Terrible Worlds: Revolutions

Terrible Worlds: Revolutions #1-3

by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Future Is Oppression.

Scions, sonko, whatever you call them, they're the super rich, the princes of capitalism, living off the labour – and the deaths – of the swarming masses and all too happy to see the world burn to preserve their luxurious lives.

In three critically-acclaimed novellas, the "British master of science fiction" (Tor. com) takes you down into the mud and horror of a future battlefield, into the dust and burning heat of a scorched equator, into the grinding poverty of a newly-feudal village, with the folk who give their lives every day in the service of undeserving masters... and sows the seed of revolution.

Collecting Tchaikovsky's critically acclaimed novellas Ironclads (2017), Firewalkers (2020) and Ogres (2022) for the first time, Terrible Revolutions gives you three glimpses of hope for a better future.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Novella, Fiction, Ebooks, Dystopia, Science Fiction Fantasy

397 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 23, 2023

About the author

ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.

Reviews

[Bas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is a bit, like most collections, a mixed bag. The biggest positive aspect of it, is that Tchaikovsky is able to write in 3 very distinct tones for the 3 novella's. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy 2 of the 3 that much. Both Ironclads and Firewalkers were much too long and quite tedious to read. There were some interesting concepts and promising themes going on but imo it never went anywhere satisfying. They were quite a slog to read.

Ogres though was excellent. This has everything I want in a story: a great narrative frame, a compelling story with some cool and interesting twists and turns and some strong thematic work that goes somewhere. I will forget the other 2 novella's very quick but Ogres is gonna stay with me for a while !

[Noémie J. Crowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who know me know that Adrian is my favourite author of all time. I’ve genuinely loved every single one of his work, took immense delight in discovering his books and look forward each time a new one is announced.
This one was no exception - although I am normally not too much of a short fiction kind of dude. These three stories are both imaginative, fast paced and beautifully written, cruel and hard and great and easy to read. I really believe it takes a great author to render such world building in bite sized pieces that feel both not too simple and enough.

Truly, one of the greatest of our times.

[aria ✧]

⤷ Ironclads
⤷ Firewalkers
⤷ Ogres

[Johan Haneveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

10- I am, unabashedly, a fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky. I still have to read his fantasy work, mind you, put purely on the basis of his science fiction he has become one of my favorite authors, if not just my favorite. He has an incredible production, but it's not quantity over quality here, as not only are the stories great, based on good ideas and well researched and well written to boot, they are also all different from each other. Tchaikovsky is not one to latch on to one (sub)genre or style, but he clearly wants to explore all possibilities the speculative genre has to offer and tell as many different kinds of stories (in genre, form and content) as possible. Yes, in most of his stories an affection for spiders, insects and other invertebrate lifeforms is visible, and there's also a bit of an anti-capitalist streak in most of his fiction, so it's clear the work is his - but even when he publishes four or five books each year I just never tire of them.
Some of his novella's though were hard to come by, so I'm happy they are now getting to be collectied. This volume collects three of his novella's, under the broader canopy of 'Revolutions'. They are all science fiction (yes, even 'Ogres') and they all concern the future of our own planet following on the crisis of the 21st century, in which the ultra rich and the economic system they depend on are corrupting and destroying the biosphere, making the world unliveable for millions, even billions of 'normal people'. In these scenario's the current system is not upended and the power the few Musk and Bezos types have over the workers is still in place, even grown stronger. In 'Ironclads' the capitalist United States has invaded socialist Europe to spread their values. The sons of the rich and powerful muck about in their mech suits, like the knights in medieval times, and the regular populations is cannon fodder. When one of the so called Scions has gone missing at the front in Sweden, a small team of soldiers is sent out to retrieve him (or his suit). A great piece of military SciFi this was filled with action, the snappy, sarcastic dialogue you expect and capped of with some great SF-nal idea's. It's more action oriented, less about the idea's or the characters, but it all works up to a great conclusion. It's clear the author had fun writing this, and his proposed future is scarily convincing - seeing as how so many Americans are still willing to vote for Trump and his ilk.
Another small team sent on a mission can be found in 'Firewalkers'. Here the world is heating up and the region around the equator is already deadly for humans and most plant and animal life. Here the rich stay in a hotel before taking up the space elevator for the large space ship they will escape life on earth in. When the AC is down, a group of 'Firewalkers' is sent south to check the solar panels out there. What they find is more than they bargained for. Here the focus is not as much on the action, but on the weird and fantasmagorical. In the dust and heat the explorers find unexpected sights, of which giant bio-mechanical locusts are the least outlandish ... Here the characters are very sympathetic, there's a bit of humour thrown in and even if their adventures felt a bit episodic at first, in the end it all comes together. And even though the main protagonist is just trying to survive and doesn't bother with the politics, Tchaikovsky's anger at the people (Musk and Bezos again) willing to start colonies outside of Earth when they could try and keep the planet liveable for the rest of us, is palpable.
Then there's 'Ogres'. This one has the feel of a fantasy story and is told in the second person (a bold choice still, but I thought it worked). Here another solution has been found by the rich and powerful to continue their domination on a threatened world and also here Tchaikovsky's view comes to the fore. It's a great story that follows its main character from a humble origin to a heroic finale, just as heroic tales must ...
I enjoyed all three stories and I think they are great examples of SF for our day and time, dealing with the issues we have to deal with: growing inequality, the hubris of the ultra rich, and the environmental devastation they leave us to cope with.

