Book Review: Providence by Max Barry

 

Providence by Max Barry

 Hardcover, 352 pages

Published April 16th 2020 by Hodder & Stoughton (first published March 31st 2020) 

 

This is the first Max Barry book I have read but I was familiar with Australian author from a few appearances on one of my favorite podcasts Geeks Guide to the Galaxy. He had made some waves with an early book when he made a computer game NationSates that tied to the world-building of the book. It was a neat marketing experiment.
 
The concept of this book is one I liked. Through the lens of military science fiction, the genre has taken many effective stabs at the nature of war. This novel has much to say and I certainly don't fault it for taking big swings. I didn't dislike the novel but coming after a super-powerful  read I felt a little underwhelmed. The concepts are inventive and the prose is solid enough.
 
This novel is about manufactured warfare through the lens of a AI battleship and the human drones who crew the ship despite being useless. They are they as a symbol of human resistance despite the AI being able to wage the war without them. I get it, I get that Barry is commenting on drone warfare and the future of war as seen through the eyes of this crew who are wrapped in the flag of "The Service."
 
Here lies my problem with the book. I am not saying I need to understand everything but there is zero effort giving to the world-building back on earth. What governments or systems feed "The Service." I am not saying it has to be over the top like Starship Troopers but give us something. I also thought calling the alien Salamanders the name of an earth critter was lazy. I am not saying they couldn't get that nickname from the soldiers but someone would give them a more scientifically sound name.

The characters, on the other hand, were better composed as I felt like I understood them and their roles in the story.  They react to the isolation of deep space warfare in a way that helped propel the story once they come to the realization that they are not even tools of war the book takes the first of a few twists. Barry plays with time and setting in interesting was. The last twist involving the setting was super effective and a cool moment. That twist really added to my enjoyment of the book.

This book is not bad, there are a few elements to really enjoy, but with all the amazing science fiction out there I can't put this super high on my list. I think military sci-fi completionists should certainly check it out.  Military sci-fi about the absurd nature of war is never a bad thing I just wish more effort was given to the world-building.