W.W. Norton & Company
346 Pages
In my opinion, finding good techno-thrillers can be difficult to find. A lot of them are thin with characters and heavy on tech. Others are thin on tech and heavy on characters. Phantom Orbit by David Ignatius balances both quite well, delivering a book that gives us the best of both characters and tech. This book brings up a subject that is scarily close to being true. If you’re one who is a conspiracy theorist, it could already be true.
David Ignatius writes techno thrillers that could be ripped directly from today's headlines. Orbiting Earth are a series of satellites that could have been utilized as platforms for missiles in space. Supposedly, an agreement made decades ago is keeping space free from weapons. Does that mean that all nations are following that treaty? Could there secretly be weapons in space that could tilt the balance of power around the globe?
Espionage abounds as the pages turn. Various powers that be in the Russian coalition fight for their autonomy as well as domination. At the same time, opposing forces in the same country understand that the stability that kept the world relatively safe could be eroded if events in space are set in motion.
Phantom Orbit is a slow burner. Ignatius takes time building the suspense, preferring to set up the science and the characters before the real action takes place. He uses the first part of the book investing the reader with the knowledge and emotion that will come to bear when the action finally hits in the last third of the book. After the reader has connected with the characters, Ignatius thrusts them into high stakes scenarios. You heart will beat faster as armageddon seems to hang right at the edge, depending on the decisions made by these very characters.
What grasps you the most is how likely this scenario could be. The novel is set just far enough in our future that the world is readily recognizable. The technology is familiar. The people are familiar. Killer satellites possibly controlled by xenophobic, psychotic, and charismatic leaders are unfortunately all too realistic. While this novel explores Russian antagonists, it could very easily have been written as either Chinese or North Korean villains. Any of them would make this story just as scary…or possible.
As I was reading this, I started out slowly turning the pages. However, I noticed as I got further into the narrative, the pages were turning quickly. Somehow, Ignatius writes in such a way that the action getting quicker is equaled by the reading getting faster. Scenes moved back and forth between points of view as the crescendo builds. By the end, you’re taking a deep breath and wondering how possible this story could actually be.
David Ignatius takes his time researching for each of his novels. His efforts for Phantom Orbit bring the readers a true from the headlines thriller between the United States and their Cold War nemesis, Russia. Today, Vladimir Putin fully embraces the psychopathic leader, wearing that mantle like a crown proudly. It’s the same type of person that populates this novel and directs the narrative. Knowing that, the reader will be that much more anxious. It’s this emotional investment by the reader that makes this book so good.
Phantom Orbit by David Ignatius is a thriller that you will want to read. Someday, in the very near future, this could very well be something we’re reading about in the newspapers or watching on the news casts. For that reason, I think everyone should take the time to read this book. It’s well worth the time you’d spend reading it.
Craig Bacon wishes he could write some thrillers just like this. Instead, he'll stick with local history…for now.