Plot Synopsis:
Wanted fan for plain sedition, like the singing of this tune.
If NASA hadn't failed us we'd have cities on the moon.
If it weren't for ******* NASA we'd at least have walked on Mars.
And if I can't make orbit, then I'll never reach the stars.
Nader's raiders want my freedom, OSHA wants my scalp and hair,
If I'm wanted in Wisconsin, be damned sure I won't be there!
If the EPA still wants me, I'll avoid them if I can.
They're tearing down the cities, so I'll be a wanted fan!
When this novel opens, Alex MacLeod and Gordan Tanner - two misfits from the space habitats - are skimming Earth's atmosphere in a scoop ship collecting nitrogen gas when they are shot down by hostile Downers and forced to land on the North Dakota glacier. At that moment, the race begins. On one side, the collected forces of the U.S. government, now headed by technophobic Greens, are eager to apprehend the spacemen for "stealing Earth's air." On the other side, the straggling remnants of sci-fi fandom, still attracted to the romance of space despite the persecution they face from the majority culture, hope to find the "Angels" first and return them to the habitats where they belong.
As Alex and Gordan are shuttled from one fannish safe haven to another by a group of fans that includes programmer Sherrine Hartley, physicist Bob Needleton, and others, the current situation on Earth is revealed in bits and pieces. We learn that Earth, contrary to the expectations of the environmentalists of the 1990's, has plunged into a new Ice Age - and that the draconian policies of the Greens have led to, at best, discomfort and, at worst, economic and social chaos. Though glaciers are encroaching upon the U.S., people must turn down their thermostats and shiver in inadequately heated homes; in some northern cities, law and order has broken down completely and a sort of tribalism has taken its place; and in much of the culture, New Age superstition dominates while skepticism and science are in eclipse. Things are very bleak indeed.
The presence of Alex and Gordan, however, has given Earth's beleaguered technophiles a new sense of purpose; enthusiastically, they band together to prepare one of Earth's only remaining spacecrafts - the Phoenix - for flight. Fen from all over collect supplies for Alex and Gordan to take back to the habitats and concoct fuel for the Phoenix itself, all while trying to evade discovery and capture. Ultimately, fannish ingenuity - and the last minute change of heart of certain government officials - leads to success, and the Phoenix is launched, reawakening a space program once thought extinct.
Overall: 7.7 - If you believe technology can conquer our woes and are skeptical of the environmentalists' more catastrophic claims, this is the novel for you. In places, it needs to be updated to reflect present-day realities in fandom, in science, and in the greater culture, but 'tis a fun romp in the anti-Green tall grasses nonetheless.
Characterization: 7.5
Our team of writers excels at one thing here: the depiction of con-attending literary fandom. Speaking as a con-attending literary fan, I can confirm that we are indeed a motley crew of eccentrics. The reason for this is something this novel hones in upon precisely: we are widely read. Contrary to the impressions of some, we do not spend our lives with our heads in the stars; literary sci-fi fans are also consumers of mystery, history, and other miscellany, and they tend to be the obsessive sort of folks who pride themselves on their ability to amass a huge base of knowledge in whatever tickles their fancy. I have known sci-fi fans who were also experts in military history, comparative religion, biology - you name it, and there's probably a sci-fi fan who's spent their whole life gathering a huge amount of trivia about it. Given this, those moments in the novel in which one of the fans stands up and holds forth on his peculiar area of expertise ring very true.
Unfortunately, the whimsicality with which the writers portray the minor characters of Fallen Angels is not replicated in the development of the main characters, who come across as standard action/romance archetypes. For example, the leading female character, Sherrine Hartley, becomes, predictably, the object of infatuation for three of the leading male characters - and that's really a plot element I could've done without.
