Ernest Cline’s “Armada”
This week I’m reviewing a book that has made a pretty big splash over the last year: Ernest Cline’s Armada. The book is an interesting blend of genres following Zack Lightman, a high school senior on the cusp of graduation. Zach’s spent his life engaging in escapism of all sorts, throwing himself into video games, comic books, movies, and virtually every other medium that can make him pass the boring days just a little quicker. During a particularly dull bout of daydreaming in class, Zach finally sees what he’s always wanted: a UFO hovering over the trees near his school. Finally, Zach’s world-shattering moment has come! There’s just one problem… the ship is a dead ringer for a craft from Zach’s favorite video game, Armada. Questioning his sanity and grip on reality, he sets out to discover the truth of what is happening in his world, and finds that he, and millions of gamers who share in his existential boredom, may just be the heroes they always wanted to be.
While the setup for this novel sounds cheesy in the extreme, the narrative delivery is spectacular. Armada reads like a Neil Gaiman or Douglas Adams novel, and has the twisted sense of dark metahumor to match. I’ve read a lot of books. A lot of books, and I’ve gotten to the point that only a elite few novels can make me laugh out loud. Armada managed to accomplish it in the first few pages. There are layers upon layers of references and homages, and yet the book never manages to seem like it is pandering to a certain audience. Sure, people immersed in nerd culture will probably get more out of this book, but the on-point humor, surprisingly tight action sequences, and lovable, realistic characters will appeal to fans of any genre. I hesitate to call this novel science-fiction, as it has a little bit of everything. Imagine an alien invasion movie being crossed with the game Galaga, and you might have a better idea of what you are in for. The writing is wickedly smart all the way through, with imagery that leaps off the print, all while maintaining a fast pace. I can safely say that Armada is the definition of a page-turner. He wasn’t on my radar before, but I’ll be sure to follow whatever Ernest Cline puts out next.
Be sure to check out next week’s review, where I take a look at the latest novel by some local authors!
