A rip-roaring near-future seafaring adventure incorporating spiritual and libertarian themes
Finlay Beach’s Managed Paranoia series of thrillers reaches its conclusion in this third installment which, though resolving the events and characters from the previous novels, can also be read as a self-contained rescue adventure story. Beach incorporates rising informatics and warfare technologies into action scenes of breakneck pace, all while powerfully treating classic human concerns.
The series stars Hank Gunn, a former member of the US Navy who works for Olin Ou, a billionaire who has set out to create independent communities, unbeholden to any government, in the middle of the ocean. This third book centers around Bella Espinosa and her kidnapping by her duplicitous and sadistic ex, Gregory Hattori. Hank’s previous acquaintance with Bella introduces a romantic element in his and Olin’s mission to rescue her, a mission aided by an advanced AI called Ava.
Ava has a Scottish accent and her continual evolution has led to her becoming Christian, leaning Protestant, and she is in some ways the heart of the book. At the level of the action, in addition to usually being the brains of the team, she is the one controlling and deploying their strategies and high-tech weapons. More importantly, as she is technology herself, while also exhibiting human traits like a sense of humor and faith, she is a representation of the novel’s underlying elements. Added to that, though not directly addressed, is the ethics of whether employing an AI like Ava is an abuse of its rights, thereby clashing with the book’s theme of striving for absolute freedom.
Another of the story’s pillars is the villain, Gregory Hattori, a sex trafficker who is after Bella first and foremost as a trophy. His sadism is shown disturbingly through both word and action, as he takes pleasure in psychological as well as physical torture. He purports to be a descendant of samurai, whose code of honor he follows in his own perverted way. He is also a canny antagonist, one who takes advantage of yet unheard of technologies. His way of avoiding facial recognition software, for example, is through face implants that disrupt the surrounding electromagnetic field, which is physically totally plausible. Similarly realistic are most of the technologies and various technical details in the book, which range from veterinary surgery to tiny killer drones.
As seen with Hattori and Ava, the book gains its power from the ably developed characters. Only Olin, the benevolent and governmentally-persecuted billionaire can feel superficial, but he takes a relative back seat. All the minor characters, from the evil henchman to Olin’s bodyguard, are brought to life through controlled exposition or playful dialogue. The author’s character writing is exemplified most in Hank and Bella. Hank’s struggle with doubt and faith throughout the book—moving toward the latter—is handled with good taste, and Bella’s shattering of the damsel-in-distress stereotype is equally satisfying.
With its vivid characters, lively combination of high-tech warfare with traditional action, and crafty treatment of disparate themes like faith and AI, Managed Paranoia is an absorbing read suited to our time.
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