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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Alternate Title:
I came across DEFENDERS as a fan of McIntosh's. His post-apocalyptic SOFT APOCALYPSE and sci-fi/romance/critique LOVE MINUS EIGHTY were great readers, so I came into the book with high expectations. Now, when I say I was let down by this book, understand that I entered DEFENDERS very excited by both the premise and author. If you're not familiar with the premise, here it is:
The Earth is under attack by alien forces, and we're losing. There's no doubt that we're losing a war with a strange, bizarre starfish-like alien force. In our desperation, scientists banded together to create The Defenders, a genetic mish-mash of scary warlike physicality, scary warlike mentality, and scary warlike everything. The Defenders live up to their name and defend the Earth, beating back the alien invasion, but what happens after that? What happens with these Frankenstein's Monsters now?
What I like about McIntosh is his desire to explore some of the more worn ideas of science-fiction. SOFT APOCALYPSE, for example: the end-of-the-world is a tried-and-true trope, but the book looks at what the end of the world actually WOULD look like. How does society change? How do people behave differently? What do people think about, and how do they earn a living? McIntosh brings the same thoughtfulness to DEFENDERS, which is great, but there's a problem that undermines the book.
The problem is that this book is too short for the story. Although I'm not a fan of "series", DEFENDERS could have easily worked as a trilogy. Turning it into a trilogy, based on the "Parts" this book is divided into, would have smoothed out some of the rough edges of DEFENDERS. The narrative jumps in time awkwardly -- we're given the date at the beginning of the chapter, and SOMETIMES we're informed by this date (via parentheses) that time has passed, but not always. The results were that the reader has to flip between chapters to tell how much time, if any, has passed between these scenes. Additionally, the characters don't have enough time to live their lives in front of us. There are some terrific character moments, but often, we see these characters moving the plot forward. One example is the description of two characters' early love-lives. It's a sweet moment, and it feels intensely human. Given more room, I'm confident that McIntosh would have included more moments, as he's done in LOVE MINUS EIGHTY and SOFT APOCALYPSE. As it stands now, it feels like significant portions of DEFENDERS has been removed for the same of time/space.
But here's the thing: I'd recommend this book heartily to friends. There's a lot to like about DEFENDERS, and it's ripe with ideas and allusions. It's as thoughtful as his other books -- it's just that the thoughtfulness has been applied to the plot rather than the characters/setting this time around. Give it a look.
I came across DEFENDERS as a fan of McIntosh's. His post-apocalyptic SOFT APOCALYPSE and sci-fi/romance/critique LOVE MINUS EIGHTY were great readers, so I came into the book with high expectations. Now, when I say I was let down by this book, understand that I entered DEFENDERS very excited by both the premise and author. If you're not familiar with the premise, here it is:
The Earth is under attack by alien forces, and we're losing. There's no doubt that we're losing a war with a strange, bizarre starfish-like alien force. In our desperation, scientists banded together to create The Defenders, a genetic mish-mash of scary warlike physicality, scary warlike mentality, and scary warlike everything. The Defenders live up to their name and defend the Earth, beating back the alien invasion, but what happens after that? What happens with these Frankenstein's Monsters now?
What I like about McIntosh is his desire to explore some of the more worn ideas of science-fiction. SOFT APOCALYPSE, for example: the end-of-the-world is a tried-and-true trope, but the book looks at what the end of the world actually WOULD look like. How does society change? How do people behave differently? What do people think about, and how do they earn a living? McIntosh brings the same thoughtfulness to DEFENDERS, which is great, but there's a problem that undermines the book.
The problem is that this book is too short for the story. Although I'm not a fan of "series", DEFENDERS could have easily worked as a trilogy. Turning it into a trilogy, based on the "Parts" this book is divided into, would have smoothed out some of the rough edges of DEFENDERS. The narrative jumps in time awkwardly -- we're given the date at the beginning of the chapter, and SOMETIMES we're informed by this date (via parentheses) that time has passed, but not always. The results were that the reader has to flip between chapters to tell how much time, if any, has passed between these scenes. Additionally, the characters don't have enough time to live their lives in front of us. There are some terrific character moments, but often, we see these characters moving the plot forward. One example is the description of two characters' early love-lives. It's a sweet moment, and it feels intensely human. Given more room, I'm confident that McIntosh would have included more moments, as he's done in LOVE MINUS EIGHTY and SOFT APOCALYPSE. As it stands now, it feels like significant portions of DEFENDERS has been removed for the same of time/space.
But here's the thing: I'd recommend this book heartily to friends. There's a lot to like about DEFENDERS, and it's ripe with ideas and allusions. It's as thoughtful as his other books -- it's just that the thoughtfulness has been applied to the plot rather than the characters/setting this time around. Give it a look.
