Liberation: Being the Adventures of the Slick Six after the Collapse of the United States of America
By Brian Francis Slattery
Tor, $14.95, 304 pages
Slattery posits an apocalypse precipitated by an economic collapse – the USA is no more, and many of the ills of its history are rising up again. Slavery, power-mongering, criminality – who better to repair what is broken than the very best of the worst, the most notorious criminals in history? Led by a tough named Marco, the Slick Six use their skills to cross the country, rising up against the Aardvark, the godfather who stepped in to fill the void left by the government.
Liberation blends the past, present, and future seamlessly. From paragraph to paragraph, Slattery moves the reader around the world at the speed of the “return” stroke on the keyboard, and each paragraph is seemingly disconnected from the last, yet the book blends into a hopeful, complete narrative. One is reminded of the work of William Faulkner or James Joyce.
The integration of America’s dystopian future with its sordid past makes for a compelling reading, and though the characters are archetypal, they are the archetypes which make America – flowing prose, a unique premise, and a multilayer story that is as complex as any human tale – these qualities make Liberation a beautifully sculpted read, and one I highly recommend.
Reviewed by John Ottinger III
