As many of you know, the Resident Evil canon, and its lore is a tangled mess of epic proportions. Especially since every baseline game is getting a remake nowadays, which obfuscates the established canon even further. The book by S.D. Perry, which is essentially a retelling of the first game, is way out of date for the current timeline, since it was written all the way back in 1998. However, as I see it, it’s one of its strengths too. It builds upon the first Resident Evil title, way before the mess that exists now. That to me, makes it more pure in a way.
What is also interesting is that S.D. Perry didn’t just write this book. She wrote a novelization for all six of the initial games, with two titles that expand on the lore as original stories. So, while most of the books follow the games, there is also a lot of additional content here. Stories that I can best describe as an alternative timeline in the Resident Evil universe, which I definitely get a kick out of. It should be noted that these novels also provide a self-contained narrative that doesn’t require players to juggle multiple versions of the same events.
S.T.A.R.S
One of the best parts of the book, long before Chris got roided out to punch boulders, and Jill became a sexy brainwashed femme fatale, is how down to earth everyone is written in the book. Jill is the nervous rookie S.T.A.R.S member looking to prove herself, while Chris is the dutiful but slight paranoid cop with concerns that the agency might be infiltrated. S.D. Perry provides a lot of humanity to the characters, and one of the more interesting sequences is that Jill is connected to the horrific murders in Raccoon City due to knowing one of the victims. It adds a strong reason for Jill to solve the murders, which certainly increases the stakes.
However, being based on a survival horror game, most of this intriguing background lore gets ditched for survival and dodging zombies after they enter the Spencer mansion. It never becomes a pure action read, nor does the puzzles from the game make much of an appearance. The novel takes a more balanced approach, and is mostly about Barry’s, Chris, Jill’s, and Rebecca’s struggle to find their way out of this monster trap, while trying to figure out the conspiracy. That’s not to say there won’t be action segments, but the shooting is more subdued, even compared to the original game.
The story can feel a bit “jumpy” at times, as the book has to juggle a lot of different characters, including bad guy Wesker (which is a joy to read). Still, I think S.D. Perry nailed the scenarios from the game, making the narrative come together in one cohesive story – Jill sandwich line included.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere and overall story is very Resident Evil, so, beyond the engaging characterization of the characters, there isn’t too much new here for someone that has played the game. Regardless, it’s a light and fun zombie-mayhem read, with zero superhero shenanigans to be found (for you that are allergic to that). The main reason for reading Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy is to have something to stand on when to dive into the rest of S.D. Perry’s alternative timeline. You see, already the next book in the series (Resident Evil: Caliban Cove), is an original story that covers the time between Resident Evil 1 & 2, with the young brainiac Rebecca Chambers in the lead.
I have not read it yet. But it makes me very curious to see where this alternate universe will take me, and how it all will fit in the end. This, considering how extensive the lore is, and how many novels S.D. Perry has composed for this franchise. It can’t have been an easy thing, as Resident Evil Zero is one of the titles she has written a novelization for, and that game is a retcon in itself when it comes to Rebecca Chambers. Fitting Resident Evil Zero into the timeline must have been a mess. Since it takes place before both the original game and Caliban Cove, unintentionally making Rebecca a veteran zombie survivor -something she was definitely not in the novel or the game. Welcome to Resident Evil consistency!
Conclusion
While a fairly entertaining light read, the novel isn’t anything super special. The added characterization is great, but it’s small potatoes compared to the overall plot. Like I said, the main reason to read this is if you have any interest in the rest, specifically the original stories set in the Resident Evil world. Since, you know, it’s the beginning after all. To Caliban Cove I go!
Thanks for reading.
/Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 