Putting the Space Odyssey
Set in a future where humanity has colonised a new galaxy, Roger Levy’s The Rig follows the lives of five individuals connected via a social network called Afterlife. But AfterLife—and its offer of a second chance at life—harbours a terrible secret.
This was one of my first reads of 2020 and my goodness it was a weird one. I’m relatively new to the world of sci-fi so I expected to stumble across some strange finds, but I never expected to read a book that essentially centres around an oil rig. Having said that, the rig in The Rig mines for something far more disturbing than oil.
Take away the mysterious rig and you’re left with that classic rags to riches story about a reasonably well-adjusted computer nerd and his terrifyingly sociopathic best friend. And neither Alef nor Pellenhorc are particularly endearing characters. Alef is the kind of person you wish would grow a backbone even though you know his passive nature isn’t his fault—a traumatic childhood on a Gileadesque puritan planet will do that to a person. Meanwhile Pellenhorc is a clusterfuck of a human being (if you can call someone who murders animals for fun human). It’s hard to know whether he’s truly evil or just a victim of circumstance, but either way, he gets up to so much shady shit that any sympathy he garners from the reader quickly evaporates.
Our supporting cast, on the other hand, are far more likeable, but that’s hardly surprising considering they’re also more straightforward. There’s the quick and inquisitive journalist Razer, the miserable loner Tallen, and an equally grumpy, self-sabotaging detective named Bale. They’re hardly the most unique of ragtag ensembles but they keep the story moving along nicely.
The Rig isn’t just a quick dip into the frivolities of sci-fi, it’s a book filled with social commentary and religious criticism. It questions without getting too bogged down in giving you the answers, which is always refreshing in speculative fiction, but ultimately I was left with more of a “huh?” feeling than a satisfied “hmmm”.
So, final thoughts on The Rig? It’s not deeply affecting, it’s not a tug at your heartstrings character piece, but it is a thoughtful and surprising adventure. And, hey, who doesn’t like surprises?
Synthetic Serotonin 