Hellisen’s work is shot through with mordant, often wry humor, especially from Aleks. This does leaven and lighten the mood and tone at points and primes the reader for the next dark twist and turn.
If one wanted to characterize the high concept of this audio drama as “an audio version of World War Z, except dragons instead of zombies” you would have the general gist of what Proehl is going for, here.
Masculinity in Contemporary Science Fiction by Men: No Plans for the Future by Sara Martin is an academic study of several male authors and their relatively recent work. The book, in their own words: “Exploring a broad selection of writers and works, the fourteen chapters present a panoramic overview of men’s contributions to current SF and explore their slow but noticeable progress in the representation of gender. The impact of feminism and gender studies, and the demands of readers, have profoundly transformed men’s SF, which now presents far more caring and vulnerable male characters. The old stereotypes are being replaced by a collective reflection on how men and masculinity are changing, though the lack of a common agenda results in novels that, while exciting and often challenging, sometimes miss the chance to imagine a better, anti-patriarchal, pro-feminist future for men and for all human beings…”
“…In other words, the story really is a love letter to professional wrestling, and it shows, in a lighthearted and fun way, how a wrestling league might form in a sword and sorcery city.”
Readers who are at all interested in how and why Rome has been an influence on cultures for 2,000 years will enjoy this well written, informative and engaging book.
In any event, if you are hoping for futuristic Romans in Space where the Empire never fell, you are getting none of that here.
