Lit Reactor: "Madam Tomahawk" and the Thrill of Writing in Someone Else’s Universe by Nick Kolakowski

 Lit Reactor: "Madam Tomahawk" and the Thrill of Writing in Someone Else’s Universe by Nick Kolakowski

Mystery Tribune: A Conversation With Prolific Crime Writer Nick Kolakowski

 Mystery Tribune: A Conversation With Prolific Crime Writer Nick Kolakowski

Crime Reads: FATALISM HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE CORE OF THE BOND SERIES by NICK KOLAKOWSKI

Crime Reads: FATALISM HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE CORE OF THE BOND SERIES by NICK KOLAKOWSKI

CrimeReads: DRIVING IN THE DARK: GETAWAY DRIVERS IN FICTION AND THE DARK SIDE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

CrimeReads: DRIVING IN THE DARK: GETAWAY DRIVERS IN FICTION AND THE DARK SIDE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

ScifiandScarycom: Crime Files: Rattlesnake Rodeo by Nick Kolakowski

 ScifiandScarycom: Crime Files: Rattlesnake Rodeo by Nick Kolakowski 

Do Some Damage: Rattlesnake Rodeo by Nick Kolakowski

Do Some Damage: Rattlesnake Rodeo by Nick Kolakowski: Whenever I read a Nick Kolakowski book, I know a few things going in.  The action will be fast and furious, the humor (and there will be a g...

Criminal Element: Rattlesnake Rodeo by Nick Kolakowski: New Excerpt

 Criminal Element: Rattlesnake Rodeo by Nick Kolakowski: New Excerpt

Crime Reads, WESTERN NOIR: SMASHING TOGETHER TWO GENRES, WHAT DO YOU GET? by Nick Kolakowski

Crime Reads, WESTERN NOIR: SMASHING TOGETHER TWO GENRES, WHAT DO YOU GET? by Nick Kolakowski

Mystery Tribune: “Blacktop Wasteland” By S.A. Cosby: Noir For A New Century by Nick Kolakowski

Mystery Tribune: “Blacktop Wasteland” By S.A. Cosby: Noir For A New Century by Nick Kolakowski

Review: Maxine Unleashes Doomsday by Nick Kolakowski

When the world seems to be on fire every day and the new normal of society is borderline chaos, Nick Kolakowski’s new book, Maxine Unleashes Doomsday has a lot of relevance to the here and now. He builds on that and extrapolates into a near future that is all too plausible. Part crime fiction, part dystopian thriller, and with violence on nearly every page, this is a complicated read that is very good.

A little over one hundred years now, climate change has wreaked havoc through sea level rise and more. Major cities such as New York are flooded and ravaged. Foods are in short supply and local government as we know it now is gone. The United States has fractured with various areas controlled by local mob style bosses as the federal government tries to hang onto their last grasp of power. That fracturing of everything trickles down all the way to the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn who are locked in a battle for control.

They are not the only ones locked in territorial battles as there are groups everywhere fighting over the dwindling amount of resources in a world that is getting worse and worse. On a very personal level, there is the personal battle of survival of Maxine Hardwater. Unfortunately, beyond the fact of her age and gender being perceived by some as ways to control and marginalize her, she also has to battle her drug addicted mother to try and keep family and home together. She also has to battle her Uncle, a notorious criminal known as “Preacher,” who is really good at barely rescuing her from a current problem and then promising real and meaningful help in the times to come.

Maxine learns again and again that the word of family means often less than the word of strangers. With very few options in a world going downhill as society crumbles more and more, she is left to fend for herself by use of her brains, brawn, and fatalistic courage. As such, there is a noir style flavor to the read that has a steady drum beat of the original Mad Max and Terminator movies style vibe to it.

Along with occasional flashes of dark humor--- of course the New York Giants have evolved beyond football to a full scale criminal enterprise--- and social commentary, Nick Kolakowski fractures time and a linear storytelling style throughout the book. He does so by creating a complex story based on an artificial intelligence compilation of various source materials. A historical record of sorts is compiled covering segments of the life of Maxine Hardwater. That record comes from many sources and includes academics that sometimes argue with the artificial intelligence about the record.

Despite that storytelling angle, the read never becomes preachy as it delves into many topics such as poverty, climate change, politics, technology with its good and bad side, and many others. In fact, one has to pay close attention because things come and go in a read that, likes the world that it depicts, is fractured in many different ways.

