What do you think?
Rate this book
Revolver
The “stunning and harrowing” short story, originally published in the anthology No Way Home, is now available as a standalone release and features an all-new foreword written by award-winning science fiction author, Lucas Bale.
Cara Stone is a broken woman: penniless, homeless, and hopeless. When given the chance to appear on television, she jumps at the opportunity to win a minimum of $5,000 for her family.
The state-run, crowdfunded series, Revolver, has been established by the nation’s moneyed elite to combat the increasing plight of class warfare.
There’s never been a Revolver contestant quite like Cara before. The corporate states of America are hungry for blood, and she promises to deliver.
Cara Stone is a broken woman: penniless, homeless, and hopeless. When given the chance to appear on television, she jumps at the opportunity to win a minimum of $5,000 for her family.
The state-run, crowdfunded series, Revolver, has been established by the nation’s moneyed elite to combat the increasing plight of class warfare.
There’s never been a Revolver contestant quite like Cara before. The corporate states of America are hungry for blood, and she promises to deliver.
Audible Audio
First published August 21, 2015
8 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Michael Patrick Hicks
38 books506 followersMichael Patrick Hicks is the author of several horror books, including the Salem Hawley series and Friday Night Massacre. His debut novel, Convergence, was an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalist in science fiction, and his short stories have appeared in more than a dozen anthologies.
You can find Michael’s books on Amazon in print, ebook, and audiobook at http://viewauthor.at/MichaelPatrickHicks.
Connect with Michael at:
Website: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/michaelpatri...
You can find Michael’s books on Amazon in print, ebook, and audiobook at http://viewauthor.at/MichaelPatrickHicks.
Connect with Michael at:
Website: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/michaelpatri...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
October 9, 2015
Holy crap!
Michael Patrick Hicks is on my friends list. I don't add many authors and I tend to remove them if they act a dang fool. Thus I have a short list of them.
Michael has always come across as a quiet classy guy. He participates on Goodreads without ever coming across as a douche nugget. (Please take note you authors that act cray-cray)
Then I decided to read this book based upon my friend (another well behaved author) Ed's review. He doesn't give many five stars either so I was insanely curious.
Michael Patrick Hicks....holy crap. You should just go ahead and come out as being frigging awesome.
This little short story packs so much into it that I didn't even feel like I was reading a short.
Set in the easily pictured future (almost too easily because it seemed way too real) there is a "reality show" called Revolver that starts the contestant at five thousand dollars and they must add to it.
The kicker for this show is completely insane! And unfortunately believable. (I don't want to spoil)
The crowd can post in on the contest with hashtags and their comments.
And you have the announcers themselves. Taunting the contestant.
The contestant? A woman with a history of depression that has nothing left to lose.
Don't push women that have nothing left.
Booksource: My cheap ass actually bought this one. Worth ever single penny!
My friend ed is who brought the book to my attention so he gets spotlighted..and this book is so frigging good that I'm spotlighting another review too.
here
Michael Patrick Hicks is on my friends list. I don't add many authors and I tend to remove them if they act a dang fool. Thus I have a short list of them.
Michael has always come across as a quiet classy guy. He participates on Goodreads without ever coming across as a douche nugget. (Please take note you authors that act cray-cray)
Then I decided to read this book based upon my friend (another well behaved author) Ed's review. He doesn't give many five stars either so I was insanely curious.
Michael Patrick Hicks....holy crap. You should just go ahead and come out as being frigging awesome.
This little short story packs so much into it that I didn't even feel like I was reading a short.
Set in the easily pictured future (almost too easily because it seemed way too real) there is a "reality show" called Revolver that starts the contestant at five thousand dollars and they must add to it.
The kicker for this show is completely insane! And unfortunately believable. (I don't want to spoil)
The crowd can post in on the contest with hashtags and their comments.
And you have the announcers themselves. Taunting the contestant.
The contestant? A woman with a history of depression that has nothing left to lose.
Don't push women that have nothing left.
Booksource: My cheap ass actually bought this one. Worth ever single penny!
My friend ed is who brought the book to my attention so he gets spotlighted..and this book is so frigging good that I'm spotlighting another review too.
here
October 21, 2019
There are many good dystopian stories out there:
THE RUNNING MAN, THE HUNGER GAMES, DIVERGENT, 1984, ANIMAL FARM...
This one is worth reading as well. Hicks mentions that people will be divided in their opinions on it, simply because it takes such a strong, in-your-face political stance. Personally, I think the people who take offense have this niggling worry in the back of their heads that they might be in the wrong. But don't worry, people, most people probably has enough common sense not to vote for a racist, sexist, bigoted liar who doesn't know the meaning of the word empathy.
Right?
THE RUNNING MAN, THE HUNGER GAMES, DIVERGENT, 1984, ANIMAL FARM...
This one is worth reading as well. Hicks mentions that people will be divided in their opinions on it, simply because it takes such a strong, in-your-face political stance. Personally, I think the people who take offense have this niggling worry in the back of their heads that they might be in the wrong. But don't worry, people, most people probably has enough common sense not to vote for a racist, sexist, bigoted liar who doesn't know the meaning of the word empathy.
