In our continuing coverage of TERMINATOR:SALVATION opening May 21st, TERMINATOR:2018 reviews the official movie prequel novel TERMINATOR SALVATION: FROM THE ASHES by noted and Hugo Award-winning science fiction author Timothy Zahn.
Typical of Zahn's movie universe tie-in novels, as previously demonstrated in his popular expansion of the STAR WARS universe with his Thrawn trilogy, the involving narrative of FROM THE ASHES speeds along like one of Skynet's new MotoTerminator cycles. Blending a mix of shallow and deeper character insights with a tactical plot about the rise of John Connor's importance in the human Resistance movement, the novel entertainingly sets up the action of this summer's highly anticipated feature film by Warner Brothers and director McG.
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The main story follows parallel action between two camps: John and Kate Connor's Resistance team fighting off Skynet's attacks on humanity, and a pocket of semi-isolated human survivors sheltering in the ruins of a Los Angeles tower. US Marine Sergeant Justo Orozco is the narrative's focus on the survivor side of the plot as he attempts to keep a dwindling number of civilians safe from obliteration by roving Terminator forces.
Veteran pilot Blair Williams and battle-hardened Resistance fighter Barnes serve under John Connor's command, keeping flying Hunter-Killers and the rubber-skinned T-600 Terminators at bay. Yet it's the teenage Kyle Reese and his tiny compatriot Star, a nine year old girl traumatized into silence by the war, who most represent hope for the future under the tutelage of Orozco.
But the struggles of life after Judgment Day are not limited to the mechanical foes manufactured by Skynet. Orozco's efforts to safeguard the survivors living in the 'Mouldering Lost Ashes' tower are hampered by Grimaldi, a CEO before the nuclear war who took over as the civilian leader but his corporate skills don't translate successfully to military situations.
Under Grimaldi's regime, Orozco and Kyle have seen the survivor community slowly dwindle through attrition as Skynet builds up its armies. Yet Grimaldi feels vindicated that the Lost Ashes population has remained in their tower hideout long enough to bear out his promise of isolationist safety. But that illusion is about to vanish as Connor discovers that Skynet plans to build a new Terminator staging area right in the neighborhood which will shift the balance of power and threaten human survival in LA.
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The battle action and character confrontations that follow are streamlined in scale, as the story remains confined to this key section of crumbling Los Angeles with references to a few Southern California locations. This is quite expected in the work of Zahn, who tends to follow his main characters through a series of events while expanding details about the environment only as far as the plot demands it. The resulting effect is a concentration of action among a small cast of personalities who act and react to opportunities and crises as they arise, which keeps the narrative's momentum ever rolling forward at a steady pace if somewhat limited the scope of the future war being raged across the US and the globe. Akin to a race horse, keeping on the blinkers narrows focus in storytelling but also keeps the tale sprinting ahead at fast pace which makes for a very quick read.
Zahn captures Connor's ground war tactics and Blair's aerial dogfighting strategy well, presenting numerous battle assaults, ambushes and traps with an imaginative simplicity that engages the mind's eye effectively. Though the limited scope of the novel may not fully exploit the cinematic potential of this story — as director McG has ably exploited in the excellent theatrical trailers for TERMINATOR:SALVATION so far — the action sequences make for exciting reads. As Blair and fellow pilot Yoshi dart and weave through the fractured skyline of LA, trading blazing rounds of ammunition, Zahn raises the stakes as Skynet learns the pilots' tactics, making each dogfight harder than the last. Similarly the turf war fought by Connor, Barnes and their compatriots evoke suspenseful moments of close quarters ground warfare, including one hair-raising gauntlet run by Kyle and Star.
Zahn sketches in the characters of John Connor, Kate, Blair, Barnes and Kyle quite effectively for a tie-in prequel novel, setting up this summer blockbusters cast for audiences and offering a tactile taste of what it takes to survive in their apocalyptic world. TERMINATOR SALVATION: FROM THE ASHES certainly whets readers' appetites for this unprecedented view of the franchise future, teeming with rubber-skinned T-600 Terminators and hovering Hunter-Killers prowling the skies above the shattered landscape of humanity. If you read this novel, you will be part of the resistance.
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