RebelFire: Out of the Gray Zone
by Claire Wolfe; Aaron Zelman
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Book Summary Information
Author: Claire Wolfe; Aaron ZelmanEdition: Paperback
Published: 2005-05
ISBN: 0964230488
Number of pages: 227
Publisher: RebelFire Press
Book Reviews of RebelFire: Out of the Gray Zone
Book Review: The World Our Children Will Inherit
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not going to tell you about the plot of this book. All you need to know about the plot is in the little blurb above the reviews. I'm not going to gush about how thrilling, engrossing, well written and vibrantly emotional this book happens to be -- though it's all those things.
I'm addressing this review to two groups:
Science Fiction fans, because this is the real deal, my fellow brothers and sisters in sense o' wonder. And to parents, because this is a book both you and your children need to read. This is a book about the world your children are going to inherit.
I won't lecture you on politics (neither will the book) but I'll extend you the benefit of the doubt that you are observant, thoughtful and interested enough in your life to notice those little changes that seem to come a little quicker with each passing day. Those little sacrifices you are asked to endure. While they happen, they tend to be painless, like a mosquito bite. But...they do pile up on you. What happens ten years down the road as these daily little sacrifices are counted? Fifteen?
That's where the SF part comes in. Wolfe and Zelman tackle what I consider the toughest nut in literary SF: the near term immersive novel. They pull it off spectacularly. This is no guided tour through a future. It's not a dystopia or a utopia. The authors do not fall to the temptation to take the easy way out. Instead, they give us a vivid, believable, but scarily different society that resembles today the way a gangly teenager resembles his baby pictures. I say this as an absolute and utter science fiction snob. Rebelfire is a wonderful first novel for any genre, but for the authors to tackle such a difficult type of SF novel on the first go and succeed so well is quite the feat.
The world they present is one we do not wish to believe, but it's constructed from things going on now. If anything, it's conservative in it's doomcrying.
And that's where you parents come in: this is an important book. Its themes are the same as almost every laudable young adult novel I can name: the power of believing in yourself and your dreams. The importance of bravery in the face of adversity. The supreme need for loyalty to and from those we love. There is no lack of adventure, but it's adventure of an oddly personal, realistic type. There are no shining heroes or last ditch rescues. The people and events of Rebelfire are conflicted and fallible; the events are quiet but no less momentous.
This is a book that you and your children need to read, and discuss. This is a book that may make your children pay a closer eye to current events, and ask clearer questions about social institutions like government and politics.
So. SF fans, pick up the book and be one of those people who can say 'Oh yeah. I remember that when it was just a small press book.' Our genre is being compressed and overwhelmed by franchise crap based on TV shows and movies. Major publishers seem less and less willing to take a chance on anything provocative, or deeply felt, or passionate. Remember that [i]we[/i] are the people who demand books like Rebelfire. If we don't support them when they appear, well...we'd better learn to enjoy STAR WARS novelizations.
And parents, buy this book. Read it first, then pass it to the kids. Be prepared for some hard questions. Some thoughts your child may have never encountered before. Some thoughts you may have never encountered before. This is a book from which many conversations will be born.
Because, I'm sad to say, in this book is the world your children will inherit, unless we start changing things in our own small ways now.
And it's not too late.
Summary of RebelFire: Out of the Gray Zone
Jeremy has a dream: To be the greatest lightmaker for the greatest west coast rock band, RebelFire. But what can he do? He's just a kid. A kid trapped in a prison-like school. Trapped in a world where dreams are ?treated? with drugs ? and roving patrols make sure you take your dose. Trapped in the Zone, where travel without a permit is impossible. Trapped under the all-controlling eye of spycams, sensors, and monitors. Trapped by the chip in his wrist that regulates everything Jeremy can ? or can't ? do. Trapped in a world where some far-off control freak can even decide what music he's allowed ? or forbidden ? to hear. Jeremy's only choice is to shut up and do as he's ordered. But some people were never meant to be controlled ... Enter the world of "RebelFire: Out of the Gray Zone". Experience the book. Hear the music. The first four chapters can be read online at www.rebelfirerock.comSubjects Books
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