by Matthew Wilson
The X-Files: Whirlwind, is book two in the X-Files expanded material. Whirlwind was written by Charles Grant and published in April 1995.
SUMMARY
Out in the desert of New Mexico, bodies of cattle and humans have been found dead. Mystery surrounds these gruesome deaths as they appear unnatural. Mulder and Scully head out to a small town and Native-American reservation to investigate these strange mutilations.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Charles Grant did a fine job with detailing some aspects of the story. I feel that the descriptions in the quiet moments were far more detailed than the action that took place. I found some of the story a little difficult to grasp. There was a lot of jumping between characters, none of which were distinctive or memorable.
The plot of this X-Files book was also a tad boring. The climax of the story wasn’t exciting either. I have a hard time getting hyped up with any worry for our lead characters – Mulder and Scully. It’s obvious these two won’t be at risk of dying off in the books. If the author was able to get us attached to a new solid lead character that wasn’t one of the two FBI agents, and the threat of life or death was upon that character… it would most likely be far more entertaining.
Do I recommend you read The X-Files: Whirlwind? No. The book just didn’t satisfy.
RATING
I give this book a D.
by Matthew Wilson
X-Files: Goblins, is book one the X-Files expanded material. The X-Files was a show that first aired in the 90s and up through the 2000s. Goblins was written by Charles Grant and published in 1994 by Harper Collins.
SUMMARY
FBI agents Mulder & Scully are assigned to the X-Files (the odd cases that lean toward the unexplained or supernatural). In this tale, a few murders take place in a small town. Mulder and Scully are assigned to the case along with two other agents. The murders had some similarities, specifically, the murderer was “invisible.”
The FBI agents visit the small town and come to the conclusion that what they are possibly dealing with, is a science project gone wrong. A goblin is running through the town… taking it’s victims in the dark. Mulder is quick to accept the theory of the goblin, but he and the FBI agents refer to the killer as a chameleon.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
First, I’ll cover the positive. Charles Grant does an excellent job setting the atmosphere. I’ve always associated The X-Files with a dreary overcast sky and a cool breeze in the air. I believe the characters are true to who they are on screen. As of now, I’ve only seen the first season and really enjoyed it.
A lot of the story is fleshed out well, but some bits and pieces are confusing. We jump between different characters and locations without a lot of context as to what’s happening. I thought I was missing something somewhere, but it’s just the style of the author for this story.
Fans of the show may appreciate this book, but I must warn you, it’s not rated PG. I was seriously shocked by the amount of foul language used in this book. One would think, as a television tie-in, the novel would reflect more of the show’s tone. However, that’s not the case for X-Files: Goblins. It’s not overly sexual, but the language used was a major disappointment for me.
Do I recommend you read this book? If you’re a big fan of The X-Files, you might like it, but if you have no interest in the 90s television series, don’t waste your time.
RATING
The X-Files: Goblins receives a C,
