Book Review: G.I. JOE: FALL OF MANN by Ernie Lindsey

Until this week, I had never read a piece of fan fiction. Ever.

So when author Ernie Lindsey sent a note out asking for volunteer reviewers for his latest fanfic novella G.I. Joe: Fall of Mann, I decided it was high time to take the plunge.

A quick search on Wikipedia tells me that G.I. Joe has been a Hasbro staple since 1962, but the Joes I remember are the ones from the 1980’s. You know, the G.I. Joe team and their ongoing fight against Cobra Command to save the Free World.

In this installment of the Joe adventures, Lindsey starts off the action with a bang—literally, someone gets blown up on the first page. We soon learn that the assassinated man was none other than Dr. Herbert Mann, theoretical physicist, famous botanist and Alzheimer’s researcher. In his spare time, Dr. Mann had developed a deadly long-range weapon, called the MannPower Device, that could be targeted at any city in the world. Ever suspicious, Dr. Mann keyed the activation of his device to his DNA. No Dr. Mann, no weapon.

But wait! Dr. Mann has a sister and the eggheads believe they can fake out the MannPower Device with his sister’s DNA… But only if the Joes get to her before Cobra Command.

What can I say? It’s good, clean, red-blooded American fun. Snappy action, tight plotting and all the authentic details of the G.I. Joe experience make this a great read. Lindsey maintains the vibe of the cartoon series without making it seem corny. Highly recommended for those of us of a certain <ahem> vintage who harbor fond memories of Saturday morning cartoons and want a short, retro read.

Well done, Mr. Lindsey, or as the Joes say: “Yo, Joe!”

David Bruns is a speculative fiction writer from Minnesota.  His latest novel, IRRADIANCE, the first book in The Dream Guild Chronicles, is available on Amazon.

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