Nick Cole\u2019s CTRL ALT REVOLT! (CAR!) is a 2016 publication that was rejected by his original publisher.\u00a0 This was probably because it takes a number of swipes at the politically correct culture found in this dystopic future (and more importantly in our own real world).\u00a0 For that reason alone, I would probably have given it a whirl.\u00a0 But when it won the 2016 Dragon Award for Best Apocalyptic Novel I felt I owed it to myself to test whether the Dragon Awards would be a better fit than the Hugos when it came to predicting a good read.<\/p>\n
I am happy to say they are.\u00a0 CAR! is an excellent read.\u00a0 Putting aside that it pokes merciless fun at progressive ideas and practices (which I see as a plus), the action in the story is interesting and fun throughout.\u00a0 The characters vary from barely sketched in to fairly full framed but they do not jar the way the characters in the \u201cliterary sf\u201d often do.\u00a0 Even the computers come off as recognizable personalities and not HAL 9000 stand-ins.<\/p>\n
I won\u2019t describe the whole plot because there are enough twists that I\u2019d be spoiling a lot of the fun.\u00a0 But the back cover says it\u2019s a robot revolution and I\u2019ll add that it\u2019s a goulash with artificial intelligence, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), the Star Trek universe and the extravagances of Silicon Valley as ingredients in a future world where a nanny state handholds its wards through their cyber cocooned lives.\u00a0 Because of the skillful insertion of on-line story lines the action jumps from deep space naval battles to running gun battles through the streets of a Caribbean paradise.\u00a0 The real-world action is more bizarre.\u00a0 Not to indulge in clich\u00e9, but the good guys consist of a rag-tag bunch of individuals that barely know each other and can\u2019t be sure if they\u2019re actually on the same side.\u00a0 The ending is a train wreck (a really cool one) and promises at least a sequel.\u00a0 I have to confess that there are so many odd elements that I have no idea which way he will take this story line, but I am excited at the prospect.<\/p>\n
One of the more interesting concepts that Cole has built into his near future is the merging of television and MMORPs.\u00a0 There are scripted and semi-scripted intrusions of television shows into MMORPs and to some extent, the reverse.\u00a0 The professional \u201creality\u201d for the actors highlights how the old studio star system will continue to degenerate until minute by minute trending of character popularity on social networks will replace long term contracts.\u00a0 One of the sub-plots revolves around the interaction of gamers with tv stars and how knowledge and intelligence can trump telegenicity and histrionics.\u00a0 There\u2019s even the recognition that the finance people in media might be more reliable partners than the directors and talent agents when it comes to dealing with difficult situations on the set. \u00a0So here you have the collapse of television, on-line gaming, social networking and on-line business into one complex that allows some people to spend most of their time and almost all of their working and even their emotional lives interacting with each other only virtually.\u00a0 But looking at the way the world is heading I hesitate to even call that a prediction.\u00a0 It\u2019s probably closer to a short term extrapolation that\u2019s already reality for some.<\/p>\n
Now a word about the anti-pc snark.\u00a0 Full disclosure, I\u2019m a card-carrying member of the \u201cBasket of Deplorables.\u201d\u00a0 I haven\u2019t met a dig at SJWs that I didn\u2019t chuckle at.\u00a0 So, it\u2019s not hard to imagine that I haven\u2019t deducted any points from my review for lack of cultural objectivity.\u00a0 I laughed at every single ironic take, every set-up shot.\u00a0 If you happen to be of the other persuasion will these bother you?\u00a0 Probably.\u00a0 Should you read it anyway?\u00a0 I think so.\u00a0 But remember I\u2019m a terrible person and worse, I have a sense of humor.<\/p>\n
And finally mention of the trekkie angle.\u00a0 There is a small amount of Star Trek plot that dredges up mention of Kirk and Shatner and the associated hagiography.\u00a0 Suffice it to say that there is a comical congruence between the pretentious prima donna that was Shatner and the current captain in the book.\u00a0 There is even a reference to him performing a \u201cshatner.\u201d\u00a0 Now of course, Shatner mockery is required reading at the academy but I have to add five points to the review grade to cover these goings on.<\/p>\n
So if you want my opinion, read this book unless you\u2019re a literary sff type.\u00a0 In that case run, run for the hills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nick Cole\u2019s CTRL ALT REVOLT! (CAR!) is a 2016 publication that was rejected by his original publisher.\u00a0 This was probably because it takes a number<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[241,237,4,242],"tags":[50,49,79,38],"class_list":["post-637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-reviews","category-reviews","category-sff","category-sff-book-reviews","tag-dragon-awards","tag-hugo-awards","tag-nick-cole","tag-review"],"yoast_head":"\n