V: The Original Miniseries

fine science fiction rendition:
One minute cameraman Mike Donovan and his co-worker Tony Wah Chong are filming a skirmish in El Salvador and in the next all activities halt as a space ship five miles in diameter hovers in the sky. Ships like this vessel are floating above every major city in the world and a voice asks for the United Nations Secretary-General to meet with them in one of their smaller crafts. They insist they come in peace having come to earth seeking help in creating a chemical needed on their homeworld; in return they will provide major advances in technology. They are welcomed as friends and not even the disappearances of scientists seem to disturb anyone. Mike sneaks aboard one of the alien's ships where he sees the Visitors; when he gets into a fight with one of them, the Visitor's skin peels off leaving a sentient lizard with large veracious eyes. Mike escapes with the film he took on board. Soon an underground resistance forms with people risking their lives to get the planet free of the Visitors who are stealing the water and using people as sustenance. It has been several years (perhaps decades) since this reviewer watched the original miniseries, but this fine science fiction rendition captures the essence of the TV show. The Visitors turn earth into a totalitarian state so they use the planet as a feeding ground. The resistance grows as more people understand the truth. Fans of the saga will appreciate the collaboration of Kenneth Johnson and A.C. Crispin as they convert the exciting V: THE ORIGINAL MINISERIES into an entertaining novel. Harriet Klausner

V: The Original Miniseries:
This is a great piece of science fiction, with overtones of World War Two - Only this time, it's not the Jewish nation that is being persicuted, it's our scientific community! Kenneth Johnson has created a story which (although written for the small screen) was later completly ripped off by the writers of Independence Day. A great story which spawned a just as impressive sequeul (V: The Second Generation) is well worth a read and comes highly recommended from this avid SF reader.