Broken Angels
category: science fiction, author:Richard Morgan
book 2 of Takeshi Kovacsoriginal copyright 2003
read in July 2012
Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10, really quite good(*)
A few years ago I was given a book, as a present, written by John Pilger. Boring, I thought. Biassed. What a load of negativity, of unmitigated doom and gloom.
This month I read Broken Angels. One man against corporate greed. Against corrupt government. One man who deals out nasty death before it can be dealt out to him. A thoroughly enjoyable book and... the greed, corruption and violence is so believable.
In his acknowledgments, author Richard Morgan names John Pilger as an author who provided strong influence for Broken Angels. "These writers [Pilger and others] did not invent their subject matter as I did, because they did not need to. They have seen and experienced it for themselves at first hand, and we should be listening to them."
I ignored Pilger, who writes the truth as he sees it. I enjoyed -- and accepted the message of -- Morgan, who writes of the same truths but in a futuristic setting.
A friend asked me, Why do you read so much fiction?
The messages are so much more acceptable when they are dressed up as fiction. Pilger writes of the truth and I ignore it. Morgan wraps the same truth in a "fiction" -- and I accept it as being, the truth.
A book of "the truth" is too much to accept. Why should I believe what Pilger writes? And it must be an all-or-nothing acceptance: if I reject one assertion, why should I accept the rest? A book of fiction allows me to accept whatever underlying "truth" I am willing to accept. I can recognise exaggeration. I can selectively accept only parts of the story. The rest, I can dismiss without prejudice.
So a work of "fact" leaves my ignorance untouched. A work of "fiction" has had a far larger impact on my view of the world.
Or... perhaps it's just the accumulated cynicism of the years between books.
Either way, Broken Angels is far easier to read that Pilger. Action, excitement, violence, brutality and enough heroics and ethical behaviour to let me know that the hero is the good guy. No matter how many people he kills. And it all happens in a good science fiction universe.
Some words at the end, though, do remind me of another book, where a character mentioned various types of idealists. The worst, he said (if my memory serves me correctly!), the worst kind of idealist is the one who believes that his own life -- and your life -- are less important than his ideals. That is the most dangerous type of idealist. And, it seems, Morgan's hero is just that most dangerous kind of idealist.
Read and enjoy and gain insights into the corruption of humanity.
Or just read and enjoy.
----
(*) I have rated this book as 8, really quite good. Perhaps it is really 7, well worth reading? Perhaps I'm rating high because, after a couple of really boring books... Broken Angels did seem to be really quite good.
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