Book Review: Liberation

Liberation: Being the Adventures of the Slick Six After the Collpase of the United States
9.5 of 10
Writer: Brian Francis Slattery





I love reading dystopian fiction because it, somewhat, gives you insight by letting you glimpse into the future, a nightmarish one. That insight raises your awareness, it prepares you, even giving you the courage and conviction to fight and prevent the terrifying things that will rob you of a terrific tomorrow. And in these times of economic recession, no work of speculative fiction can prepare you for a future of post-economic collapse than Brian Slattery's Liberation.

The story in Liberation focuses on the Slick Six, a cabal of skilled criminals, and their adventures in a financially ruined United States. Their nemesis is known as Aardvark, a mobster turned slaver, who, before the collapse, disbanded the Slick Six by sending Marco, the assassin of the group, into prison. But the U.S. is gone, the dollar died, and the laws that incarcerated Marco dissipated. Now Marco is a free man and he intends to unite the Slick Six and undo what the Aardvark has done.

This book is unique in many ways. But one aspect of it that I particularly find intriguing is its setting. The post-economic collapse America is now haunted by its past. Native Americans ride the plains, undoing the Manifest Destiny, taking back what's rightfully theirs. A war with Mexico erupting on the borders of Texas. But worse of all is the reincarnation of slavery. Another interesting aspect is the role-reversal theme. Criminals are now the lawmakers. Americans are now the refugees, starting their own barbecue joints in American Towns scattered across the globe.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Liberation, probably the best I've read this year. Brian Francis Slattery is a tremendous writer. He infused his book with a lot of music, dark humor and unique characters with even more unique names. But it was his vision of a post-economic collapse America that made me love it. It's just so real. Sometimes, I even find myself spooked, worrying about tomorrow and my dollars in the bank, instead of reading. So if you're bored, or oblivious to our current financial crisis, go grab and read this book. You'll like it.

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