I just finished this book and have some thoughts, and since I have no one to talk to about it, and since there are almost 24 million members of this sub, maybe some folks here will have read it.
This book was fun. The main plot had some interesting mystery to it. I think it’s intended to be as jarring for the reader as for the protagonist, but it’s not super hard to follow once you realize what’s happening, which is early on.
One thing I noticed that I wanted to point out is how accurate the soldiers are as characters to reality. I think the advent of the internet has gone a long way toward dispelling misconceptions about soldiers (or any service members, such as marines, sailors, etc) and how they are as human beings in day-to-day life. The stereotypical grunt with the high and tight polishing his boots in the barracks, expressing their feelings, their anxiety, their dissent, their exhaustion, their confusion etc. It’s refreshing.
This book reminded me a lot of Starship Troopers. Less so the book than the movie. It encapsulated the fervent hatred of the enemy, the “I’m doing my part” orders following, the revenge for a lost city, etc. Even the training sequence were reminiscent of Starship Troopers, with the discussion of why one needs to learn a seemingly antiquated skill, and a team taking a casualty during a training Op. I think that it has a lot of the same politics, as well, though not presented satirically.
I find it interesting how in the end Dietz makes the comparison of the corporations with old-world governments and even older-world ruling systems.
I’m a little confused about the ending. To me, it seems like Dietz caused the Blink, and that it was her bringing all of those people somewhere safe. Does that mean the corporations won?
I really enjoyed this book.
by Intermittent_Name