While dystopian fiction has not been a staple of my reading tastes since 9/11 when everything changed in so many ways, this one is quite a bit different than the usual fare I have seen over the many years I have been a reader. Maxine Unleashes Doomsday by Nick Kolakowski is a mighty good read. It also presents a world that could very easily happen and one I really do not want to see. 

For another take on the book, check out Sandra Ruttan’s guest review from last November here.

eBook ARC provided by the author with no expectation of a review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2020

Mystery Tribune: “American Dirt” And The Banality of Evil by Nick Kolakowksi

Mystery Tribune: “American Dirt” And The Banality of Evil by Nick Kolakowksi

Mystery Tribune: Sarah Dessen is Your Helpful Reminder to Never Punch Down

Mystery Tribune: Sarah Dessen is Your Helpful Reminder to Never Punch Down

Do Some Damage: Maxine Unleashes Doomsday

Do Some Damage: Maxine Unleashes Doomsday: Maxine Unleashes Doomsday is Nick Kolakowski's latest novel, and it marks a departure from his previous books, Boise Longpig Hunti...

Sandra Ruttan Reviews: Maxine Unleashes Doomsday by Nick Kolakowski

This book also happens to be in my digital tbr pile though I have no idea when I will get to it. Please welcome back Sandra Ruttan who can tell you about the book now.

You're probably going to see a lot of Mad Max comparisons and references when people talk about Nick Kolakowski's Maxine Unleashes Doomsday, and there is definitely a Mad Max vibe. We're propelled into the future - a future where current borders don't all exist, where parts of the United States have broken off and become their own countries.

But, unlike the world of Mad Max, this isn't a parched earth starving for water. This is a world where the seas have risen and the skyscrapers of New York City are surrounded by water instead of roads.

Kolakowski uses a distinct storytelling approach by having the parts of Maxine's life segmented. We are aware from the inserts throughout (and the arguments between academic scholars and AI) that there are gaps missing. One of the benefits of this approach is that you don't project in the same way and expect people who are relevant in the second stage of Maxine's life to pop back up in the later segments. This keeps you on your toes as a reader, because you're never quite sure when a character is about to make their exit.

There's a lot to dissect in this book. It touches on climate change, attitudes towards poverty, political instability, technology and its potential ills, but it is never weighed down with these issues. Some books risk being soap boxes and feeling preachy as they delve into tough topics, but that's never the case here. This is a non-stop action thrill ride with substance and heart. Maxine is feisty and likable, a self-made heroine who isn't about to be stepped on and squished by the wealthy in society. 

There's solid crime components and this is a dystopian story that should appeal to fans of dark fantasy stories set in a future earth. There are also a lot of science fiction elements, although the story is never stalled by technological specifics. Whatever you call it, it's a great read worthy of your time. Sit down, buckle up, and brace yourself. Maxine is one of a kind.

I'd pay to see this on the big screen.

* Sandra interviews Nick about Maxine Unleashes Doomsday on November 13 www.bronzevillebee.com

Sandra Ruttan ©2019

Sandra Ruttan is the YA, sci fi, fantasy and horror acquisitions editor for Bronzeville Books http://www.bronzevillebooks.com/ and the managing editor for Bronzeville Bee http://www.bronzevillebee.com. Stay up to date via twitter @sandraruttan

Crimespree Magazine Book Review: BOISE LONGPIG HUNTING CLUB

Crimespree Magazine Book Review: BOISE LONGPIG HUNTING CLUB

Do Some Damage: Take ‘Genre vs. Literature’ Out Back with a Shovel...

Do Some Damage: Take ‘Genre vs. Literature’ Out Back with a Shovel...: My reaction to the recent Book Riot article, 12 Mystery Novels for Fans of Literary Novels  by Heather Bottoms, was "Oh, dear God.&qu...

Do Some Damage Blog: Slaughterhouse Blues

Do Some Damage: Slaughterhouse Blues: At the end of Nick Kolakowski's first book,  A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps , we left the less than respectable but true to eac...

ALONE WITH YOUR OWN DISASTER by Nick Kolakowski (Cleaver Magazine)

ALONE WITH YOUR OWN DISASTER by Nick Kolakowski (Cleaver Magazine)

Do Some Damage: To Shoot or Not to Shoot: Writing Violent Fiction ...

Do Some Damage: To Shoot or Not to Shoot: Writing Violent Fiction ...: Nick Kolakowski guest blogs this week.  Nick's work has appeared all over the place, and now he has put together a number of his best s...