Dad's Nuke

by Marc Laidlaw

First published in 1985, this satiric suburban take on cyberpunk imagined a rapidly approaching future that is now rapidly dwindling in our rear-view The far-flung year of 1998.

Against a background of anarchy and apocalypse, white suburban families have withdrawn into fortified enclaves, where they struggle to conform in a world where life has accelerated to a blur. No longer questioning what lies beyond their compound, they occupy themselves with domestic chores, virtual fantasies, and the occasional neighborhood arms race.

William D. “Dad” Johnson, cantankerous patriarch of the Johnson clan, ought to be a figurehead of his staunchly generic community. Instead, he finds himself in the role of rebel, at odds with his neighbors as well as his family, once he begins to question the designs of the sinister Dr. Edison in shaping every aspect of their lives. It’s easier, after all, than questioning his own values.

This marks the first ebook publication of Dad’s Nuke.



“[A]n inventive and energetic satire reminiscent of the work of Philip K. Dick.” – Publishers Weekly

“Laidlaw’s first novel pokes vicious fun at a world where high-tech runs rampant. A macabre debut.” – Library Journal

“If you have doubts about where our society is headed—and Pogo said it best—this is must reading. And it rates 4 out of 5 on the chuckle-meter.” – UPI Book Reviews

“Deft in its portrayal of family interactions, sometimes diverting but more often depressing.” – Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Cyberpunk

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who don't know, Marc Laidlaw is the main writer behind the Half-Life series video games by Valve. He is also the writer who brought Portal into the Half-Life universe.

Consistent with Laidlaw's writing style, Dad's Nuke is a dystopian world which features strong female characters.

Reading this story, I couldn't help but make comparisons to Bethesda's Fallout series. Laidlaw wrote this well before Bethesda took over the Fallout series. Yet, there are many similarities. We have a society which incorporates the morals and values of America in the 1950's. Without giving away too many spoilers, Laidlaw even has a group called the Enclave.

All around an enjoyable read.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an odd book. Things start out as a slightly dark satirical comedy then go into horror territory, while still throwing in the oddball comedic jab here and there. I wasn't sure what to expect from Laidlaw's non game related writing, but it is definitely interesting enough to get me to seek out his other works.

[Spaghett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dad's Nuke takes the stereotypical sitcom plot of neighboring dads trying to one up each other and spins it out into a surreal, often hilarious post apocalyptic nightmare comedy. The book starts out in what seems to be the wholesome 50's version of suburbia, but instead of seeing who has the biggest grill, or the best Chrsitmas lights, these dads are competing to see who has the biggest Missile defense system, and people can just buy nukes whenever they want. But that's only the high concept that kicks off the plot, and the story spins wildly into territories I couldn't fathom from the first few chapters. What makes this novel so fun is seeing what weird new curveball or element Laidlaw throws at his characters. We come to learn that there's quite a bit being done to enforce the normative ideal of perfection, and these different sci-fi concepts dig into some really interesting topics like nature vs. nurture and free will, the allegory of the cave, all delivered in a really wild, sometimes transgressive comedy.

Indeed, Laidlaw confronts a lot of things that have either come to pass or at least put him ahead of some other popular sci-fi stories. There's a strong flavor of the Fallout series, but this came first, and it also feels a lot like the Truman Show in places, but again, predates it. Every aspect of this world is completely absurd, and yet when you take them all as a whole, the result is not only coherent, but compelling, and the various existential crises the characters have as a result feel real to who they are and what their surroundings are. Behind everyone's seemingly wholesome facade, we start to see the cracks and how they really feel about all this "perfection" and Laidlaw slowly pulls the curtians back on everyone's mind brilliantly.

I learned of this book through Mr. Laidlaw's work on the Half-Life series and while it is more Fallout-esque, I think Half-Life fans will definitely catch some Half-Life vibes here and there. There's a two-page memo from a character who's basically responsible for all of the future tech that reads very similarly to one of Breen's speeches, and fans of the first game's knowing sense of camp will enjoy the tone. Fans of Terry Gilliam's Brazil will also be right at home here. Whether you're a Half-Life fan, a satire fan, or just a fan of sci-fi in general, you'll find a lot to like in Dad's Nuke.

[fonz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Esta sátira de la idealizada vida familiar norteamericana en suburbios limpios y perfectamente ordenados inventada en los años cincuenta tiene uno de los argumentos peor desarrollados que he leído en mucho tiempo. Aún con aciertos parciales, como la dinámica familiar sostenida a base de fármacos y alcohol, o esa desaprovechadísima distopía USA que prefigura un poco el universo de la Parábola del Sembrador de Butler o la trilogía de MaddAddam de Atwood, la novela no resulta ni ingeniosa ni divertida, ni se molesta en desarrollar dicha distopía de un modo interesante ni coherente. Laidlaw se limita a apilar subargumentos y escenas sin ton ni son creando una experiencia de lectura extremadamente tediosa que, para más INRI, finalmente no llega a ningún lado.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wanted to like this. Ought to have liked this. Didn't like this.

[Bryan Singleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dad's Nuke, written in 1985, is about a future where people try to outdo each other at acquiring military grade weaponry, nukes included.
Not just any people, but all the people in the neighborhood. It's simply in style. Today, we just have to worry about getting shot. Imagine if your neighbor has a missile pointed at your house.
There's a bunch more going on in this story. Everyone has cameras installed in their houses and the TV programming consists of watching your neighbors go about their daily activities. All the drama is real. People are required to undergo accelerated aging, in order to skip awkward times, such as being a teenager. Babies are baked in ovens, not developed in wombs. The craziest, though, are the babies designed to eat nuclear waste. I may forget much of this book as the years go by, but I'll never forget the baby that eats nuclear waste...described as having gray skin, iron teeth, and a diaper you would not want to change.

[Andy Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book because the man is a legend in the computer game world, really, really enjoyed the dark humour mixed with the 'fallout' vibe I got from it.

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun satire about the nuclear family (among other things). Still very relevant even though it was written decades ago.
Wasn't feeling it at the start but by the end it had definitely won me over. Loved the characters and the technology in it. Pages had me alternating between laughing and freaked out. Sometimes at the same time.

[Angus McKeogh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sour relations with your neighbors? The dangers of nuclear power. The perpetual state of fear we exist in. Our society’s love affair with armaments. Cloning. Genetic manipulation. Religion. And the golf club nature of gated neighborhoods. It’s all in this book. Very well done and a really good read.

[Darren deToni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish it. I wont put others off but it tried too hard to be by Philip K. Dick. Others may enjoy it but I had ‘Concrete Island’ waiting for me so I’ve given it to a local charity shop. Hopefully it will find someone that will enjoy it.

[Brown Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Savage satire of early-electro America, a surreal fantasia across the commodified landscape. Dated mostly because it was so topical and on-the-nose for its era, it still possesses relevance for its prescience. At minimum, you will feel nostalgic for a past you've never lived.

[David Mccowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cyberpunk satire of suburban family life.

If you liked ...
Do Androids dream of Electronic Sheep?
Gattaca
Half-Life
Mission Earth
Neuromancer
Snow Crash
Star Fluxx
and seen too many family centered sitcoms, then you will love this book.

Will read again.

[Justin Sluka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads very much like a fever dream prediction of the future.

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of weird events that don't really tie together, but the journey is fun and interesting enough to have made the read an enjoyable experience. I just didn't feel too satisfied by the ending.

[Jack Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

love

[Azz Lunatic]

Dad's Nuke by Marc Laidlaw (1988)

[Giovanni Botta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finito nel 01/gen/1970 00:00:00