The POW Camp - Paula Higgins
Commadore Ross relates the story of how he met Col McQueen to Hawkes in this average story. The
premise is absurd (the man runs a starship - is he really going to have a break for story time?) and the plot is
quite weak, but it’s well written, and not too bad when all is said and done. [3/5]
Bonding With A Junkyard Dog - Paula Higgins
Ross and McQueen get into a bar brawl. Um, that’s it. Not bad, not great; just mediocre. [2.5/5]
Man’s Inhumanity - Paula Higgins
More on Ross’s friendship with McQueen. This time there is a little more than one specific scene; instead we
see a definate development in their relationship. It is interesting to see the story from both sides - while our
view of McQueen is tinted by Ross’s desperate attempts for people to see that he is more than just a “tank”,
we also see some of what McQueen feels; he deliberately avoids his team mates - both in and out of battle -
because he feels that he is not quite human. Despite a nonsensical opening sentence, the writing is up to the
usual standard. [3.5/5]
Adift In A Sea Of Memories - Paula Higgins
There’s always going to be a problem when dealing with such a hoary old theme as drug addiction and
subsequent withdrawl, and that problem is that everyone and their pet have done the same story, over and
over again. So it’s nice to see that in this story, where McQueen returns to drugs after his divorce, the
emphasis is taken *off* the “cold turkeying”, and instead we get a nice slice of the past, where McQueen
meets Ross’ family. Nicely written, a pleasant read, but still lacking enough ideas to make it something
special. [3.5/5]
The Nebulan Triangle - Paula Higgins
This is the pay-off in Paula Higgins’ Ross - McQueen series, and after the buildup, it is a great let down.
Sure, the writing and characterisation are great, but plotwise? McQueen’s rescue of Ross is devoid of
tension, excitement and originality. The villians of the piece are never seen, and seem superfluous to the plot.
This is basic stuff, well written. [3/5]
Amadon - April Fool
A doctor on a mission with the 58th is drawn to McQueen when the group is marooned on a frozen planet.
This story is beyond bleak. Whether intentional or not, the love that is felt between the characters loses its
way before it reaches the reader. There is no camaraderie between the troops, and everything seems
incredibly mechanical. The over use of strong language really doesn’t help much. Still it’s not a bad story -
just so cold. [3/5]
Betrayal - Rachel Walker
McQueen has been captured during the AI war and now lies awaiting torture in this disturbing fanfic. The
story highlights something that was never brought to the fore in the series - that man created a race of slaves
in his own image, and when they fought for freedom they created another race of slaves to recapture the
first. The AI interrogator of the piece is a good creation, digging the earth from under McQueen with his
words until he is finally brainwashed, and the finale is shocking, but it does not last long enough. McQueen’s
breakdown is almost instantaneous, at the beginning of the story he is defiant and some paragraphs later he
is broken. This, coupled with the lack of reflection on the sequence creates a hollow atmosphere. The
overlong ellipses don’t help, either. [3.5/5]
Dear Shane - Jessi Albana
A ‘characters’ thoughts’ fanfic, this time from the perspective of Cooper Hawkes. Hawkes mourns the passing
of Shane Vansen with a whole bunch of trite dialogue. The author seems to think that by repeating words over
and over and over and over and over again they can conjure up some sympathy for Hawkes when in fact, it
makes the story unintentionally amusing. [2/5]
A Fairy Tale? - Andrea G
On the A-Team Fan Fiction Archive, in the challenge section, there is a challenge in which you have to write
about the A-Team performing an everyday activity. In this story, fan favourite Col McQueen is forced into
taking a trip to the dentist. Fortunately, this story is injected with a health - if a little warped - sense of
humour. The story is told in a manic cartoon style, and has ends a nice ending. It also contains a wonderful
line where the colonel is talking to the 58th through a jaw full of pain - and the words “that sucks!” are turned
into something quite different. On the downside - fan fiction about people going to the dentist? Is this what
we’re reduced to? [3.5/5]
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