Right?
May 5, 2017
In an all too plausible dystopian future, Cara Stone agrees to be on Revolver, a web show where the contestant raises money for his or her family before killing themselves on live TV. Too bad Cara has other plans...
Michael Patrick Hicks is one of those sneaky Goodreads authors that pretends to be an ordinary reader and rarely mentions his own books. Pretty slick, huh?
Anyway, Revolver is a dystopian novella reminiscent of Richard Bachman's The Running Man. Society has gone to hell in a hand basket since the women-hating, gun-loving religious zealots took over. Food riots are common and The Revolver is the only way out for a lot of people. Yeah, it's way too plausible and not as far away as one might hope. Cara ruminates on her past as the show time grows near. When the cameras role, things quickly go off the rails with Cara wielding the smoking gun.
Michael's writing packs a punch, both in terms of subject matter and word choices. Also, the suspense is agonizing. There are some powerful moments in the book and I'm at a loss at how to express myself. Fear for the future? Hell, fear for the present?
Revolver is one powerful little novella and a chilling vision of things to come. Five out of five stars.
Note: For the month of May, Michael is donating the proceeds from Revolver to the ACLU. See his website for details.
Michael Patrick Hicks is one of those sneaky Goodreads authors that pretends to be an ordinary reader and rarely mentions his own books. Pretty slick, huh?
Anyway, Revolver is a dystopian novella reminiscent of Richard Bachman's The Running Man. Society has gone to hell in a hand basket since the women-hating, gun-loving religious zealots took over. Food riots are common and The Revolver is the only way out for a lot of people. Yeah, it's way too plausible and not as far away as one might hope. Cara ruminates on her past as the show time grows near. When the cameras role, things quickly go off the rails with Cara wielding the smoking gun.
Michael's writing packs a punch, both in terms of subject matter and word choices. Also, the suspense is agonizing. There are some powerful moments in the book and I'm at a loss at how to express myself. Fear for the future? Hell, fear for the present?
Revolver is one powerful little novella and a chilling vision of things to come. Five out of five stars.
Note: For the month of May, Michael is donating the proceeds from Revolver to the ACLU. See his website for details.
November 2, 2016
Yikes! Sick....Sick....Sick!
REVOLVER is a tv horror reality show (sponsored by politicians of the state and paid for by viewers) where down and out on their luck citizens/contestants raise a minimum of $5,000 for their families resulting from their.......uhhh performance.
While this crazy futuristic man's world gone mad episode is being aired on a Jumbotron, the world outside the studio is in the midst of riots....or is it war? Anyway, the young woman being exploited presently has had enough and takes it upon herself to make some new rules....hehehe.
Obviously reminiscent of The Running Man and The Hunger Games with an atmosphere of Blade Runner, Michael Patrick Hicks writes of a future world I hope we never see.
Short, shocking, but entertaining work of sci-fi. (worth my .99 cents)
October 11, 2015
This story is quick and alarming. Of course, it's just fiction. Something like this could never happen. Could it? If you haven't already, please read this book and see what YOU think.
October 14, 2015
Wow! For a shorter story, this one had a very commanding presence! In the world of reality TV shows, the premise behind "Revolver" is almost too believable. In a United States that has turned to ultra Christian and male dominated opinions, Cara Stones is only one of many unfortunates whom the government has taken everything away from. She chooses to "participate" in the show "Revolver", in the hopes of earning some much needed money for her family.
What really struck me about this was Cara's personality. Despite everything we learn about her, and the world she is forced to reside in (and believe me, this was NOT an easy read!), she retains a bit of perspective about how WRONG everything has become.
Early in the story, she seems almost passive, without much thought about the show or the what the country has become--almost as though she has simply accepted the inevitability of it all. "Alcohol wasn't going to solve anything--it didn't have to. . . It needed to make the world bearable."
As things progress, and we learn more about the current society, her outlook begins to gain a slightly different perspective. "I was in charge of my fate, and this was my choice."
As I stated earlier, this is a story that is very easy to hate, and yet, I couldn't tear myself away. In the end, it is Cara's story. This is one you don't want to miss....
Highly recommended!
What really struck me about this was Cara's personality. Despite everything we learn about her, and the world she is forced to reside in (and believe me, this was NOT an easy read!), she retains a bit of perspective about how WRONG everything has become.
Early in the story, she seems almost passive, without much thought about the show or the what the country has become--almost as though she has simply accepted the inevitability of it all. "Alcohol wasn't going to solve anything--it didn't have to. . . It needed to make the world bearable."
As things progress, and we learn more about the current society, her outlook begins to gain a slightly different perspective. "I was in charge of my fate, and this was my choice."
As I stated earlier, this is a story that is very easy to hate, and yet, I couldn't tear myself away. In the end, it is Cara's story. This is one you don't want to miss....
Highly recommended!
