Post by Chris on Dec 12, 2008 14:15:48 GMT -5
There is a series called The Destroyer that has been around since the 70's. It was created by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir. Richard Sapir unfortunately died in 1987 from a heart attack. 
For a while Warren Murphy worked with ghost writers, then the ghost writers wrote the entire books with varying degrees of competence. The best of the bunch was James Mullaney. He had the best grip on the personalities of the characters and how they related to their world around them. When Tor became the publisher, the credit became Warren Murphy and James Mullaney.
The stories center around Remo Williams and his mentor/father figure, Chiun. The relationship between the 2 is like that of the proverbial old married couple. There is a father/son bond that nothing can ever break, but they constantly bicker. The bickering is hilarious.
The premise of the books is that Remo was once a Newark, NJ cop with an ordinary life. He was raised in an orphange and went straight into the Army to Vietnam. Unknown to him, he had been observed in action and earmarked for a destiny like no other.
Meanwhile, in Korea, there exists a small fishing village called Sinanju. There is nothing spectacular about Sinanju. It is hardly more than a speck on the map. However, it does have one very big secret, and his name is Chiun. Chiun is the latest in a line of Masters that stretch back to even before the time of the Pharoes. Throughout history, Masters of Sinanju have plied their trade all over the world in exchange for gold. What is this trade? It is the oldest and most potent form of martial arts, also known as Sinanju. Sinanju has been likened to the sun while all other martial arts are but mere rays.
Sinanju does not employ any weapon. There is a traditional sword, but it is not used. The mind, body and proper breathing are the weapons. (And very long fingernails, the "Knives Of Eternity".) Sinanju makes possible what seems to be magical. The proper breathing is the key to it all.
It is sometime between 1961 and 1963. JFK is president. (Although he is never called by name in the books.) He is an idealist that sees all too clearly that the Constitution just isn't working. Criminals are getting away with too much and the victims aren't getting any justice. He has an idea. A secret organization that works outside of the Constitution. "Any means necessary, even if it is illegal."
Enter Harold Winston Smith, retired CIA agent and possibly the most unimaginative person on the face of the Earth. His wardrobe is gray, save for his green striped Dartmouth tie, he skin is gray, his hair is gray, even his personality is gray. He has a voice that sounds like he eats lemons for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, he has the right demeanor to head up this new secret agency simply known as CURE. It is not an acronym, it is a promise. Presidents can make suggestions for assignments, but they can not dictate policy. That is the sole domain of Smith. The only thing the president can do is order CURE to shut down. If that happens, Smith has a cyanide pill and a coffin waiting on him while Chiun has a standing order to destroy Remo and return to Korea.
CURE starts as an information gathering operation using wiretaps, video cameras and bribing ordinary citizens to rat on each other. Smith compiles the information and passes it along to the proper authorities. But he soon realizes that it isn't enough. An enforcement arm is needed. The only other person to know about CURE - the others being JFK and Smith - is Conrad McCleary, a toughened and boozy vet with a hook for a hand. Mac recalls a soldier he saw in Vietnam that impressed him, and makes the suggestion. Mac also knows of an ancient house of assasins in Korea that would be perfect for training purposes.
Meanwhile, back in Newark, Remo is just doing his job when a drug dealer is murdered. Remos' badge is found next to the dead body and he is charged, tried and convicted for the murder of this man in record time. He is sentenced to death in the electric chair, which seems a bit harsh.
The zero hour has arrived and Remo is strapped to the chair. The deed is done.
The next thing he knows, he wakes up in an unfamiliar place and is told he has been recruited to be the enforcement arm of this super secret agency. He has 2 choices....accept or die for real. As Mac knew he would, Remo accepts. He is introduced to Chiun, who is appalled that he has to teach a white man the ancient art of Sinanju, but he then realizes that Remo may be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. He senses that Remo may very well be the reincarnation of Shiva, The Destroyer, dead night tiger, made whole.
And so the adventure begins.
I love these books. I don't always agree with their politics and sometimes their treatment of others is a bit harsh, but I try and look at it as being set in a universe that is similar to ours and truly is as screwed up as it is made out to be. Many celebrities have been lampooned as has society as a whole. Some celebrities get the treatment they deserve, others I think are a bit unfair. As to where Murphy leans politically, it is very obvious. Smith has his favorite presidents and ones he can't stand, yet he never wavers in his duty. I think there is a bit of Warren in Smith. (Or maybe the other way around.) While there is a bit of the flag-waving crap I can't stand, it isn't overwhelming. Remo has a good heart and wants to see society become what it was supposed to be, but he does have flashes of ultra-patriotism that annoys me. I can ignore it, though.
Chiun - on the other hand - well, no one is good enough. Not the whites, the blacks, or even other Orientals. Only those of Sinanju are perfect......and even they have their faults. They are not him being the biggest one. Chiun, equal opportunity racist. ;D He has his moments, though.
The series itself combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, mystery and some espionage. The very best villian is a morphing robot named Mr Gordons who was created by a very drunk NASA scientist. Mr Gordons was built with a single purpose, survive. Remo and Chiun run into him several times. When Mr Gordons escaped NASA and was on his own, he asked someone what a proper greeting would be and was told that "hello is alright". From then on, "Hello Is Alright" became his catch phrase.
