Adapted by Mike Jahn / From the Television Screenplay by Kenneth Johnson
SUMMARY:
Released in 1976 by MCA Publishing through Berkley Medallion Books (and Scholastic Book Services), this 154-page paperback tie-in faithfully adapts a two-part third season episode from 1975-76. In California’s Salmon-Trinity Alps Wilderness, Col. Steve Austin and his OSI boss, Oscar Goldman, investigate the peculiar disappearance of two married geologists (Ivan & Marlene Beckey) they have accompanied on a routine survey of the Trinity Fault. Goldman and scientist Tom Raintree desperately coordinate efforts to help find the Beckeys. Austin’s own search puts him into a bizarre showdown with a massive beast known as the mythical Bigfoot (portrayed on-screen by André the Giant).
Taken captive, an injured Austin discovers that Bigfoot’s hidden masters are members of an advanced alien civilization. With a scheduled nuclear detonation on the Trinity Fault set to alleviate any near-future San Andreas Fault earthquakes, Goldman concludes that his missing bionic friend must have been killed in action. Meanwhile, Austin runs a fateful race against time to save the aliens (and, not to mention, himself) from instant death by the imminent detonation. Against these impossible odds, the “Six Million Dollar Man” must rely on his most unlikely ally ever.
REVIEW:
Impressively, this enjoyable adaptation isn’t nearly as cheesy as the two-part TV episode entitled “The Secret of Bigfoot.” In that sense, a reader’s imagination works better conveying Austin’s first alien encounter. As padding, writer Mike Jahn nicely incorporates Steve Austin’s origin into the novel’s front end for those readers unfamiliar with the TV series. Another asset is the well-described sequences of Austin using his bionics, including an inevitable brawl with Bigfoot (memorably portrayed by André the Giant). Perhaps best is that Jahn does solid work expressing Austin and Oscar Goldman’s distinctive personalities during this unusual crisis. As a sci-fi fantasy adventure, this paperback proves a solid read for pre-teens.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
None.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
