The Paul Darrow Adventures - Worst to Best

 

Ahh, Paul Darrow, how you vex the Blake's 7 fandom. A phenomenal actor, all will agree. But his writing is certainly a very acquired taste. Darrow had a very specific vision of what the show should be and followed it regardless of continuity or critique. It's admirable in a way, and frustrating in many ways. But today, I'm going to rank his (fittingly) seven additions to the Blake's 7 mythos. 

#7. "Lucifer Genesis" (2015) - Novel

Genesis isn't the least entertaining of Darrow's efforts, but it's by far the least creative. It's an attempt to tie the events of the original series into the increasingly divergent Lucifer books. What this means is that Darrow weaves a story about Servalan's rise to power in-between his (very) vague recollections of the 1970s episodes, the events of which are deliberately altered to reflect his feelings on them. But even this idea seems to run out of steam halfway through, and eventually there's just chapter upon chapter of characters talking about stories we've seen. It's aimless and boring. The promise of a book focusing on the Avon/Servalan dynamic is betrayed quickly, as the two only ever meet once (in a scene lifted from Aftermath) and never seem to hold any kind of rivalry. Darrow relies on the audience having seen the show and knowing the context of what's going on, but also being alright with him casually changing that context at his own whim, and that's just not good writing. 

#6. "Avon: A Terrible Aspect" (1989) - Novel

If Genesis had too little ambition, then A Terrible Aspect has too much. Darrow aims to combine his pulp western sensibilities with a generational storyline clearly inspired by Hamlet, and stumbles like a drunken kangaroo. Avon doesn't actually become the lead character until the final act, meaning that much of the book is spent on following his thinly written relatives killing off thinly written baddies, all of whom share Avon's fatalistic perspective. In Darrow's world, literally anyone in a position of power must be mad, bad and dangerous to know, usually with some repugnant quirk to go along with it. It gets tiresome fast and just plods along until the inevitable climax (poorly) ties it to the events of the show. A jab at Gareth Thomas's weight is the only moment warranting a smile. 

#5. "Heroes: Rock Star" (2017) - Short Story

Paul Darrow writing about rocksters in the Blake's 7 universe is perhaps the most appealingly out-of-touch hook there is, but unfortunately it's just that: a hook. The rest of it is a fairly inane revenge drama that bizarrely spends most of the word count on a single extended scene on the Liberator's flight deck. Being a short story, it's at least easy enough to digest and there's some amusement to be had over the way Darrow writes the rest of the crew.  

#4. "Man of Iron" (1981) - Unproduced TV Script

It's perhaps not fair to judge this as a legitimate piece of work, considering that it never went through a real editing process. But it's not at the bottom of the list, so perhaps it's not so unfair either. Man of Iron is Darrow doing what he does best, and that is creating an entertaining action adventure. This one drops the melodrama (it's notably the only Darrow adventure where the villain has no personal vendetta against Avon) and focuses purely on shenanigans. Vila gets an unexpected and humorously over-the-top moment of heroism, Servalan's doing her thing and the role of Algor is obviously crafted for a thespian to chew upon with wild abandon. It's silly nonsense, but actually enjoyable all the way through, which is why it's so high on this list. 

#3. "Erebus" (2018) - Audio Drama

Snarky robots, heists, gritty action, a lover scorn'd... what more could you ask for? 37 years after writing Man of Iron, Paul Darrow finally succeeded in getting his own episode made! It's surreal hearing the cast deliver his patented Roger Moore-era James Bond dialogue. But the fact that they do and are enthusiastic about the project gives Erebus a punch that the other stories lack. I also appreciate that this is the least Avon-centric one, meaning that they're not just playing second fiddle to him. It's a shame that the ending becomes a bit pear-shaped, for the most part it's a very comfy runaround.

#2. "Lucifer" (2013) - Novel

Darrow takes his interest in military history to the forefront here, with a big focus on Federation politics and strategies. It can get convoluted, but there's an appealing unpredictability in seeing what character makes what move for what reason, and how that affects everybody else. Plus, with all the antagonists being their own brand of Bond villain, it's fun seeing them get their own brand of comeuppance. The guerrilla warfare in the Avon side of the story is quite exciting in a sci-fi Rambo sort of way. The main draw of the book lies undeniably in the pathos of reuniting with Avon 20 years after Gauda Prime, and although Darrow keeps him almost painfully enigmatic about those events, the weight of it all is felt on the character throughout. 

#1. "Lucifer: Revelation" (2014) - Novel

If Darrow ever wrote a magnum opus, it's this one. Revelation reunites Avon and Orac for one final defiant chase through the stars, and I genuinely loved their dynamic and banter throughout. There's an emotional core to this book that was lacking in the first, brought about from their discussions concerning the humanity of organic vs machine life, Avon's pondering over his aimless existence and the reintroduction of Del Grant. The space geopolitics from the first Lucifer carry over to this one as well, and are just as interesting here if not more so. It's a terrific ride and easily the Darrow story that I go back to the most.