Revolution World, by Katy Stauber.
Night Shade Books, Near-future Sci-Fi, paperback, 232 pages.
My copy: Won in a competition.
Pros: Hilarious Texans, fast-paced, hijinks galore.
Cons: Heavy on the suspension of disbelief, some melodrama.
In a line: A bizarre family of bio-engineering Texans take on a post-collapse US Government.
“Fire-breathing cows, ninja Pomeranians, marijuana bombs, hovercars, laser guns, and vampires.”
Them Texans Be Crazy, Y’all
I may be at a bit of a disadantage in enjoying the subtle humour in Revolution World. This is because I am Australian, and thus unable to boast a significant knowledge of Texan history or character. However, thanks to the buffoonish behaviour exhibited by a few notable Texans I’m aware of, I’ve got a fair idea of the stereotypes that float around of this fine state. I believe I’ve been saved from missing out on too much, though, because the humour in Revolution World is delivered like the action: fast, hard, and with a swift upside-the-head motion.
Revolution World dumps us into a near-future Texas. The world is malfunctioning worse than presently by an order of magnitude. The US Government’s become a totalitarian regime, throwing dissidents and citizens alike into torture prisons and ‘disappearing’ them without warning. The world’s situation seems equally dire, and the United Nations is a toothless bureaucracy.
In this near-future, the economies and ecologies of the world have collapsed. Presumably as a way of dealing with the latter, biotechnology and genetic modifications abound throughout the planet. Blazing the way is the Somata family, headed by a cantankerously efficient matron. The action closerly follows the adventures of her four daughters. They could almost form a superhero team, as each is pulled into instantly recognisable yet surprisingly heartwarming roles: the reckless tomboy, the nerd, the scientist…
Our other heroes are an uncle-and-newphew team of nerds who make their way to this particular area of Texas to establish a data centre for their technology company. Initially distrusted by the insular Texans, they soon broach some friendships over that timeless combination of food and alcohol. Along the way we learn that, as well as being fiercely independent, the Texans are all as hard as nails, constantly armed, and bloody generous hosts.
Awesome fun
With a little bit of technological hand-waving (does anyone really ‘gently tweak a rotating representation of a fourth dimensional differential equation?’) Stauber builds herself a world where she can effortlessly justify any number of cool things.
Not that I’m against a little bit of hand-waving, and in Stauber’s case, she does it smoothly enough that I’m not going to complain. The little bits of exposition scattered through the book are more than satisfactory, and they just hold back the awesomeness from happening.
And what awesomeness there is! Mutant, rabid bunny rabbits, stoppable only with small arms fire and grenades. Monty Python And The Holy Grail only had the one. These ones breed. Fire-breathing cows. She wasn’t kidding about the ninja Pomeranians, either. A vampire or two makes an appearance. EMP’s get tossed about with gay abandon. It’s like Stauber drank a bottle of tequila, sat down with some fellow nerds and wannabe revolutionaries, and said “OK, let’s brainstorm a list of FRAKKING AWESOME stuff, and then I’ma stick it all in a novel, y’all!”* There isn’t rhyme or reason to it, but it’s great fun nonetheless.
Romance and plot
There are a few slow-building, smoldering-style romance moments in here as well. Good, old-fashioned awkwardness, some hilarious misinterpretations, and a few setbacks. Just what a solid story needs. There’s a plot here, too, about revolution and secrets, but it’s not that thick, and I’ll leave you to enjoy that on your own. In fact, the entire plot’s summed up on the blurb, so if you’d rather a surprise, just jump straight in and enjoy.
I couldn’t help but feel that if I was either Texan myself, or had a stronger appreciated of Texas history, I’d have got a lot more out of Revolution World. As it is, the book is satisfying in itself, but lays excellent groundwork for any follow-ups to come.
Great fare
Revolution World is like a spread put on by an enthusiastic host. Sure, you’re going to get through it in one sitting. Yes, it’s probably not the most elegant or lean of meals. But Revolution World never pretends it’s not what it is. Revolution World is a fantastic, fast-paced debut, filled with wit, snappy dialogue, and some genuinely hilarious developments. It’s got blistering pace, interesting characters, and enough Southern flavours to keep you licking your lips long after you finish.
Revolution World gets 6.5 deep-friend chicken legs. You can read an interview with Katy here.
You can buy Revolution World on Amazon here.
*Accent and tequila drinking purely speculative.
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