I recommend these books to anyone. They are hard to find, though you may find lots of them for auction on E-Bay and Amazon does carry some of the older titles. If you want a good laugh, these are for you.
For a while Warren Murphy worked with ghost writers, then the ghost writers wrote the entire books with varying degrees of competence. The best of the bunch was James Mullaney. He had the best grip on the personalities of the characters and how they related to their world around them. When Tor became the publisher, the credit became Warren Murphy and James Mullaney. The stories center around Remo Williams and his mentor/father figure, Chiun. The relationship between the 2 is like that of the proverbial old married couple. There is a father/son bond that nothing can ever break, but they constantly bicker. The bickering is hilarious.
The premise of the books is that Remo was once a Newark, NJ cop with an ordinary life. He was raised in an orphange and went straight into the Army to Vietnam. Unknown to him, he had been observed in action and earmarked for a destiny like no other.
Meanwhile, in Korea, there exists a small fishing village called Sinanju. There is nothing spectacular about Sinanju. It is hardly more than a speck on the map. However, it does have one very big secret, and his name is Chiun. Chiun is the latest in a line of Masters that stretch back to even before the time of the Pharoes. Throughout history, Masters of Sinanju have plied their trade all over the world in exchange for gold. What is this trade? It is the oldest and most potent form of martial arts, also known as Sinanju. Sinanju has been likened to the sun while all other martial arts are but mere rays.
Sinanju does not employ any weapon. There is a traditional sword, but it is not used. The mind, body and proper breathing are the weapons. (And very long fingernails, the "Knives Of Eternity".) Sinanju makes possible what seems to be magical. The proper breathing is the key to it all.
It is sometime between 1961 and 1963. JFK is president. (Although he is never called by name in the books.) He is an idealist that sees all too clearly that the Constitution just isn't working. Criminals are getting away with too much and the victims aren't getting any justice. He has an idea. A secret organization that works outside of the Constitution. "Any means necessary, even if it is illegal."
Enter Harold Winston Smith, retired CIA agent and possibly the most unimaginative person on the face of the Earth. His wardrobe is gray, save for his green striped Dartmouth tie, he skin is gray, his hair is gray, even his personality is gray. He has a voice that sounds like he eats lemons for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, he has the right demeanor to head up this new secret agency simply known as CURE. It is not an acronym, it is a promise. Presidents can make suggestions for assignments, but they can not dictate policy. That is the sole domain of Smith. The only thing the president can do is order CURE to shut down. If that happens, Smith has a cyanide pill and a coffin waiting on him while Chiun has a standing order to destroy Remo and return to Korea.
CURE starts as an information gathering operation using wiretaps, video cameras and bribing ordinary citizens to rat on each other. Smith compiles the information and passes it along to the proper authorities. But he soon realizes that it isn't enough. An enforcement arm is needed. The only other person to know about CURE - the others being JFK and Smith - is Conrad McCleary, a toughened and boozy vet with a hook for a hand. Mac recalls a soldier he saw in Vietnam that impressed him, and makes the suggestion. Mac also knows of an ancient house of assasins in Korea that would be perfect for training purposes.
Meanwhile, back in Newark, Remo is just doing his job when a drug dealer is murdered. Remos' badge is found next to the dead body and he is charged, tried and convicted for the murder of this man in record time. He is sentenced to death in the electric chair, which seems a bit harsh.
The zero hour has arrived and Remo is strapped to the chair. The deed is done.
The next thing he knows, he wakes up in an unfamiliar place and is told he has been recruited to be the enforcement arm of this super secret agency. He has 2 choices....accept or die for real. As Mac knew he would, Remo accepts. He is introduced to Chiun, who is appalled that he has to teach a white man the ancient art of Sinanju, but he then realizes that Remo may be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. He senses that Remo may very well be the reincarnation of Shiva, The Destroyer, dead night tiger, made whole.
And so the adventure begins.
I love these books. I don't always agree with their politics and sometimes their treatment of others is a bit harsh, but I try and look at it as being set in a universe that is similar to ours and truly is as screwed up as it is made out to be. Many celebrities have been lampooned as has society as a whole. Some celebrities get the treatment they deserve, others I think are a bit unfair. As to where Murphy leans politically, it is very obvious. Smith has his favorite presidents and ones he can't stand, yet he never wavers in his duty. I think there is a bit of Warren in Smith. (Or maybe the other way around.) While there is a bit of the flag-waving crap I can't stand, it isn't overwhelming. Remo has a good heart and wants to see society become what it was supposed to be, but he does have flashes of ultra-patriotism that annoys me. I can ignore it, though.
Chiun - on the other hand - well, no one is good enough. Not the whites, the blacks, or even other Orientals. Only those of Sinanju are perfect......and even they have their faults. They are not him being the biggest one. Chiun, equal opportunity racist. ;D He has his moments, though.
The series itself combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, mystery and some espionage. The very best villian is a morphing robot named Mr Gordons who was created by a very drunk NASA scientist. Mr Gordons was built with a single purpose, survive. Remo and Chiun run into him several times. When Mr Gordons escaped NASA and was on his own, he asked someone what a proper greeting would be and was told that "hello is alright". From then on, "Hello Is Alright" became his catch phrase.
I recommend these books to anyone. They are hard to find, though you may find lots of them for auction on E-Bay and Amazon does carry some of the older titles. If you want a good laugh, these are for you.
