The glass box

Straczynski, who's worked in various media and is perhaps best known for creating the television series Babylon 5, delivers his latest novel, a first-rate psychological sf thriller. The time: the near future. New government regulations have created a more restrictive, claustrophobic society. A new system of "reeducation" for malcontents has led to widespread protests, participants in which are, of course, rounded up and sent to the reeducation centers. One protester, Riley Diaz, vows to tear down the reeducation program from within--but can she survive the systematic attempts to break her down with her mind and spirit intact? This is a terrifically incisive tale; like Ken Kesey in the classic One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Straczynski presents us with a cast of unique and compelling characters and a frighteningly real environment. Riley Diaz, in particular, is a wonderful creation: strong and determined, but also vulnerable. Readers familiar with the author solely from his work in visual media or comic books should seek out this outstanding tale.

Echoes of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest reverberate through this cinematic tale from Straczynski (Together We Will Go), which transports readers to a near-future American dystopia. After second-generation activist Riley Diaz is picked up protesting a new law limiting public gatherings to 10 people, she's transported to an "American Renewal Center," a Department of Homeland Security--sponsored jail alternative in a converted wing of a psychiatric hospital, to be counseled out of her radicalism. From there, Straczynski hits the expected beats of psychological and pharmaceutical abuse and excruciating decisions about whom to trust; in these sections, the writing feels heavier on agenda than story. Fortunately, a subplot involving Riley's secret friendship with a nonspeaking and sometimes violently dangerous patient, who finds comfort in hearing Riley's sympathetic reading of Frankenstein and whose trust becomes critical to her survival, adds emotional realism and yields the least predictable pieces of the story. Though there are few surprises here, readers looking for an adrenaline-inducing resistance plot will find this worth their time. (Jan.)Correction: An earlier version of this review mischaracterized a plot detail.