MacGregor or McCoy? NO QUESTION.

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Posted by Dietrich from client201-123-69.bellatlantic.net 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.

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