June 29, 2017
This fierce, punchy novelette is is what we would get if Richard Bachman was still writing today during our social media age. It's reminiscent of his classic work in it's dystopian critique on society today. Hicks paints a picture of a world that's uncomfortably possible, where religious zealots and a rich family essentially take over America persecuting women, minorities, and homosexuals and where the masses morbidly watch poor people kill themselves on national primetime tv. It's passionate and well-written, and I love how it all took place in one room but you still got a sense of society outside. Using the increasing mob violence in the outside world really upped the tension. Good stuff.
August 1, 2016
The best short story I've read in quite some time.
May 1, 2018
Earlier this year my friend Sadie encouraged me to read a novella by Michael Patrick Hicks called Broken Shells. She knew I would love it, and she was absolutely right (as she always is). So I had every intention of picking up another book by Hicks ASAP. I had heard good things about Revolver, so I decided to fit it into my TBR for April. It's a super quick read, and I have been eager to read more from him.
This novella straight up comes with a disclaimer at the beginning. Hicks warns readers that there really is no middle ground with Revolver. It's dystopian social commentary that's highly political and in your face. Most readers end up having a strong reaction, either positive or negative depending on your political leanings. For me, at first I felt almost sick to my stomach, but by the end I wanted the protagonist to burn the whole world to the ground.
Cara Stone is a homeless woman who has given up on life, and so she agrees to be on a popular live television show called Revolver, where contestants try to raise money for their families before shooting themselves in the head. The dystopian future that Cara lives in is appalling, and a little too close to where this country is headed. Women have become second-class citizens with almost zero rights. While Cara is prepped for the show, she is forced to watch a news program with two talking heads that made me just as livid as they did Cara. Of course, they also host Revolver, and so Cara has the pleasure of being forced to interact with them once the show begins. They dredge up all of the worst things in her past and air them for everyone in the country to hear, all the while basically calling her a worthless whore.
Cara is almost past caring about anything anyone says to her until the hosts strike a nerve, and she lashes out in a way that is a little to clever for them to allow. At that point she thinks that maybe she can change things in her life. She is after all holding a revolver in her hand.
This book pushed all my buttons in exactly the way Hicks wanted to push buttons. I was outraged. I was angry. I was disgusted. And then I wanted revenge. I wanted Cara to take down all of the people who had been treating her like garbage for most of her life. And Hicks knew we as readers would want that too.
If you voted for our current president, or if you think the #MeToo movement doesn't really matter, then this book is definitely not for you. If you think our current president is a joke, and that the #MeToo movement is important and groundbreaking, then you just might want to pick this one up. It will most definitely speak to you.
This novella straight up comes with a disclaimer at the beginning. Hicks warns readers that there really is no middle ground with Revolver. It's dystopian social commentary that's highly political and in your face. Most readers end up having a strong reaction, either positive or negative depending on your political leanings. For me, at first I felt almost sick to my stomach, but by the end I wanted the protagonist to burn the whole world to the ground.
Cara Stone is a homeless woman who has given up on life, and so she agrees to be on a popular live television show called Revolver, where contestants try to raise money for their families before shooting themselves in the head. The dystopian future that Cara lives in is appalling, and a little too close to where this country is headed. Women have become second-class citizens with almost zero rights. While Cara is prepped for the show, she is forced to watch a news program with two talking heads that made me just as livid as they did Cara. Of course, they also host Revolver, and so Cara has the pleasure of being forced to interact with them once the show begins. They dredge up all of the worst things in her past and air them for everyone in the country to hear, all the while basically calling her a worthless whore.
Cara is almost past caring about anything anyone says to her until the hosts strike a nerve, and she lashes out in a way that is a little to clever for them to allow. At that point she thinks that maybe she can change things in her life. She is after all holding a revolver in her hand.
This book pushed all my buttons in exactly the way Hicks wanted to push buttons. I was outraged. I was angry. I was disgusted. And then I wanted revenge. I wanted Cara to take down all of the people who had been treating her like garbage for most of her life. And Hicks knew we as readers would want that too.
If you voted for our current president, or if you think the #MeToo movement doesn't really matter, then this book is definitely not for you. If you think our current president is a joke, and that the #MeToo movement is important and groundbreaking, then you just might want to pick this one up. It will most definitely speak to you.
September 7, 2016
An excellent short from Michael Patrick Hicks that reads much larger than its word count and packs quite a punch.
Waging war on poverty, one person at a time.
Waging war on poverty, one person at a time.
September 28, 2020
The zealots in office told us often enough, and loudly enough, that this was a Christian America. They just never bothered to clarify if we were New or Old Testament. And eventually their claim was repeated enough to win the perception of truth.
Revolver is a novella about the horror of right wing demagoguery and I am here for that.
Revolver is a novella about the horror of right wing demagoguery and I am here for that.
October 7, 2015
Oh baby,
This book is as subtle as a kick to your special place.
But oh baby, it's fucking great; it feels damn good.
Political. Punchy. Pertinent.
Oh baby, all dem stars.
This book is as subtle as a kick to your special place.
But oh baby, it's fucking great; it feels damn good.
Political. Punchy. Pertinent.
Oh baby, all dem stars.
February 20, 2016
Reminiscent of Richard Bachman’s The Long Walk and The Running Man, like the best dystopian fiction, Hicks’s future is chillingly plausible.
