The Highway Men
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Highway Men is a 2006 science fiction novella by Ken MacLeod. This book, part of a series of short works designed to be read by people who are new to reading, is set in the Scottish Highlands in a near future dominated by war with China and climate change.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
Jack is a lagger, one of a gang of labourers who are conscripted into labour on public works because they are "too dumb to draft" into the army. They are connecting a new nuclear power station to the grid in the Highlands of Scotland, which have become colder and sparsely inhabited due to climate change. This takes place against the backdrop of a war between China and the West, which started out as an Air rage incident when a Chinese businessman, under stress due to a recent smoking ban was mistaken for a terrorist.
Jack and his fellow laggers encounter a hitchiker named Jase, who they discover is a New Age Settler (also known as crusties or bandits), one of a group of people who believes modern society is about to end and have retreated to a semi-hidden rural commune. However, this discovery worries the authorities, who are concerned about the security of their nuclear power station.
Believing that they have inadvertently set the settlers up for arrest or worse, the laggers travel to the commune to warn them. Discovering the commune under attack, they accidentally defeat the government forces by allowing their truck to crash into them. Jack finds himself acclaimed a hero by the settlers, and decides to join them.
[edit] Analysis
A very short book, at only 70 pages, but it has many of the features Macleod is known for- heroes with an anarchist/libertarian bent, a sceptical attitude towards government and anti-authoritarian insurrection. The book is one of a series called Sandstone Vista, which are described by the publishers as being "developed for readers who are not used to reading full length novels, or for those who simply want to enjoy a ‘quick read’ which is satisfying and well written". The language and structure are fairly simple, to fulfill this aim.
[edit] Bibliography
- The Highway Men (2006; UK edition ISBN 1-905207-06-9)
