Books: The Exchameleon: Starpirate’s Brain By Ron Goulart (1987)

 

“Ben Jolson, former member of the glalactic Chameleon Corps and reluctant private detective, returns in his toughest case yet. Someone has stolen the brainchip containing the mind of notorious space pirate Jackland Boggs, and Jolson must find the culprit and recover the chip. But there's a lot of valuable -- and dangerous -- secrets in that missing chip. And Boggs has a lot of enemies, including beautiful rival pirate Flame Flenniken; the strong-arm apeman called the Whispering Gorilla; Lt. Hillman of the Territorial Police Murder Squad; and the evil cyborg Professor Tincan. Jolson and his new partner Sniffer, a state-of-the-art mechanical dog with a nasty disposition, have their hands full. Then when another, renegade exchameleon enters the picture, Jolson must use all his wits to see through his enemy's clever disguises -- and stay alive.”

It's a another madcap romp from the twisted mind of Ron Goulart, with extra doses of over-the-top silliness as Ben encounters the pirate queen Flame Flenniken, the Whispering Gorilla, and the evil cyborg Professor Tincan, all in pursuit of the brain (or, really a chip) of notorious space pirate Jackland Boggs (who has hid money, political secrets, and other unsavory stuff across the Barnum system). I really liked the premise of this book –a real great sci-fi idea that is played for laughs here, but in different hands, could’ve worked as a serious noir detective story like Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream Electric Sheep (or, Blade Runner).

Books: Daredevils, Ltd. The Exchameleon By Ron Goulart (1987)

 

"Ben Jolson, a former member of the galactic Chameleon Corps, doesn’t want to be a private investigator –he much rather stay home and run his quiet antiques business. But fellow PI Lou Killdozer gets himself killed on the biggest hellhole planet in the galaxy; it’s up to Ben to investigate. For Ben can look like anything –and that’s helpful on a world of catmen, toadmen, gollrilla men and luminous squirrels. But what starts as a routine security case soon turns ugly, with a mysterious red-haired man who is systematically cutting down the top executives of the fabulously profitable Plazhartz Corporation. But the only Ben can get his killer is to pose as the next victim..." 

The prolific Ron Goulart returned to the Ben Jolson character he first created for his 1968 debut novel, The Sword Swallower (which continued with The Chameleon Corps and Other Shape Changers in 1974, and Flux, also 1974). Those books (and the many books that would follow) are set in a vast, space-opera universe known as the Barnum System (with this late 1980s series, he also folded in his Hellquad universe), a galaxy that is a bit helter-skelter, crazed and balkanized. The planets of this system, where the Corps originates and operates, are populated in large part by traditional comic stereotypes, most which are deftly drawn.

It’s an absurdist science fiction mystery, almost noir at certain points. As well, the book follows the same basic premise and formula as many of his previous books, but he keeps the chuckles and smirks coming so swiftly that it's hard to notice unless you stop and really think about it.

I originally read this series back when they were released, but lost them along the way. I got them back through Thrift Books. The funny part, I don’t remember anything about them. Still, it’s enjoyable, if more toned down than some of his earlier books.

Books: The Curse of the Obelisk By Ron Goulart (1987)

 

"Harry Challenge is investigating a haunted museum in Paris 1897 (which means the first book was set around the same time, though Goulart alludes to another adventure between them The Prisoner of Blackwood Castle and this one). The museum is having a hard time keeping night watchmen due to being chased away by a mummy. Harry and his reporter pal Jennie Barr spend the night there, but once the mummy appears, Barr shoots it dead –turns out it was a Scooby style set-up and the mummy was a regular guy all wrapped up. Harry learns that guy was probably hired by arms dealer named Zaytoon. Despite killing someone in cold blood, Jennie had been hypnotized to prevent Harry from learning anything (nice). She and Harry, with help from their magician friend, The Great Lorenzo, and learn that the Osiris Obelisk within the museum has something hidden it, and some are willing to kill for its secrets."

The Curse of the Obelisk is the second and last book featuring Harry Challenge (after 1984’s The Prisoner Of Blackwood Castle. He did, apparently, write a few short stories released in 2012, but he ultimately moved on to other things, including his Groucho Marx series). Here, Goulart takes on the old Egyptian curse story, with an Obelisk at the center of it. But like a lot of the writer’s stories, it’s not straightforward. Sure there is a curse on it and so far five archaeologists who discovered the Obleisk in different countries have died, but they may have been done in by a huge mechanical vampire bat, than say, anything supernatural.

While the story still resembles The Wild Wild West, it adds a bit classic Doctor Who (Pyramids of Mars) and Agatha Christie to the narrative. It’s a bit more lighthearted than the previous book, but still some fine entertainment from Goulart.

I mean, it’s forgettable, but fun while you’re reading it.

Books: The Prisoner of Blackwood Castle By Ron Goulart (1984)

"Harry Challenge is a field operative for the Challenge International Detective Agency, a family business. Receiving his assignments by mail and telegram from his nearly-estranged father, Harry bounces around early 20th century Europe, usually accompanied by stage magician The Great Lorenzo (whose abilities may not all be just sleight-of-hand illusions). Intrepid girl reporter Jennie Barr is often on the same trails as Harry, alternately aiding and competing with him in cracking the cases… and as the mysteries may involve werewolf assassins, clockwork swordsmen and the odd vampire or two, Harry can use all the help he can get."

Over the decades, the prolific Ron Goulart created countless P.I.’s (Jake and Hildy Pace, Ben Jolson to name a few), with Harry being one of the latest ones released in the 1980s. This genre mix-up of hard case detective, noir thrillers, science fiction and steampunk is seemly set in an alternate universe –though Goulart reveals nothing- of Europe, America, the world. A lot of The Prisoner of Blackwood Castle plays out like an episode of the classic TV series Wild Wild West, but a bit more reserved, if possible. There is some of Goulart’s trademark wit, here, but the book seems more serious...still, he's clearly not taking anything serious here. There is a tongue and cheek, wink, wink, nudge, nudge satirical air to it, which I liked. Interestingly, I read it nearly forty years ago, when first released in 1984. Surprisingly, I don’t remember much of the tale. Not sure if I should be worried about that. He wrote a sequel three years later, The Curse of the Obelisk, but then left Harry Challenge behind.