Review: Thought-provoking techno thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 26, 2014
I was quite taken with the concept of this near-future techno thriller. If you think China plans to take over the world with cheap consumer goods, this novella paints a totally different picture. It’s chilling, and as a piece of fiction, reads believably.The romance story that underpins the events of the book creates a nice contrast to the military and political aspects of the story. Lovers Alex and Gloria are the collateral damage to which the title refers - two people that have their lives irrevocably changed by war, as so many innocent people do.The book is told in a mixture of narrative styles, with different characters and technical insight into the mechanics of modern warfare. It almost has a documentary feel about it. The first missile strike outside the Drunken Chicken restaurant early in the book is vividly described, sudden and brutal. This is not a book that glorifies warfare in any way. There’s rather a nice line near the end that sums it up: “War creates misery for every living creature.”I received a free copy of this interesting and thought-provoking book in exchange for an honest non-reciprocal review.