May 15, 2016
Revolver, by Michael Patrick Hicks, is a one-of-a-kind short story, a window into a world that feels all too real. With glimpses of George Orwell's classic, 1984, and Stephen King's, The Running Man, we're injected into a quite dystopian world where people with no hope commit suicide on national TV in an attempt to earn money for their families.
If that sounds like a brutal concept, wait until you read the story. Hicks pulls no punches, bringing in topics that include politics, sexism, elitism, racism, and even abortion and gun control. Yet it's so subtly crafted that the story doesn't feel like a soap box rant but rather a glimpse at a stark and very possible future.
What really kicked this up a notch for me, was the way it ended. I won't give it away, but Hicks proves he has studied his craft, delivering an ending where one wouldn't expect it. Don't expect warm hugs and sunshine with this one, but highly recommended.
If that sounds like a brutal concept, wait until you read the story. Hicks pulls no punches, bringing in topics that include politics, sexism, elitism, racism, and even abortion and gun control. Yet it's so subtly crafted that the story doesn't feel like a soap box rant but rather a glimpse at a stark and very possible future.
What really kicked this up a notch for me, was the way it ended. I won't give it away, but Hicks proves he has studied his craft, delivering an ending where one wouldn't expect it. Don't expect warm hugs and sunshine with this one, but highly recommended.
February 11, 2019
Damn... I don’t even know what to say right now. This story spoke to the frustrations and disgust I feel, every time I turn on the news lately. An all too plausible future, if things continue on as they are. If you support that... thing... that currently occupies the highest office in the land, the sub human liars he surrounds himself with, and the policies they support, you’re probably not gonna like this story. Still feeling sick to my stomach, and just sad.
January 13, 2016
Great short story. Is our society headed this direction? Sure seems possible and that is scary enough.
May 29, 2016
For a short story this really packed a punch. Good stuff.
February 5, 2018
Scary how close this hits to the nonsense coming from the political right wing.
October 1, 2018
Brutal, unsettling, and frighteningly topical.
January 21, 2019
** Edited as Review is now live on Kendall Reviews!**
Revolver has been on my periphery for a bit now, simply because of the vitriol spouted towards it in reviews. I’ve seen Michael share some of the reviews, as the story seems to work a large segment of the population up.
Funnily enough, the book comes with a foreword warning you that you may not like it.
A lot of folks though read reviews regarding a book to see if they’ll want to check it out, so here’s my warning to those reading this (and I am in no way someone who makes political statements on social media. I’m also a super amazing Canadian, so I’m not at all in a red state or a blue state or whatever is down there.)
But, if you like kids in cages – don’t read this. Do you hate people having equal rights? Don’t get this book. Does the thought of women or people of other ethnicities making the same wage as you piss you off? Avoid at all costs. Don’t want non-whites entering your country? Jog on.
Frankly if you get all your news from Fox News and believe the world would be better off if only elderly, rich, white caucasian, christian males carrying guns is your be-all end -all idea of a perfect world. Probably take a hard pass on this one.
The story is simple. The world has become a horrible place and the aforementioned old white christian males have taken control. They want to get rid of the ‘others.’ No more gays and women have lost all rights. “Maybe stay in the kitchen or stay on your back,” a newscaster states at one point regarding women.
So our main character is down on her luck. Thankfully a new option has emerged. Revolver! Everyone’s favourite game show! Where folks can get bid on and the hosts torture them mentally until they kill themselves on live TV. The money that they raise in bids is then given to the deceased persons family.
Horrible? I know right. But Hicks has written a seminal political – psychological thriller that packs a massive punch in a short space.
I was blown away by this (pun intended? Maybe?) and I think it’s a piece of fiction that will stand the test of time.
Highly recommend you check this out.
Revolver has been on my periphery for a bit now, simply because of the vitriol spouted towards it in reviews. I’ve seen Michael share some of the reviews, as the story seems to work a large segment of the population up.
Funnily enough, the book comes with a foreword warning you that you may not like it.
A lot of folks though read reviews regarding a book to see if they’ll want to check it out, so here’s my warning to those reading this (and I am in no way someone who makes political statements on social media. I’m also a super amazing Canadian, so I’m not at all in a red state or a blue state or whatever is down there.)
But, if you like kids in cages – don’t read this. Do you hate people having equal rights? Don’t get this book. Does the thought of women or people of other ethnicities making the same wage as you piss you off? Avoid at all costs. Don’t want non-whites entering your country? Jog on.
Frankly if you get all your news from Fox News and believe the world would be better off if only elderly, rich, white caucasian, christian males carrying guns is your be-all end -all idea of a perfect world. Probably take a hard pass on this one.
The story is simple. The world has become a horrible place and the aforementioned old white christian males have taken control. They want to get rid of the ‘others.’ No more gays and women have lost all rights. “Maybe stay in the kitchen or stay on your back,” a newscaster states at one point regarding women.
So our main character is down on her luck. Thankfully a new option has emerged. Revolver! Everyone’s favourite game show! Where folks can get bid on and the hosts torture them mentally until they kill themselves on live TV. The money that they raise in bids is then given to the deceased persons family.
