A review by emleemay
The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

4.0

I realized I might never know what really happened here. War was all about the annihilation of truth. Every good dictator and CEO knows that.

What a fabulous mind fuck.

I read this book because it came highly recommended, but I have to say I would not usually gravitate towards something called a "space opera". People and aliens fighting wars just doesn't seem that exciting to me. But this book is a thrill-ride. Seriously. It's fast-paced and compelling, it's mind-bendy and weird, and Dietz has such an interesting and endearing narrative voice that I had to know what happened.

Basically, it's the future and corporate giants rule, not only on a ruined Earth, but in space as well. Grueling training prepares soldiers like Dietz for battle against the independent settlers of Mars, who made millions of people - including Dietz's family - disappear from São Paolo.

"You accept reality," my father said. "This reality. That will keep you safe for now, my little mouse. But promise me that when you come of age you'll ask questions. Promise me you'll strive for some other future than the one we gave you."

In this future, technology allows people to travel at the speed of light. How? By breaking them down into atoms and turning them into light itself. Sound dangerous? It is. Soldiers don't always survive the journey, and others experience strange effects. Dietz is one of this latter group. After experiencing the first jump, Dietz is suddenly living the war in non-linear time.

The novel jumps around from missions that should have already happened to futures that Dietz shouldn't be experiencing. What emerges from Dietz having foreknowledge of the war is a completely different picture than the one being sold by the Corporate Corps. Piecing together the entire picture is a heart-pounding experience. I was horrified but I couldn't look away.

"It's important that we tell ourselves stories, Private Dietz. There's a theory that consciousness itself begins with story. Stories are how we make sense of the world."

Easily the most terrifying aspect of [b:The Light Brigade|40523931|The Light Brigade|Kameron Hurley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537977912s/40523931.jpg|62896440] is how so much of the novel hits very close to home. Time travel aside, most of what happens is already happening and is extremely relevant today. War, fake news, climate change, corporate greed... this is our own world wrapped up a compulsively-readable sci-fi thriller. Highly recommended.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube