Re: MacGregor or McCoy? NO QUESTION.

Posted by Jiliac the Unmentionable from pm1-031.billings.mcn.net on February 24, 1999 at 10:32:57:

In Reply to: MacGregor or McCoy? NO QUESTION. posted by Dietrich on February 23, 1999 at 21:02:38:

: First off, let me say that I've read them all - and I enjoyed them

: all. McCoy and MacGregor put forth some really great Indy

: adventures. They were all fun. Were some better than others? Of

: course, but which author was better? Well now it gets a bit hairy.

: McCoy was good. His adventures were fun and aimed at getting as

: close to a movie'style adventure as possible. Some of his vilians

: were cool. Hell, I even liked "Indiana Jones and the Dinosaur Eggs,"

: in spite of its insipid title. But there's always been something

: about his books that bugs me, long after i've finished reading

: them. They fall short. Waaaaay short. The biggest problem is the

: women. McCoy has inexplicably managed - in light of the fact that

: judging by the 3 films Indy is something of a womanizer - to cast

: all female characters in a position preventing them from accepting Indy's advances. Let's look at the list. Faye Maskelyne - a married

: woman searching for her long-lost husband. Alecia Dunstin - cursed

: by a crystal skull to be unble to consumate any sort of a relationship

: with Indy. "Sister" Angela Starbuck (no relation to the coffee) -

: posing as a woman of the cloth, she's hardly the available type.

: And lastly, let's not forget Ulla Tornaes - as cold as the Arctic

: wastes "The Hollow Earth" takes place in. What gives? When has

: Indy ever appeared as melodramatic and sullen and depressed as

: he has in McCoy's novels? I know McCoy's something of a fan

: favorite here in the Forum so I'm sure to be stirring up some

: trouble here. I just don't get why he's praised so highly over

: MacGregor. MacGregor may have presented us with a slightly younger

: Indy, but he also gave us great adventures worthy of carrying the

: Jones name. Not to mention two wonderful supporting characters:

: Jack Shanoon and Diedre Campbell. Yeah, that's right, he invented

: interesting foils for Indy - he didn't just bring Sallah back in

: the last third of the novel to fill the void. Jack Shannon is

: an interesting character for Indy to play off of. With no stake

: in archaeology and a slew of problems all of his own, his prescence

: never seems forced. Diedre Campbell as well, is the single best

: thing to happen to the Indiana Jones mythos, since they rode off

: into the sunset at the end of Last Crusade. She's fiesty, determined

: and intelligent, the perfect match for Indy. Their relationship

: was a joy to watch (read!) unfold. She was quite possibly, the

: perfect woman for Indiana Jones. Their marriage was utterly

: beleivable, making her death all the more tragic. It makes perfect

: sense for Indy to be a widower and explains his tendency towards

: fast, short-lived relationships (Marion, Willie, Elsa). Bravo Mr.

: MacGregor.

: On the other end of the scale, it seems to me that the biggest thing

: McCoy will be remembered for is continuing an over-depoendance on

: the Nazis as villians, portraying Belloq as a whiny, French (excuse

: the term) pussy, and turning Marcus into a sappy, overly-worried

: surrogate father-figure for an unsure, beleagured Indiana Jones.

: Is it just me, or does Marcus only appear to bail Indy out of trouble

: and give him a shoulder to cry on? "It's good to hear your voice

: again, Marcus." Whatever. Why don't you just send him a dozen roses

: and thank him for always being there?

: Bottom line: MacGregor all the way.

You go, boy! I have to agree with you all the way.

Carry on.
Jiliac

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: : First off, let me say that I've read them all - and I enjoyed them

: : all.  McCoy and MacGregor put forth some really great Indy

: : adventures.  They were all fun.  Were some better than others?  Of

: : course, but which author was better?  Well now it gets a bit hairy.

: 
: : McCoy was good.  His adventures were fun and aimed at getting as

: : close to a movie'style adventure as possible. Some of his vilians

: : were cool.  Hell, I even liked "Indiana Jones and the Dinosaur Eggs,"

: : in spite of its insipid title.  But there's always been something

: : about his books that bugs me, long after i've finished reading

: : them.  They fall short.  Waaaaay short.   The biggest problem is the

: : women.  McCoy has inexplicably managed - in light of the fact that

: : judging by the 3 films Indy is something of a womanizer - to cast

: : all female characters in a position preventing them from accepting Indy's advances. Let's look at the list.  Faye Maskelyne - a married

: : woman searching for her long-lost husband.  Alecia Dunstin - cursed

: : by a crystal skull to be unble to consumate any sort of a relationship

: : with Indy.  "Sister" Angela Starbuck (no relation to the coffee) -

: : posing as a woman of the cloth, she's hardly the available type.

: : And lastly, let's not forget Ulla Tornaes - as cold as the Arctic

: : wastes "The Hollow Earth" takes place in.  What gives?  When has

: : Indy ever appeared as melodramatic and sullen and depressed as

: : he has in McCoy's novels?  I know McCoy's something of a fan

: : favorite here in the Forum so I'm sure to be stirring up some

: : trouble here.  I just don't get why he's praised so highly over

: : MacGregor.  MacGregor may have presented us with a slightly younger

: : Indy, but he also gave us great adventures worthy of carrying the

: : Jones name.  Not to mention two wonderful supporting characters:

: : Jack Shanoon and Diedre Campbell.  Yeah, that's right, he invented

: : interesting foils for Indy - he didn't just bring Sallah back in

: : the last third of the novel to fill the void.  Jack Shannon is

: : an interesting character for Indy to play off of.  With no stake

: : in archaeology and a slew of problems all of his own, his prescence

: : never seems forced.  Diedre Campbell as well, is the single best

: : thing to happen to the Indiana Jones mythos, since they rode off

: : into the sunset at the end of Last Crusade.  She's fiesty, determined

: : and intelligent, the perfect match for Indy.  Their relationship

: : was a joy to watch (read!) unfold.  She was quite possibly, the

: : perfect woman for Indiana Jones.  Their marriage was utterly

: : beleivable, making her death all the more tragic.  It makes perfect

: : sense for Indy to be a widower and explains his tendency towards

: : fast, short-lived relationships (Marion, Willie, Elsa).  Bravo Mr.

: : MacGregor.

: 
: : On the other end of the scale, it seems to me that the biggest thing

: : McCoy will be remembered for is continuing an over-depoendance on

: : the Nazis as villians, portraying Belloq as a whiny, French (excuse

: : the term) pussy, and turning Marcus into a sappy, overly-worried

: : surrogate father-figure for an unsure, beleagured Indiana Jones.

: : Is it just me, or does Marcus only appear to bail Indy out of trouble

: : and give him a shoulder to cry on?  "It's good to hear your voice

: : again, Marcus." Whatever. Why don't you just send him a dozen roses

: : and thank him for always being there?

: 
: : Bottom line: MacGregor all the way.

: You go, boy!  I have to agree with you all the way.

: Carry on.
: Jiliac

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