Horrible? I know right. But Hicks has written a seminal political – psychological thriller that packs a massive punch in a short space.
I was blown away by this (pun intended? Maybe?) and I think it’s a piece of fiction that will stand the test of time.
Highly recommend you check this out.
August 23, 2018
A few years back I had an altercation on facebook with the relative of a friend, during one of my rare lapses from my general policy of never engaging in political discussion on that poisonous forum, in which he expressed the opinion that anyone accepting any kind of government assistance should be required to submit to any kind of intrusive search, medical procedure, etc. When I asked if he believed that someone using food stamps, for example, should be required to amputate and donate an arm, he doubled down, and said yes, that person has relinquished all human rights the instant they take tax-payer assistance.
That is why I do not consider it an exaggeration to say that this story is a completely plausible possibility in this country with the current political climate. Some people have criticized this story as being little more than a knock off of The Running Man, but for me it reads as more of a natural extension of that idea, a riff on the same theme, and it delivers with a powerful gut-punching ferocity. When I finished this story, I set down my reading device, and just said "holy fuck" several times. Then I picked the device back up and bought Convergence because this guy deserves some more of my money.
That is why I do not consider it an exaggeration to say that this story is a completely plausible possibility in this country with the current political climate. Some people have criticized this story as being little more than a knock off of The Running Man, but for me it reads as more of a natural extension of that idea, a riff on the same theme, and it delivers with a powerful gut-punching ferocity. When I finished this story, I set down my reading device, and just said "holy fuck" several times. Then I picked the device back up and bought Convergence because this guy deserves some more of my money.
October 10, 2015
Well, that was a sucker punch.
I've been reading great things about this short story, but I was still caught by surprise by the world Michael Patrick Hicks built in such a short page count.
Not only this is a extremely well written short story, it feels painfully real and scarily plausible, even in its crazier dystopian moments.
Definitely worth the read.
I've been reading great things about this short story, but I was still caught by surprise by the world Michael Patrick Hicks built in such a short page count.
Not only this is a extremely well written short story, it feels painfully real and scarily plausible, even in its crazier dystopian moments.
Definitely worth the read.
August 24, 2015
‘Revolver’ is a short story, first published in No Way Home and also published by the author as a standalone, available for purchase or on Kindle Unlimited for subscribers. I obtained it with the latter method.
My Thoughts:
Revolver comes across to me as the kind of story that many authors could pour onto the page when either angry enough, drunk enough, or both. Not that I mean to suggest that Michael Patrick Hicks was necessarily either when he wrote the story, but the narrator of the story being constantly drunk and violently angry in many ways mirrors that desire a lot of authors for a tirade expressed through their fiction. Yet for all its exaggeration, flamboyant levels of violence and a pervasive nastiness that oozes from most of it’s characters, Revolver reads not like a tirade but more like controlled expression from an author who’s increasingly good at using extreme means of expression.
Are the views and opinions expressed by Cara Stone in Revolver all directly from the author’s own heart? I’m not going to make presumptions; indeed one of the best quotes I found in a literature textbook at university was to do with how it’s dangerous to build an interpretation on the idea that a character’s position is the writers (I wish I could remember who wrote that, and quote it verbatim.) Having read some of the author’s own social commentary through his website I can draw certain conclusions, but they’re largely irrelevant to what makes Revolver a cracking read.
What makes it so brilliant is that it stirs emotions in the reader that mirror the way emotions are stirred by the media within the story itself: a strong reaction and a response are what’s desired. The whole story carries a familiar irony that those who might benefit from considering its messages will most likely hate it, or perhaps more likely not read it at all after one look at the reviews (after writing this review, looking at the one star reviews will doubtless be a fun exercise!) and those who love it and simultaneously feel repelled by a lot of its content will spread the word to others likely to feel the same.
Anyone who gets too caught up in the politics of this story, or interprets it from a left or right perspective, is in my opinion missing the point. It’s more of an examination of human extremes than political ones - indeed there’s no debate about gun control or whether it’s possible in the USA, but there’s plenty about how guns make people behave and what people’s attitudes to them say. (Hard to enter into discussion without spoilers here.) There’s a futuristic setting but it’s a story that isn’t science fiction at all, it’s speculative, and speculates in a way that reads as hugely exaggerated to the point where it’s almost satire, yet there’s a sting of familiarity in the nastiness of the comments made by the supporting cast of this story - we’ve all seen this kind of thing on social media. If you haven’t yet, try something fun and google some quotes after you’ve read the story. I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of them wasn’t a close match to something someone really said.
‘Revolver’ is perhaps about the dangers of such attitudes to women and sexuality and war ceasing to be minority views spreading to become mainstream more than anything else - again, all about the human critique rather than the ‘propaganda’ some reviewers have supposedly labelled it. Personally, I’ve had a long standing dislike of reality television and enjoyed the extremes of this story about the lengths people will go to in front of audiences for money or attention, and those who will watch it and contribute. Is it only a matter of time before something like this happens? I want to say ‘unlikely’ but I suppose my real answer at the end of this story was a resounding ‘we’d better fucking hope not!’
