BULLET TRAIN by Joseph Rance and Arei Kato

There's a bomb on Hikari 109!

Down and out contractor Okita lashes out at the railway that ruined his life, using some stolen gelignite along with the unsold speedometer parts that dragged him into bankruptcy. His plan is simple: he wants 5 million US dollars to split with his two co-conspirators. They've planted a bomb on bullet train Hikari 109 to ensure compliance. If the train slows below 80 km/r, the bomb explodes. And if Okita doesn't get his money soon, the train will reach the end of the line ... there's no turnaround at Hakata, so soon there won't be any train, and the authorities can kiss the 1,500 souls onboard goodbye. The miles are slipping away by the minute ...

When the train doesn't stop at Nagoya, passengers get mad. When they find out why they didn't stop, they get scared. Can the rail employees onboard control the panic before things spiral out of control? Can the authorities track down Okita and co. or at the very least manage to locate and disarm the bomb? And can Okita hold it together with his partners feckless playboy Sato and nihilistic student radical Koga? It should be no surprise that nothing will go to anyone's plan.

Author Trevor Hoyle (as Joseph Rance) has written an English language novelization of a classic 1975 Japanese disaster flick, and oddly enough Dell doesn't acknowledge the film anywhere in their copy, though screenwriter Arei Kato is credited as co-author. The cover art looks suitably melodramatic, but maybe a better fit for an adaptation of a TV miniseries than an out-and-out disaster film. Alas, none of the original cast (like Sonny Chiba!) have their likenesses reproduced. Comparisons to Jan de Bont's Speed (1994) have been made.

Author Trevor Hoyle (1940 - )

Hoyle carries over the film's sympathetic portrayal of mad bomber Okita and the mad scramble of the authorities to control an uncontrollable situation. He adds an American couple for gaijin readers, but Dr. Laura Brennan and her bomb squaddie husband Matt are the thinnest characters of the bunch. Laura delivers a baby onboard the train, but Matt mostly hangs around being worried about his wife until his explosive expertise is needed in the final act. Despite these two wet blankets, Hoyle does a fine job fleshing out the rest of the cast, including many passengers who were merely background characters in the film. This is a classic disaster epic cast, as human passions intersect with doomed systems, and random chance and choice can set someone on an unbreakable path to destruction or salvation.

The hardcover art is a little more dynamic than the paperback ...

But neither of the book covers can match the explosive drama of the original film posters:

Over at the excellent Paperback Palette, writer Jeffersen has posted an exploration of the Reader's Digest condensed version of this title, which cut approximately 50% of the text but also added some handsome interior illustrations:

Very cool map!

There's plenty more pics and info over at the Paperback Palette, so check it out! Meanwhile, the film has been released as a gorgeous region B Blu-ray from UK company Eureka (out of print so check the second hand shops):

Hoyle's tense adaptation of an excellent film earns a 3/4 rating, and both book and film are highly recommended. Next time baby, we'll be bulletproof!

Dell Publishing, 1980