Previously, I blogged about Ann Somerville's COLD FRONT, one of two dark and gritty sci-fi romance titles I made it a goal to
read. The second title I had the pleasure of experiencing was Darren Bloomquist and Angelia Sparrow's
HARD REBOOT.
When I first learned about HARD REBOOT, I was
intrigued, but also a little fearful. The description and publisher
tags
told me I'd be entering new sci-fi romance territory:
Two years ago, Sean O'Neill's wife, Caitlin—the ace net-runner called Irishgirl—was stolen from their bed. Now, he knows where she is, but getting her back is only the first step in a long journey.
Caitlin has been trained as a sex slave, her former skills as a net-runner and cyber-thief totally stripped from her, along with her identity and most independent thought. Powerful and wealthy social elites, playing their own dangerous high-stakes games, have hired Sean to retrieve her and again make her what she once was.
But two years is a long time to be out of the net and out of normal society. A lot of new programming has been laid down. Now, giving Irishgirl a hard reboot may take everything Sean has in him, and more...Science Fiction / Futuristic / Action / Adventure / BDSM / Menage / Group Sex / Contains Material That May Be Considered "Dubious Consent"
Heat Level: 3
This book contains some non-consensual sex, along with some hardcore bondage and punishment. May not be suitable for the more sensitive reader.
My main concern was how the "sex slave"
angle was going to play out. Usually this trope is eroticized and fetishized in
sci-fi romance. On the other hand, the premise and graphic content promised to
be unlike anything I'd ever encountered in SFR. So I took the plunge.
Now I'd like to share a bit about my experience
reading HARD REBOOT. I'll include some non-spoiler tags, but consider these
reflections as more stream-of-consciousness impressions.
HARD REBOOT features a cyberpunk, dystopian setting
wherein corporate antagonists have so much power they can and do micromanage
the lives of downtrodden citizens like Caitlin and Sean. In that sense, for me
at least, the story has strong shades of George Orwell's 1984. I think it helps
to approach the story with that kind of--fantastical?--mindset, especially
since the powers that be in HARD REBOOT possess the ability to perpetrate a disturbing amount of brainwashing.
The tragic romance featured in HARD REBOOT is closer
to reunited lovers than anything else. Caitlin and Sean were married before the
story began. The romance plot is about the extreme
obstacles they face as they try to rebuild their relationship from the ground
up. And when I say "ground" I mean a place of absolute hell. It's kind of like "survival romance" because they must first survive their hostile world if their romance is going to flourish again.
The blurb describes the concept of Sean "giving
Irishgirl a hard reboot" and therein lies the dark, gritty, shocking, and
disturbing nature of this story. HARD REBOOT poses the question of "How
far would you go for love?" In other words, would you sell your soul?
Much, if not most of the sex in this story is
non-consensual and of dubious consent (yet it's not as graphic as other erotic
SFRs I've read). The sex slave aspect is not glorified, romanticized, or played
for titillation. The slavery is a form of sexual oppression that dehumanizes
both Caitlin and those connected to her, especially Sean. Once I realized the
nature of the beast, as it were, I was able to engage with the story without
reservation.
HARD REBOOT is chock full of cyberpunk elements and
virtual worlds. It's practically a love letter to online role-playing games! The
level of detail demands that one gives the story a close read. It's political, suspenseful
in places, and features an ensemble cast. That said, this is also a
character-driven story.
The speculative "What if…?" nature of HARD
REBOOT is effective because the story got me thinking beyond its fictional
world. It made me wonder if some of the elements in the story have counterparts
in real life. Specifically, issues having to do with corporate corruption, both
in terms of the business side as well as the personal lives of corporate moguls
of the highest, wealthiest levels.
I'm scared to ask the question of whether sex slaves
similar to those in HARD REBOOT have real-life counterparts. Even if nothing in
the story is based on real-life occurrences, it still prompted me to reflect on
a variety of issues. For example, what might happen if corporations gained more
power than governments, particularly in a time of incredibly advanced computer
technology? Maybe it'd be advantageous, or maybe it would introduce unprecedented
levels of oppression.
I'm not sure I've properly conveyed what it's like
to read this story. It's not a book that will give you warm and fuzzies, but it
definitely has a strong theme of "love against the odds" and a sense
of hope. It's a disturbing story, but one told with care. Yes, there are
regular scenes of bondage, but the reader is also invited to reflect on the
underlying themes and engage with the text on an intellectual level.
Frankly, only a certain type of SFR fan need apply
to HARD REBOOT. One line from Vivian Archer's Goodreads review
sums up the target audience perfectly:
"Recommended for
hard sci-fi fans with a taste for non-entry level BDSM."
Mr. Bloomquist and Ms. Sparrow, thanks for your art.
Joyfully yours,
Heather