Author head on for a moment then: ‘Revolver’ is the kind of story I’ve seen some writers in workshops tear apart for being too overt in its message or for being the kind of author opinion voicing that readers are supposedly sick of, and some might even go as far as to suggest that no publisher would ever accept it. Trust me, I’ve met people online who I know would hate this story, but my own thoughts on it from an author point of view is that it takes some backbone to publish something like this and not have your morale dropped by foaming-mouth critics who consider it an attack on their own views. A male author writing as a female rape victim takes exceptional authorial bravery, and Hicks handles it with about as much tact as its possible to muster, and does so not for the shock value or for author experimentation, but for an essential depth of POV that contributes to the story’s messages.
‘Revolver’ is a brave, powerful piece of writing that says ‘let’s not dress things up or put thin veils on the idea, let’s just shout about it and make it read like it’s a gun pointed in the reader’s face.’ It’s unapologetic, visceral, and the kind of story that would probably have sent the Clean Reader app into cyber meltdown. Give it a read if you like your stories to take you to the edge of your seat.
My Thoughts:
Revolver comes across to me as the kind of story that many authors could pour onto the page when either angry enough, drunk enough, or both. Not that I mean to suggest that Michael Patrick Hicks was necessarily either when he wrote the story, but the narrator of the story being constantly drunk and violently angry in many ways mirrors that desire a lot of authors for a tirade expressed through their fiction. Yet for all its exaggeration, flamboyant levels of violence and a pervasive nastiness that oozes from most of it’s characters, Revolver reads not like a tirade but more like controlled expression from an author who’s increasingly good at using extreme means of expression.
Are the views and opinions expressed by Cara Stone in Revolver all directly from the author’s own heart? I’m not going to make presumptions; indeed one of the best quotes I found in a literature textbook at university was to do with how it’s dangerous to build an interpretation on the idea that a character’s position is the writers (I wish I could remember who wrote that, and quote it verbatim.) Having read some of the author’s own social commentary through his website I can draw certain conclusions, but they’re largely irrelevant to what makes Revolver a cracking read.
What makes it so brilliant is that it stirs emotions in the reader that mirror the way emotions are stirred by the media within the story itself: a strong reaction and a response are what’s desired. The whole story carries a familiar irony that those who might benefit from considering its messages will most likely hate it, or perhaps more likely not read it at all after one look at the reviews (after writing this review, looking at the one star reviews will doubtless be a fun exercise!) and those who love it and simultaneously feel repelled by a lot of its content will spread the word to others likely to feel the same.
Anyone who gets too caught up in the politics of this story, or interprets it from a left or right perspective, is in my opinion missing the point. It’s more of an examination of human extremes than political ones - indeed there’s no debate about gun control or whether it’s possible in the USA, but there’s plenty about how guns make people behave and what people’s attitudes to them say. (Hard to enter into discussion without spoilers here.) There’s a futuristic setting but it’s a story that isn’t science fiction at all, it’s speculative, and speculates in a way that reads as hugely exaggerated to the point where it’s almost satire, yet there’s a sting of familiarity in the nastiness of the comments made by the supporting cast of this story - we’ve all seen this kind of thing on social media. If you haven’t yet, try something fun and google some quotes after you’ve read the story. I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of them wasn’t a close match to something someone really said.
‘Revolver’ is perhaps about the dangers of such attitudes to women and sexuality and war ceasing to be minority views spreading to become mainstream more than anything else - again, all about the human critique rather than the ‘propaganda’ some reviewers have supposedly labelled it. Personally, I’ve had a long standing dislike of reality television and enjoyed the extremes of this story about the lengths people will go to in front of audiences for money or attention, and those who will watch it and contribute. Is it only a matter of time before something like this happens? I want to say ‘unlikely’ but I suppose my real answer at the end of this story was a resounding ‘we’d better fucking hope not!’
Author head on for a moment then: ‘Revolver’ is the kind of story I’ve seen some writers in workshops tear apart for being too overt in its message or for being the kind of author opinion voicing that readers are supposedly sick of, and some might even go as far as to suggest that no publisher would ever accept it. Trust me, I’ve met people online who I know would hate this story, but my own thoughts on it from an author point of view is that it takes some backbone to publish something like this and not have your morale dropped by foaming-mouth critics who consider it an attack on their own views. A male author writing as a female rape victim takes exceptional authorial bravery, and Hicks handles it with about as much tact as its possible to muster, and does so not for the shock value or for author experimentation, but for an essential depth of POV that contributes to the story’s messages.
‘Revolver’ is a brave, powerful piece of writing that says ‘let’s not dress things up or put thin veils on the idea, let’s just shout about it and make it read like it’s a gun pointed in the reader’s face.’ It’s unapologetic, visceral, and the kind of story that would probably have sent the Clean Reader app into cyber meltdown. Give it a read if you like your stories to take you to the edge of your seat.
October 7, 2016
Absolutely, terrifyingly real
Warning, Revolver contains pretty much everything that people will find offensive: Language, Mentions of Rape, and belittling of women. With that being said, all of it (minus the language) was written for a reason.
