The Cool War

Unitarian minister Reverend Hornswell "Horny" Hake is forced to join a secret government cadre of dirty tricksters called "the Team" in this wry, futuristic spoof of a spy novel. Hapless Hake's total incompetence becomes apparent almost immediately when he is abducted by the mysterious Leota, who works for an underground organization dedicated to fighting the Team. This doesn't stop Hake from carrying out his first assignment: escorting an unruly bunch of teenagers on a tour of Europe in order to reduce worker productivity. This campaign is typical of the "Cool War" Pohl envisions in which nations engage in covert operations designed to make the opponent significantly less competitive economically without the kind of national culpability that might generate a military response. Hake finds himself well rewarded for his pains, but is troubled by the moral implications of his actions. In particular, he worries that the minor annoyances caused by the Team are hurting innocent people more than their governments. The intentional wastefulness of the Team goes against his long-ingrained distaste for what this resource-starved society calls "piggery", and in several subsequent encounters Leota asks him how he justifies his part in activities that seem so morally abhorrent and at the same time so politically meaningless. As Hake begins to act more independently, he falls afoul of the Reddi brothers, a pair (literally) of professional mercenaries who sometimes work with the Team, and other times work against it. Will Hake make his final stand for the Team, against the Team, or for himself? There are few enough really likable characters in this cynical, but still amusing novel, and Hake in particular is so easily dominated by whomever he happens to be with at the time, that readers may want to shake him and shout "Why are you doing this"? The story seems to imply that any attempt to interfere with the lives of strangers (for whatever reason) is ultimately both immoral and self-defeating. Even the seductive Leota comes to realize this eventually, at what may be thought of as the turning point of the novel. The Cool War has eliminated violent military conflict, but still espouses a spirit of competition and mutual degradation, which in the end, can't be good for anyone. Although this book addresses some serious issues, the tone is light and comedic, so it doesn't leave much of an impact. The combination of sci-fi spy thriller and romantic comedy, while unusual and even refreshing, just isn't that effective, so while this book is likable and even amusing, there may not be enough substance to satisfy everyone.