Word Wars first Amazon Review

[Triceratops]

This is a first for me, written by James Melvin, an award winning newspaper reporter. I couldn't resist.

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Word Wars, July 5, 2007
By Jim S. Melvin (Clemson, S.C.) - See all my reviews

If you're reading this review right now, the odds are high that you're the kind of person interested in books, which means you're interested in reading, which means you're interested in the written word. You learn from it, take pleasure in it, become enriched by it.

But what if the government suddenly told you that you no longer have the right to read, and also that the written word was an evil to be avoided at all costs? What if you were penalized, put in jail, beaten, or even executed simply because you wanted to read? What effects would that have on you and your culture as a whole?

In his thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi adventure, Chris Stevenson explores this frightening and, in its own way, apocalyptic vision. In the year 2115, Mikus Harold Markus -- heretofore a meek language instructor -- is thrust into the role of societal hero after being attacked by "slugs" intent on suppressing his rights and creativity. Along with a slew of clever characters that include a daring girlfriend, a rascally dog, a "teenonster," and a talking car, Markus discovers his own hidden courage as he takes on the evil government, not to mention a particularly diabolical police inspector who would like nothing better than to wipe him off the face of the earth. From the opening page until the last, this highly charged adventure explodes off the page in dizzying fashion.

Stevenson's characters are well-rounded and consistent, and it doesn't take long to fall in love with them. Extraordinary circumstances force ordinary people to grow into heroes, but it's all executed in believable fashion by a veteran writer who knows what he's doing. Stevenson's descriptions of a futuristic landscape are clever and original, yet also credible. If there's a flaw, it's that Word Wars is too short. It's over before you know it -- or want it to be.

Anyone who reads sci-fi will enjoy Word Wars, but its disturbing message extends beyond the genre. Stevenson's novel will linger in your consciousness long after you've finished it. Yet in the end, you'll be left with hope -- and even joy. Human courage is put on display, in all its glory.

How is this accomplished?

By the written word, of course.

-- Reviewed by Jim Melvin, 49, who was a reporter, editor, and designer for the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times for 25 years. He now is retired and a full-time novelist. Book One of his epic fantasy series entitled The Death Wizard Chronicles will be available on Amazon.com this September.