Good Fences

by M.H. Mead

Morris Payne lives alone, sleeps alone, works alone. It’s the only way to keep his agoraphobic panic attacks at bay. And he’s got plenty to panic about. His best employer isn’t hiring, rival hackers are nosing in on the only job he can get, and his virtual accountant has just told him he’s broke. But a blizzard in Detroit and the power outage that comes with it are exactly the cover he needs to pull off the hack that will put him back on top.

Then the neighbors come calling.

Good Fences introduces Morris Payne, an elite hacker walking the the fine gray line between the virtual and the real in the not-too-distant future. Fans of William Gibson and Charles Stross will enjoy this short story by the newest voices in science fiction.

Nook

First published May 24, 2011

Reviews

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Book source ~ Purchased on Amazon

Morris Payne is a hacker. Not just any hacker, one of the elite hackers. With a blizzard shutting down Detroit he has an opportunity to do a very tricky and risky hack before public utilities can get the power back up. However, just as he’s getting ready to start his delicate mission his neighbors, the Chens, come knocking at his door, bringing chaos (and a huge power drain on his reserve batteries) to his agoraphobic existence.

I love this story and I love Morris, screwed up cranky ass that he is. The Chens are pretty decent on the whole, but they just took over a neighbor’s house, using all kinds of power without asking what kind of generator or batteries he had. Clueless and thoughtless. And that Joey? I would have beaten his ass. Seriously. I definitely need more of Morris ASAP.

[Frida Fantastic (book blogger) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Fences is a 8,700 word short story written by co-authors Margaret Yang and Harry R. Campion writing as M. H. Mead. Morris has agoraphobia, which means he has panic attacks in public places and social conditions that he perceives to be out of his control. The conflict revolves around Morris’ interactions with his unwanted neighbours while trying to pull off a major hacking job in the middle of a blizzard with the power going out. Most of the action takes place in Morris’ suburban house in the near future.

Good Fences is an excellent character study. Morris is characterized well and the reader gets a good grasp of the severity of his panic attacks. The neighbours and their backgrounds are also fleshed out. The character interactions feel very natural and they’re all sympathetic despite their conflict of interests.

It’s well-written, but I was personally expecting a bit more science fiction to enjoy it as a standalone story. There isn’t much that I learned about the world-setting beyond the confines of Morris’ home, and it doesn’t deal with any SF concepts beyond some futuristic household appliances and familiar hacker-related tropes. However, it is a great introduction to the protagonist, as the co-authors have a novel in the works with this main character.

Morris himself is an interesting character because he’s the antisocial hacker type taken to the extremes. Whether you’ll like him enough to read a full novel about him is quite subjective. Personally, I thought the neighbours were more memorable because they were a set of characters that I haven’t seen much of in science fiction. I’d be interested in reading a novel with them as the main characters, especially the young boy.

I recommend Good Fences for anyone interested in a character study and a quick read.

Note: a free review copy was provided by the author.

[Bronwyn Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Fences is one of the most unique books I’ve had the pleasure of reading in recent memory. It also has the distinction of being one of the best. A near future setting, an agoraphobic, unwanted yet unavoidable guests and illegal activity make for a tense, gripping read.

Despite the fact that this is a relativity short novella, all of the characters are well drawn and completely three-dimensional. There’s not a caricature or poorly developed character to be seen. All are believably written and well motivated, as well. These could very well be the people in your neighborhood.

I found the glimpses into Morris’ panic filled world enthralling. I was supposed to be meeting a friend for lunch, and I thought I’d read in my car for a few minutes before she got there. But I was so engrossed in the story, she had to call me to remind me to come inside and eat. I was utterly enthralled and I can’t wait for the next novel set in this world.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agoraphobia is a nasty, debiltating mental abberition. I battled it for almost 10 years and this well written story spiked my blood pressure and gave me an unwelcome charge of adrenaline and a closing of my throat.

While the story focused on the critical hack, doing something at that level of mental competance under that physical and mental pressure is nearly unbelievable.

I was surprised all of the Chen's survived.

For some people, this was horror at its worst.