Failed State

Dystopian Lawyer #2

by Christopher Brown

In this second dystopian legal thriller from the author of the acclaimed The Rule of Capture and Tropic of Kansas, defense lawyer Donny Kimoe juggles two intertwined cases whose outcomes will determine the course of America’s future—and his own.

In the aftermath of a second American revolution, peace rests on a fragile truce. Though the ruling regime has been deposed, the former dictator president has vanished, escaping justice. Some believe he is dead; others fear he is in hiding, gathering forces to make a comeback. As the political leadership in Washington works to rewrite laws and restore order, Donny Kimoe seeks justice. He intends to settle scores—and win lawsuits—over what happened when civil war tore the country apart. 

Donny isn’t the only one looking to right the wrongs of the past. The rebels he once defended are now exacting their own kind of justice. Amid the flooded ruins of New Orleans, they are building their idea of utopia—which includes kidnapping their defeated adversaries who got rich destroying the country and trying them for their crimes. One of their hostages is the daughter of an old colleague turned enemy who wants Donny to defend her. If Donny fails, the companies allied with his former friend will send their mercenaries to save her and retake the city—breaking the fragile truce and dragging the country back into violence. But if Donny takes the case, he risks blowing the trial for his most dangerous client—and being tried by his former clients for his own crimes against the revolution.

To save the future, Donny has to gamble his own. The only way out is to find the evidence that will get both sides back to the table, bring the feud to an end, and secure a more lasting peace. To do that, Donny must take even greater risks—and break his own moral code—by betraying his clients’ secrets. Including one explosive secret hidden in the ruins, the discovery of which could extinguish the last hope for a better tomorrow—or, if Donny plays it right, keep it burning. 

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Solarpunk, Legal Thriller, Alternate History

384 pages, Paperback

First published August 11, 2020

Reviews

[Donna Birdwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite science fiction writers are the ones who seem to actually care about the fate of humanity. Chris Brown is one of my favorite science fiction writers. His latest, FAILED STATE, is scary prescient and unabashedly passionate about what could happen if we don’t sort out our fraught relationship with the land and everything that grows and lives on it. The world he envisioned in TROPIC OF KANSAS and RULE OF CAPTURE has finally fallen apart and lawyer Donny Kimoe is at the end of his rope, caught between the world that was and another world just coming into being in (of all places) New Orleans. Nowhere is Brown’s passion for our screwed-up environment more evident than in his vivid word portraits of that city gone nearly feral. Read the book—even if you haven’t yet read the first two. (And then read the first two.)

[NormaCenva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good! The way it finished it seemed it was a duology so there might not be a continuation to the story, but if there ever will be I will buy it no questions asked! In this story we continue with the same main character and the world around him expands and becomes more detailed. I really liked how it went even deeper into the Climate Change/Climate Fiction side of the story and how the ending was super satisfying and even dare I say... hopeful.

[Gabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The scenario reads like a realistic near future possibility with interesting ideas.
Somehow, though, I couldn't get invested in the story. I guess it is the style that feels a bit crime noir that just doesn't align with my preferences. I had this problem with other generally liked SF noir (if this is a genre) novels as well.

[J. (JL) Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can tell Christopher Brown is a lawyer and lawyers tend to be the best authors of legal thrillers. Fantastic exploration of dystopia. Binged all three books in this universe after Brown's nonfiction was posted on Cory Doctorow's blog. Brown does a great job of handling the moral ambiguities of the sympathetic victors of the revolution. Honestly loved these books.

[Richard Dinter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Culmination (I think) of the Tropic of Kansas trilogy. This book looks at life and ecological aspirations after the revolution against the fascist United States of America. The main character is flawed but redeemed by his faith in rule of law

[Michael Frasca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in a trilogy that chronicles the conflict, chaos and disintegration of an America very much like our own. The trilogy started as a cautionary tale. After events of the last few years it seems to be a preview of things to come.

In Failed State, lawyer Donnie Kimoe tries to use the court system, the last remaining vestige of the American state, to get justice for his client and obtain the funds to save his own ass.

I have a Twitter thread with my observation of the world of Failed State:
https://twitter.com/M_A_Frasca/status...

I would suggest reading the previous books before tackling this one. The proper reading order would be Rule of Capture (the beginning of conflict) -> Tropic of Kansas (surviving the chaos) -> Failed State (disintegration of the nation.)

I look forward to a 4th book, which logically would tell the story of attempts to re-integrate the nation. Perhaps a how-to book for us?

A recommended read. Pairs well with J. G. Ballard's The Drowned World.

