Energy Failure

Andrew Collins. Alien Energy. ABC Books, 1994.

Andy Collins's questing books are a swashbuckling mixture of occult derring-do set in the suburban wastelands of east London Essex - a kind of Dennis Wheatley meets EastEnders. Even if you think they are a load of absolute balls, you still want to read them through just to see how outrageous he can get. They are written with a sort of raw energy. How different then Alien Energies, for here Andy leaves the sword and sorcery world of questing and plunges into the dear, dead world of crop-circles. I suppose if anyone was going to make this rapidly stiffening cadaver lumber to life again it might be Andy, but it was not to be.

Quote from the book: "The presence of this pre-atomic energy continuum, or matrix, is responsible for the many strange effects often reported in connection with ancient or sacred sites and Reich's orgone energy accumulator. Such energetic states provide a perfect garden, or gateway, in which trans-dimensional intelligences can penetrate space-time and catalyse pseudo-interactive confrontations ... "

Oh dear, Andy. Get back down to public bar at The Griffin, start talking to the mysterious stranger in the big hat, get a few lagers in, and a packet of Benson and Hedges. Let's have The Black Alchemist III: He's back, he's mean and it's his round. And leave stuff like Alien Quest to those people who are much better qualified than you at writing tedious, boring pseudo-science. -- John Rimmer. From Magonia 51, February 1995.