AFTERWORLD

A near-future SF novel focuses on politics and war.

Thanks to a mishap at a remote government lab, life in the United States has completely been altered. After a virus known as Xr93P was leaked to the world, everything was upended. Global wars and mutations have created a landscape that can be best described as post-apocalyptic. There are even new creatures such as the cat-humans known as Cathabiens. Simon Crandall was 8 years old when the virus escaped. Although at the outset of the story Simon claims to be a humble civilian, he is anything but. Simon is a “captain of the Loftlin Frontier Rangers,” and he is on a mission to warn his fellow humans that a group called the Monknarrs, mutated primate-human hybrids, is planning to invade. The Monknarrs are vicious fighters who do not mind attacking en masse even if it results in heavy casualties. When Simon is finally able to return home to share what he’s learned, he is met with resistance. He is even charged with treason. This may be a world that has undergone a complete upheaval, but it is still one filled with politics and betrayals. The charges against Simon are just the tip of the iceberg. McBee’s engrossing narrative follows Simon and others as they navigate this complex and brutal setting, where violence is the name of the game. A whole gamut of weaponry includes everything from nuclear missiles to “crude spears” and a 105-millimeter cannon. The cannon is used in a particularly tense, action-filled scene in which the Monknarrs bombard a human city. It is an old-fashioned siege (complete with siege towers) that gives the story a sharp, militaristic edge. But dialogue can slow things down, as when characters ask direct, obvious questions. For example, queries like “Why did you bring me down here?”; “What are we going to do?”; and “How are we going to stop him?” can make the tale feel longer than it is. Nevertheless, the overall story puts a spin on the standard dystopian yarn in an exciting way.

A nuanced and thrilling take on a bellicose future.