World Running Down Book Review

I had the pleasure of reading Would Running Down by Al Hess before its release.

“Valentine Weis is a salvager in the future wastelands of Utah. Wrestling with body dysphoria, he dreams of earning enough money to afford citizenship in Salt Lake City – a utopia where the testosterone and surgery he needs to transition is free, the food is plentiful, and folk are much less likely to be shot full of arrows by salt pirates.”

–Bookshop.org Blurb

This book really felt like a case of writing the book that you want to read and reaping the rewards. It’s more empathetic, more romantic, and more fun than the Mad Max, Blade Runner, dystopian stories that have come before it. The characters are likeable and feel fully realized. The pacing is quick. The sci/fi ideas are interesting, while never bogging down the adventure. I think my one complaint is that the climax is a bit scattered as it ties up each of its plot threads, but that doesn’t ruin the adventure as a whole.

Frankly, I think there needs to be more books like this, about kindness and love, and I’m thankful I got to read it.

Five Stars

World Running Down comes out tomorrow on Valentines Day.