Cowboys & Aliens, by Joan D. Vinge
A man awakens in the desert to complete memory loss. The only clue to his past is a picture of a young woman and a metal contraption locked around his forearm. When he arrives in a nearby town of Absolution, trouble isn’t far behind. But when strange lights from the sky arrive and begin shooting up the town and abducting its residents, the survivors decide to risk all to hunt the kidnappers and find their loved ones.
While I loved the film, this novelization fills in the gaps and gives a much-needed look beneath the surface of the characters. Vinge does a fantastic job of giving more depth and humanity to the characters. And all of the drama, romance, and suspense of the film translated well to print.
I highly recommend seeing the movie first, then reading the novelization. The surprises and emotions are experienced better on-screen, and knowing some of it beforehand would probably lessen the impact. But for those, like me, who loved the film and the story and wanted more, this retelling in novel form was highly entertaining. Fast-paced and action-packed, Cowboys & Aliens is one fantastic mash-up of western and science fiction.