Have you ever found yourself staring manically at your eReader waiting for a book to download? To the point where you wanted snap it in half, and hurl it across the room in frustration and whilst screaming abuse at the sky? Yes?
Well that was the predicament I found myself in last weekend as I waited for Amazon to get its shit together and send me my pre-ordered copy of SNAFU: Future Warfare.
Why the rage? It's a fair question. And the answer is simple.
I wanted to read SNAFU: Future Warfare so badly that a six minute wait after its time of release was deemed incredibly unacceptable to me!
I was that pumped up for it that as the seconds ticked by I found myself starting to turn green and wanting to smash things whenever my eReader found nothing new to sync with.
So when it finally arrived I breathed a sigh of relief, settled into my chair, and let myself be taken by the unicorns and rainbows..... if you actually think SNAFU: Future Warfare has unicorns and rainbows stop reading this review right now and leave my site. You don't belong here.
So did SNAFU: Future Warfare live up to my incredibly high expectations of it?
Yes.
And then some.
SNAFU: Future Warfare is the epitome of a good military horror anthology. It arrives with the subtlety of a freight train loaded with speakers blaring Iron Maiden, and then refuses to leave as it tears shit up with power armour, alien horrors, and future worlds that have been broken by invasion and bloodshed.
And goddamn, it is fucking glorious and relentless!
From exo-mechs defending farming homesteads (SUITS) and a brilliant homage to Aliens and Predator (Under Calliope's Skin) through to rescue missions within downed supply ships (Outpost) and a special insertion mission to a floating space hulk (Invasive Manoeuvres), SNAFU: Future Warfare has it all.
No joke. It really does.
Love chaotic mayhem? Future Warfare has it.
Dig horror that will make your blood go cold? Future Warfare is right up your alley.
Get a rush from high grade military action? Future Warfare will jack you up even more.
They are all cosy bedfellows in this scintillating anthology that kicks ass and takes names over and over again.
SNAFU: Future Warfare latched onto my brain from the opening page and steadfastly refused to let go. And just when I hoped I would be able to finally relax after an insanely riveting story... BAM... I was kicked in the nuts and dropped over the precipice to deal with yet another nightmare inducing scenario.
Alien horrors stalking a squad of power armoured soldiers. BAM... you got it.
Genetically enhanced female soldiers fighting a drone army? BAM... you asked for it!
A gigantic alien monster chasing your APC as you try and get a vital asset to an airfield to escape... BAM... YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE MEATBAG!!!
But it's not all guns and explosions (although you have to admit, that shit is pretty cool). There are pop references to ponder and munch on (Arnie, the killer robot!), subtle nods and salutes to geek culture and military science fiction, and laugh out loud moments (although perhaps I have a dark mind?) that add body to what is already a brilliant collection of tales.
And every story stands on its own two feet! One of the common pitfalls of anthologies is that they are usually a mixed bag of tales. SNAFU: Future Warfare avoids this by changing things up nicely as the anthology unfolds. Every story is wonderfully constructed, and none of them take the easy way out by succumbing to generic tropes or cliched endings. That is a sign of great editing, story selection, and great writing.
Cohesion Press has done yet another magnificent job with this instalment of their much loved SNAFU series. If you love military horror, science fiction, aliens, power armour, apocalyptic scenarios, and blistering action then you will adore this anthology. Fuck, if you love fairy bread and nothing else you will probably still adore this anthology. It is THAT good.
I cannot recommend this anthology highly enough. It sucks you in, enthrals and entertains you, and spits you out leaving you wanting more and more.
5 out of 5 stars... and I can't wait for the next instalment of SNAFU!
No comments:
Post a Comment