Review: A Grand Science Fiction Epic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 2, 2012
The title works two fold. It not only refers to how soldiers should put aside all fear, doubt and guilt to get the job done, but also refers to the more personal matters to hero Mac. He has a device implanted in his head that allows him to stream data from various computers and eletronics directly into his brian and eyes, lets him control "Basilisk" fighter drones with his mind, and some surprising uses that pop up later in. However, when used incorrectly it can be used as a drug that allows people to turn off the world and lose themselves "in the link". This leads to several unfortunate side effects, cheifly supressing emotions to the point where one just doesn't care or feel. Not only does Mac depend on his data link for missions and battles, but he uses it as an escape after several tragedies, both on and off the battlefeild. This threatens his very humanity while making him a better soldier as he struggles to find a balance between the two worlds.For a story set in the distant future, it often feels like it's only a few years away. Old fashioned bullets and missles are used more often than various lasers (it even almost sounds like the aliens' weaponry isn't much more advanced than ours). There's an impressive amount of military jargon (though I was a little confused at first) that would make you think this is a war in the real world. And while there are spaceships of varying size and ability, flying cars, and holographic imagery, it never gets too fantastical and stays rather down to earth, which some might find ironic, but I found that to be the books' greatest strength. A prime example is the alien Rilz. We really don't get to see them most of the time and even when they're around we don't get a very clear description other than that they're reptilian. This helps make them mysterious and scary; almost faceless. Which in turns makes them enigmatic, ever threatening antagonists in a war that's all about survival.This is quite possibly the most grounded sci-fi epic you'll ever read. And I mean that in the best way possible. If they could figure out how to visualize elements like the various ways Mac uses the data link and how it "reaches out" to him & affects his emotions, it would probably make a really good movie or big budgeted TV Mini-Series. And I'd gladly watch.