Genre: Sci-Fi
Publishing Info: BBC Books (2007)
Pages: 250
Back Cover Summary:
When Torchwood track an energy surge to a Cardiff nightclub, the team finds the police are already at the scene. Five teenagers have died in a fight, and lying among the bodies is an extraterrestrial device. Next morning, they discover the corpse of a Weevil, its face and neck eaten away, seemingly by human teeth. And on the streets of Cardiff, an ordinary woman with an extraordinary hunger is attacking people and eating her victims.
The job of a lifetime it might be, but working for Torchwood is putting big strains on Gwen’s relationship with Rhys. While she decides to spice up their love life with the help of alien technology, Rhys decides it’s time to sort himself out – better music, healthier food, lose some weight. Luckily, a friend has mentioned Doctor Scotus’s weight-loss clinic…
Slow Decay is the third of three books released alongside Series 1 of the BBC science-fiction TV show Torchwood. In comparison to the previous two, this feels most like an extended TV episode, especially from that first series. The show was a much grittier and adult exploration of the Doctor Who universe than the main show. As well as having gruesome and adult imagery, it explored the normally disastrous combination of the alien with the human. This book emulates the show on both of these fronts. By far the most visceral of the three books, body horror is prominent. Cannibalized corpses, gross-out eating sequences and alien tapeworms will make readers squirm. The book’s seedy urban settings, such as a dirty apartment or an abandoned dockside warehouse, feel suitably grim. The plot of a weight-loss clinic using alien technology, with horrific consequences, feels very Torchwood. In a shortened form, this would be an episode from that first series, which the author deserves credit for. It also has a cool yet disturbing front cover image that pin points the tone of the book perfectly.
The Torchwood team are pitched well, to the point where they feel plucked straight from Series 1. Gwen’s tumultuous relationship with Rhys feels like the same miserable experience viewers were tormented with. Rhys inadvertently is embroiled in the narrative when he visits the weight-loss clinic to improve his relationship. The complexities of Gwen’s double life are deeply inspected here, as are the consequences of keeping secrets. Though stakes are lower given we know Rhys will survive the story, it’s good to see him more involved. It also positions Gwen as the audience surrogate, keeping with her role from the TV show. Tosh feels very natural in this book as well. She leads the secondary plot, based around a collection of alien technology that enhances emotions. Seeing this controlled character become susceptible to these heightened emotions was unnerving. Finally, Owen forms a connection with one of the female victims of the treatment. Though this is the second book this happens in, after Another Life, I like this angle for Owen. Appropriately, given the premise is around the human desire of weight loss, the characters are at the forefront.
I would also describe this as the easiest of the three Torchwood series companion novels to get through. It had a clear focus on the primary narrative, with the only secondary narrative being the technology that amplified emotions. Even the latter played a role in the climax. With each distinct thread, I can see where they tie into the main plot. I found myself leaving this book for a few days. When I returned to it, I almost instantly remembered where I was in the plot and who was where. If I had a small critique, it is that I don’t think the ending quite worked. The very last couple of pages were excellent, ending this dark book on a more heart-warming note. But, just before that, we jump forward in time to well after the aftermath of the climax. Considering how intense the previous chapter was, I’d have rather seen the immediate follow-up. Otherwise, this is a tightly formed and well paced book.
If there was an unmade 14th episode of Series 1 of Torchwood, then Andy Lane’s Slow Decay would be it. Gritty, disturbing, and successfully capturing the show’s point of view, I’d recommend this to any fans of the show.
Star Rating: 4/5
+ Plot works well against backdrop of Series 1 of the TV show
+ Torchwood team are pitched well and given things to do
+ Easy to read due to sustained focus on primary narrative
Thank you for taking the time to read my review of Slow Decay by Andy Lane. If you enjoyed reading this, please do leave a like on this post.
Please find below a link to the novel’s Goodreads page:
Slow Decay (Torchwood, #3) by Andy Lane | Goodreads
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