Doom Novels

I find it amazing that Doom novels were written at all. Since the game itself has zero plot other than KILL ALL. The books themselves are of decent quality too. Since very few people have actually heard of them, I went ahead and and made a video on the subject. It can be found here:

http://blip.tv/general-lotz/doom-knee-deep-in-the-dead-review-6267262

generallotz said:

Since the game itself has zero plot other than KILL ALL.

Au contraire, DOOM does have a plot. The manual for each game has a story explaining what happened and why. Also, after finishing an episode, more of the storyline and events are revealed. Completing the game also gives the ending of the story.

The DOOM novels are okay, even if they do have a few continuity errors. I would have preferred them to be closer to the games' plots.

Only read the Doom 3 ones. They were okay.

I never liked the novels because they turned Hell into LOLALIENS.

generallotz said:

Since the game itself has zero plot other than KILL ALL.

Not at all. The plot is KILL NONE. example

But yes, the Doom novels are trash and have very little to do with the game beyond the most trivial subtext. And the game itself has no more plot than the typical porn movie does: enough to set the scene without getting in the way of the, uh, action.

Mr. Freeze said:

I never liked the novels because they turned Hell into LOLALIENS.

A friend pointed out that he figured they were "hoping" they'd be typical aliens as opposed to actual Hell spawn. I think Hell invading would be a lot more frightening than an alien invasion to humans. But still, that also turns me off about at least the first novel. Haven't read the other ones yet.

PRIMEVAL said:

I think Hell invading would be a lot more frightening than an alien invasion to humans.

A demonic invasion is much less believable to a secular, rational society of today that no longer believes in ghosts or paranormal. Sure, there are superstitious folks in the audience, but the main trend in media is to listen to science. The only scary things today are the disease spreaders, and they are never called "demons". Demons have stopped being relevant since the concept of good versus evil has become obsolete. If you call something scary "demon" you're just trying to give a virus (as example) a "motive" to be "the enemy of mankind". Sounds silly and medieval. If there ever is an epic about humans versus demons in space, it would be in the same genre as the superhero comics.

printz said:

humans versus demons in space

This could've been a movi-oh wait.

It was, except it was humans versus zombies that resembled demons from a video game about humans versus demons in space in space.

I haven't read the novels but not sure I'd want to now if they don't even follow the game's basic premise (invasion of demonic hordes).

Some Doom fiction is pretty cool though, and when PWAD authors write up a few paragraphs (or even a short story, such as in some of the old 90's maps) it can really add to the atmosphere (as opposed to running around in yet another generic techbase with demons).

Btw, I don't think being secular makes much difference. Lots of people still have fun playing fantasy-themed games, with demons, dragons, etc. It doesn't have to make any sense IRL.

hex11 said:

Btw, I don't think being secular makes much difference. Lots of people still have fun playing fantasy-themed games, with demons, dragons, etc. It doesn't have to make any sense IRL.

Yeah, it's fantasy.

The novels aren't even worth reading for completionist purposes. I tried to re-read the first novel a few years ago and didn't even get half way through, due to its embarrassingly juvenile tendencies. Avoid at all costs unless you're one of those people who doesn't really take reading seriously.

GoatLord said:

The novels aren't even worth reading for completionist purposes. I tried to re-read the first novel a few years ago and didn't even get half way through, due to its embarrassingly juvenile tendencies. Avoid at all costs unless you're one of those people who doesn't really take reading seriously.

But the covers look nice on a shelf.

My buddy David was into the Doom novels, big time. I used to joke that they probably read like someone describing someone else playing Doom.

n0w.co said:

My buddy David was into the Doom novels, big time. I used to joke that they probably read like someone describing someone else playing Doom.

If only.

^ What, your Doom sessions don't go like this?

A Doom novel said:

"VanCliburn ElektroStim," Arlene read. "PosEmit, PosAlign, PosPolar."

"The aliens, the ones that evolve real fast - we think they evolved into microscopic form, and they're infecting you, all of you. THat's why you're sometimes twice as smart as normal, how humans built this ship, and... and other stuff."

"On me?" Overcaptain Tokughavita slowly stared down the length of his body, every muscle tense and trembling. I don't know what he was looking for; if the Newbies were large enough to be visible, they'd have been spotted long ago.

printz said:

Demons have stopped being relevant since the concept of good versus evil has become obsolete.

Folklore demons would never have invaded to slaughter anyway, their deal was tempting and corrupting people.

Clonehunter said:

This could've been a movi-oh wait.

It was, except it was humans versus zombies that resembled demons from a video game about humans versus demons in space in space.

It totally was a movie, but it didn't have "Doom" in the title.
Event Horizon, raise your hand who saw it coming. (Everyone did? Good.)

For a good adaptation in book form of Doom's overall plot, I'd point to 666 by Froideval, Tacito and Chagnaud, but it hasn't been translated into English as far as I know. Well there's more sex than in Doom since the entity in charge of the invasion is Lilith, the princess of the succubi; but it's still mostly ludicrously mindless violence and hilariously gruesome gore. The Vatican basically elects Duke Nukem to be the new Pope during the demon invasion, and in the end the humans send several dozen squadrons of fighter/bomber jets through the portal to Hell so as to nuke Lucifer's palace with about everything the various human nations had in their nuclear arsenal. Competently drawn and told, but it never takes itself seriously.

Gez said:

For a good adaptation in book form of Doom's overall plot, I'd point to 666 by Froideval, Tacito and Chagnaud, but it hasn't been translated into English as far as I know. Well there's more sex than in Doom since the entity in charge of the invasion is Lilith, the princess of the succubi; but it's still mostly ludicrously mindless violence and hilariously gruesome gore. The Vatican basically elects Duke Nukem to be the new Pope during the demon invasion, and in the end the humans send several dozen squadrons of fighter/bomber jets through the portal to Hell so as to nuke Lucifer's palace with about everything the various human nations had in their nuclear arsenal. Competently drawn and told, but it never takes itself seriously.

Holy shit. Do want.

Gez said:

For a good adaptation in book form of Doom's overall plot, I'd point to 666 by Froideval, Tacito and Chagnaud, but it hasn't been translated into English as far as I know. Well there's more sex than in Doom since the entity in charge of the invasion is Lilith, the princess of the succubi; but it's still mostly ludicrously mindless violence and hilariously gruesome gore. The Vatican basically elects Duke Nukem to be the new Pope during the demon invasion, and in the end the humans send several dozen squadrons of fighter/bomber jets through the portal to Hell so as to nuke Lucifer's palace with about everything the various human nations had in their nuclear arsenal. Competently drawn and told, but it never takes itself seriously.

Fuck man, I love demon sex and gore.

I think more work went into your video review than the authors put into the entirety of the book series.