M.M. Buckner War Surf

War Surf

M.M. Buckner

Ace, Sep 2005, $7.99

ISBN: 0441013201

In 2253, after almost two and a half centuries of living, Nasir Deepra is bored. The wealthy exec knows all the NEM treatments and replacement parts make him almost immortal, but nothing helps with the tedium until recently. For a couple of centuries he and fellow Agonists (Verinne, Kat, Winston, and Grunze) took pleasure jumping into the middle of the small wars between the workers and the Corporatists that they broadcasted live on the Net, but even with side wagers that has become dull. The exception occurred five years ago when he met physical therapist Sheeba Zee. He obsessively needs her though he hides his feeling from his Agonist teammates.

Nasir and Grunze interfere in another battle, but this time the former calls Sheeba to make an appointment to see her in the midst of the action. When the scenario turns dangerous, he forgets to shut down the communication device so that Sheeba hears everything. As Sheeba learns her best client's darkest secrets, she seduces him to come with her to Heaven; though he goes with her over the objection of his four partners, Nasir knows this stop might prove his hell if he lives long enough to talk about it.

M.M. Buckner's fabulous futuristic tale focuses on an intriguing "young" man who has found extended life exceedingly boring instead of addicting. The storyline is character driven though the action is powerful and vivid. Readers will understand the subtle differences between the two century plus old quintet in comparison to twenty-something Sheeba. Fans will appreciate the other side of near immortality as the Paul Revere and the Raiders words "kicks keep getting harder to find" seem apropos.

Harriet Klausner