Subject: Review: Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover

From: "Aaron M. Renn" <[email-masked]>
Date: 07 Jul 1999 17:14:30 -0400

Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover
		Review Copyright (c) 1999 Aaron M. Renn

Conclusion:  Highly Recommended

I liked Heroes Die a lot, and that bothers me for two reasons.  First,
this book could be considered little more than a glorified Chuck Norris
movie translated to an SF setting.  Second, it is full of many disturbing
elements such as gratuitous extreme violence, including violent sexual
fantasies, depictions of torture, and infinite profanity.  Anyone who
reads and enjoys this too much is probably going to wonder if he is bit of
a sicko himself.  Nevertheless, I found it hard to put Heroes Die down.
This is the first book in a while that I found myself staying up late into
the night to finish.

The setting is a future version of our own Earth where civilization has
developed into a global caste system with a handful of Leisurefolk at the
top and the mass of Laborers at the bottom.  Modern science led to the
discovery of alternate universes and Earths out of phase with our own.
One of them is Overworld, a typical medieval sort of place with low
technology and magic.  Rather than exploit this place for its mineral
riches or some such, the Earthlings instead use it as a sort of
gladiatorial arena where Actors from our world are sent to perpetrate
mayhem as part of the bread and circuses routine that keeps the lower
castes in check.  The Actors are transferred to Overworld with a mental
transmitter that sends full sensory, emotional, and thought data back to
earth as a type of simsense feed.

Our protagonst is John Rambo, er, Caine, who is the badest ass Actor of
the all.  And more importantly to the all powerful Studio that employs
him, the highest rated.  He's grown disillusioned with the acting life
however, and is ready to get out of the business.  As with the Waco Kid in
Blazing Saddles, he must have killed more men than Cecil B. DeMille.  Plus
his wife dumped him.

But when the local Studio chief tells him that his estranged wife, also an
Actor, is in danger in Overworld, he can't say no to one last acting
contract.  When he transfers to Overworld, however, Caine quickly
discovers that all is not as it seemed and that he is really facing
powerful enemies from both worlds.

This book is nonstop action and excitement. Tons of fighting and death.
Lots of shouting and cursing.  Magic firebolts flying.  But it also has
characters more interesting that what you would expect from this type of
book and a plot that builds towards a suspenseful and satisfying
conclusion.  I loved it.

A couple other points of interest:

-- A sequel is planned for next year.

-- Those who find the dual SF/fantasy setting attractive might also
   want to check out Piers Anthony's Apprentice Adept series.

-- I'm surprised Del Rey's lawyers didn't insist on some changes.  A
   few of the upper-caste folk have suspciously familiar names.  Such
   as the Studio chief with the surname "Turner" and the rich Pacific
   island family named "Dole".

%A Stover, Matthew Woodring
%T Heroes Die
%I Ballantine/Del Rey
%D 1999-06 (original publication in 1998-08)
%G ISBN 0-345-42145-0
%P 535 pp.
%O mass market paperback, US$6.99 C$8.99

-- 
Aaron M. Renn ([email-masked]) http://www.urbanophile.com/arenn/