Those Who Walk in Darkness

The backlash against this book reminds me quite strongly of what happens whenever the Nazis or the latest terrorist squad are seriously analyzed. If it were only to achieve that outcry, it would still be worthy, since such groups demonize those they kill, and it is risky to demonize them in return. But this is also a good story, with just enough thought for higher-browed readers and just enough violence for the rest of us. My only complaint is that Ridley isn't much of a wordsmith--but then again, this does mean that his characters talk like real people. Recommended both on its own merits and to set up the less polarizing sequel.

From the writer of the acclaimed movie Three Kings, what would you expect to follow the release of a pulse-charging, plot-twisting sci-fi cop thriller but a June 3, 2003 DVD/VHS release of an urban anime sci-fi movie starring the voice of hip-hop superstar Li'l Kim as the heroine of Those Who Walk in Darkness, Soledad "Bullet" O'Roark? Ridley's plot revolves around a group of superheroes with "metanormal" abilities who encounter the prejudice and hatred of ordinary people, personified by Soledad. This well-thought-out science fiction thriller is Training Day meets NYPD Blue meets X-Men, with a little Blade Runner thrown in, plus "Law & Order" when a metanormal-championing defense attorney uses Soledad to further her own ambitions. There's even a love story. Ian seems to be Soledad's salvation from a life of hatred, but pulls the rug out from under her in a twist well-foreshadowed in the plot, but as stunning as the final wrinkle in The Ring. Soledad's prejudice, coming from a black heroine, is an intriguing social commentary. The ending, while true to Soledad's character, will provoke commentary and debate, as any work of speculative fiction should.

In the new normal, post 9/11 and the Patriot Act and Abu Ghraib right and wrong go from black and white to a horrid gray. Life is no fantasy. For a fantasy book, Those who Walk in Darkness is harshly real. In the story there are people with amazing abilities, but there are also everyday cops with little more than ordinary sidearms trying to enforce the law. Mind you, the law and what's "right" are two totally different things. I don't mean this in a dismissive sense, but I think some people seem to have come to this book expecting a comic without pictures. This book is more like hard boiled fantasy. It deals more with laws and concepts than empty fluff and is fronted by an anti-hero who is more anti than hero. Definitely not for everyone. Mature readers. Not for the strong language, but for the complexity of thought. An excellent, excellent read.

I've read most of the reviews for this novel and it seems like the most bitter reviewers are the ones that wanted Soledad to be redeemed some how at the end. Sorry folks. Ridley didn't write a fairy tale or a comedy. This is a bleak bleak tragedy of suprising depth and raw reality. Splattered against a backdrop of post-catastrophic California the tale of Soledad O'Rourke, a very angry black woman indeed, is spun out to the sound of gun fire and explosions. Soledad has issues, lots of them. Yeah she's a bigot and would probably come out worse in comparison with any flesh and blood racist cop. Just because she's black doesn't mean she has to be particularly reasonable or sensative to differences. Ridley puts it in your face from page one. She's a bigot in a society that has accepted this particular brand of racism. How ever it doesn't keep the reader from routing for her and even actively liking her. At the end Soledad loses quite a lot because of her bigoted nature and her unwillingness to change. She pays for her flaws with several very precious things, including hefty chunks of her soul and humanity. Ridley's writing is urban and very now. An incomplete sentence or two is easily overlooked. The atmosphere is very Gothamesque with Soledad drawing parallels to the Caped Crusader himself. If you're looking for a tale with clearly drawn morals and uncomplicated, one dimensional characters look elsewhere. "Those who walk in Darkness" will keep you thinking long after the last page is turned. I await the next installement with baited breath.

I admit I haven't read comics in a long time, but I loved "3 Kings" so I figured I'd give this a try. Whoa. What this book has that's unique is an absolute lack of moral guidance. The sheer genius of this book is it's absolute lack of moral guidance. Everything I've ever read, no matter how "complicated" it's ethical web might be, there is always the subtle voice of the author saying "here's how you should feel, here's right and wrong". That's what makes most books comforting and that's why I enjoy them. But this? Who is right, who is wrong? There's no hidden road map to let me know how I should feel about this war against super heroes. It reminds a lot of Blade Runner, the director's cut, without that stupid narration. I mean, there was our hero, obviously, the person we're supposed to identify with, and his job is to kill life forms who's only real goals are freedom and life. That's Soledad. I don't know how I feel about her. She's the hero, right? She's the person I'm supposed to identify with, right? But what's her job, to kill people who want to protect us and only because one of them screwed up? Because they made her lose faith in her heroes? Jeez. At least in Blade Runner, he got to do the "right" thing at the end, the thing I would want to do. But at the end of this book? Bottom line, if you want a fun, possibly dark, "easy" sci-fi book that's going to play nice with your moral compass, don't read this. But if you want to be challenged, this book is awesome!