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Vampire Nationby Thomas M. Sipos Review:courtesy of nuketown.comby Kenneth Newquist, 01 January 2001 [Vampire Nation] attacks its subject matter from a libertarian perspective inspired by heavy doses of Ayn Rand's fiction, Ronald Reagan's shoot-from-the-hip witticisms, and a quirky sense of humor. It's a welcome relief from a world that thinks that communism just as cool and froody as capitalism -- that some how enslaving people in service to the state is actually a good idea. Heck, as recently as the Elian Gonzoles case folks were asserting that communism is just another political system that's just as valid and moral as capitalism (if not more so). It's great to read a book that takes that collectivist BS and drives a stake through its oozeing Red heart. Sipos' take on vampirism and communism is unique -- other books may have made a casual connection between the two, but [Vampire Nation] is the first one I've read that makes [an] explicit one. The author's at his best when he's describing the look and feel of the vampires. These aren't the gothic, romantic lords of Anne Rice's novels; these are truly monsters, and look it. I also liked how the main characters used small doses of vampiric blood to "see" with vampire eyes, revealing the mental decay beneath the physical. As an Ayn Rand fan, I appreciated a lot of its book's dialogue and the general sentiments, but sometimes it goes over the top. Usually this happens when Anya states some bit of Ayn Rand or liberatrian-inspired wisdom; her delivery tends to be stiff, formal, and somewhat dogmatic. She's supposed to be a calm, cool professional, so this fits her character to a certain degree, but the lines still sound canned. The book's been called a satiric fable, but I found that the book waivers between humor and out-and-out horror ... and personally, I prefered the horror. I would [have] loved to have seen the book take a more realistic approach dealing with a less wide-spread (but equally horrific) cult controlling the country. I love the idea of communist vampires as villains, and playing them straight would have made for an even more excellent read. This isn't to say that the book's approach isn't fun. The leaders of the country are portrayed in all their illogical glory, and that's worth more than a few chuckles. I'd just like to see Sipos return to this subject matter again without the satiric edge. Final Analysis: So who's going to like this book? Well, if you're a Naderite or a die-hard Democrat, this book's not for you. But if you're a libertarian-minded individaul, an Ayn Rand fan, or someone who thinks that communism is a bad idea, you'll enjoy this book and find it a nice diversion from the typical fare. |