By Leo
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 9781849181501
The Worlds of Aldebaran books explore the difficulties we might encounter when we reach the point to be able to colonise distant planets. This isn't a series about intergalactic space battles or the struggle between good and evil but is rather about human endurance and survival in the face of the unknown.
For me, it's a beautifully crafted set of worlds populated by odd and often dangerous native creatures that we are ill-prepared to deal with. The scale, the detail and the difficulties they present remind me of the way Ray Harryhausen would present his fantastical beasts, by which I mean Leo gives you the opportunity to be fascinated by them and wonder what course of evolution could create such an animal. And there's plenty of weird and wonderful creatures on offer in this volume.
Following the crash, Kim, her daughter, and the other survivors are stranded on the far side of the new and mysterious planet and are now attempting the long and difficult trek back to base camp using a large truck-like vehicle. The journey promises to be months, and supplies are slow, they have injured on board, and it's cramped. However, by following the beach they're not having to contend with the dense and dangerous rainforest.
They soon come across an enormous tree-like structure poking up through the sand, but instead of a dense head of foliage at its top there appears to be an enormous translucent egg with a giant reptilian embryo inside. It's a curious sight and warrants a look, but this only ends with an antagonised parent almost ending their journey right there. The jolt their vehicle takes in the escape means they need to stop again shortly afterwards, which they use as an opportunity to tend to the wounded and search for food, neither of which go to plan, but do reveal some secrets about the stowaways.
Amongst all the worries, personal anxieties rear their heads too, with Kim's relationship with Mark threatened, first by the attention paid to Kim by the doctor, and later by Mai Lan's forwardness with Mark. This aspect of the story, amongst all their other trials and tribulations, is handled well and reminds you of the humans fragile state and emotional needs under such pressure.
Eventually Kim takes two of the others up a river to seek out food only to discover a strange pink foliage eating away at the jungle and yet more bizarre creatures (including one fabulous skeleton), but it's what happens on her return that really shakes up the entire party.
There's very little out there that comes close to touching Leo's work for it's imagination and execution. It's a shame that the detail and thought that goes into it almost means the books don't come out as often as you'd hope, but perhaps if they were created faster they'd lose some of their splendour. This is a completely original series and, for my money, one of the reads out there today.
And if you liked that: Episode 4 is on the horizon
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