Cindy Combs

Author at Wolfpup's Den http://www.skeeter63.org/wolfpupsden/.

Cindy's MacGyver series

(1) The Maze (Sentinel/MacGyver)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 16th June 2000 (3)

The problem I found with this crossover, is that we weren't really introduced to MacGyver. Not having seen that series (or perhaps five minutes of it, I have vague recollection of a makeshift trough squirting a rampaging leopard in the face with water - maybe I stopped watching it after that) I was really at sea with all the MacGyver stuff. So I couldn't really get into the story. I'm normally quite game to read crossovers with shows I haven't seen (so long as I've seen one of the shows involved) because I figure I'll get the same introduction to the "other" characters as Our Heroes (whichever heroes they happen to be) will on meeting them for the first time, get to see what they make of the stranger(s). But I didn't feel that here, I don't really have a handle on Mac. MacGyver fans will probably get a lot more out of it.

Addendum: this series was winner of favourite series in the 2001 Cascade Times Awards.

Roachia

(1) Before Dawn (Sentinel)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 16th June 2000 (4)
Tags: Novella
(220K)

The first story of an alternative universe where Jim, Blair, and a heck of a lot of other people, are nth-generation colonists on the planet Roachia. I must admit, I found it hard to keep track of all the characters, when all we had to go by was names, with hardly any descriptions. About the only ones I kept straight were Jim, Blair, Simon, Rafe, Henri, Joel, and Jack.

As an AU TS story it was enjoyable. As a straight SF story, there were annoyingly niggly holes. Why did they call the planet Roachia when it sounds like it was named after the cockroach-like Roachians? How could Jack so casually have cigars in wartime? If the Roaches wanted to exterminate humans, why bother with work camps? Not to mention the, um, secret weapon that they used in this story.

I also hit a bit of a culture-gap: what does "having a cow" mean? And I found it rather disconcerting that folks were protesting about a "teenager" of 18 years of age being asked to go undercover, when 18 years old is the age of majority in my country, and therefore, from my point of view, the fellow was an adult.

But, on the up-side. it was nice to see a big, protective Jim (and a small protective Blair). I liked the oral history thing - and that even in a world where Sentinels are known and accepted, and they think they know all about them, extraordinary people can still break the mold and write outside the lines.

This story was nominated in the 2000 Cascade Times Awards in the "best AU story" category, and this series was nominated in the "best AU series" category. This was also nominated in the "favourite alternate universe series" category in the 2001 Cascade Times Awards.