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Vigilance
Robert Jackson Bennett's Vigilance is a dark science fiction action parable from an America that has permanently surrendered to gun violence.The United States. 2030. John McDean executive produces "Vigilance," a reality game show designed to make sure American citizens stay alert to foreign and domestic threats. Shooters are introduced into a "game environment," and the survivors get a cash prize.The TV audience is not the only one that's watching though, and McDean soon finds out what it's like to be on the other side of the camera.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2019
112 people are currently reading
3569 people want to read
About the author
Robert Jackson Bennett
32 books22.2k followersRobert Jackson Bennett is a two-time award winner of the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel, an Edgar Award winner for Best Paperback Original, and is also the 2010 recipient of the Sydney J Bounds Award for Best Newcomer, and a Philip K Dick Award Citation of Excellence. City of Stairs was shortlisted for the Locus Award and the World Fantasy Award. City of Blades was a finalist for the 2015 World Fantasy, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards. His eighth novel, FOUNDRYSIDE, will be available in the US on 8/21 of 2018 and the UK on 8/23.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews
October 18, 2018
ARC provided by the publisher—Tor.com—in exchange for an honest review.
A powerful and terrifyingly necessary novella; I sincerely hope that it’s not prophetic.
Gun violence and mass shooting, we’ve all heard about it; it has happened way too many times for the past couple of years. I’m not American, I never lose someone close to me to gun violence or mass shooting. Even then, I found that this book was dark, terrifying, and powerful because looking at the state of the world now, I can’t dispute the chance that Vigilance would never happen. I envision this book will be even more terrifying for American or anybody who has lost someone to gun violence or mass shooting. There’s a lot of violent and strong content here. Please remember, this is a work of fiction. Try to be open-minded and let it be a wakeup call instead.
The year is 2030 and America has permanently surrendered itself to gun violence. John McDean is an executive producer of a reality game show called “Vigilance”. In this game show, the purpose is to put shooters into a “game environment” in order to make sure that American citizens always stay alert to domestic and foreign threats. Of course, we all know this will go south. The setting is America but here’s the thing, if you’ve been paying attention to the worldwide news, you’ll know that dystopian future isn’t really a far-fetched concept now. This is why the book was terrifying and powerful to read because there’s always a chance that whatever fucked up things that occurred in this novella happened in the near future.
It’s a vicious cycle of madness and chaos; a cycle that Bennett portrayed greatly in this novella. I don’t have anything else to say here except that Vigilance is a fantastic novella. Bennett really didn’t shy away from injecting the heavy topics that sprawled our current society into the book. I’m a huge fan of Robert Jackson Bennett’s fantasy books; this is the first time I read anything by Bennett outside of his fantasy books and if you’re like me, there’s no need to worry here because Bennett once again displayed his skill as an author to tell a terrific story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a short, terrifyingly relatable, and impactful read.
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Official release date: January 29th, 2019
You can order the book HERE!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
A powerful and terrifyingly necessary novella; I sincerely hope that it’s not prophetic.
Gun violence and mass shooting, we’ve all heard about it; it has happened way too many times for the past couple of years. I’m not American, I never lose someone close to me to gun violence or mass shooting. Even then, I found that this book was dark, terrifying, and powerful because looking at the state of the world now, I can’t dispute the chance that Vigilance would never happen. I envision this book will be even more terrifying for American or anybody who has lost someone to gun violence or mass shooting. There’s a lot of violent and strong content here. Please remember, this is a work of fiction. Try to be open-minded and let it be a wakeup call instead.
“A firearm should provoke analysis and thought, not action. Or that’s how it should be, at least. But thinkin’ is something more and more people seem goddamn reluctant to do these days.”
The year is 2030 and America has permanently surrendered itself to gun violence. John McDean is an executive producer of a reality game show called “Vigilance”. In this game show, the purpose is to put shooters into a “game environment” in order to make sure that American citizens always stay alert to domestic and foreign threats. Of course, we all know this will go south. The setting is America but here’s the thing, if you’ve been paying attention to the worldwide news, you’ll know that dystopian future isn’t really a far-fetched concept now. This is why the book was terrifying and powerful to read because there’s always a chance that whatever fucked up things that occurred in this novella happened in the near future.
“The more people were afraid, the more they bought guns. The more guns that were around, the more people tended to use them on each other. The more they used them on each other, the more they were afraid—and so, the more everyone bought guns.”
It’s a vicious cycle of madness and chaos; a cycle that Bennett portrayed greatly in this novella. I don’t have anything else to say here except that Vigilance is a fantastic novella. Bennett really didn’t shy away from injecting the heavy topics that sprawled our current society into the book. I’m a huge fan of Robert Jackson Bennett’s fantasy books; this is the first time I read anything by Bennett outside of his fantasy books and if you’re like me, there’s no need to worry here because Bennett once again displayed his skill as an author to tell a terrific story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a short, terrifyingly relatable, and impactful read.
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Official release date: January 29th, 2019
You can order the book HERE!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
September 23, 2024
Okay, so I don't know how to rate this story. First I thought I'd go for 3 miserable little stars. Then I said to my little self, "how can you bloody shrimping do this to Robert Jackson Bennett of The Lusciously Divine Cities?! This cannot be! This will not do!" And decided to go for 3.5 stars instead. (Go me and stuff.) But then I talked to Kateblue, who said she both loved and hated the book, and rated it 4 stars despite “really not liking it.” And that’s when I had an a-ha moment (yes, it hurt).
The thing is, I love this story because the idea behind it is as horribly scrumptious as it is scrumptiously horrible. Sorry, what? You want me to recap it for you? Isn’t that what blurbs are for? Don’t you know how to read, my Little Barnacles? Ha! Anyhoo and stuff, great concept and stuff. (It kinda sorta reminds me of Jennifer Government, too, which is not never a bad thing and stuff.) I also loved this story because it’s brilliantly written, which is DUH because RBJ wrote is, so DUH.
So why the initial, despicably low rating, you ask your Tiny Arthropodic Selves? Because the story is disturbing as fish and depressing as shrimp. (It’s even bleaker than Bleak Seasons, which should tell you something and stuff.) And left me feeling like a teensy little bit this:
So much so that it prompted me to read this. (Which, as those who know me will tell you, is quite very worrying indeed.) Because YES, Vigilance is thatgood bad. And so four bloody shrimping stars it is.
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): this book should be mandatory reading for every bloody shrimp living in our seriously fished up society. Also, said shrimp should make sure to have a revoltingly fluffy lined up for when he/she/they/whatever finish reading this story. This would obviously be the best candidate, but I guess this this could work pretty well, too.
P.S.
[Pre-review nonsense]
So this is me right now:
Full review to come and stuff.
The thing is, I love this story because the idea behind it is as horribly scrumptious as it is scrumptiously horrible. Sorry, what? You want me to recap it for you? Isn’t that what blurbs are for? Don’t you know how to read, my Little Barnacles? Ha! Anyhoo and stuff, great concept and stuff. (It kinda sorta reminds me of Jennifer Government, too, which is not never a bad thing and stuff.) I also loved this story because it’s brilliantly written, which is DUH because RBJ wrote is, so DUH.
So why the initial, despicably low rating, you ask your Tiny Arthropodic Selves? Because the story is disturbing as fish and depressing as shrimp. (It’s even bleaker than Bleak Seasons, which should tell you something and stuff.) And left me feeling like a teensy little bit this:
So much so that it prompted me to read this. (Which, as those who know me will tell you, is quite very worrying indeed.) Because YES, Vigilance is that
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): this book should be mandatory reading for every bloody shrimp living in our seriously fished up society. Also, said shrimp should make sure to have a revoltingly fluffy lined up for when he/she/they/whatever finish reading this story. This would obviously be the best candidate, but I guess this this could work pretty well, too.
P.S.
[Pre-review nonsense]
So this is me right now:
Full review to come and stuff.
June 24, 2021
fulfilling my 2021 goal to read one book each month by an author i have never read despite owning more than one of their books.
well, that was one dark motherfucker of a book.
review to come, if i can find the words.
well, that was one dark motherfucker of a book.
review to come, if i can find the words.
February 9, 2019
OMG what a glorious, gloriously messed-up SF. :)
Bennett pulls off a great hat trick that follows some of the greatest SF stories ever written. He drills down on a single issue: Guns.
So... done, and perhaps overdone for years, right? Yes, of course! Because the problem is WORSE now than ever! Look at the Purge and dozens of others to show us where we're headed. It's the drill-down. Let's see our possible futures and see what kind of consequences are in store for us.
This one goes delightfully bloodthirsty and satirical as hell, adding a few extra dimensions like massive reliance on demographics and marketing ramped up to a perfect science and designing a whole society that relies on its deep fears to remain always vigilant against foreign invasion. (China has far outstripped the US by this point in technology and social engineering.)
The whole media industry has turned random shootings into a manufactured circus, turning certain zones into legal shootout zones where everyone goes armed and stays ready... and the "mad" shooter is carefully chosen, given a possible prize of 20 million dollars if he's the last one standing, 5 million to the cops if they get him first, and 1 million for any citizen stupid enough to enter the zone willingly. And it's all broadcasted in perfect technological wizardry, offering realtime stats, characterizations of the real people, and tons of AI tweaked additions to pump up the perfect ratings.
This is just the start, though. I love what it says about a society that had thrown off the shackles of random "desirable" traits to select for a more fearful populace, more gun-happy, and ever more distrustful.
Worse, we did it to ourselves. On purpose. By incentivizing it.
This novella is bloody and serious and soooo beautifully satirical. The MC inside this media circus is so dedicated to his job, so serious about doing it right, so vigilant, himself. :) He never sees what he's doing. What we all do to ourselves...
and the ending has one hell of a cool twist. :) Poetic justice? Yes. But since this is Bennett, we also have some SWEET over-the-top twists. I LOVE how it panned out.
Of course, it would have been scathingly deadly right after the end trip to the bathroom if it had ended right there. :) Not so over-the-top, but definitely damning to us all. :)
For next year, I'm definitely nominating this for Best Novella for Hugo. :)
Bennett pulls off a great hat trick that follows some of the greatest SF stories ever written. He drills down on a single issue: Guns.
So... done, and perhaps overdone for years, right? Yes, of course! Because the problem is WORSE now than ever! Look at the Purge and dozens of others to show us where we're headed. It's the drill-down. Let's see our possible futures and see what kind of consequences are in store for us.
This one goes delightfully bloodthirsty and satirical as hell, adding a few extra dimensions like massive reliance on demographics and marketing ramped up to a perfect science and designing a whole society that relies on its deep fears to remain always vigilant against foreign invasion. (China has far outstripped the US by this point in technology and social engineering.)
The whole media industry has turned random shootings into a manufactured circus, turning certain zones into legal shootout zones where everyone goes armed and stays ready... and the "mad" shooter is carefully chosen, given a possible prize of 20 million dollars if he's the last one standing, 5 million to the cops if they get him first, and 1 million for any citizen stupid enough to enter the zone willingly. And it's all broadcasted in perfect technological wizardry, offering realtime stats, characterizations of the real people, and tons of AI tweaked additions to pump up the perfect ratings.
This is just the start, though. I love what it says about a society that had thrown off the shackles of random "desirable" traits to select for a more fearful populace, more gun-happy, and ever more distrustful.
Worse, we did it to ourselves. On purpose. By incentivizing it.
This novella is bloody and serious and soooo beautifully satirical. The MC inside this media circus is so dedicated to his job, so serious about doing it right, so vigilant, himself. :) He never sees what he's doing. What we all do to ourselves...
and the ending has one hell of a cool twist. :) Poetic justice? Yes. But since this is Bennett, we also have some SWEET over-the-top twists. I LOVE how it panned out.
Of course, it would have been scathingly deadly right after the end trip to the bathroom if it had ended right there. :) Not so over-the-top, but definitely damning to us all. :)
For next year, I'm definitely nominating this for Best Novella for Hugo. :)
February 20, 2019
3.5 Stars
Read for SpecFic Buddy Reads- Febrauary BR.
My heart is still pounding!
Why can’t we find a way to get everyone to be vigilant, and get great ratings?
And thus, the game was born.
I was confused in the first 3 chapters as I tried to understand what Vigilance was and what was happening and where this was headed; then I was too excited when the Vigilance was about to start but then for some reason, I was so mad when it started!
“Hello, boys,” he says jovially. “Who’s ready to kill some motherfuckers?”
There aren’t chapters in here and I wish there were but you can easily follow where the scenes end. I think I fairly enjoyed this. I wish there were a little more to the end but I know it's that uncertainty and the ironic end that makes it better. I must admit that I was angered around the end when my country's name was used in a f***ing reference and I have had enough of that from American movies and books to calm down.
I would recommend it if you are looking for a short thrilling read with violence. This was my first book from this author.
I'd love to know what you guys thought about it!
Read for SpecFic Buddy Reads- Febrauary BR.
My heart is still pounding!
Why can’t we find a way to get everyone to be vigilant, and get great ratings?
And thus, the game was born.
I was confused in the first 3 chapters as I tried to understand what Vigilance was and what was happening and where this was headed; then I was too excited when the Vigilance was about to start but then for some reason, I was so mad when it started!
“Hello, boys,” he says jovially. “Who’s ready to kill some motherfuckers?”
There aren’t chapters in here and I wish there were but you can easily follow where the scenes end. I think I fairly enjoyed this. I wish there were a little more to the end but I know it's that uncertainty and the ironic end that makes it better. I must admit that I was angered around the end when my country's name was used in a f***ing reference and I have had enough of that from American movies and books to calm down.
I would recommend it if you are looking for a short thrilling read with violence. This was my first book from this author.
I'd love to know what you guys thought about it!
February 11, 2019
Chilling and scary, but also sad. Robert Jackson Bennett's near future setting seems frighteningly prescient. Anyone turning on the news today can see how the cultural of fear is decimating America, and the loss of all that potential because of it is simply painful to watch.
The heart of the matter was that, from the beginning, America had always been a nation of fear. Fear of the monarchy. Fear of the elites. Fear of losing your property, to the government or invasion. A fear that, though you had worked damn hard to own your own property, some dumb thug or smug city prick would either find a way to steal it or use the law to steal it. This was what made the beating heart of America: not a sense of civics, not a love of country or people, not respect for the Constitution--but fear. And where you had fear, you had guns.
The heart of the matter was that, from the beginning, America had always been a nation of fear. Fear of the monarchy. Fear of the elites. Fear of losing your property, to the government or invasion. A fear that, though you had worked damn hard to own your own property, some dumb thug or smug city prick would either find a way to steal it or use the law to steal it. This was what made the beating heart of America: not a sense of civics, not a love of country or people, not respect for the Constitution--but fear. And where you had fear, you had guns.
May 27, 2019
So. I love Robert Jackson Bennett. His Divine Cities trilogy is probably my favorite fantasy series of all time; they are so good that I went and bought all of his other books as soon as I was done with those. And they are really amazing. But this novella just freaked the fuck out of me. In a good way? I read the synopsis, and I thought, “Jeez, Mr. Bennett, couldn’t you have stuck to fiction?”. He's clearly very angry at American gun culture, the media that takes fear-mongering to another level, the predatory way advertisers use social media, and the vapid devotion of the public to reality tv. This novella is how he patched those things together.
In an imaginary America, 30 or 40 years from now, marketers have found a way to monetize on mass shootings, by turning them into reality TV. This means that people who want to commit mass shootings can apply to be contestants on this show, which scouts out the optimal location to get as much viewership and interest as possible. Survivors will get money rewards, as will anyone who can actually take down the hostile shooters. But this particular episode of "Vigilance" goes awry in a horrifying way.
I’m Canadian: we have a lot of guns up here too, but we don’t do the mass shooting thing very often. It happens, sure, but not on a regular basis. My husband is American: we go see his family a few times a year, and I’d be lying if I said that I don’t feel a certain pressure lifting off of my shoulders when we cross the border back into the land of maple syrup.
I was sadly not surprised to see a few people found this novella heavy-handed and to be the work of a city slicker who doesn’t understand gun ownership. I am of the opinion that you don’t need to “understand gun ownership” (whatever that means) to grasp the idea that there are too many mass shootings taking place in the United States, and that sensationalism is what drives the media. How hard is it to imagine a marketer with zero moral barometer would simply choose to cash out on that?
A punch-to-the-gut novella by a very talented writer. It brought “The Sheep Look Up” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) to my mind, as it is as relevant and prescient as Brunner’s book. It is well-written, without frills (the topic doesn't really call for frills), and yes, it's a bit didactic, but it's an interesting portrait of what could happen...
Robert: I want to hug you and make you a cup of tea. You sound like you need a hug and a cup of tea. We all do.
In an imaginary America, 30 or 40 years from now, marketers have found a way to monetize on mass shootings, by turning them into reality TV. This means that people who want to commit mass shootings can apply to be contestants on this show, which scouts out the optimal location to get as much viewership and interest as possible. Survivors will get money rewards, as will anyone who can actually take down the hostile shooters. But this particular episode of "Vigilance" goes awry in a horrifying way.
I’m Canadian: we have a lot of guns up here too, but we don’t do the mass shooting thing very often. It happens, sure, but not on a regular basis. My husband is American: we go see his family a few times a year, and I’d be lying if I said that I don’t feel a certain pressure lifting off of my shoulders when we cross the border back into the land of maple syrup.
I was sadly not surprised to see a few people found this novella heavy-handed and to be the work of a city slicker who doesn’t understand gun ownership. I am of the opinion that you don’t need to “understand gun ownership” (whatever that means) to grasp the idea that there are too many mass shootings taking place in the United States, and that sensationalism is what drives the media. How hard is it to imagine a marketer with zero moral barometer would simply choose to cash out on that?
A punch-to-the-gut novella by a very talented writer. It brought “The Sheep Look Up” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) to my mind, as it is as relevant and prescient as Brunner’s book. It is well-written, without frills (the topic doesn't really call for frills), and yes, it's a bit didactic, but it's an interesting portrait of what could happen...
Robert: I want to hug you and make you a cup of tea. You sound like you need a hug and a cup of tea. We all do.
February 2, 2019
If there's one thing John McDean loves more than anything else in the world, it's telling people to be vigilant.
Vigilance is not a very pleasant novel - but then, this never promised to be a look into America's optimistic future. What it is though, is timely, terrifying, and completely on the nose in it's observations.
Usually I won't give a high rating to something so bleak. But just occasionally, bleakness is trumped by a sense of importance, and this book touches on almost every point currently contributing to our increasing sense of living in a dystopia; inequality, race (the different views of guns as threat vs protection depending on race is very well done), climate change, technological erosions of privacy...the list goes on. The bleakness is also trumped by some excellent writing from Robert Jackson Bennett - the man really is a master of his craft - and though he's unapologetic in his viewpoints, he's laying blame at the feet of those who preach hate, rather than those caught up in it.
Vigilance is not a very pleasant novel - but then, this never promised to be a look into America's optimistic future. What it is though, is timely, terrifying, and completely on the nose in it's observations.
Usually I won't give a high rating to something so bleak. But just occasionally, bleakness is trumped by a sense of importance, and this book touches on almost every point currently contributing to our increasing sense of living in a dystopia; inequality, race (the different views of guns as threat vs protection depending on race is very well done), climate change, technological erosions of privacy...the list goes on. The bleakness is also trumped by some excellent writing from Robert Jackson Bennett - the man really is a master of his craft - and though he's unapologetic in his viewpoints, he's laying blame at the feet of those who preach hate, rather than those caught up in it.
February 13, 2019
An extrapolation of US gun culture, big data and reactionary societal trends produces this disturbing book that reads like a combination of the Truman Show, the Running Man and modern-day mass shootings.
The plot here is very simple and best appreciated without spoilers as the ongoing horror of what Vigilance actually is unfolds to the reader. How the reader is going to take it depends largely on how you feel about things like "Thoughts and prayers", the NRA and the gun lobby wanting to arm everyone as a response to mass shootings, as well as current trends towards targeted advertising and reinforcement of entrenched positions via the media.
It's never not horrible, but it is darkly funny, perhaps made even more so by the reality that we're so close to this being a reality rather than satire.
The plot here is very simple and best appreciated without spoilers as the ongoing horror of what Vigilance actually is unfolds to the reader. How the reader is going to take it depends largely on how you feel about things like "Thoughts and prayers", the NRA and the gun lobby wanting to arm everyone as a response to mass shootings, as well as current trends towards targeted advertising and reinforcement of entrenched positions via the media.
It's never not horrible, but it is darkly funny, perhaps made even more so by the reality that we're so close to this being a reality rather than satire.
February 1, 2019
My review of Vigilance can be found at High Fever Books.
In the near future, America’s favorite pastime — mass shootings — has become a ratings juggernaut. Under the supervision of executive producer John McDean, ONT (Our Nation’s Truth) irregularly broadcasts Vigilance, a reality TV game show that turns local malls, schools, train stations, restaurants, and other randomly chosen public arenas into grotesque scenes of mass gun violence for the entertainment of its home viewers.
Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett paints a frightening and wholly plausible picture of near-future America. Personally, I suspect it’s only a matter of time before we see a show like Vigilance on American airwaves or streaming platforms. Far-right broadcasters like Alex Jones, Sean Hannity, and Bill O’Reilly have already made their denialism of America’s gun epidemic into vital cash cows (at least before the firings and lawsuits hit them in the only place that matters to them), painting outspoken school children and grieving parents as nothing more than “crisis actors” and (ironically) fraudsters. I expect it will be sooner rather than later that these immoral and irresponsible scumfucks decide to see how much further they can push the envelope in order to make a buck, pushing for far more literal interpretations of TV’s Survivor.
Bennett shows us an America at absolute rock-bottom, an America that has suffered the full effects of a Trump presidency, Fox News brainwashing, climate change, right wing science denialism, toxic masculinity, and resurgent Naziism, and is now a nation in its death throes. The entire world has left the insular and frightened United States behind, with China becoming the center of the world’s scientific and industrial progress.
All America has left is greed, entitlement, an insane amount of fear toward The Other, a dwindling population of old timers glued to their TV, and guns, guns, guns! As the latest episode of Vigilance airs, ratings go through the roof. People are obsessed with this show, rooting for the killers as much as they root for the Good Guy With A Gun to put an end to it, hedging their Las Vegas bets appropriately.
Bennett takes all of America’s idiotic obsession with guns and violence and distills it all into a savage, dark, complex, and frightening novella. The tone of Vigilance is fucking pitch-black, blacker than the the night, blacker, even, than Trump’s rotting, soulless, barely-beating, fatty fast-food “hamberder” obstructed heart. Like the murderous contestants of this book’s game show, Bennett is playing for keeps, and he goes all-in on the violence. Despite the reality show’s glamorization of guns and mass shootings, Bennett’s action scenes never feel titillating. Rather, they are raw and potent, showing the devastation of a bullet’s trajectory, the harm guns can cause in the hands of the untrained and unskilled. He willfully eschews the fetishization of guns, showing gun culture for what it really is — a culture of fear, built by cowards who can only hope to be powerful once in their lives, exploited by the wealthy in an endless cycle of parasitism cleverly disguised as patriotism. There is no mythological Good Guy With A Gun here. There are only killers and the killed, and the endless cycle that consumes them and profits off their corpses.
In other words, Vigilance is one hell of a reflection on current American values, the state of our society in this early part of the 21st Century, and the peril of where our national nihilism will be taking us as we struggle to cope with all the damage we’ve willingly inflicted upon ourselves. Vigilance is brutal, at times sickening, but oh so very, very necessary. This is a vital read. Highly recommended.
In the near future, America’s favorite pastime — mass shootings — has become a ratings juggernaut. Under the supervision of executive producer John McDean, ONT (Our Nation’s Truth) irregularly broadcasts Vigilance, a reality TV game show that turns local malls, schools, train stations, restaurants, and other randomly chosen public arenas into grotesque scenes of mass gun violence for the entertainment of its home viewers.
although America doesn’t manufacture much anymore, it sure as hell makes a lot of dead kids
Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett paints a frightening and wholly plausible picture of near-future America. Personally, I suspect it’s only a matter of time before we see a show like Vigilance on American airwaves or streaming platforms. Far-right broadcasters like Alex Jones, Sean Hannity, and Bill O’Reilly have already made their denialism of America’s gun epidemic into vital cash cows (at least before the firings and lawsuits hit them in the only place that matters to them), painting outspoken school children and grieving parents as nothing more than “crisis actors” and (ironically) fraudsters. I expect it will be sooner rather than later that these immoral and irresponsible scumfucks decide to see how much further they can push the envelope in order to make a buck, pushing for far more literal interpretations of TV’s Survivor.
Bennett shows us an America at absolute rock-bottom, an America that has suffered the full effects of a Trump presidency, Fox News brainwashing, climate change, right wing science denialism, toxic masculinity, and resurgent Naziism, and is now a nation in its death throes. The entire world has left the insular and frightened United States behind, with China becoming the center of the world’s scientific and industrial progress.
More than anyone alive, John McDean knows America isn’t a place you live in—not anymore. It’s a place you survive. And such a place is highly monetizable for Our Nation’s Truth.
All America has left is greed, entitlement, an insane amount of fear toward The Other, a dwindling population of old timers glued to their TV, and guns, guns, guns! As the latest episode of Vigilance airs, ratings go through the roof. People are obsessed with this show, rooting for the killers as much as they root for the Good Guy With A Gun to put an end to it, hedging their Las Vegas bets appropriately.
Bennett takes all of America’s idiotic obsession with guns and violence and distills it all into a savage, dark, complex, and frightening novella. The tone of Vigilance is fucking pitch-black, blacker than the the night, blacker, even, than Trump’s rotting, soulless, barely-beating, fatty fast-food “hamberder” obstructed heart. Like the murderous contestants of this book’s game show, Bennett is playing for keeps, and he goes all-in on the violence. Despite the reality show’s glamorization of guns and mass shootings, Bennett’s action scenes never feel titillating. Rather, they are raw and potent, showing the devastation of a bullet’s trajectory, the harm guns can cause in the hands of the untrained and unskilled. He willfully eschews the fetishization of guns, showing gun culture for what it really is — a culture of fear, built by cowards who can only hope to be powerful once in their lives, exploited by the wealthy in an endless cycle of parasitism cleverly disguised as patriotism. There is no mythological Good Guy With A Gun here. There are only killers and the killed, and the endless cycle that consumes them and profits off their corpses.
What an easy thing it is, to make Americans destroy ourselves…. You just have to make a spectacle out of it.
In other words, Vigilance is one hell of a reflection on current American values, the state of our society in this early part of the 21st Century, and the peril of where our national nihilism will be taking us as we struggle to cope with all the damage we’ve willingly inflicted upon ourselves. Vigilance is brutal, at times sickening, but oh so very, very necessary. This is a vital read. Highly recommended.
February 6, 2019
Vigilance tries to be a moralistic science fiction story in the vein of movies like The Purge and The Running Man, but ultimately does not have much going for it.
First off, let me state that I am liberal and, like anyone with a working brain, I think Trump is one of the worst things that could be inflicted on the world. Why is this important? Because Vigilance takes all the fears that liberals have, turns the dial to 11, fills the story with a number of Trumpisms and tries to the do same thing as either of the afore mentioned movies did or like so many dystopian books have done before. i.e. sell the idea American has failed in all the ways liberals think it will - xenophobia, guns, China etc. I actually got a bit sick of it since the author seemed to be focusing more on this idea of a Republican dystopia than an original story.
The science fiction aspects of the story were okayish. The author has tried to foresee what will happen in 10-20 years from now using the current trends as a baseline, which is fine. But there is one glaring error- at least from my pedantic point of view - malls are dying across the wold but somehow, the author thinks malls are still a social focal point in the future. But that's just nitpicking because there are bigger issues with the book mentioned before.
Now that I think about it, the writing style is evocative of The Running Man book. There are similar social commentaries except that the protagonist characters are way different.
So, in conclusion, the book is just run of the mill. Maybe a filler for a short flight.
First off, let me state that I am liberal and, like anyone with a working brain, I think Trump is one of the worst things that could be inflicted on the world. Why is this important? Because Vigilance takes all the fears that liberals have, turns the dial to 11, fills the story with a number of Trumpisms and tries to the do same thing as either of the afore mentioned movies did or like so many dystopian books have done before. i.e. sell the idea American has failed in all the ways liberals think it will - xenophobia, guns, China etc. I actually got a bit sick of it since the author seemed to be focusing more on this idea of a Republican dystopia than an original story.
The science fiction aspects of the story were okayish. The author has tried to foresee what will happen in 10-20 years from now using the current trends as a baseline, which is fine. But there is one glaring error- at least from my pedantic point of view - malls are dying across the wold but somehow, the author thinks malls are still a social focal point in the future. But that's just nitpicking because there are bigger issues with the book mentioned before.
Now that I think about it, the writing style is evocative of The Running Man book. There are similar social commentaries except that the protagonist characters are way different.
So, in conclusion, the book is just run of the mill. Maybe a filler for a short flight.
February 9, 2019
John McDean runs a US TV network. This network shows a program called "Vigilance" which is a reality show where a location is chosen and some people who signed up and happen to be in the area subsequently get to shoot everyone in sight. The reason? To check if the people in the area (could be a shopping mall or a train station or whatever) fight back, if they came prepared and thus potentially survive.
It is 2030 and America has succumbed to fearmongering. Gun sales are off the charts. McDean makes sure the people stay afraid and averse towards anything "foreign". The definition of "foreign" is very broad. Technically, anyone can become the enemy. Ruining the country, taking jobs away from honest Americans, disrespecting good citizens.
Sounds familiar? Yeah ...
Basically, this novella is a combination of one or two episodes of Black Mirror and the movie(s) The Purge.
I have to admit that this was my first story by this author though I have a trilogy of his on my TBR. But this was short and sounded interesting so I read it. It's obvious what the author was influenced by (it's a new story) and I don't agree with everything that got extrapolated to serve as the background of this grim America of the future. I know gun ownership / gun violence is a very hot topic and maybe my opinion is influenced by only knowing careful and responsible gun owners. Nevertheless, I come from a country with very strict gun laws and it's not as nice or safe as many apparently think. All that might be influencing my opinion of this story as well.
And then the ending - or the twist right before the ending I should say. Maybe it has to do with this being a novella so there wasn't a lot of build-up for the reveal in the end. . I mean, it was almost a lame spin that . In that regard it also reminded me of Red Dawn where which was thematically equally unrealistic. And ? Not buying it, sorry.
Nevertheless, the story was as sick and dark as the blurp suggested so it was exactly what I was looking for. Not just the state of the country but also the state of one individual's soul (any individual here), of McDean actually enjoying using his gift of knowing and influencing people to do abominable things instead of doing good. Every single person contributing to this hell.
It was over-the-top criticism of America's identification with not trusting any establishment but wanting to remain in control oneself and of the fearmongering that's been going on for a while (no, it's not new and no, it's not happening in the US alone).
At times, the rendition of the topic here was too simplistic but even more often it was almost comical which was actually what I had hoped (so one could argue that the book was not as moralistic a piece as the author had probably intended or maybe he was equally satirizing the people panicking over gun laws?).
Well written and entertaining (see what I did there? *grins evilly*) enough nonetheless.
3.5 stars rounded down because of the ending.
It is 2030 and America has succumbed to fearmongering. Gun sales are off the charts. McDean makes sure the people stay afraid and averse towards anything "foreign". The definition of "foreign" is very broad. Technically, anyone can become the enemy. Ruining the country, taking jobs away from honest Americans, disrespecting good citizens.
Sounds familiar? Yeah ...
Basically, this novella is a combination of one or two episodes of Black Mirror and the movie(s) The Purge.
I have to admit that this was my first story by this author though I have a trilogy of his on my TBR. But this was short and sounded interesting so I read it. It's obvious what the author was influenced by (it's a new story) and I don't agree with everything that got extrapolated to serve as the background of this grim America of the future. I know gun ownership / gun violence is a very hot topic and maybe my opinion is influenced by only knowing careful and responsible gun owners. Nevertheless, I come from a country with very strict gun laws and it's not as nice or safe as many apparently think. All that might be influencing my opinion of this story as well.
And then the ending - or the twist right before the ending I should say. Maybe it has to do with this being a novella so there wasn't a lot of build-up for the reveal in the end. . I mean, it was almost a lame spin that . In that regard it also reminded me of Red Dawn where which was thematically equally unrealistic. And ? Not buying it, sorry.
Nevertheless, the story was as sick and dark as the blurp suggested so it was exactly what I was looking for. Not just the state of the country but also the state of one individual's soul (any individual here), of McDean actually enjoying using his gift of knowing and influencing people to do abominable things instead of doing good. Every single person contributing to this hell.
It was over-the-top criticism of America's identification with not trusting any establishment but wanting to remain in control oneself and of the fearmongering that's been going on for a while (no, it's not new and no, it's not happening in the US alone).
At times, the rendition of the topic here was too simplistic but even more often it was almost comical which was actually what I had hoped (so one could argue that the book was not as moralistic a piece as the author had probably intended or maybe he was equally satirizing the people panicking over gun laws?).
Well written and entertaining (see what I did there? *grins evilly*) enough nonetheless.
3.5 stars rounded down because of the ending.
February 16, 2021
The author successfully shows the disturbing picture of America in (future) 2030. Where lack of gun control has lead to glorifying "gun culture".
The public fear because of which is then misused by big cooperation for revenue. Capitalising on societies paranoia and manipulating it to their advantage is basically whats explored in a reality game show "Vigilance" that encourages mass shooting.
We also get the insight into how the organisation chooses target to maximise audience engagement by using advanced technology that can basically scan a crowd, and tell you in seconds everyone’s ages, places of birth, religions, even people’s hobbies. The format of the show is unpredictable and the mass shooting can start anywhere at anytime because of which common citizens are urged to carry guns and be vigilant at any time. We follow the perspective of John McDean who finds all this entertaining and is also the producer of the show. His screwed thought process to get profit out of something so horrendous is unpleasant to witness.
I won't say I enjoyed this book, given the subject matter. It has its flaws. We don't get to explore the "How" and "Why" of the story. There were some loose threads that were unanswered. And also I found the plot to be little predictable as I could notice certain seeds been planted for later payoff.
The public fear because of which is then misused by big cooperation for revenue. Capitalising on societies paranoia and manipulating it to their advantage is basically whats explored in a reality game show "Vigilance" that encourages mass shooting.
More than anyone alive, John McDean knows America isn’t a place you live in—not anymore. It’s a place you survive. And such a place is highly monetizable for Our Nation’s Truth.
We also get the insight into how the organisation chooses target to maximise audience engagement by using advanced technology that can basically scan a crowd, and tell you in seconds everyone’s ages, places of birth, religions, even people’s hobbies. The format of the show is unpredictable and the mass shooting can start anywhere at anytime because of which common citizens are urged to carry guns and be vigilant at any time. We follow the perspective of John McDean who finds all this entertaining and is also the producer of the show. His screwed thought process to get profit out of something so horrendous is unpleasant to witness.
I won't say I enjoyed this book, given the subject matter. It has its flaws. We don't get to explore the "How" and "Why" of the story. There were some loose threads that were unanswered. And also I found the plot to be little predictable as I could notice certain seeds been planted for later payoff.
February 8, 2019
Whoa. Super depressing and a plausible outcome when the nastiness, cynicism and violence in the US of today is extrapolated forward to a really dark future where mass shootings, marketing, AI and reality tv come together to sell more products and entertain.
January 24, 2020
This is a near future SF novella, which satirizes defenders of the second amendment in the USA (“the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”). While the story has interesting ideas, for me, a non-US citizen it was a thinly veiled partisan politics; I agree that the US needs much stricter gun controls but here the situation reminds me of a straw man beating.
The setting assumes that somewhere in the 2020s AI inserted ads in CCTV feed of actual mass shooting and it hasn’t destroyed the brands, but boosted their sales. Now AI profiles potential mass shooters, arms them and drops them in places with a lot of people. The result is ‘real TV’ program Vigilance. While there several stories where characters forced to play a game, where they are hunted down (e.g. Blade Runner), here the situation is reversed.
There are two storylines: the major one, about the executive manager John McDean who produces the Vigilance and his actions and thought when he prepares the upcoming episode. The minor one is about a waitress Delyna, who works in a Southern bar where drunk armed people (predominantly white men) are waiting for the next episode of the Vigilance. The story too bluntly and one-dimensionally sets good and bad: McDean is while man, well-off, arrogant, sleeping with female interns; Delyna is a poor black woman forced to listen to drunken brawls.
The setting assumes that somewhere in the 2020s AI inserted ads in CCTV feed of actual mass shooting and it hasn’t destroyed the brands, but boosted their sales. Now AI profiles potential mass shooters, arms them and drops them in places with a lot of people. The result is ‘real TV’ program Vigilance. While there several stories where characters forced to play a game, where they are hunted down (e.g. Blade Runner), here the situation is reversed.
There are two storylines: the major one, about the executive manager John McDean who produces the Vigilance and his actions and thought when he prepares the upcoming episode. The minor one is about a waitress Delyna, who works in a Southern bar where drunk armed people (predominantly white men) are waiting for the next episode of the Vigilance. The story too bluntly and one-dimensionally sets good and bad: McDean is while man, well-off, arrogant, sleeping with female interns; Delyna is a poor black woman forced to listen to drunken brawls.
January 22, 2019
"The heart of the matter was that, from the beginning, America had always been a nation of fear.."
As I sit here writing this review, the narrative of the world continues to appear bleak. A cavalcade of grim events litter our news headlines steadily. MAGA-hat-wearing teenage boys protesting a woman's right to choose at the March for Life rally, then infringing upon the personal space of a 64 year old Native American vet, taunting him while he beat on his drum as part of the Ingenious Peoples March, a separate rally that was coincidentally happening at the same time nearby; a certain R&B artist getting back on the charts after a documentary detailing decades of pedophilia and sexual abuse aired (as I'm about to post this, I learned that he was finally dropped by his label); YouTube allowing an accused rapist on the run from Dutch police to post monetized videos, burying the story again and again; the longest partial government shutdown in US history.. the list of real-life headlines goes on. And on.
Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett is fucked up! Truly. It's Death Race meets The Hunger Games meets The Purge. But even more chilling is just how eerily relevant to current times it is.
"The point of being American was that you got to own shit. But when you owned shit, you were afraid someone would take it. But you could be brave, and fight back--if you had a gun. But sometime at the turn of the century that fear had grown. A lot--in tenor, in intensity, in scope. People became afraid of their own government, their own soldiers, their own neighbors, of companies and technology and schools and churches and other nations. There was just so much to worry about.
So what did you do? You bought a fucking gun."
Vigilance takes place in 2030 America. The idea came about a few years before, after the 514th mass shooting that year. A video of a school shooter was streamed to social media as it was happening. Advertisers were disgusted at first.. worried that their brands would be ruined because of the sponsorship logos that had been thrown into the video all over the internet. But then they realized that the exposure they were getting was unreal. People couldn't stop watching. We know this feeling. I'm sure at some point we've all been there. I found myself falling into that hole as a teenager during 9/11. I made myself sick watching those horrific scenes over and over on every station. It was all that was shown, even here in Canada. If not on tv, then the internet was producing story after story. It was awful. Yet we continued to watch.
There are people who get off on violence, both figuratively and literally. John McDean is one of them. He is the POS producer that puts on Vigilance, a television show that airs active shooters on network tv, optimizing outrage for ad revenue. It's insanely popular and makes a lot of cash for those involved by exploiting fear. Viewers bet on what location will get shot up, survivors of the shootings can receive a monetary payout.. along with the "bragging" rights that they participated in a mass shooting.
On the opposite end is Delyna, a bartender who has lost hope in America ever changing. Her father was a police officer that was killed by another officer.. because he was a black man holding a gun. She is done with all the violence and fear and especially with Vigilance.
Vigilance is a harrowing satire on an all-too-familiar America. Robert Jackson Bennett has done a brilliant job showing just how meaningful a story like this is. Things have got to change. There has to be hope that they will. There has to be action. Otherwise.. Vigilance isn't that far off from happening.
(Much thanks to Tor.com Publishing for sending me a copy!)
**The quotes above were taken from an ARC & are subject to change upon publication**
As I sit here writing this review, the narrative of the world continues to appear bleak. A cavalcade of grim events litter our news headlines steadily. MAGA-hat-wearing teenage boys protesting a woman's right to choose at the March for Life rally, then infringing upon the personal space of a 64 year old Native American vet, taunting him while he beat on his drum as part of the Ingenious Peoples March, a separate rally that was coincidentally happening at the same time nearby; a certain R&B artist getting back on the charts after a documentary detailing decades of pedophilia and sexual abuse aired (as I'm about to post this, I learned that he was finally dropped by his label); YouTube allowing an accused rapist on the run from Dutch police to post monetized videos, burying the story again and again; the longest partial government shutdown in US history.. the list of real-life headlines goes on. And on.
Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett is fucked up! Truly. It's Death Race meets The Hunger Games meets The Purge. But even more chilling is just how eerily relevant to current times it is.
"The point of being American was that you got to own shit. But when you owned shit, you were afraid someone would take it. But you could be brave, and fight back--if you had a gun. But sometime at the turn of the century that fear had grown. A lot--in tenor, in intensity, in scope. People became afraid of their own government, their own soldiers, their own neighbors, of companies and technology and schools and churches and other nations. There was just so much to worry about.
So what did you do? You bought a fucking gun."
Vigilance takes place in 2030 America. The idea came about a few years before, after the 514th mass shooting that year. A video of a school shooter was streamed to social media as it was happening. Advertisers were disgusted at first.. worried that their brands would be ruined because of the sponsorship logos that had been thrown into the video all over the internet. But then they realized that the exposure they were getting was unreal. People couldn't stop watching. We know this feeling. I'm sure at some point we've all been there. I found myself falling into that hole as a teenager during 9/11. I made myself sick watching those horrific scenes over and over on every station. It was all that was shown, even here in Canada. If not on tv, then the internet was producing story after story. It was awful. Yet we continued to watch.
There are people who get off on violence, both figuratively and literally. John McDean is one of them. He is the POS producer that puts on Vigilance, a television show that airs active shooters on network tv, optimizing outrage for ad revenue. It's insanely popular and makes a lot of cash for those involved by exploiting fear. Viewers bet on what location will get shot up, survivors of the shootings can receive a monetary payout.. along with the "bragging" rights that they participated in a mass shooting.
On the opposite end is Delyna, a bartender who has lost hope in America ever changing. Her father was a police officer that was killed by another officer.. because he was a black man holding a gun. She is done with all the violence and fear and especially with Vigilance.
Vigilance is a harrowing satire on an all-too-familiar America. Robert Jackson Bennett has done a brilliant job showing just how meaningful a story like this is. Things have got to change. There has to be hope that they will. There has to be action. Otherwise.. Vigilance isn't that far off from happening.
(Much thanks to Tor.com Publishing for sending me a copy!)
**The quotes above were taken from an ARC & are subject to change upon publication**
February 8, 2019
How do you review a book that is well written and raises important question but is just horrible to read?
Vigliance is an examination of the violent and moronic obsession that many Americans have with guns. It’s a tv game show that places armed psychos within an unsuspecting civilian rich environment and then calls those civilians cowards for running away, unprepared for dying in front of the loved ones and pathetic because they have a gun but haven’t spent quite enough hours firing at stationary targets to not hesitate when it comes to blowing someone away. It’s fucking horrible content and for someone like me that is from a country relatively free of gun violence thanks to one smart law it is so obviously avoidable that even thinking about gets my heart beating faster.
The story is told from two perspectives. One is a young women running a bar full of viewers who has had enough of living in perpetual danger and the other is the game’s ‘driver’ for lack of a better word, a man who spends his life obsessing over the perfect contestant and trying to beat his own ratings. They are both interesting characters and present different points of view but to say more would risk serious spoilers.
I’ve read plenty of dark books but there is generally a light of hope, a moment of karmic comeuppance, a spot of redemption or at the very least a reason to find even the wriest of smiles. Not so in the one at all. Which is why I find it hard to rate and review. I think I’ll just leave it here and let readers decide what they want.
Vigilance is a visceral reading experience. I felt disgusted, horrified, sad, irresponsible and a bit afraid. Not many books press this many of my buttons but this one did and despite not enjoying the outcome I place a great deal of value in writing that can make me feel so many things at once. Read it at your own risk.
Vigliance is an examination of the violent and moronic obsession that many Americans have with guns. It’s a tv game show that places armed psychos within an unsuspecting civilian rich environment and then calls those civilians cowards for running away, unprepared for dying in front of the loved ones and pathetic because they have a gun but haven’t spent quite enough hours firing at stationary targets to not hesitate when it comes to blowing someone away. It’s fucking horrible content and for someone like me that is from a country relatively free of gun violence thanks to one smart law it is so obviously avoidable that even thinking about gets my heart beating faster.
The story is told from two perspectives. One is a young women running a bar full of viewers who has had enough of living in perpetual danger and the other is the game’s ‘driver’ for lack of a better word, a man who spends his life obsessing over the perfect contestant and trying to beat his own ratings. They are both interesting characters and present different points of view but to say more would risk serious spoilers.
I’ve read plenty of dark books but there is generally a light of hope, a moment of karmic comeuppance, a spot of redemption or at the very least a reason to find even the wriest of smiles. Not so in the one at all. Which is why I find it hard to rate and review. I think I’ll just leave it here and let readers decide what they want.
Vigilance is a visceral reading experience. I felt disgusted, horrified, sad, irresponsible and a bit afraid. Not many books press this many of my buttons but this one did and despite not enjoying the outcome I place a great deal of value in writing that can make me feel so many things at once. Read it at your own risk.
January 31, 2019
Dark science-fiction by Robert Jackson Bennett? Yes, please.
In a near-future (2030) America, Vigilance is a popular TV reality show in which shooters kill civilians in a variety of places (malls, restaurants etc). John McDean, the show’s cynical executive producer manipulates americans’ fears, and explores culture of fear and insecurity to increase ratings and advertising revenue.
It’s hard to like any of the characters portrayed by Bennett. They’re not evil. They just don’t give a fuck anymore. Plus, they’re sketches and outlines and not real people. The only symphatetic character, Delyna, works as bartender who finds a courage to turn-off the show and say no to inebriated clients. Unfortunately, the outcome of this rash decision is very violent.
Vigilance blends ultraviolence, breakneck pace and satire. Think of it as a particularly edgy episode of Black Mirror. I devoured it in one sitting and loved it. Upon reflection, parts of the plot felt rush and implausible but such is the nature of a satire - you shouldn’t expect it to remain believable all the time.
Thad said, I fear Vigilance is a prediction and not a satire.
In a near-future (2030) America, Vigilance is a popular TV reality show in which shooters kill civilians in a variety of places (malls, restaurants etc). John McDean, the show’s cynical executive producer manipulates americans’ fears, and explores culture of fear and insecurity to increase ratings and advertising revenue.
It’s hard to like any of the characters portrayed by Bennett. They’re not evil. They just don’t give a fuck anymore. Plus, they’re sketches and outlines and not real people. The only symphatetic character, Delyna, works as bartender who finds a courage to turn-off the show and say no to inebriated clients. Unfortunately, the outcome of this rash decision is very violent.
Vigilance blends ultraviolence, breakneck pace and satire. Think of it as a particularly edgy episode of Black Mirror. I devoured it in one sitting and loved it. Upon reflection, parts of the plot felt rush and implausible but such is the nature of a satire - you shouldn’t expect it to remain believable all the time.
Thad said, I fear Vigilance is a prediction and not a satire.
January 14, 2019
It's obviously written by a hapless urbanite who didn't grow up with firearms and doesn't have a clue why people own them.
Some of the pontifications therein are just incandescently dumb... To wit(less):
“A firearm should provoke analysis and thought, not action. Or that’s how it should be, at least."
What? Huh? This guy thinks we should sit around staring at firearms and analyzing and thinking about them? (well, okay, maybe if it was a malfunctioning machinegun I might have to do that... Unwillingly.)
Clue, Mr. Urban Garret-dweller: Firearms generally "Provoke" the action of taking them out and shooting them. Which is fun. And most of us who own them - particularly those who aren't crammed into urban areas until we start killing each other like overcrowded rats -don't even *think* about shooting *humans* with them...
Another groaner:
“The more people were afraid, the more they bought guns.
The more guns that were around, the more people tended to use them on each other.
The more they used them on each other, the more they were afraid—and so, the more everyone bought guns.”
Now, *there* is a simplistic, pat explanation worthy of a third-grade schoolmarm - Who, before she connects the dots in a cute comforting little loop like that, ought to have a look at this:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Because, one of the segments in the cute, pat little circular explanation just... isn't... there... .
Some of the pontifications therein are just incandescently dumb... To wit(less):
“A firearm should provoke analysis and thought, not action. Or that’s how it should be, at least."
What? Huh? This guy thinks we should sit around staring at firearms and analyzing and thinking about them? (well, okay, maybe if it was a malfunctioning machinegun I might have to do that... Unwillingly.)
Clue, Mr. Urban Garret-dweller: Firearms generally "Provoke" the action of taking them out and shooting them. Which is fun. And most of us who own them - particularly those who aren't crammed into urban areas until we start killing each other like overcrowded rats -don't even *think* about shooting *humans* with them...
Another groaner:
“The more people were afraid, the more they bought guns.
The more guns that were around, the more people tended to use them on each other.
The more they used them on each other, the more they were afraid—and so, the more everyone bought guns.”
Now, *there* is a simplistic, pat explanation worthy of a third-grade schoolmarm - Who, before she connects the dots in a cute comforting little loop like that, ought to have a look at this:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Because, one of the segments in the cute, pat little circular explanation just... isn't... there... .
March 31, 2022
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February 5, 2019
Well, that was depressing. And scarily possible.
July 31, 2020
3.5 Stars
This was a near future dystopian novella that read like an episode of Black Mirror. While I share the author's feelings about gun control in America, I wished the messaging had been more subtle because it felt too heavy handed for my tastes. Yet I would still recommend this novella. The imagined future felt terrifyingly possible and the ending was quite solid.
This was a near future dystopian novella that read like an episode of Black Mirror. While I share the author's feelings about gun control in America, I wished the messaging had been more subtle because it felt too heavy handed for my tastes. Yet I would still recommend this novella. The imagined future felt terrifyingly possible and the ending was quite solid.
April 18, 2019
Vigilance is a terrifying novella of a not so distant future United States of America so wrapped up in guns and violence that they’ve dissociated from the world stage and created a stage of their own chockfull of gratuitous gun violence.
Vigilance follows John McDean as he orchestrates the next Vigilance, a reality game show where shooters are introduced into a real life setting and the survivors win cash prizes. Everything about the Vigilance is controlled, monitored, and analyzed for data and revenue. Readers get up close and personal with the work that goes into running a Vigilance and the propaganda that sustains it.
"More than anyone alive, John McDean knows America isn't a place you live in - not anymore. It's a place you survive."
Vigilance is a novella waiting to be dissected and compared to real world affairs and people. It’s disgusting how the actions of the characters closely mirror some real-life television personalities. Vigilance takes the alt-right side of the gun control debate to the extreme and delivers a terrifying speculative fiction novella.
"A firearm should provoke analysis and thought, not action. Or that's it should be at least. But thinking' is something more and more people seem goddamn reluctant to do these days."
I’d liken Vigilance to The Hunger Games, especially the way the theatrical adaptations portrayed the media coverage of the event and the behind the scenes control the gamemakers exerted. Except, Vigilance is violence and sex on a different level that may make some readers feel uncomfortable.
Overall, Vigilance is a must read for everyone. Bennett takes a magnifying glass to the gun control debate that shows readers a potential future that doesn’t look so unrealistic if you’re keyed into current political events.
Vigilance follows John McDean as he orchestrates the next Vigilance, a reality game show where shooters are introduced into a real life setting and the survivors win cash prizes. Everything about the Vigilance is controlled, monitored, and analyzed for data and revenue. Readers get up close and personal with the work that goes into running a Vigilance and the propaganda that sustains it.
"More than anyone alive, John McDean knows America isn't a place you live in - not anymore. It's a place you survive."
Vigilance is a novella waiting to be dissected and compared to real world affairs and people. It’s disgusting how the actions of the characters closely mirror some real-life television personalities. Vigilance takes the alt-right side of the gun control debate to the extreme and delivers a terrifying speculative fiction novella.
"A firearm should provoke analysis and thought, not action. Or that's it should be at least. But thinking' is something more and more people seem goddamn reluctant to do these days."
I’d liken Vigilance to The Hunger Games, especially the way the theatrical adaptations portrayed the media coverage of the event and the behind the scenes control the gamemakers exerted. Except, Vigilance is violence and sex on a different level that may make some readers feel uncomfortable.
Overall, Vigilance is a must read for everyone. Bennett takes a magnifying glass to the gun control debate that shows readers a potential future that doesn’t look so unrealistic if you’re keyed into current political events.
October 1, 2021
absolutely terrifying- gun violence is a result of white supremacist imperialist male chauvinism and this shit took it to the next level, which is horrifyingly close to the reality we live in
January 13, 2020
Vigilance is, in short, an unstructured, janky mess that reads like satire written by a self-righteous teenage boy. I love dystopian books that provide some sort of social commentary, and the thriller-like plot of this book drew me in immediately, and I was excited to initially pick it up. However, the unbelievably crude (and in places, offensive) writing, paired with the attempts at humour that will only ever be funny to the target demographic of Family Guy, made for a hideously unsatisfying reading experience.
It takes a lot for me to wholeheartedly hate a character — in most cases, it’s more of a “love-to-hate them” situation — but I can very easily say that McDean is quite possibly one of the most lifeless, putrid, HATEABLE “protagonists” whose story it has been my utter displeasure to follow. I actually found myself disliking the premise of the Vigilance game due to how much I loathed McDean and his pathetically written team of lackeys.
The structure and pacing of the book are terrible. There is definitely such a thing as being TOO descriptive (that is, there is absolutely no need for me to read several paragraphs about the shape of a woman’s body, thanks), and there are a whole lotta pages of McDean doing a whole lotta nothing. On top of this, the perspective changes are awkward and jarring, adding absolutely nothing of value to the story.
In conclusion, do not be fooled into thinking Vigilance is the “dark science fiction action parable” it’s advertised to be - this absolute waste of paper makes modern America look like even more of a sad joke than it is in reality.
It takes a lot for me to wholeheartedly hate a character — in most cases, it’s more of a “love-to-hate them” situation — but I can very easily say that McDean is quite possibly one of the most lifeless, putrid, HATEABLE “protagonists” whose story it has been my utter displeasure to follow. I actually found myself disliking the premise of the Vigilance game due to how much I loathed McDean and his pathetically written team of lackeys.
The structure and pacing of the book are terrible. There is definitely such a thing as being TOO descriptive (that is, there is absolutely no need for me to read several paragraphs about the shape of a woman’s body, thanks), and there are a whole lotta pages of McDean doing a whole lotta nothing. On top of this, the perspective changes are awkward and jarring, adding absolutely nothing of value to the story.
In conclusion, do not be fooled into thinking Vigilance is the “dark science fiction action parable” it’s advertised to be - this absolute waste of paper makes modern America look like even more of a sad joke than it is in reality.
April 7, 2022
Une lecture courte, un pitch volontairement trash, qui fait froid dans le dos et qui met mal a l'aise.
Et la dessus c'est une réussite parce que honnêtement j'étais contente de refermer le livre.
Et la dessus c'est une réussite parce que honnêtement j'étais contente de refermer le livre.
November 24, 2019
This was horrible. I abandoned halfway through.
There's a chance this is angry parody, some sort crude satire on the current state of affairs in the U.S., but I doubt it. However, if by chance I should be wrong, then to accuse it of being inartfully done is to understate the magnitude of the tragedy. More likely what we have here, what we are listening to, is an author's primal scream.
He's fed up with the proliferation of guns, especially mass shootings; endless wars, Trump, greed, stupidity, and right wing politics. His feelings pour out into the story staining its every nook and cranny, every character. This is heavy-handed authorial intrusion. The story is simple: If the government can't put an end to mass shootings, then at least let Hollywood take a turn at controlling them. Let Hollywood turn mass shootings into a reality show. Let a group of shooters descend on a mall and create as many casualties they can. Then let the audience vote on who the best shooters and victims are.
This is a shame. The author has done admiral work in the fantasy genre, but this is not that.
There's a chance this is angry parody, some sort crude satire on the current state of affairs in the U.S., but I doubt it. However, if by chance I should be wrong, then to accuse it of being inartfully done is to understate the magnitude of the tragedy. More likely what we have here, what we are listening to, is an author's primal scream.
He's fed up with the proliferation of guns, especially mass shootings; endless wars, Trump, greed, stupidity, and right wing politics. His feelings pour out into the story staining its every nook and cranny, every character. This is heavy-handed authorial intrusion. The story is simple: If the government can't put an end to mass shootings, then at least let Hollywood take a turn at controlling them. Let Hollywood turn mass shootings into a reality show. Let a group of shooters descend on a mall and create as many casualties they can. Then let the audience vote on who the best shooters and victims are.
This is a shame. The author has done admiral work in the fantasy genre, but this is not that.
January 29, 2019
Dumb, overtly simplistic political dystopian fiction
Robert Jackson Bennett is a talented author, but this one really missed the mark for me. It's a spitefully thin political screed masquerading as "thoughtful" science fiction that beats you over the head with its themes (Capitalism? Bad! White people? Dumb, greedy and racist! America? Awful place!) until you've reached a dull stupor and then bashes you over the head with them some more.
Now I actually don't mind a bit of politics in my speculative fiction, and I even sympathize with a lot of the positions Bennett obviously holds, but my God, man - is the concept of subtlety a completely lost art? Sorry, I just can't condone this hackneyed contrived moralizing, especially when the plot points can be seen coming a mile away (oh, an untested radically powerful AI will be unleashed to help greedy corporate profiteers? What could possibly go wrong?) and aren't that smart to begin with anyway.
Robert Jackson Bennett is a talented author, but this one really missed the mark for me. It's a spitefully thin political screed masquerading as "thoughtful" science fiction that beats you over the head with its themes (Capitalism? Bad! White people? Dumb, greedy and racist! America? Awful place!) until you've reached a dull stupor and then bashes you over the head with them some more.
Now I actually don't mind a bit of politics in my speculative fiction, and I even sympathize with a lot of the positions Bennett obviously holds, but my God, man - is the concept of subtlety a completely lost art? Sorry, I just can't condone this hackneyed contrived moralizing, especially when the plot points can be seen coming a mile away (oh, an untested radically powerful AI will be unleashed to help greedy corporate profiteers? What could possibly go wrong?) and aren't that smart to begin with anyway.
February 2, 2019
Very different from his other books, Bennett has written a frightening story about America’s love affair with guns, fear of the ‘other’ and the marketing to that fear.
March 30, 2020
A short, propulsive, darkly satiric story of what the future might look like if it were controlled by Fox News, the NRA, and any self respecting advertising firm.
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