Book Review - Outriders

by Kathryn Mackel. WestBow Press, 2004. 288 p.

How often have you read stories about radical environmentalist evangelicals having adventures in a post-apocalyptic world? Probably never, right? Kathryn Mackel’s world gets full points for creativity. It’s got transmogrified giants, out-of-time armor, messenger sparrows, delivery whales, geneticist-sorcerers, and much more.

Aimed at a teenaged audience, Outriders depicts a future in which cataclysmic wars have ravaged the Earth. Most humans live in brutish feudal states. Practically the only surviving advanced technology is a kind of genetic manipulation that mutates humans, animals and plants. Thought to be magic, it is wielded aggressively by sorcerers who seek ever greater power for their respective kingdoms. The natural world, already damaged, is being twisted out of existence for short-term gain.

But all is not lost. A faithful remnant, guided by angels, has preserved or rediscovered the high technology of days gone by. With it, they construct an Ark beneath the polar ice and send out outriders to gather in specimens of all Earth’s surviving species, for study and conservation. These young men and women must risk life and limb to battle the forces of the feudal strongholds, gather animals, and protect and evangelize the oppressed, humans and mutants alike.

Mackel’s writing is crisp and catchy, appropriate for teens with short attention spans. At times I felt the prose became disjointed and clunky, but there were also places where the style worked quite well, along with some very funny bits. Besides their heroic duties, the characters have typical young-person concerns – romantic interests, identity crises and growing pains.

Outriders alludes to a number of vivid biblical stories, like those of Jonah, Noah, and Josiah. There are struggles with very literal demons, as well as more mundane (but still moving) temptations and crises. My sense is that this book was designed primarily for evangelical audiences; non-Christians might find the spiritual themes somewhat confusing or intrusive. There’s a praise-and-worship song which is occasionally sung by the characters that seemed out of place to me, but that may just reflect my tastes in religious music.

Some readers may see parallels with SF classic A Canticle for Leibowitz. Aside from the theme of a remnant trying to preserve technology along with religion, there are references in both works to a time after the wars when a resentful humanity rose up and spitefully destroyed what was left of science and learning. I was also reminded of R.A. Lafferty’s story "And Walk Now Gently Through The Fire," which has range-riding representatives of the apostolic Church working with untainted animals and being assailed by demons in a world that’s fallen apart.

I would call this a work of science fantasy – there are science fiction elements, but with an overlay of swords and supposed sorcery. Occasionally the underlying science, as well as some of the action sequences, strain the limits of credibility, so SF purists may be unhappy. However, those who are seeking an exuberantly inventive adventure tale will be rewarded.

3.5 out of 5