Book #73 of 2022:The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross (The Laundry Files #1)This 2004 publication

Book #73 of 2022:The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross (The Laundry Files #1)This 2004 publication — which in my edition includes the novel The Atrocity Archive followed by a sequel novella “The Concrete Jungle” — introduces the Laundry, a secret British intelligence division dealing with magic and related otherworldly threats. It’s urban fantasy, but broadly Lovecraftian, with the explanation that particularly advanced forms of technobabblish math can attract unwanted attention from outside our universe. The protagonist is an IT technician recently promoted to field agent, and is probably the most distinctive element in this book, which largely plays out along conventional lines for the genre as he faces possessions, Nazi cultists, and the like. It’s a competent adventure that the shorter story at the end improves upon, but the bureaucratic organization and its members are lacking the compelling (albeit dysfunctional) personality of a Torchwood or a Checquy, to pick just two similar concepts for comparison.There’s also a lot of low-key sexism in the James Bond tradition here. I wouldn’t go so far as to call the hero a misogynist himself, but the narrative around him sure leans in that direction. His first big case involves a beautiful civilian who immediately develops feelings for him, and who later winds up kidnapped, stripped, bound, and tortured as part of a trap. The other women in the plot aren’t treated too well either, which makes it even harder to accept the tricky blend of dry humor and gee-whiz pulp enthusiasm that author Charles Stross seems to be aiming for as a tone. Could the series get stronger from this debut? Maybe! Again, the novella already feels like a bit of a step forward with a more interesting challenge and a better handle on its female characters. But I don’t know that I feel invested enough to check this setting out any further regardless.[Content warning for gun violence, eugenics, body horror, and gore.][I read and reviewed this title at a Patreon donor’s request. Want to nominate your own books for me to read and review (or otherwise support my writing)? Sign up for a small monthly donation today at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke !]★★★☆☆Like this review?–Throw me a quick one-time donation here!https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke–Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!https://patreon.com/lesserjoke–Follow along on Goodreads here!https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler–Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!https://lesserjoke.home.blog -- source link
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