Have you gotten a chance to pick up your copy of Ultraseven: The Official Novel of the Series by Pat Cadigan? The follow-up to the Scribe Award winning Ultraman: The Official Novel of the Series, this book takes us to an Earth under siege by alien invasion from every corner of the stars. Its only defenders? The brave Terrestrial Defense Force and their crack team, the Ultra Guard! And, of course, the mysterious red giant counted as the seventh member of that team…
That was the score in 1967 when Ultraseven first aired, and The Official Novel of the Series takes us there, albeit with modern conventions. Perhaps less has changed societally since that day than ideal, but that means the almost-Cold War feel of the show has been faithfully recreated. With tensions running unbearably high from fears of alien invasions, Cadigan’s Ultraseven is more solemn than Ultraman, including the thoughts of main protagonist, Dan Moroboshi.
Kohji Moritsugu’s Moroboshi was a highly emotive character, illustrated by the actor’s own stellar performances. In a textual medium, the loss of that charisma would be keenly felt — which is why Cadigan has taken extra care to illustrate his interiority, as both Dan and Ultraseven. The mental soliloquies of the alien once known as “Agent 340” paint a picture of Dan that the show could not, and stories that may have seemed straightfoward on TV are given new dimensions on the printed page.
Because of that, the actual episodes depicted in the book can be more interesting than a normal digest. On our part, the most surprising adaptation is of Ultraseven Episode 16, “The Eye That Shines in the Darkness”. One of the less-discussed episodes, Annon’s depiction as a vaguely threatening “imaginary friend” to a child becomes much more chilling when you can get into the thoughts of that very child…
The perspective of the book also allows the members of the Ultra Guard to play off one another more than the show allowed. The rivalry between Soga and Amagi, the close dynamic between Dan and Anne — everything gets more time to be explored, giving readers a unique, character-driven look at the show.
We joked about the book being a 7/7 in the title, but if you’re a fan of Ultraseven looking for a new way to enjoy your favorite series, Ultraseven: The Official Novel of the Series gets a full 10/10. If you want to pick up your copy, you can find where to grab it here.
