The Rise and Falling Out of Saint Leslie of Security by Andrew Tisbert

Paperback: ISBN-13: 9781897370391, $14.95

The Rise and Falling Out of Saint Leslie of Security is a dystopian science fiction story of a future spun off from many of the issues found in the headlines today. At times this can violate the cushion of separation found in most utopian/dystopian tales that allows the writer (and thus the reader) to explore ideas of What If from a safe distance. Some of the aspects in this book feel like modern extremist propaganda from current times, which might turn off some readers. However, to Tisbert’s credit the propaganda comes from both the right and left, and the book touches on extremism for the sake of world building then veers off to it’s own story without becoming a long rant on current events.

Leslie herself is a Security Agent who has been reprogrammed via an implanted neural shield. The same thing that lets the people she works for add all the training she needs to her brain with short updates, also strips her of her memory. Ghosts of her past exist, like certain things holding her attention or unexplained emotions and panic, but Leslie has no understanding of why these thing are important and with the consistent reprogramming her employers are able to try to correct her instinctual flash backs, but only after she’s shown them. This leads to Leslie having a very fractured feel, being emotional but not knowing why.

Despite Leslie’s inner conflict she still acts as trained when an Atheist from a sect in Vermont (which, like California, has seceded from America) tries to assassinate Father Washington, the President and religious leader of America. Splattering the would be assassin’s brains on live television earns her the adoration of the people and a Sainting (which makes her an honorary member of Congress, and too high class to continue her current job in Security) from Father Washington.

While Leslie is suffering for doing her job the people surrounding her who know where she comes from are busy panicking an trying to keep her a secret. If the upheaval of her life by instant fame wasn’t enough now Leslie finds herself pregnant, unmarried and unwilling to “donate” her growing fetus to science as the government demands. Seeking safety from the rebel groups is no safer, as Leslie, Saint defector, is about to find out.

While there are elements within this tale to dislike (such as a reincarnated Saddam Hussein) Tisbert shows great world building and plotting skills, as well as making his characters, for good or ill, read as genuine. The pacing is also excellent, scenes that feel like info dumps in the end serve to add tension to further chapters for readers.

While The Rise and Falling Out of Saint Leslie of Security isn’t going to revolutionize the SF genre, it is a solid addition to it.