Una cosa es suspensión de la incredulidad y otra lo de este libro que no tiene aprovechamiento ninguno. Se puede uno creer que nos invadan estrellas de mar gigantes del espacio capaces de leer nuestra mente, que desarrollemos unos súper soldados ¿con tres piernas y gigantes? cuya mente no pueden leer para que nos defiendan. Pero que no se nos ocurra ponerles alguna salvaguarda por si las moscas o que les entreguemos Australia para que se establezcan y les dejemos medrar y....
Nada, malísimo.
Nada, malísimo.
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A dark book that really had me feeling for the characters. The time jumps were startling at times but iverall made sense to tell the story in a more appropriately timed way. The feeling of darkness and hopelessness was perfectly done and the last arc was a perfect tie in of the first two. I wish the book ended a little differently on the last like 3 page chapter. But overall still a great end to a great book
I galloped through this highly enjoyable sci fi book, full of telepathic alien starfish and genetically engineered soldiers, in 24 hours. The overall plot is somewhat predictable, but it's very well executed and the details kept me interested. This would make a great movie!
About a quarter of the way through Defenders, Oliver Bowen – a CIA operative – is transported in a submarine to a secret base on Easter Island. There he’s introduced to the Defenders, genetically engineered super soldiers, seventeen foot tall with three legs and a mastery of tactics who have been born and bred to save humanity from an invading force of starfish shaped aliens. The Luytens (those would be the aliens) began their invasion of Earth a few years previously and due to their technological dominance, and a happy knack of reading the mind of any human within an eight mile radius, they’ve been winning the war. Since their arrival, an estimated three billion or so people have been killed. The Defenders are seen as humanities only chance for survival. Not only are they tall and fast and experts in military strategy, the Defenders also lack serotonin, the key neurotransmitter that allows the Luytens to know what we’re thinking.
It’s an intriguing enough set-up and McIntosh does an excellent job in treating the war between humanity and the Luytens as more a slaughter than a fair fight between two equal forces. There’s a number of harrowing moments where we see the starfish in action, killing soldiers and civilians alike just because they can predict exactly what that person intends to do. In particular, there’s one frightening scene where thousands of people, evacuating Atlanta, become sitting ducks for the Luytens on the highway leading out of town. As our hero, Lila, and her father run for their lives, we are provided with a glimpse of the massacre as people are burnt to a crisp, stuck in their vehicles.
But the moment Oliver is introduced to the Defenders, the moment he is told that they have been engineered to hate and kill Luytens, I knew exactly where the novel was headed. I knew (and this is a spoiler) that the Defenders would beat the Luytens. I knew that the Defenders, bred only for war, would eventually turn on their creators. And I knew that humanity would ally with the remaining Luytens (because I was sure some would survive) and find a way to stop the Defenders. And because I could see the entire book mapped out in front of me, any of the tension, horror and tragedy McIntosh had created in the first quarter of the novel was lost.
So why did I keep reading? Partly because McIntosh keeps the chapters nice and short and the action – as predictable as it is – moves at a pace. And partly because I was hoping that McIntosh would do something surprising with the narrative. And there’s a suggestion, at least in the second part of the novel, that McIntosh is aiming for something more than just the creation turning on the creator trope. Specifically, after the Defenders beat the Luytens and they surrender, the Defenders request a home of their own. Hilariously, they want Australia and the Alliance (a wartime UN) decide to agree to that request. (Yes, us Aussies get sent to the wilds of Canada). 15 years later, an envoy of diplomats are sent to Australia, on invitation from the Defenders, to discuss relationships moving forward. And this is where I thought McIntosh would move in a different direction, because we get to see the culture that the Defenders have created for themselves since the war with the Luytens. It’s really good stuff, and there’s some genuine insights to the Defender’s make-up as they struggle with high culture at the same time hoping, wishing, that their creators will admire what they’ve achieved.
But then things turn to shit and we’re back to widespread destruction and slaughter as the Defenders – spurned by their creators – take revenge on humanity. The last half of the novel is death, death and more death as our heroes fight, escape, nearly die and run away from the Defenders only to eventually join with the Luytens in a desperate bid to fight back.
I know you should only review the book you were given, not the book you wanted, but I can’t help but feel that McIntosh took the easy way out in terms of plot and narrative. The death of billions becomes a statistic rather than a tragedy and the plight of his characters (Lila, Oliver, Kai and Dominique), all flawed and broken given they’re all survivors of the war with the Lutyens, isn’t enough to elevate the book beyond it’s very predictable and basic trappings. There are some great moments in this novel and a promise of something different. Unfortunately it never eventuates.
