Synopsis:
Implantation was supposed to be the savior of humanity. Enhancing brain function and skills for millions, it transformed the world … until The Glitch. Five years ago, implants suddenly malfunctioned. Many who had them dropped dead; those who lived became zombie-like drifters or murderous psychopaths. It was up to the un-implanted to rebuild a damaged society … or just survive another day.
Dalton falls into the survivor category. A convict turned Contracted Collection Agent, he is on a mission to earn his freedom in “The Sector,” an entire city abandoned to the Glitched. Once part of a team—now alone and edging ever closer to madness—he thinks only of his the number of implants he has to collect, by any means, in order to get out.
Then things begin to change. The Glitched start acting more human, displaying an increased awareness, moving in groups. Strange symbols start appearing on walls. When Dalton’s unseen handler orders him to investigate, Dalton has no choice but to obey. Soon he uncovers a terrifying secret at the heart of the Sector, one that could rule out the possibility of survival altogether … for anyone.
Review:
Hello again dear reader or listener, I hope you’re not suffering from the heat too much. It’s getting a little borderline even for me and I consider 30°C to be the perfect temperature.
When temps are this high or under any other circumstance when my brain is simply begging for an easy read, I turn to my popcorn genres. One such genre is post apocalyptic fiction for yours truly and, ever since Anthony Ryan (one of my auto-buys) decided to grace us with writing them, I have been immediately doing grabby hands any time he announces the next one because they hit the spot every single time.
With a big thanks to the author, for sending me an early copy of his next post apocalyptic thriller, Reapers, allow me to tell you dear reader why you should also be making the grabby hands for what could be just the right read to keep your spooky reads going.
What do I mean by an easy read you might wonder, and the answer is pretty straightforward. An easy/chill read for me is one with a fairly simple and non convoluted plot that follows a pretty contained or limited cast of characters. Most of the time it won’t be some big never been done before or revolutionary concept, nor will it need to for that matter. It will respectfully nod at its predecessors and carry you along for a good time. Kinda like your run of the mill summer blockbuster movie. Just because you may see the twists and plot beats coming doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy seeing how they will be delivered, in other words.
Reapers is that sort of book.
If Ryan’s previous post apocalypse, The Feeding, was parts I Am Legend and parts The Last of Us, then Reapers is Upgrade (2018) by way of Crichton with a certain touch of iRobot and Terminator (when you read it you’ll know exactly what I mean, trust me).
As the sharp and sassy man of culture that he is, Ryan presents the reader with the perfect allegory for our far too interesting times in the not so sneaky form of a “zombie” novel. In a world were everyone that matters (see: has money) or doesn’t want to be left behind (that stupid phrase familiar to anyone?) has implanted themselves with a brain chip that was supposed to propel humanity forward, it is the people with less means and the so-called luddites who are left to pick up the pieces after a glitch in the system upends the world as we know it. Corporate greed and fragile egos resulting in terrible things happening? Surely not. That never happens!
Meanwhile the protagonist, Dalton, is the most down to earth and realistic apocalypse survivor you can imagine. He is not really heroic, barely capable with a gun, lonely, and is moving forward mostly by inertia and lingering stubbornness by the time we meet him. And yet his inner monologue and his self awareness in the way he moves through this broken world endears him to the reader in a myriad little ways. From his prolonged isolation slowly driving him over the edge and the small games he plays to keep that at bay, to his hyperbolically affected anger at the indifferent machine effectively in charge of his survival. It is the little assurances and certainties in life that ground a character like him and when something begins to change and challenge those things, Dalton may need to shake himself out of the numbness and face a reality that might be too much to even consider.
There is a niggling feeling of wrongness, of things not being as they appear right from the get go and it only builds and builds. You know something big is coming and you might guess at parts of it, but Ryan manages to surprise the reader nonetheless. And that is what keeps you turning those pages, much like eating popcorn.
Finally, Reapers is a fast clipped novel, with a cast of characters that sometimes feels of the blink and you’ll miss them variety – nobody is safe after all – which, granted, doesn’t really allow for a lot of emotional investment, aside from a few notable exceptions. It does however lend itself well to the darker humor side of this story and, considering the nature of the plot overall, it didn’t come across as a negative to me personally. I will admit that once I clocked that turnover however I lost interest in trying to keep proper track of people’s names for a select few chapters.
Let me summarize a little differently that my usual then.
Are you more than a little tired of real world antics and AI bs being pushed down your throat, and needing to feel seen/vindicated by subtle and not so subtle commentary?
Are you looking for a good time with some fun action, a clever turn of phrase or two, and a protagonist that keeps it real?
Do you need an easy read to take anywhere that allows you a few uninterrupted hours of chill?
Do you like post apocalyptic thrillers and/or cats?
If the answer to any of those is yes, then your best bet, coming to the US this November 2nd, is Reapers by Anthony Ryan.
Until next time,
Eleni A. E.
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