Plot/Pacing: 7.5
The temptation to slip into tell rather than show is not always successfully avoided. For instance, at one point, Sherrine and the others come across a family who presumably froze to death when their car crashed into the advancing glacier and was subsequently ignored by passing motorists. This image by itself serves to illustrate how cruel the world has become - but the writers, for some reason, feel it necessary to spell out this moment's meaning in the proceeding dialogue. This is not especially good form. Such moments aside, however, this remains an interesting, decently-paced read.
Concepts/Themes: 8
I'll leave it to SABR Matt, the climate scientist, to comment on solar cycles and such, which are briefly discussed in this book. Here, I will assess the writers' treatment of the environmental movement as a political and cultural phenomenon.
"Do you dislike all technology? Such as the technology that made the cloth for your uniforms, or developed the electric cars you drove here?"
In Fallen Angels, the Greens are portrayed as frank Luddites who scorn virtually all technology. This is very close to the truth. While the public environmentalists promote the use of clean and/or renewable energy sources, the activists do everything they can, it seems, to stop energy production altogether. That environmentalists abhor fossil fuels is widely known. But what about CO2-free nuclear power? What about solar, wind, water, or biofuels? These too are opposed. Nuclear power is used worldwide, and, aside from a few incidents, its safety record has been exemplary; in the U.S., however, no new nuclear plants have been built in decades because the environmentalists have rendered such construction legally onerous and prohibitively expensive. Windmills were used by our ancestors to power their machines; in the U.S., however, the construction of wind farms has been obstructed for a variety of reasons ranging from concern for the tourist industry to claims that such farms would endanger migratory birds. Similar stories can be also told when it comes to solar power, water and biofuels. Whatever the energy technology, environmentalists can find some reason to oppose it. Why? Deep within environmentalist literature, we can find the reason: the ideologues believe economic activity and human advancement of any kind is harmful to the planet. Such people would rather we return to a medieval mode of living, though of course they obscure this goal with pleasant-sounding code words like "sustainable development."
I don't know that acceding to the environmentalists' demands would precipitate an Ice Age, as this novel claims, but it would certainly lead to a more brutal existence. We would be unable to feed as many people as we do now, as environmentalists wish to put the kibosh on agribusiness and biotechnology. Our diets would be less varied, as environmentalists wish us all to be localvores (which means no fruit in the winter if you live above a certain latitude). We would be less able - in fact, we are less able - to combat insect-borne diseases. And if the environmentalists' enthusiasm for composting toilets are any indication, our treatment of waste would be far less sanitary. We would also exist under a class system in which the wealthy and powerful would be able to get around environmental regulations while the rest of us suffer in the cold. I don't know about you, but after looking upon this prospective future, I'm certainly more inclined to embrace this book's attack on Green technophobia.
There are a few things in the writers' portrayal of environmentalism that don't strike me as accurate, however. First, this novel suggests that a Green government would persecute secular humanists and embrace New Age spirituality; on the contrary, secular humanism and the paganism that is often found within the environmental movement turn out to be cultural bed mates. The first, you see, precedes the latter. In order for a society to be vulnerable to talk of "Mother Earth," it first has to be stripped of its traditional religions, which teach of man's special place within Creation and provide a means to deal with our innate sense of spiritual guilt. Then, once a religious notion of penitence has been thoroughly discredited (again, by secular humanists), environmental notions of penitence rush in to fill the void. To put it another way, a people may stop believing in Confession, but they still feel, at heart, their separation from Paradise and thus seek to bridge that gap with the poor environmentalist substitute. This explains why I've observed a definite overlap between atheist sentiments and Green sympathies. Second, this novel also suggests that sci-fi fans would certainly oppose the Greens. In this, I think the writers have underestimated many sci-fi fans' ability to tolerate cognitive dissonance. I have met many fans who adore the harder sci-fi, yet embrace environmentalism wholeheartedly. It's as if they are simply incapable of comprehending the contradiction.
But despite these inaccuracies, the full-throated defense of technology and progress in Fallen Angels is highly enjoyable mind candy for any committed technophile. Thus, I give this novel my qualified recommendation.
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