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Dark Future
Dark Future: Krokodil Tears
Krokodil is an arch assassin who is also possessed by a demon. Many people want her dead because she interferes with corporate plans. So much so that the powers that be feel the need to send three hit men to hunt her down -- one of which is another demon. What's a girl and demon host supposed to do to earn a living? Krokodil Tears is a novel by Jack Yeovil, published by Games Workshop in 1990. Though published second and numbered third, Krokodil Tears is the second novel in the Demon Download Cycle's internal chronology.
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First published January 1, 1990
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About the author
Jack Yeovil
21 books61 followers"Jack Yeovil" is a pseudonym used by author Kim Newman.
Newman's pseudonymous novels, as Jack Yeovil, play elegant games with genre cliche--perhaps the best of these is the sword-and-sorcery novel Drachenfels which takes the prescribed formulae of the games company to whose bible it was written and make them over entirely into a Kim Newman novel.
Newman's pseudonymous novels, as Jack Yeovil, play elegant games with genre cliche--perhaps the best of these is the sword-and-sorcery novel Drachenfels which takes the prescribed formulae of the games company to whose bible it was written and make them over entirely into a Kim Newman novel.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 19, 2018
This novel presents an alternate history version of Earth (originally on the cusp of the 21st Century, although newer printings move the date forward 20 years without adjusting the pop culture references...). It's pulpy, full of Easter eggs, and gloriously good fun.
The whole Dark Futures series was conceived as a miniatures car game in the vein of Mad Max, but with a splash of cyberpunk and Great Old Ones thrown in. When Jack Yeovil (actually NME film reviewer Kim Newman) was given the task of writing a quadrilogy of books about the world for Games Workshop (creators of Warhammer), he turned it into an ode to near-future science fiction, horror and pulp.
The book is bursting at the seams with references: Psycho, Poltergeist, Cthulhu, Looney Tunes. Other titles in the series see Elvis as a bodyguard and a ninja exorcist nun. Sadly, the fourth book was begun but never made it to publication (perhaps one day?).
Krokodil Tears follows Jessamyn, the host for an extra-dimensional entity gearing up for the inevitable Apocalypse. But her enemies, led by Elder Nguyen Seth, try to kill her before she can become the killing machine the prophecies predict. Seth, leading a parody Mormon church, is reminiscent of Kane from the Poltergeist series - a man in a wide-brimmed hat leading a demonic cult - and is a villain you actually like reading about.
The first assailant Seth sends is a Californian bounty hunter armed with the best technology money and a decaying future can offer. Next is Doctor Ottokar Proctor, AKA the Tasmanian Devil, who is an obvious parody of Hannibal Lecter via Taz, the Looney Tunes antihero. Her final opponent is the Jibbenainosay - a Lovecraftian beast named after a ghost in a racist fantasy novel that demonised the Native Americans - who goes up against the cyborg ex-ganger and the metaphysical beast within her.
With each battle, Krokodil becomes stronger - ironically making her better prepared for the promised, but never delivered, cosmic showdown in what would have been the fourth book.
What most drew me to this story as a child was the sense of transformation and self-discovery. Jessamyn, then Jazzbeaux, then Krokodil is an evolving and finally hybrid being. As a queer kid in the 90s and early 00s, I loved this. The book also fuses the very best of cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic 'Road Warrior' and Lovecraftian pulp fiction into an enjoyable but clever stab at franchise fiction.
Yeovil is a huge pop culture buff, and it's delightful going on this ride with him. The pace rattles along, electric with postmodern verve, with so much kickassitude Newman should ascend to become some kind of Outer God himself.
Just read it. You'll love it.
The whole Dark Futures series was conceived as a miniatures car game in the vein of Mad Max, but with a splash of cyberpunk and Great Old Ones thrown in. When Jack Yeovil (actually NME film reviewer Kim Newman) was given the task of writing a quadrilogy of books about the world for Games Workshop (creators of Warhammer), he turned it into an ode to near-future science fiction, horror and pulp.
The book is bursting at the seams with references: Psycho, Poltergeist, Cthulhu, Looney Tunes. Other titles in the series see Elvis as a bodyguard and a ninja exorcist nun. Sadly, the fourth book was begun but never made it to publication (perhaps one day?).
Krokodil Tears follows Jessamyn, the host for an extra-dimensional entity gearing up for the inevitable Apocalypse. But her enemies, led by Elder Nguyen Seth, try to kill her before she can become the killing machine the prophecies predict. Seth, leading a parody Mormon church, is reminiscent of Kane from the Poltergeist series - a man in a wide-brimmed hat leading a demonic cult - and is a villain you actually like reading about.
The first assailant Seth sends is a Californian bounty hunter armed with the best technology money and a decaying future can offer. Next is Doctor Ottokar Proctor, AKA the Tasmanian Devil, who is an obvious parody of Hannibal Lecter via Taz, the Looney Tunes antihero. Her final opponent is the Jibbenainosay - a Lovecraftian beast named after a ghost in a racist fantasy novel that demonised the Native Americans - who goes up against the cyborg ex-ganger and the metaphysical beast within her.
With each battle, Krokodil becomes stronger - ironically making her better prepared for the promised, but never delivered, cosmic showdown in what would have been the fourth book.
What most drew me to this story as a child was the sense of transformation and self-discovery. Jessamyn, then Jazzbeaux, then Krokodil is an evolving and finally hybrid being. As a queer kid in the 90s and early 00s, I loved this. The book also fuses the very best of cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic 'Road Warrior' and Lovecraftian pulp fiction into an enjoyable but clever stab at franchise fiction.
Yeovil is a huge pop culture buff, and it's delightful going on this ride with him. The pace rattles along, electric with postmodern verve, with so much kickassitude Newman should ascend to become some kind of Outer God himself.
Just read it. You'll love it.
August 8, 2011
First chapters were really funny for the genre. I learned after finishing it that Yeovil is Kim Newman who wrote one of the best alternate genre book I read Anno-Dracula. But is magic didn't work on me this time.
Yes, a lot a cameo of pop culture icons but it's the only thing that I like in the book. Probably because this caricatural post-apocalyptic world is not my genre.. The plot is a linear bloodbath... a teen girl gain suddenly cybernatic upgrades that made her a walking killing machine but that's not enough... see gain spiritual power to battle big demon from another world just like that. In fact Jessamyne is the less interesting character so a book with a poor main character isn't a good reading.
Not sure I will try another book in the Dark future serie but I still want to read Newman's book on an alternate Red Baron.
Yes, a lot a cameo of pop culture icons but it's the only thing that I like in the book. Probably because this caricatural post-apocalyptic world is not my genre.. The plot is a linear bloodbath... a teen girl gain suddenly cybernatic upgrades that made her a walking killing machine but that's not enough... see gain spiritual power to battle big demon from another world just like that. In fact Jessamyne is the less interesting character so a book with a poor main character isn't a good reading.
Not sure I will try another book in the Dark future serie but I still want to read Newman's book on an alternate Red Baron.
November 28, 2012
After reading "Comeback Tour" not knowing it was the third part of a story, it's cool to be able to see the background of the character Krokodil. It a bit better than "Demon Download" but not as good as the one I mentioned first. Too bad the final part never came out.
not-yet-read
April 20, 2013krokodil tears by jack yeovil
October 31, 2014
The transformation of Jeassamyn Bonney! From homicidal gang-girl to bionic spirit warrior fused to a cosmic monster! Damn, it's such a pity this series was never finished.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews