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Striker
PART OF PFW'S ANTIHEROES ANTHOLOGY
Twenty years ago, Danny Keane lost everything. The one thing that has kept him going is the thought of revenge. Now he’ll sacrifice his body to the infamous Striker program to gain the skills he needs to get justice for his family.
But when Danny’s tunnel vision lands him in the middle of a much greater political upheaval, he will have to choose between an unlikely alliance or risk losing sight of his goal forever.
Twenty years ago, Danny Keane lost everything. The one thing that has kept him going is the thought of revenge. Now he’ll sacrifice his body to the infamous Striker program to gain the skills he needs to get justice for his family.
But when Danny’s tunnel vision lands him in the middle of a much greater political upheaval, he will have to choose between an unlikely alliance or risk losing sight of his goal forever.
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About the author
E.B. Dawson
36 books145 followersI grew up in Southeast Asia. My first experience with America was when I was six years old. Sometimes I amuse my friends by telling them stories of my first impressions of this country (clean bathrooms, Toy Story, Taco Bell, getting lost in department stores).
My family moved to California when I was eleven and completely changed the course of my life. On the outside I'm a well-adjusted American adult, but in all honesty some days I still wake up to the sound of the grass being cut by machetes.
I have traveled a fair amount and lived in four separate countries. I see the world very differently from most people that I know. And because I am an analytical introvert I try to understand everything in my life. I pour this into my writing.
Everything I write is deeply personal to me. People who know me well recognize the shadows of people I've met, experiences I've had, and emotions I've walked through in my writing. My goal is not just to entertain and explore imaginary worlds, but to take the reader on a journey that explores difficult questions and instills some sort of hope.
My family moved to California when I was eleven and completely changed the course of my life. On the outside I'm a well-adjusted American adult, but in all honesty some days I still wake up to the sound of the grass being cut by machetes.
I have traveled a fair amount and lived in four separate countries. I see the world very differently from most people that I know. And because I am an analytical introvert I try to understand everything in my life. I pour this into my writing.
Everything I write is deeply personal to me. People who know me well recognize the shadows of people I've met, experiences I've had, and emotions I've walked through in my writing. My goal is not just to entertain and explore imaginary worlds, but to take the reader on a journey that explores difficult questions and instills some sort of hope.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 6, 2018
Part of the Phoenix Fiction Writers Anthology: Antiheroes
A foray into the future, when Earth is little more than a garbage dump. The solar system is fully populated, but only the "central" worlds of Luna, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter are considered civilized. When a miner from the Outer Planets enlists to be a Striker (one of Parliament's elite bodyguards), the odds are against him. But he has his sights set on a greater goal, one that very well might cost him his life.
This is easily the most difficult short story I have written. It challenged me so much! From the world-building, to the character arcs, to the politics, to the action sequences, every sentence was a struggle. But I am so proud of it and thankful for the journey because I know it has made me a better writer.
A foray into the future, when Earth is little more than a garbage dump. The solar system is fully populated, but only the "central" worlds of Luna, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter are considered civilized. When a miner from the Outer Planets enlists to be a Striker (one of Parliament's elite bodyguards), the odds are against him. But he has his sights set on a greater goal, one that very well might cost him his life.
This is easily the most difficult short story I have written. It challenged me so much! From the world-building, to the character arcs, to the politics, to the action sequences, every sentence was a struggle. But I am so proud of it and thankful for the journey because I know it has made me a better writer.
November 28, 2018
What!? I’m just blown away yet again by Dawson’s work. This story NEEDS to be expanded upon. It’s unique, the main character Danny, well you just want to cheer him on, and like usual, the plot is fantastic. Can’t like this enough.
August 11, 2019
Wow! This story thoroughly blew me away! Honestly, I’m thinking more and more that I need to invest in reading some of Dawson’s novels—because in both of the Pheonix anthologies so far, her story has been far and away my favorite.
Honestly, I might have loved the narrative even more as a full-length novel. Still, the world-building in Striker is phenomenally and intricately crafted. The inner-struggle of the main character, Danny, is powerful--as is the slow reveal of his dramatic backstory. The moral questions the story raises are complex and intriguing--questions about whether or not it's ever acceptable to take justice into one's own hands. Dawson opts not to provide a clear answer to most of these questions but leaves it up to her reader to consider, which I appreciated. Honestly, it’s hard to say more without giving way to spoilers—except thank you, Dawson, for writing this gem of a short story.
Honestly, I might have loved the narrative even more as a full-length novel. Still, the world-building in Striker is phenomenally and intricately crafted. The inner-struggle of the main character, Danny, is powerful--as is the slow reveal of his dramatic backstory. The moral questions the story raises are complex and intriguing--questions about whether or not it's ever acceptable to take justice into one's own hands. Dawson opts not to provide a clear answer to most of these questions but leaves it up to her reader to consider, which I appreciated. Honestly, it’s hard to say more without giving way to spoilers—except thank you, Dawson, for writing this gem of a short story.
November 27, 2018
Copied and pasted from my review of the anthology
Striker is a great example of a less is more story! Its plot and its world (while having some very unique aspects) are rather simple in how they're presented, and yet, this is turned into a strength as it lets us completely zero in on the core of the story: do we have the right to take justice into our own hands?
Danny (The MC) was such a complicated, broken mess, and I loved him. True, he might not have had the most distinct, strong personality, but I think this was done on purpose to show the consequences of seeking revenge- Overtime everything but that goal will be burned away- and the author truly does a great job conveying that
Striker is a great example of a less is more story! Its plot and its world (while having some very unique aspects) are rather simple in how they're presented, and yet, this is turned into a strength as it lets us completely zero in on the core of the story: do we have the right to take justice into our own hands?
Danny (The MC) was such a complicated, broken mess, and I loved him. True, he might not have had the most distinct, strong personality, but I think this was done on purpose to show the consequences of seeking revenge- Overtime everything but that goal will be burned away- and the author truly does a great job conveying that
November 17, 2018
Great short story! Review coming soon!
November 6, 2018
Sci-Fi at it's purest. This short story cuts right to the point and stays there, dragging your emotions with it. The characters are powerful, the world unique, and as always, Dawson involves just the right amount of political and cultural complexity to drive the story forward without making things to complicated.
I got vibes of Batman begins, mixed with a hint of western and a dose of Red Rising so she hit that "Antihero" nail on the head.
What an amazing story!
I got vibes of Batman begins, mixed with a hint of western and a dose of Red Rising so she hit that "Antihero" nail on the head.
What an amazing story!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews