by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah ★★★★★
In a near-future society, criminals with at least a 25-year prison sentence are offered a choice: instead of serving their full sentence, they can voluntarily participate in the "Criminal Action Penal Entertainment" program ("CAPE", for short), which requires them to fight to the death in regular televised gladiatorial matches. If they survive three years, they "may be granted clemency, commutation of sentence, or a full pardon." Prisoners who elect to fight as part of CAPE become "Links" in a "Chain", associated with a prison or group of prisons. They travel and fight as a group, and the best of them are celebrated in the #1 entertainment property of the land, the Chain-Gang All-Stars.
The novel primarily follows one such Chain, Angola-Hammond or "A-Hamm". That Chain features the highest ranked Link, Loretta Thurwar, as well as perhaps the most popular Link in America, Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker. Legions of fans turn out in droves to see the live death matches in person, while also tuning in daily to watch "LinkLyfe", a round-the-clock reality show that chronicles every moment of the All-Stars' lives. Thurwar is only three matches away from becoming only the second Link ever to reach the three year plateau and attain her freedom. But she's also a ratings superstar, and so the prospect of losing their top revenue generator has the board at CAPE considering some rules changes.
While the concept of criminals fighting for their freedom dates back to at least the Roman empire, this is a fresh and unique take on that concept. The depth that author Adjei-Brenyah goes to in order to bring the world of Chain-Gang All-Stars to life is impressive. Everything from new forms of shackling prisoners, to a horrible taser-like creation called an "Influencer", to lightly reimagined forms of videography that allow persistent video and audio of the All-Stars, to the role of sponsors (like "WholeMarketâ„¢" and "LifeDepotâ„¢") is creatively thought through. Adjei-Brenyah rebrands humans into larger-than-life gladiators like "Ice Ice the Elephant" and "The Unkillable Jungle Craft", and they fight with weapons that have names like "LoveGuile" and "Hass Omaha". It has the puerile charm of professional wrestling, but with unscripted and murderous outcomes. The characters are deep, and thoughtful, and richly rendered, and we get to know Thurwar and Staxxx especially well.
The gladiatorial contests of the novel are really just a vehicle for Adjei-Brenyah to deliver a scathing rebuke of the United States prison system, as well as a sorrowful look at a society that could continue to make excuses and rationalizations for their love of violent sport. One character recounts some of the early days of CAPE, saying "When I went in, the killing games was debated, they were not to happen. Then they said less. Now the killing games the new football." Setting the story in the U.S., while also including real past U.S. prison cases as reference points throughout, helps ground the reader in the potential reality of everything that is described. When you think about the recent rise in popularity of mixed martial arts, and the constant injection of content and entertainment through personal devices and streaming services, it's not a stretch to see us heading in a direction that could easily mimic the novel.
It's violent, it's heartbreaking, and it's poignant. It's not the most beautifully written novel I've come across this year, but it is the one that is perhaps most packed with creativity. The plotting is excellent, and the delivery of the author's underlying point is blunt but powerful. There are characters and situations in this novel that I will remember for a very long time, and it has kept me thinking about it for days since I finished reading. I was captivated throughout, and as I really came to appreciate the novel in many ways, I got to a point where I was just hoping that Adjei-Brenyah wouldn't screw up the ending. He definitely didn't, and in my opinion he found the perfect way to wrap up the story. Highly recommended.
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