[Medusa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book of the three to date. Believable, harrowing, with just enough fairy tale to make the medicine palatable. I appreciate the care with which Mr. Brown gives the heroes feet of clay, the villains redeeming characteristics, and to blur the lines between the two and their ideological underpinnings. Nothing can quite be relied on, in these books, except perhaps human ingenuity and folly, avarice and selflessness, loyalty and betrayal, and a few elusive principles that are hard to articulate but deeply felt.

I haven’t practiced in several years now, but Brown also skillfully captures some of the good and the bad about being a trial lawyer: the thrill of a legal theory that seems to work, the feeling when the judge begins to see things your way at a hearing, the occasionally terrifying procedural deadline and the dread of that one missed notice, and the difficulty of maintaining faith in the rightness of one’s cause.

A very worthy and enjoyable read. Side note, the audible voice talent, Macleod Andrews, was extremely well chosen as well.

[Clayton Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

What kind of a future would you actually want to live in? And how do we get there from here? Two questions at the heart of Brown's third installment in the Tropic of Kansas series.*

After a revolution and amidst climate catastrophe, how does a society move forward? Brown explores the breakdown of law and order, along with opportunities for new modes of lifestyle and governance, but with a gimlet eye for how power functions and what it feels like to be an idealist who also needs to make a living.

It's a difficult book to summarize, but one well worth your time. Fast paced, fun, and full of big ideas. Probably my favorite in the series.

*Not really a trilogy; the books function well as standalone novels, set in the same world with overlapping characters.

[Frank Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable 4.5 here. You can see definite development in the author and that made this a very smooth read.
Plenty of crunchy speculation about community and governance in a world ravaged by climate crisis and poor government. A world, not so very far from our own.
The characters are all compromised in some way, there are no heroes here. Which, to my mind, suits the setting very well.
This is still, at heart, a legal potboiler thought and a very well executed one at that.
Recommend.

[Tobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, Brown is one of the best people writing science fiction today. I found this novel -- which draws upon anarchist scholar James C. Scott among others -- to be a thought-provoking reply of sorts to some of Kim Stanley Robinson's work about the role law could play in building ecological utopias.

[Bert Olio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Post climate apocalypse crime noir is now my favourite obscure sub-genre of speculative fiction. That is all.

[Michael Hanscom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as “we came far too close to this” as its predecessor, so a bit easier to get through. Has some interesting ideas for a post-ecological-collapse approach to legal liability. But I kept failing to engage with the main character, and by the end, the various legal maneuvers and parties involved got me confused; I understood the ending point, but was still a bit unclear as to how exactly it got there. Not sure if that was the book, or my difficulty in engaging.

[MH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really turns up the Trump, sharpening the dystopic future to relate it to the horrors of now. But there's not as much law, not as much of a "Better Call Saul" vibe, and the ending is quite disjointed and wobbly. Still, an enjoyable read, which I burned through quickly.

[R.J. Castille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great premise but the writing was harder to follow than I'd have liked.

[Heather Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the conclusion of the Tropic of Kansas trilogy. This book finishes the story of Donny Kimoe and his battle against the fascist America which destroyed the climate & the country. Donny uses the justice system, such as it is, to try to save those that are rebelling against the authoritarian government. Failed State explores the effects of severe climate change and what it is that humanity owes to Nature-that perhaps we are not the apex species. I found the story to be enthralling and disturbing being as the world seems headed towards the same destruction as in the Tropic of Cancer trilogy-and the authoritarian direction that our country is taking right now. I really think that Christopher Brown is an amazing author-and I really hope that he writes another book set in this world! Definitely a top book of the year and one that I strongly recommend!!!! In fact, read the entire series.....and then do what you can to make sure our country doesn’t end up like the America in Failed State.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in a trilogy, which I don't usually go for. But there's plenty to say about a climate dystopia, not as much about the slide into fascism like the last installment. Reminded me of my early hippie days sympathy for Earth First and Rainbow Warriors, but interesting to work out that scenario. "If corporations have rights, why not trees?" Indeed.

[Stephen Rynkiewicz]

Conspiracy theories riddle the American carnage of Brown’s post-revolutionary near future. The devolved rule of law ensures that some of the crazier theories will prove true. It's a messy scene to take in, and stoned-cold activist lawyer Donnie Kimoe returns to puzzle it out with us and pay his bills. As will we all.

[Peter Wiinholt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watching the news and reading Christopher Brown at the same time. A little disturbing. Brown may not always be the most exciting storyteller, but he captures a very realistic view of what may easily come to pass in the U.S in the next decade.

[Stan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complex, all too believable near future featuring authoritarianism and climate crisis.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 3.5. Enjoyed it but not as much as the first one.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will one day be seen as eerily prescient given what's happening in America in early 2025.