Review: The Aardvark is Ready for War

andrew cooke sent us one of our rare fiction reviews. This book, The Aardvark is Ready for War (No, I don't think it's a Cerebus reference) was the work of James W. Blinn, with Michael Pietsch as Editor. An interesting alternative to history, with the slant of technology. Click below to read more.

The Aardvark is Ready for War
author	James W. Blinn
pages
publisher
rating	8
reviewer	Andrew Cooke
ISBN
summary	Geek 22

Andrew (grinning broadly and downloading Erlang!)

The Scenario

The Gulf War was the first Geek War: an armada of high-tech computerised killing machines from the world's greatest military power, sent to destroy the towel-heads. Action at a distance. Remote control. Technical superiority. Overwhelming firepower. Smart weapons. Surgical precision carpet bombing. Primetime TV. CNN. We HAVE the technology...

What's it about?

This book is about technical alienation.

This angry book is about an alienated technician - a SENSO - trying to separate the real from the virtual. It explores the problems technology (and the unequal distribution of technology) has created. Consider, for an example, the information content of today's media information.

If that sounds too intellectual don't worry: there's plenty of violence, drugs, drink, death, and laughs.

At the start of the book the "hero" has placed a woman in the opposite building under surveillance. As he watches her it's soon clear that he is obsessed less with sex than with technology, mortality, and his video camera. He uses hardware, particularly his handicam, as a shield to separate himself from reality.

On the aircraft carrier, heading to the Gulf, his job is to listen for submarines. Faced with a difficult situation - he loses the signal - he hacks a false detection. But as the war grows closer he begins to find himself in situations he is less able to control, or understand. Situations where technology offers no protection.

By the final chapter he is terrified, his life depending on technology that he no longer trusts...

What's Good?

At times, this book is very funny.

The humour sharpens some serious criticism of war (the details describe the Gulf war, but the conclusions are general), America (of which Britain - I am british - is a small, unmentioned colony), technology, surveillance, simulation, and information.

The Aardvark is Ready for War also raises questions that aren't often addressed on Slashdot. It suggests you step back from the excitement and ask - if only for a moment - what we are losing as we rush to embrace more technology.

Aside from the vicious moral comedy, there are some fascinating technical details. Is that really how they detect submarines? The author was in the US Navy for nine years (it says here) so either it's true, or he knows his bullshit (and if this picture of navy life is accurate, then I guess it might be the latter).

What's Bad?

There's not much to criticise: you could ask for better characterisation (some convincing female characters?); perhaps the laughs could be a bit thicker on the ground, especially near the start; more continuity in the plot, maybe. But there's only going to be one Catch-22 this century, and it's already been written.

Maybe here, near the end of my review, I should also point out that reading the book will place any offensive language - "towel heads" for example - in context.

So What's In It For Me?

An alternative to reading Heller again. A history book for technophiles. A wake-up call for the digital generation?

Footnote

Maybe I'm showing my age by assuming that everyone has read Joseph Heller's book Catch-22. If not, well, now you know what I'm referring to above (and read it!).

Pick this book up at here.