by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)
It is time to jump back to the Robotech novels in my 2012 Robotech 'experience'. I read Chapters 0-2 back in January then moved away to continue all the 'pre crash on Earth' storyline. Now we are back up to date and start out with Chapter 3 on launch day of the SDF-1.
Like I said before, the Robotech novels took a 'realsitic' approach to the cartoon. James Luceno and Brian Daley took their combined experience (in Daley's previous writings and Luceno's real world Vietnam experience) and attempted to put Robotech into the 'real world'. This was quite the task since there is a lot of very unrealistic action in the cartoon. Luckily the concept of Protoculture (the mysterious fuel behind Robotechnology) provides an easy 'out' in explaining away many situations. You are going to read alot of that coming from me so be prepared for the gripes.
I do appreciate their efforts. I'm glad this isn't just a straight 'port' from the show. I'm glad they did their best to fit what happens into real physics (as close as they can). They only use the 'unknown element' when they can't explain away the biggest plot holes and anti-physics.
I remember reading this book back in the early nineties in the midst of my discovery of Robotech and being so impressed with how closely it followed the show and then being someone disturbed when the writers varied off of the shows dialogue. Infact, when rereading this now I still know exactly which lines are on the show and which were added by the writers.
Robotech Genesis chapter 3 on starts out with the launch day activities of the crew of the SDF-1 and Rick Hunter as he shows up for the ceremony. The book follows the show VERY closely. This includes the dialogue but the writers also give us slight alterations and additions but only when they are really needed. The first episode of the series is really played out and takes up chapters 3 - 11 (the majority of the first book). Daley and Luceno really needed to do their best in setting up the series of books and taking shortcuts wouldn't do for this pivotal part of the tale.
In several instances during these chapters that involve the first episode there are issues that arise from real life versus cartoon physics. When Rick brings Minmei into the cockpit of the Veritech he is flying the book explains away the ability of Rick, doing a free fall in a jet and being able to open the cockpit canopy and not have it ripped off as a strange ability of Robotechnology. When Macross Island is taken into deep space the ocean that is taken with it freezes over (as one might think it would happen). I guess water was boil away in the vacuum of space so the writers once again rely on the strange trappings of Robotechnology to explain it away. Before Rick is let in on the fuel known as Protoculture the writers continually refer to the somewhat mystical and unexplainable substance that can do these incredible things as Robotechnology.
The witers also deal with the strangeness that is Japanese storytelling through usage of character thought and backstory. On the bridge of the SDF-1 the behaviour of all involved is rather odd and informal for being a military command. The writers use Captian Gloval's, Lisa's and Claudia's thoughts and reflections to explain away the bridge crews sometimes unmilitaristic nature.
I know all this is nitpicking but as I have said time and again, I am going to do it because it is fun... so deal with it!
The additions to the original material I noticed in this first chunk of book (not including the first 3 chapters) are the inclusion of Rick's examination of the Veritech's helmet which helps explain the human-interface with the mecha which were never explained in the original animation. In the show they are just robots, they never had that complex explanation of how these machines could move so human-like and do things so human-like. The little additions to the books about the ability of Protoculture to make men and machines interact so seamlessly was added later and is a great device and gave it all more depth. The explanation behind soda machine that follows Jason around trying to sell that damn Petite Cola was added to as well. Roy explains that the alien technology effects all electrical systems and does 'strange things' to normal items (like the soda machine).
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