Babylon Rising, Chapter 70 and Afterword
THE LAST CHAPTER!!!!
Crow T. Robot: Wow, I am on the edge of my seat! I better scoot back a little…
Mike: Yeah, you’ve got a lot more room back there.
-MST3K
As I said two chapters ago, if this book made sense, Chapter 68 would be the last chapter, with the ending: “…the days ahead would present even greater challenges (than the death of a beloved spouse). With God’s help and protection, [Murphy] would be ready.”
Instead, we end with The Seven debriefing Talon, with Talon rather whinily and defensively pointing out that Murphy was lucky and had MARINES and besides, Mr. The Seven Person, you told me not to hurt him!
The Seven appear only mildly put out by the loss of the Brazen Serpent, which everyone (including RTC Murphy!) was convinced had eeeevil magical powers. But no, they don’t really seem to give a damn, and our final shot is of Talon, holding Laura’s root cross, and vowing vegeance upon the Murphster because…wait for it, it’s “personal” now.
Seriously, I’d give you more, but this chapter is barely one page long.
Afterword:
And we’re back with Tim LaHaye, who repeats his assertions from the “Message” at the beginning of the book about how much he loves it. Oh, and even though he had Dinallo for this book, and a different cowriter for the next ones in the series, he phrases everything in the first person singular:
I am having a great time creating this adventure, and I can’t wait for you to read the next book in the series. I’m in the middle of writing it now and I’m having even more exciting times working on the second book than I had on this first one, And that’s saying something.
Well, LaHaye may not be able to wait, but we will have to, because next we shall explore Jerry Jenkins’ dark dreams of Christian persecution, because in Soon, THE ATHEISTS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!
Coming…um, soon.
Posted on November 23, 2010, in Babylon Rising, Books. Bookmark the permalink. 12 Comments.
RubyTea
Oh god, Jerry Jenkins again? That book is going to be all phone porn. :O
Anyway, props to you for keepng up with absurd, bizarre, misogynistic,naked appeals to self-centeredness that embodies the character of Murphy in Babylon Rising. *thumbs up*
*awaits “Soon”… soon
*
Oh, Pius, the phone porn…you have no idea of the horror to come. It’s on a level you will not even believe…
But I shall not spoil it.
Oooh! Can’t wait!
If this book made any sense, it wouldn’t have been written by Tim LaHaye.
Although I shall miss Isis…alas, poor Isis, we knew her not well enough.
Congratulations on reaching the end with your sense of humor unscathed. You’ll need it for “Soon,” of which I read the first and last chapters once. We’ve always blamed LaHaye for the worst elements of “Left Behind” and “Babylon Rising,” but Jenkins on his own turns out to be a nasty piece of work.
“and besides, Mr. The Seven Person, you told me not to hurt him!”
Oh. Murphy as the unwitting tool of the Seven. “So what are you going to do to this Parchments of Freedom Foundation?” “We’re going to give it lots of money.”
From a literary analysis perspective, I guess Soon should let us see how Jenkins’ writing changes when he doesn’t have LaHaye restraining his wilder impulses…
Congratulations on completing ‘Babylon Rising!’ =) We will all miss Isis, and I think I can do without seeing her Stepfordized.
Regarding the Afterward: Wow. That’s pretty shameless of LaHaye. Even William Shatner didn’t up and say that ‘he’ wrote all of the Shatnerverse Trek books.
As for Talon, it looks like the Seven (They’ll Stop At Nothing!) may have a loose cannon on their hands.
I do have to give LaHaye props for one thing: He’s managed to be obnoxious and create loathsome characters in multiple genres, such that even accomplished writers can’t redeem his crap.
That being said, from what I’m hearing about Soon I’m a little wary. It sounds like a hyper-evangelical Overton Window.
Or an attempt to create a new The Turner Diaries.
Yes, I went there. I REGRET NOTHING!
Gul Darhe’el would like a word with you. (/shameless DS9 reference)
(Npghnyyl, gung jnf Nnzva Zneevgmn.)
I hate to admit it, since that was an excellent episode, but I’m not quite sure what its referencing. Sorry, it’s been a hectic day on campus. ^_^;;
@Mink: Ur fnlf “V erterg abguvat!” va gung rcvfbqr.
@apocalypsereview: Oh, I see now! Thanks for clarifying that. =)
While I would never call The Turner Diaries well-written, it does have several virtues that these books lack, chiefly that its protagonist isn’t such a Tower of Smug – and he even experiences setbacks from time to time.
The philosophy makes about as much sense, mind…
“THE ATHEISTS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!”
You say that like it’s a bad thing.