The world has been turned on its head and Cara is given the chance of a lifetime to give her family a much-needed financial break. She just has to star on the crowd-funded hit TV series Revolver…
Patricia Santomasso provides the narration for Revolver and does a perfect job. She took an already great book and made it amazing. Her performance will stick with me. The story was good, but Santomasso made it great.
Revolver is a perfect short story/novella to read right now. The political extremists are gaining more and more power and they aren’t easily ignored anymore. Revolver tells the story of what would happen if we let this extremism go too far. And wow was it good.
There are books that you finish and they leave you with a sense of awe and an emptiness. And then there are books that you will never forget. I have a few of those, including 1984 and Brave New World. This takes some of the same things that 1984 talked about and put them to the extreme.
I had to write my warning because this book will offend people, I actually think that it was meant to. But it did it in a way that really makes you think. Revolver is a big “what if” book that will leave you feeling raw and full of emotion.
I actually can’t think of the last time I read a book this short that left that much of an impression on me. It’s just proof that you don’t need 400 pages to make someone feel something. Just a great premise and a better narrative voice.
I was given a copy of this audiobook.
Warning, Revolver contains pretty much everything that people will find offensive: Language, Mentions of Rape, and belittling of women. With that being said, all of it (minus the language) was written for a reason.
The world has been turned on its head and Cara is given the chance of a lifetime to give her family a much-needed financial break. She just has to star on the crowd-funded hit TV series Revolver…
Patricia Santomasso provides the narration for Revolver and does a perfect job. She took an already great book and made it amazing. Her performance will stick with me. The story was good, but Santomasso made it great.
Revolver is a perfect short story/novella to read right now. The political extremists are gaining more and more power and they aren’t easily ignored anymore. Revolver tells the story of what would happen if we let this extremism go too far. And wow was it good.
There are books that you finish and they leave you with a sense of awe and an emptiness. And then there are books that you will never forget. I have a few of those, including 1984 and Brave New World. This takes some of the same things that 1984 talked about and put them to the extreme.
I had to write my warning because this book will offend people, I actually think that it was meant to. But it did it in a way that really makes you think. Revolver is a big “what if” book that will leave you feeling raw and full of emotion.
I actually can’t think of the last time I read a book this short that left that much of an impression on me. It’s just proof that you don’t need 400 pages to make someone feel something. Just a great premise and a better narrative voice.
I was given a copy of this audiobook.
December 29, 2015
The idea of a participant in a “live” tv show is nothing new and has been done both in the past with the excellent Running Man written by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman and more recently The Hunger Games. Revolver attempts to be a political statement using the persona of Cara Jones as a downtrodden political animal who has one last chance (or more importantly her family as she will not come out of this alive, hence the revolver) to bequeath wealth by appearing on a nationwide reality television show. It would appear the more abuse, revelations personal anguish and confrontations she can expose will result in positive votes and an increase in her dollar value. Of course all this comes at a price and the viewing public will only expect one final bloody outcome! If this short story is an attempt to make some type of statement on behalf of womankind then it is totally lost on me, I thought the writing and the idea (which is certainly not original) utterly irrelevant and a total waste of my (albeit) limited reading time.
Read
October 10, 2015Don't think I can rate this one today. This is so insanely non-subtle that I feel that I must be missing something. I have to be, right? Because at first glance this just seems to be someone on the far left's nightmare's about a country ruled by what they believe to be the far far right. Which is fine, I suppose? But there's no realism to it. I saw a review compare this to 1984, but the government there was a surveillance state, which is plausible in a "we must protect you" way. Also compared was The Running Man, but that was criminals trying to commute their sentence, which also seems more plausible. This is neither. This is something else entirely. But at the moment I am completely unsure of the point.
June 14, 2018
Revolver is a gut punch of a short story that I really enjoyed. For such a short piece, I felt that I really got to know the main character well. The premise is very relevant and it is unfortunately easy to believe that it could come true in this country. It is certainly a thought provoking piece that shows the author skills in writing a captivating story. I do not feel that the subject matter went too far but a little subtlety might have improved the tale a little bit. But overall I greatly enjoyed this and look forward to more work by the author.
January 18, 2018
Oof, what a read. This is a great little story - very tough to read at times, as it's full of a lot of misery and raw hate. It gave me a similar feeling as reading The Handmaid's Tale did last year.
December 28, 2020
Wow what a story this is - I know reviews have mentioned this already but it’s true, this is a perfect blending of The Hunger Games infused with The Running Man with a sprinkling of The Handmaids Tale (with its Christian Society aspect).
This is a look at the world in ruin, a world in chaos and a world that isn’t probably too far removed from our own. There aren’t many topics off the table in this one and Hicks ensures to cover them all with gruesome and disturbing vitriolic statements from the governing state which are always used to put people in their places, to knock them down and keep them down.
You see this is a society where the rich get richer and the poor just die or they get given one last shot, one last chance with the game show Revolver - it’s a perfect blending of Science Fiction / Horror / and dystopian literature and pulled off masterfully well.
