Blue War

By Jeffrey Thomas

On the extra-dimensional planet of Sinan, a housing development has deviated from its standard pattern, and the smart matter that comprises the build has begun to develop independently, and at an alarming rate, as a replica of Punktown, complete in almost every detail except that it is completely blue. Given the size and scale of Punktown, it is only a matter of time before Bluetown devours the jungle, the farms and the villages in its path, eventually consuming Di Noon, the capital city of the Jin Haa.

Into this weirdness comes our favourite mutant, shapeshifting private detective, Jeremy Stake, who is hired by old Colonial Defense Forces buddy, Rick Henderson, to investigate the phenomenon that is a replica of his home town, but also to dig into the discovery of three clones in Bluetown, two of which are dead but one, a small boy of about 5 years old, is very much alive and living on the CDF base. Henderson wants Stake to find out who they are and how they got there and Stake knows Sinan well, as a CDF soldier he fought in the Blue War here years before and he knows a little of the language and the customs, but he also fell in love with an enemy sniper here, Thi Gonh, and he sees this as an opportunity to revisit his past.

Jeffrey Thomas’ Punktown novels – particularly Deadstock – are great stuff. The setting is rich and full and consequently the stories are compelling, veering wildly from cyberpunk to horror to detective noir. Blue War however is a different proposition, more thoughtful, more measured. That’s not to say it’s any less bizarre in places; weird creatures like the deadly jellyfish-type Benders, vicious Snipes and carrion trees abound, then there’s the faceless Sinanese clerics who mutilate themselves as a show of faith and best of all, there’s detailed and groovy-sounding sex with the local hermaphrodite, but overall it’s a much more philosophical outing than previous Punktown novels.

Jeffrey Thomas’ writing has improved with this book, and he will go from strength to strength, and Jeremy Stake is a likeable, complex and interesting character that I’d like to read more of, but I need him to be in Punktown, in his element, surrounded by other mutants and where the sci-fi/horror zaniness makes the setting a character in it’s own right.

Blue War is a nice, step outside of the expected, but it’s not entirely successful. The action and violence when they come are well constructed and deliver as expected, but buried as they are within pages of Korean/Vietnam war parallels, introspection on the theme of identity and a far too long drawn out and entirely unconvincing relationship between Stake and Thi Gonh, who’s gone from war hero to battered wife, means the story doesn’t pace well for three quarters of the book, then ramps up the ending to leave you glad you read it, but wishing it hadn’t taken so long.

Blue War is published by Solaris Books and is available from Amazon, Blackwell and all good book stores.