It’s an intriguing enough set-up and McIntosh does an excellent job in treating the war between humanity and the Luytens as more a slaughter than a fair fight between two equal forces. There’s a number of harrowing moments where we see the starfish in action, killing soldiers and civilians alike just because they can predict exactly what that person intends to do. In particular, there’s one frightening scene where thousands of people, evacuating Atlanta, become sitting ducks for the Luytens on the highway leading out of town. As our hero, Lila, and her father run for their lives, we are provided with a glimpse of the massacre as people are burnt to a crisp, stuck in their vehicles.
But the moment Oliver is introduced to the Defenders, the moment he is told that they have been engineered to hate and kill Luytens, I knew exactly where the novel was headed. I knew (and this is a spoiler) that the Defenders would beat the Luytens. I knew that the Defenders, bred only for war, would eventually turn on their creators. And I knew that humanity would ally with the remaining Luytens (because I was sure some would survive) and find a way to stop the Defenders. And because I could see the entire book mapped out in front of me, any of the tension, horror and tragedy McIntosh had created in the first quarter of the novel was lost.
So why did I keep reading? Partly because McIntosh keeps the chapters nice and short and the action – as predictable as it is – moves at a pace. And partly because I was hoping that McIntosh would do something surprising with the narrative. And there’s a suggestion, at least in the second part of the novel, that McIntosh is aiming for something more than just the creation turning on the creator trope. Specifically, after the Defenders beat the Luytens and they surrender, the Defenders request a home of their own. Hilariously, they want Australia and the Alliance (a wartime UN) decide to agree to that request. (Yes, us Aussies get sent to the wilds of Canada). 15 years later, an envoy of diplomats are sent to Australia, on invitation from the Defenders, to discuss relationships moving forward. And this is where I thought McIntosh would move in a different direction, because we get to see the culture that the Defenders have created for themselves since the war with the Luytens. It’s really good stuff, and there’s some genuine insights to the Defender’s make-up as they struggle with high culture at the same time hoping, wishing, that their creators will admire what they’ve achieved.
But then things turn to shit and we’re back to widespread destruction and slaughter as the Defenders – spurned by their creators – take revenge on humanity. The last half of the novel is death, death and more death as our heroes fight, escape, nearly die and run away from the Defenders only to eventually join with the Luytens in a desperate bid to fight back.
I know you should only review the book you were given, not the book you wanted, but I can’t help but feel that McIntosh took the easy way out in terms of plot and narrative. The death of billions becomes a statistic rather than a tragedy and the plight of his characters (Lila, Oliver, Kai and Dominique), all flawed and broken given they’re all survivors of the war with the Lutyens, isn’t enough to elevate the book beyond it’s very predictable and basic trappings. There are some great moments in this novel and a promise of something different. Unfortunately it never eventuates.
It's a little on the nose--after an invasion by giant telepathic starfish, humans create serotonin-lacking "defender" soldiers (part autistic, part cyborg) whose minds they can't read. When these do exactly what it says on the tin and get alienated from society (and know it), humans and starfish must somehow work together to save what's left of somewhere to live. Told from the perspective of an AS CIA interrogator, a 13 year old orphan and a brilliant female VR programmer, this is old-school science fiction, updated for a 21st century catastrophe but with classic heavy handed lessons about the dangers of meddling with nature, even for survival reasons.
One of the best Science Fiction novels I've read in the last few years. Full review to come...
Wow. That was a powerful novel.
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http://abitterdraft.com/2014/04/defenders-by-will-mcintosh.html
Last year, Will McIntosh’s social science novel Love Minus Eighty took many genre readers by surprise in its exploration of human feelings. McIntosh changed things up this time around with Defenders, a novel about an alien invasion of Earth.
An alien race known as the Luyten have invaded Earth, wreaking havoc throughout the planet with their heat guns, melting people, cars, and buildings alike. The Luyten have a distinct and incredible advantage over humanity – they’re telepathic. They can read minds. How unfair is that? Turns out it’s extremely unfair, and humanity is on the brink of destruction; thousands are dying whenever a group of Luyten – often called “Starfish” by the protagonists – attack. Nothing Earth’s generals can come up with works because the Starfish know it’s coming. In a last-ditch effort, Earth’s most brilliant minds create the defenders – seventeen foot-tall beings who know nothing but war. They’re missing serotonin, the chemical in the brain that controls feelings, therefore the Luyten can’t use telepathy on them.