The main protagonist in this story is one I loved reading about, someone that is broken, seen as the lowest of the low by society, a male dominated society and she’s had enough - although she is down on her knees, she won’t surrender until she rights a few wrongs!
A quick and stunning read - this is a manifesto, this is something that gets your blood pumping and your mind raging and you can’t help but be moved by this book - it’s a glimpse into what might happen in this world if good men and women do nothing! Together we are stronger!
The class struggle in this story is something that really got to me and the role of women (how they are seen to be by the dystopian hierarchy) in this Christian new world order (the thinking behind abortions was interesting and distressing all at the same time - with the rape aspect / angle).
Get this book and read it! It makes me want to go and start a riot at the many injustices I see happening right now... it’s a call to arms, an anthem, a way of life!
This is a look at the world in ruin, a world in chaos and a world that isn’t probably too far removed from our own. There aren’t many topics off the table in this one and Hicks ensures to cover them all with gruesome and disturbing vitriolic statements from the governing state which are always used to put people in their places, to knock them down and keep them down.
You see this is a society where the rich get richer and the poor just die or they get given one last shot, one last chance with the game show Revolver - it’s a perfect blending of Science Fiction / Horror / and dystopian literature and pulled off masterfully well.
The main protagonist in this story is one I loved reading about, someone that is broken, seen as the lowest of the low by society, a male dominated society and she’s had enough - although she is down on her knees, she won’t surrender until she rights a few wrongs!
A quick and stunning read - this is a manifesto, this is something that gets your blood pumping and your mind raging and you can’t help but be moved by this book - it’s a glimpse into what might happen in this world if good men and women do nothing! Together we are stronger!
The class struggle in this story is something that really got to me and the role of women (how they are seen to be by the dystopian hierarchy) in this Christian new world order (the thinking behind abortions was interesting and distressing all at the same time - with the rape aspect / angle).
Get this book and read it! It makes me want to go and start a riot at the many injustices I see happening right now... it’s a call to arms, an anthem, a way of life!
May 24, 2019
Rating: ★★★★
Synopsis
The “stunning and harrowing” short story, originally published in the anthology No Way Home, is now available as a standalone release and features an all-new foreword written by award-winning science fiction author, Lucas Bale.
Cara Stone is a broken woman: penniless, homeless, and hopeless. When given the chance to appear on television, she jumps at the opportunity to win a minimum of $5,000 for her family.
The state-run, crowdfunded series, Revolver, has been established by the nation’s moneyed elite to combat the increasing plight of class warfare.
There’s never been a Revolver contestant quite like Cara before. The corporate states of America are hungry for blood, and she promises to deliver.
Review
Thanks to the author for an audiobook copy, via Audible, in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this listening copy did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novella.
Novellas are always difficult to review, especially those that are under 100 pages, so I’ll keep this one pretty short and succinct.
Revolver is a harrowing glimpse into where our country could be headed if it continues on its current trajectory. With the way politics and exploitation are being shoved in our faces on a daily basis, it wouldn’t surprise me (hopefully beyond my years) if some form of Revolver, or even Robert Jackson Bennett’s ‘Vigilance’, comes to fruition. Gun violence is at an all time high, the nation as a whole is fighting over women’s rights, and the masses are glued to their televisions to see the latest massacre.
This sh*t is scary, y’all.
But as Hicks has done in previous reads, you are reeled in with a bloody hook and forced to pay attention to the subject matter. It is gruesome and shocking, but it is impossible to look away. And with a protagonist like Cara leading the way, you really just want to watch the world burn.
Kudos to the author for a gut-punch that is felt throughout the whole body.
Synopsis
The “stunning and harrowing” short story, originally published in the anthology No Way Home, is now available as a standalone release and features an all-new foreword written by award-winning science fiction author, Lucas Bale.
Cara Stone is a broken woman: penniless, homeless, and hopeless. When given the chance to appear on television, she jumps at the opportunity to win a minimum of $5,000 for her family.
The state-run, crowdfunded series, Revolver, has been established by the nation’s moneyed elite to combat the increasing plight of class warfare.
There’s never been a Revolver contestant quite like Cara before. The corporate states of America are hungry for blood, and she promises to deliver.
Review
Thanks to the author for an audiobook copy, via Audible, in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this listening copy did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novella.
Novellas are always difficult to review, especially those that are under 100 pages, so I’ll keep this one pretty short and succinct.
Revolver is a harrowing glimpse into where our country could be headed if it continues on its current trajectory. With the way politics and exploitation are being shoved in our faces on a daily basis, it wouldn’t surprise me (hopefully beyond my years) if some form of Revolver, or even Robert Jackson Bennett’s ‘Vigilance’, comes to fruition. Gun violence is at an all time high, the nation as a whole is fighting over women’s rights, and the masses are glued to their televisions to see the latest massacre.
This sh*t is scary, y’all.
But as Hicks has done in previous reads, you are reeled in with a bloody hook and forced to pay attention to the subject matter. It is gruesome and shocking, but it is impossible to look away. And with a protagonist like Cara leading the way, you really just want to watch the world burn.
Kudos to the author for a gut-punch that is felt throughout the whole body.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews