Review
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Title: World Running Down
Author: Al Hess
Publisher: Angry Robot
Genre: Science Fiction/Queer
Year Published: 2023
Number of Pages: 302
Binding: Paper
ISBN: 9781915202246
Price: 17.99
Reviewed by Andrew Hamilton for the Association of Mormon Letters
In World Running Down by Al Hess, Valentine Weis is a transman struggling with body dysmorphia in the postapocalyptic wastelands of Utah. They work with their partner Ace out of a beat-up old van as a salvager, hoping to make enough money to become a citizen of Salt Lake City so that they can receive testosterone and the gender affirming surgery they have long wanted. Their goal is nearly impossible until the pair meets Osric. Osric was once a powerful AI in Salt Lake City who was forced into an android body. Osric approaches them with an offer: if they take a job to help retrieve stolen androids, they will be granted citizenship in Salt Lake City and a large sum of money. The only problem? The androids have become sentient and do not want to go back.
There is a lot to recommend in this brilliant book. Community, found family, understanding oneself, and fitting in are all important themes in World Running Down. Valentine and Osric are each experiencing a form of body dysmorphia and struggle with finding the true meaning of their existence and their sense of self. As the story unfolds, their answers do not come easily. The missing android sex workers are coming to terms with their awakening sense of existence, identity, and self-determination. Where they belong, their sense of who they really are, and their ability to make their own choices are very important. The pirates who live on the outskirts of civilization and harass Valentine, Ace, and other travelers consider themselves the true Mormons. They live apart from the civilized cities for good reasons and highly value their beliefs and community. Belonging and understanding what that means are essential in World Running Down.
I want to share two extra positives and one criticism of this book. The world is set in a “post-apocalyptic Utah,” but I would describe it as “mild” post-apocalyptic sci-fi. This is not the world of “Mad Max” or most of the usual stories of this category. It seems there has been no nuclear holocaust or similar world-ending event. Society seems to have just slowly deteriorated. This setting helps lead to the story (missing robots who need to be found with the help of a sentient AI), but it is the characters that drive the story. The most important elements of the narrative could happen anywhere or anytime. The relationships in the story are not perfect and feel real. Valentine and Ace are longtime partners. There is a true, platonic love between them, but they struggle, argue, and bicker frequently. The only criticism that I have about World Running Down is related to its format. Hess wrote the book with a dual perspective. The story alternates between Valentine and Osric as the narrators. It’s not hard to follow most of the time, but I did get lost a few times and had to backtrack a bit and re-read to make sure I knew where I was.
Author Al Hess is a transman with connections to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Intermountain West. All of his books that I have read have some character who is Mormon or mentions them. Most of them that have a named setting take place in areas that have large Mormon populations, including Utah, Idaho, or Wyoming[1]. They generally have a sci-fi for fantasy sort of flavor. World has a post-apocalyptic setting, sentient AI, and robots; others involve ghosts, aliens, etc.
World Running Down is an amazing book. I found out about it by chance, bought a copy because it sounded interesting, and fell in love with it and with Al Hess as an author. The characters are well-written and have excellent, expertly written character arcs. The story has a satisfying and happy ending, but some relationships are allowed to end. I highly recommend World Running Down. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic sci-fi, character-driven fiction, books with queer characters, stories where characters find their true selves, books with mild romantic subplots, stories where you learn from people who are different than you, or just very well-written stories, then read World Running Down. This is a fun, excellent book, and I highly recommend it.
[1] Hess’s most recent book Shake Out the Ghosts takes place in an unnamed city.