The blurb is fairly misleading in that upon reading it, you’d think that the war is over and the issue of what to do with the defenders is the main plot. Nearly half of the story is actually prior to the engineering of the defenders, while humanity is getting its ass kicked by the Luyten. We’re brought through the brutality of the war through the eyes of Lila, Oliver, and Kai, and no punches are held. McIntosh’s prose is elegant, but also simple – something I’d liken to Mark Lawrence. They both write beautifully, but succinctly – not flowery, overbearing, or “purple” as some call it. The structure of Defenders is strange in that, as mentioned before, the blurb doesn’t describe the novel’s full plot, and thus it’s difficult to talk about without spoiling.
Defenders is a deceptively deep novel. On the surface, it reads fast, but beneath it, McIntosh continues his exploration of human nature and what it is to be human. One scene in particular stood out:
"Humans made defenders with three legs, because you see us as valuable, but not as valuable as humans. Mammals have four legs, insects six, and Luyten either six or seven. So killing a Luyten means nothing, but you should only kill a dog if you intend to eat it. Do you think that makes sense?"
It’s very thought-provoking stuff. The interactions with the defenders are where it really stands out. Lacking serotonin and therefore emotion, they try to do things that they see humans do in their warlike manner, but the effect isn’t the same as it would be if a human did it. The inability of the defenders to properly interact with their creators leads them to distance defender society from that of the humans, and that’s when the conflict mentioned in the blurb begins.
Will McIntosh’s Defenders is definitely one of the best science fiction novels I’ve read in recent time. The characters are deep enough that you’ll feel various things for them, ranging from annoyance, to hatred, to love, and that’s where McIntosh thrives – in his characters. Orbit continues to earn its reputation as one of the top publishers in the business.
-------
http://abitterdraft.com/2014/04/defenders-by-will-mcintosh.html
Last year, Will McIntosh’s social science novel Love Minus Eighty took many genre readers by surprise in its exploration of human feelings. McIntosh changed things up this time around with Defenders, a novel about an alien invasion of Earth.
An alien race known as the Luyten have invaded Earth, wreaking havoc throughout the planet with their heat guns, melting people, cars, and buildings alike. The Luyten have a distinct and incredible advantage over humanity – they’re telepathic. They can read minds. How unfair is that? Turns out it’s extremely unfair, and humanity is on the brink of destruction; thousands are dying whenever a group of Luyten – often called “Starfish” by the protagonists – attack. Nothing Earth’s generals can come up with works because the Starfish know it’s coming. In a last-ditch effort, Earth’s most brilliant minds create the defenders – seventeen foot-tall beings who know nothing but war. They’re missing serotonin, the chemical in the brain that controls feelings, therefore the Luyten can’t use telepathy on them.
The blurb is fairly misleading in that upon reading it, you’d think that the war is over and the issue of what to do with the defenders is the main plot. Nearly half of the story is actually prior to the engineering of the defenders, while humanity is getting its ass kicked by the Luyten. We’re brought through the brutality of the war through the eyes of Lila, Oliver, and Kai, and no punches are held. McIntosh’s prose is elegant, but also simple – something I’d liken to Mark Lawrence. They both write beautifully, but succinctly – not flowery, overbearing, or “purple” as some call it. The structure of Defenders is strange in that, as mentioned before, the blurb doesn’t describe the novel’s full plot, and thus it’s difficult to talk about without spoiling.
Defenders is a deceptively deep novel. On the surface, it reads fast, but beneath it, McIntosh continues his exploration of human nature and what it is to be human. One scene in particular stood out:
"Humans made defenders with three legs, because you see us as valuable, but not as valuable as humans. Mammals have four legs, insects six, and Luyten either six or seven. So killing a Luyten means nothing, but you should only kill a dog if you intend to eat it. Do you think that makes sense?"
It’s very thought-provoking stuff. The interactions with the defenders are where it really stands out. Lacking serotonin and therefore emotion, they try to do things that they see humans do in their warlike manner, but the effect isn’t the same as it would be if a human did it. The inability of the defenders to properly interact with their creators leads them to distance defender society from that of the humans, and that’s when the conflict mentioned in the blurb begins.
Will McIntosh’s Defenders is definitely one of the best science fiction novels I’ve read in recent time. The characters are deep enough that you’ll feel various things for them, ranging from annoyance, to hatred, to love, and that’s where McIntosh thrives – in his characters. Orbit continues to earn its reputation as one of the top publishers in the business.
Hmm. It's an engaging, get-to-next-chapter read with well-drawn, conflicted characters, high stakes and a lot of thrills but something about it left me oddly flat. I'd recommend it - it's a a great piece of nuanced military SF - but the aliens somehow never quite came to life for me. A seven out of ten? Possibly not a good read for Australians.