[Sarah Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three books in one here— the middle one is the best: 5/5, with its Mad Max/Elysium world and an AI that becomes a Marxist revolutionary. All three are intriguing, though. Tchaikovsky’s imagination is brilliant, and all three of these earthbound dystopias seem dishearteningly possible…

[nano · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But when you're property, it doesn't matter if your owner treats you well or badly. The ownership is all. We don't split hairs about who is a better slave master. And you would have been the best owner of all, and that still isn't enough reason to keep you alive once you've decided that owning people is fine, just so long as it's you that owns them."

You are stripped down to the bones of who you were.

//

And you heal. Time gives you a month to heal before upsetting the course of your life again. Something of the old You comes back.

[Samuel Crockford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed bag — iron whatever was bad — heavy handed — fur walkers was fun and I think smart ish plus didn’t feel childish like some of his stuff can — ogres was a cool fun premise and I enjoyed it a lot

[BuddyErhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imho Mr. AT is one of the masters of the novella. For me the individual stories rate somewhere between 3,5 (Firewalkers) and 5 (Ogres), but the collection as a whole deserved 5/5.

[Niko'sBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironclads: 4
Firewalkers: 3
Ogres: 5

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Tchaikovsky is best at this length.

These stories were all gripping and great. They were also somewhat less fun to read than the earlier Terrible Worlds stories, which were more whimsical and fantastic. These feel more like glimpses of semi-plausible futures my children might end up trapped in.

[Joel Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three great stories - very distinct - but sharing a common theme (overturning a dystopian world order). Shorter and easier to follow than some of this author's more epic works.

Ironclads is near-future military sci-fi. A small band of elite special ops type misfits are thrown together for a suicide mission deep in enemy territory. Why?
High-end military tech is featured, but not dominant. Story reminds me a bit of Saving Private Ryan as a larger conflict rages around this team desperately trying to complete their mission.

Firewalkers is post-climate catastrophe where the "haves" are escaping to orbit via space elevator. The city at the anchor of one of the elevators is the home for a team of three young freelancers tasked with tracking down a power leakage in the wasteland. What is causing it?
Especially enjoyable for fans of the "AI goes rogue" theme.

Ogres is told in second person - an interesting choice. Might take some mental adjustment. But worth it as "you" are narrated "your" story as son of provincial vassal to feudal lord. Your dalliances with local outlaws are tolerated until an act of vengeance makes you public enemy #1. In flight, you discover a much wider world, somehow avoiding execution . . . for now. But will disrupting the system actually make live any better for the people in your village? This one has the best characters (especially the villains!)
Read these in any sequence you choose but do read them all.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to be amazed at Tchaikovsky's imaginative books. This is a trio of what I guess would be called novellas that are all based on a similar theme and collected in a single volume, hence the title. The primary theme of all the books is that of oppressed people attempting to fight against their oppressors. The juxtaposition of the extremely disparate existences of the elites and the downtrodden and how the subjugated overcome their personal tyranny are replayed with similar plot evolution in each "world", and perhaps that similarity might turn some readers off as being repetitive. But I found that despite this the individual stories each have their own unique character, and I was captivated by all of them.

