MASTER VERSION 1.1

In 2028, war in Ukraine has mutated into a media spectacle for online audiences in Marcelionis’ speculative novel.

Setting his tale against an embattled Ukraine backdrop, the author refuses to spell the words “russian” or “putin” with capital letters, explaining that it’s “a universal way of expressing passive anger and disdain toward the aggressor and its leader. This tiny token of defiance is used in our daily lives, even in semi-official communications.” The narrative unfolds in 2028, when the Ukraine war is at a stalemate yet grinds on thanks to livestreaming multimedia and avid online followers; the fighting has been monetized for internet consumption, and individual combatants and their live feeds are viewed worldwide in real time. In the Ukraine “gray zone,” 49-year-old globetrotting Martynas, redubbed “Master,” is a lone soldier, a Lithuanian who served in the French Foreign Legion and went to the Ukraine to fight against the Russian invaders he has despised since his soviet-vassal youth. Master has an advantage over other teams: A powerful, rather childish tech-billionaire named Eaton Tusk is his patron. With the help of beautiful, sympathetic doctor Atari Hunter, Eaton implants Master with advanced brainwave-control chips for remote surveillance-combat drones, human Wi-fi access, and a heavily tricked-out bionic hand. Back skirmishing among abandoned factory ruins, where a number of fellow streamers have gone MIA, Master plays cat and mouse games with pursuers, including brutal archnemesis Davai Lama. The lean, caustic, first-person narrative is enhanced by moody illustrations (credited to Midjourney) and supported by extensive footnotes to the translated-from-Lithuanian prose—some are a tad unnecessary (we probably all know Hello Kitty), but most convey the slang and worldview of those resisting the Russian jackboot (Ukrainians refer to Russian troops as “orcs”). Sitting at the intersection of cyberpunk and techno-thriller/combat SF, this is an auspicious debut, whether taken as brisk escapism or a warning about the modern era of globalist imperialist dictators.

A blistering and relevant near-future military-SF yarn.