The Highway Men

by Ken MacLeod

The book is classic MacLeod; Jase, Euan, and Murdo are laggers, government conscripts in a war in which only the university-educated and the highly skilled are used for fighting. The three lads are working class, unskilled labour, sent to lag the pipes of Britain as the Gulf stream shifts, to mend roads and to move equipment around for those with more skills than themselves. One day near Dingwall, a "crusty" lass (think dreadlocks, old sweaters, and a lot of mud) blags a ride, and Jase falls in love. In chasing after his lass he accidentally shops her little commune of survivalists to the authorities, who see only potential terrorists. The tale screwballs into disaster and concludes in an orange flare of burning helicopter and tractor.

Genres: Science Fiction

70 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Ken MacLeod is an award-winning Scottish science fiction writer.

His novels have won the Prometheus Award and the BSFA award, and been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards. He lives near Edinburgh, Scotland.

MacLeod graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in zoology and has worked as a computer programmer and written a masters thesis on biomechanics.

His novels often explore socialist, communist and anarchist political ideas, most particularly the variants of Trotskyism and anarcho-capitalism or extreme economic libertarianism.

Technical themes encompass singularities, divergent human cultural evolution and post-human cyborg-resurrection.

Reviews

[Emmalyn Renato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nominated for the British SF award in 2007.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short story about climate change (surprisingly rare, usually preachy) and plausible consequences, the evolution of society, and just generally excellent characters and writing.

[Ken Richards]

'The Highway Men' by Ken MacLeod, a vignette observing how small acts can have unexpected consequences. For individuals and for all of us. And my copy was in large print!

[John Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read enjoyed the storyline