced and involves the Predator far less. I was invested, though, and eager to see how it all worked out ... only for there to be a bit of a cliffhanger. Not a bad thing, it was all very good, and I expect there'll be a third Predator anthology in the near future (hopefully) where this little series will be wrapped up.
Canonicity verdict: A sequel to Gameworld in the "If It Bleeds" anthology. I labelled that story non-canon, so this must be non-canon, too.
Bitter Hunt:
A good story from a plot perspective — a mother Yautja forced to hunt her "spawn" and his friends after they broke the laws of their kind. I enjoyed the insight into the culture and how the hunt played out. The introspection was enjoyable. Unfortunately I struggled with the writing style; it felt very stilted and a bit repetitive at times. Monotonous, perhaps.
Canonicity verdict: Focuses entirely on the Yautja and the depiction of their culture felt consistent with other canon media, so this is canon, too. Where it fits into canon, however, I can't be so sure. Could be anywhere in the timeline.
Field Trip:
This is probably one of my favourites so far, as it was well-written and had a really good story to it. I am noticing a theme of stories involving Unblooded Yautja who disrespect their honour code, but that's fine. The main point of enjoyment to this was the apparent bond between a pregnant human and a pregnant Yautja, and some commentary in the vein of "we're not so different", which links to the Yautja being a reflection of human brutality. The war reenactment aspect also reflected that.
Canonicity verdict: Set in the 2020s. I was a little worried it was going to end with Yautja corpses in human hands, but this was avoided. The depiction of the Yautja felt consistent with wider lore (although a shame about the hotblooded younglings breaking their own laws), so I think this is safe to keep canon.
Cannon Fodder:
Setting a story so far into the future is a good way to avoid being held to the lore of the setting. It offers an opportunity to make your own rules, your own world, and stick the Yautja into that. I think I enjoyed the story overall, though at times it seemed to drag a little. There was a bit of intrigue, and a theme of redemption and/or moving beyond others' expectations.
Canonicity verdict: Set in 2422. There's nothing particularly contradictory about it, which I suppose comes from its very far future setting. It doesn't seem to use any established lore, aside from the foundations of Yautja culture. That being said, it may not fit perfectly well with other far future entries, but I think I'll consider it Loose Canon.
Little Miss Nightmare:
Very well-written story and possibly my new favourite (so far). The plot was engaging, especially with a Yautja interested in removing a human she considered an Aberration to our species — essentially, wanting to kill one of our "Bad Bloods". It had some really good social commentary weaved in too, told from multiple perspectives, and I really enjoyed how we got Yautja insight into our actions etc. without her feeling too human. I wasn't 100% convinced by the Yautja understanding the internet and our language, but then the story points to her being a bit of an outlier herself, more curious about the species they hunt. Anyway, very good, very much enjoyed.
Canonicity verdict: Callback to "The Predator" (2018). The way it's described in this book is a decent explanation for the out of character writing in the movie and helps to somewhat events, but I'd still prefer to keep TP non-canon and ignore everything it did. Other than that, everything felt consistent with lore, but I think it will have to be Loose Canon for that aspect. Timeline-wise, it's unclear. Decades after 9/11 is the main clue, so I'm thinking the 2030s — no reference to colonisation, so not much later than that.
The Trophy:
Another well-written story, I liked the dynamic and the action was crafted well. Good description, fun plot. It felt like another story of someone putting the Yautja into their own sci-fi world, which isn't bad from a storytelling perspective, but doesn't work so well with canon.
Canonicity verdict: Going to go non-canon with this one, as the universe felt very separate from Alien and Predator.
The Monster:
A fun take on the slasher genre, in some ways, using the Yautja well. The writing style was easy to read, too, with good flow, and there was even a little bit of character work, I thought. Not sure quite how I feel about the ending, though.
Canonicity verdict: Probably canon, although there's an implication at the end of a Yautja skull (and ship) potentially ending up in human hands, which I'm not so fond of. I guess canon on the assumption that by the time anything can be done about it, other Yautja have already taken the ship away. Set sometime around the modern day — we'll say 2022, which is publishing date.
Sly Dark in the Daylight:
I enjoyed this one. It delivered several POVs, offering a cinematic quality to the storytelling. It was another one that went down the "young Yautja rebelling against Yautja ways" route, but it handled it well.
Canonicity verdict: Set sometime around the modern day — one character is in her 70s and it talks about her being a nurse in Vietnam. The very public nature of the story raises questions, but I feel like it's the kind of thing that would be covered up or disbelieved, so I can accept it as canon.
Dead Man's Switch:
I struggled a little with the writing style of this, and found the corporate notes sections interrupted the flow — I did enjoy those bits, though. They were entertaining, at least. The story also felt a little ... "meh", I suppose. I struggled to keep up with the characters at first and didn't really connect with them once I knew who I was following. An interesting premise, though.
Canonicity verdict: Not sure how I feel about a company having a protocol in place for dealing with Yautja. It's that feeling of "humans know too much about them", but maybe that makes sense for post-Alien³, post-AvP: Prey stories, which is probably where I'd set it. Maybe a "loose canon" story for the protagonist being so in-the-know about the Yautja.
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That's the last of it. Overall, I enjoyed this anthology and it was nice to feel like most fit into my headcanon for the Alien & Predator Universe. They were well laid out, as it didn't feel like two particularly long stories were ever subsequent; there was something shorter to break things up. Some of them got a little repetitive, with the theme of disrespectful youths, but that's fine.
I'm not sure I'm really enjoyed the stories being forced into the present or future; I like stories that expand upon the idea of Yautja recurring throughout history and perhaps being the root of many myths and legends, but these stories are all good.
Beyond that, it was nice to get further insight into Yautja lore, and for the females to get some time in the limelight, even if their portrayal was a little inconsistent between stories — it's clear that lore around females needs to be more firmly established in canon, as questions around their roles, size, etc. remain.
All told, though, I would gladly recommend this anthology to any Predator fan, alongside its predecessor, "If It Bleeds", and I may even return to some of these stories in future.