[Helga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Första: Pang pang och genmodifierade finskar och the battle of Vättern och Ada Ruriksdottir (?) of Sandviken. Den var najs.

Andra: Öken, Crazy insekter och space X looking ass framtidsfarkost. Lite svårare att komma in i men en otrolig banger när man väl fattar vad som pågår. Förutsägbart men uppskattat slut.

Tredje: Medeltida framtid, frågan: ”är människorna små eller är jättarna stora?” Blev typ halvt besvarad men inte riktigt. Galet nog skriven i du format vilket fuckar med hjärnan tills man kommer in i det och sen är det otroligt fascinerande. Särskilt när berättaren visar sig och skrivstilen helt plötsligt förändras till jag form. En Banger som jag inte förväntade mig skulle vara en banger.

[Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironclad: 3 stars - This story would make for an entertaining episode of Black Mirror.
Firewalker: 4 stars - Interesting characters in a fascinating world and sadly a rushed ending. This story would make for a great fully fledged novel with some additional POVs in the city and a final act that takes it time to develop and unfold.
Ogres: 5 stars - More or less perfect as it is. From the choice of a second person narrator to the intriguing worldbuilding where you piece together the history and a surprising and yet satisfying ending.

Overall a great collection of stories and a good starting point if you want to check out the author.

[David Stabler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three novellas from Adrian Tchaikovsky - all describing hellish dystopian futures for mankind and the earth. Of the three, I liked the third, "Ogres" , the best - with the middle story "Firewalkers" as the second choice.
All three are about humanity's scramble to survive in a world that we have plundered, over-heated, and over populated. All three concern a "superior" elite , and protagonists from the subjugated masses - and all , as the title of the collection states, follow the subjugated through their gradual realisation that the world can change, and the method for that change is ...Revolution.

[Stan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 novellas. See my separate, previous review of one of them, Firewalkers. Ironclads is an action-packed war story with an antiwar theme, especially as to corporate involvement and incentives. For me the action was the best part of the story. Ogres is another critique of society's division into those with power and privilege, and those without. I thought it was cleverly done, when it was revealed who the ogres were.

[Venneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was able to read these novellas as a collection over the long weekend. It's neat to see Tchaikovsky getting to mess around with "the past is the future only with horrific sci-fi vibes" for each of these, and I understand why Ogres won so many awards (that POV switch at the end is brutal in the best kind of way). Would recommend picking up the collection for another good dose of Tchaikovsky, read it over a long weekend away.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cool collection because the three novellas all have the same theme but the writing style and tone is so different that they all feel very unique.
I enjoyed Ironclads the most (because the combination of the humorous style and the serious action was just so well-balanced) and would rate that 4 stars, but unfortunately the other two stories are lowering the overall rating a bit for me. They're still interesting reads, but were not as engaging for me.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent the majority of Ogres wondering how it was entered in and won the BSFA award over Firewalkers. Then I got to the last two pages and was like… I get it now. Ironclads felt like more of an extension of Dogs of War, enjoyably bleak.

[Maria Lyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first two novellas in this book and found the dystopian setting sadly quite possible! However I really struggled with the third one and gave up - hence the three stars. I think it was the style of narrative.

[Carl Olen · Rating 5 out of 5]

AT at his finest

Have read many of Adrian's books, but this was the first that wasn't Hard SF. As you would expect, not an easy read -- but well worth the effort. The endings are breathtaking - I will say no more.

[Elliot Hanowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three gripping, moving, exciting stories about oppression and revolution in dark futures blighted by climate change and immense capitalist inequality.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the similar themes of inequality and revolution, all three novellas are quite different in style and tone. I absolutely loved all three, not sure I can pick a favorite!

[Christopher Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly and effortlessly engaging and entertaining trio of novellas. Tchaikovsky never disappoints.

[Stephen H. Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Unique Voice in SF

Not too strange, credible, futures for earth and human kind. Three unique, satisfying, breathing, visions of earth and earthlings in terrible tomorrows.

[Andre · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 really.

[Jim Ogden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story wasn't my jam, but the 2nd and third stories are both excellent.

[Stan Chamallas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very unique tales! Couldn’t put it down!

[Donald Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked these 3 novellas. My favorite was the last one, Ogres.

[Sascha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss The Outer Limits, and satisfying revolutionary socialism taking on dark dystopias is always going to be my thing. It is pretty one note though.