War stories, in the realm of Fantasy and Science Fiction, are a dime a dozen - almost entirely expected. Sadly, they aren’t really always told in a compelling way. Most of the time, you’re left with: this force vs. that force, good vs. evil, north vs. south, west vs. east, or this race vs. that race. Yeah, I’d hate to say it but the sophistication, complication, and confusion of war is rarely something that is properly explored, even in more classic titles (you know which ones I mean, admit it). But, what happens if there was a tale of war that strictly focused on the aspects of war? Would something like that work so well? Adrian Tchaikovsky’s war stricken earth is one full of corporate dominance, logical warfare advances, and battlefield confusion. Ground forces fight, but are ultimately seen as expendable, given little or reused weaponry. Those that have a chance, or adequate weaponry, are either those of extraordinary skill, or are those whom have been ‘invested in’ by corporations - given advances such as personally controlled remote drones and exoskeletons. Scions, mech-like constructs housing the sons and relatives of CEOs and rich families, as well as sophisticated technology and weaponry, roam the battlefield in an effort to both hold back the enemy and represent their respective companies. ‘Chipped and shipped’ insect-like devices block radar, obscuring objectives, and preventing planes from spying. It’s a terrible place to be, but Tchaikovsky doesn’t stop there. Ironclads is told from the perspective of Ted, a Sergeant, and his rag-tag group of grumbling and bitter troops. He knows what he has to do, follows orders, mostly, but he’s been so enthralled in war so long that it seems like that is all he knows. This goes for those around him as well, including a age-wise Sturgeon who Ted often tells the reader of. It seems like, in this world, war has becoming the driving force behind everything - and it’s just what everyone has been born into. Corporations hold dominance over anything, mergers and dealings determine friend or foe, and at any time everything could change. This makes the entire novella unpredictable, in the best possible way, as, in the end, Ted and crew can only truly trust themselves - maybe not even that. There is a story about them rescuing a Scion-pilot for a corporate heir, ‘Rich Ted’, but it simply exists to place the characters in positions that allow the author to further illustrate the world he’s created. Wonderfully, Tchaikovsky manages to keep a consistent voice with Ted. Never does he break character, or explain things in a way beyond Ted’s assumed intelligence and capabilities. You can tell that Ted is the product of his world, and war is so familiar to him that he doesn’t really seem to care if he dies now or later. Death and mayhem are his bread and butter, and the only things he and others look forward to are the sight of things like ‘Micky-D’s’ and whatnot. This also lends to a blistering fast pace, as Ted is not a man of details; he does not tell the reader what they don’t need to know, and his tangents are only there to compare the current battlefield situation to another. Ironclads keeps everything flowing and action packed - which could be tiring if this had been a full fledged novel, but it isn’t, and so it’s brevity becomes a strength. My only complaint with Ironclads is that dialogue and character interaction is extremely minimal - leaving very little room for character development. Everyone is basically little more than a grizzled grunt-like stereotype, which isn’t too surprising or unexpected in a world almost always consumed by war, and those that aren’t are just well-spoken corporate representatives and heirs. A lot of events and interactions are just explained, and you’re almost always just left with Ted’s limited, passive, and numb view on situations. A world like this demands a more sophisticated story, a whole lot more characters, but is it really a flaw if I’m left wanting more? I don’t think so. Ironclads was a hit for me in almost every aspect, it has some flaws, but they are few or due to the stories brevity. Adrian Tchaikovsky’s world is one begging to be further explored, full of so many excellent ideas, and a grim view of the future - a path not too unlike the one this world seems to be heading down. I honestly cannot recommend it enough, for those who love non-stop action and grand scale warfare.
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