Art of Griselda Beringer by umegrafix for the sci fic novel, Mecha Samurai Empire, by Peter Tieryas
The novel is like a mix of Pacific Rim and The Man in the High Castle, which takes place in an alternate history where the Axis Power won WWII and the United States of America is divided into two, with the Germans ruling the Eastern Coast while the Japanese rules the Western Coast.
Griselda Beringer is a fearsome mecha pilot who is mix German and Japanese, and so is view with disdain by both sides for being too Japanese or too German. She is torn between her allegiance to the Reich (German) and her love to a fellow mecha pilot from the Empire (Japan), Makoto Fujimoto.
Their common life experiences in facing discrimination in becoming a mecha pilot is what draws them close together, as Makoto is not strong or smart enough to ace the rigorous tests and exams to be an Imperial pilot while Griselda, despite being highly capable and skillful, is not of a pure Aryan race.
As tension grew between the two Axis Powers over the full control of America, Griselda and Makoto finds themselves torn between their loyalty to their country and their love for each other, that puts their career as a mecha pilot at risk and must decide their true allegiance before the inevitable war breaks out.
It’s a very interesting story which lets your imagination run wild with countless possibilities of alternate history of what ifs. I really hope it will be adapted into an anime series someday, because the story is as good as Gundam and Ghost in the Shell, in terms of action packed and political intrigues.
United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas (science fiction)
Decades ago, Japan won the Second World War. Americans worship their infallible Emperor, and nobody believes that Japan’s conduct in the war was anything but exemplary. Nobody, that is, except the George Washingtons – a shadowy group of rebels fighting for freedom. Their latest subversive tactic is to distribute an illegal video game that asks players to imagine what the world might be like if the United States had won the war instead.
Captain Beniko Ishimura's job is to censor video games, and he's working with Agent Akiko Tsukino of the secret police to get to the bottom of this disturbing new development. But Ishimura's hiding something... He's slowly been discovering that the case of the George Washingtons is more complicated than it seems, and the subversive video game's origins are even more controversial and dangerous than either of them originally suspected.
Fans of alternate history, here’s one for you. Following in the footsteps of The Man in the High Castle, what would the world be like if the Axis Powers won World War II? What if Japan invaded America? What if Americans became second-class citizens? What if Japan kept power because of their freaking humongous robots? Peter Tieryas has done plenty of research and envisioned a different future for America, one that includes constant censorship and an army presence.
Beniko Ishimura is nearing forty. He’s fought in the Battle of San Diego, he’s censored major media for several years, he’s still unable to find a stable relationship, and yet he’s still known for reporting his parents for treason against the emperor when he was only a child. Ben just wants to put his feet up and enjoy his upcoming promotion when his previous general contacts him. Claire Mutsuraga, General Mutsuraga’s daughter and Ben’s friend, is dead. Hoping it’s a misunderstanding, Ben makes a call, and the next morning an agent of Japan’s secret police is waiting for him.
Tokko Agent Akiko Tsukino is dedicated to tracking down anything and anyone not dedicated to the Empire, including fellow servants of the Empire. She’s not impressed by Ben’s past record--barely passed in school, a lazy employee, still not promoted--and she’s certainly not impressed when she meets him, but every thread connected to General Mutsuraga, a suspected defector, is worth investigating. And Ben, previously serving under Mutsuraga and being a developer of portical (far more advanced cell phones) games and media, is worth even more to Akiko.
Soon Akiko and Ben are wrapped up in a plot by the George Washingtons, a group of rebels inside Los Angeles. The George Washingtons insist there’s a way to return the United States of Japan to the United States of America, and they’re doing it through a game, nearly brainwashing the masses. Akiko believes she can stop the George Washingtons through brute force but Ben has a different idea, one that will drag Akiko through the underbelly of the USJ and make her question what she’s believed about her country for so long.
The world building is fabulous. Think cyberpunk with a strong Asian influence and you’ve got Tieryas’s USJ. Mechs patrol the streets, people are fitted with mechanical body mods, and plenty of sprawling arcades and restaurants fill the cities. Tieryas handles the different social and economic standings beautifully. In fact, I was more impressed by the all the titles he listed at the back of the book for research than anything else.
Akiko was a fun character. While I usually hate female characters who argue only for the sake of arguing, Akiko argued because it’s her job. There was no annoying “But I’m a strong female character!” moments. Akiko just was a strong woman. She thought her service to the Empire was right; she thought she was dealing justice by torturing others. But she had her doubts and covered those doubts by throwing herself into her work. She had both of her arms eaten off, replaced one with a cannon, did massive damage to her body by firing this cannon, and shot herself up with steroids just to make sure the Empire was protected so that one day, after what her and Ben had exposed, that it would become a better place for everyone. That’s the kind of character I look for--someone blinded by their worldview, someone willing to put it all on the line, but someone who grows by seeing the other side.
And Ben? What a chameleon! All through the book you think he’s some loser and why would anyone write a book about him! Throughout the book we discover his many, many skills. It’s usually off-hand that it’s mentioned but it works. He doesn’t play himself up as the main character. He has no confidence in himself at all, but when push comes to shove, he gets it done. Your opinion of him is influenced by the people around him, all telling you how he’s lazy and worthless. By the time we get to the end, his real character is revealed.
The writing suffers at times. One minute you’ll be sucked into a bare-bones conversation and the next Tieryas is using purple prose about the sunset. It was as if he didn’t know what to do with certain scenes and the editor needed to push him to get that word count, so filling it with analogies and metaphors that didn’t work was Tieryas’s bright idea. Sometimes details strike home and others leave you confused; some are unnecessary filler with a little backstory thrown in.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read. Tieryas’s alternate universe was easy to fall into. My only true complaint? Not enough mechs!
The consequence of my significant other breaking my nail resulted in him apologizing by buying me a bunch of books. A feat which I was really appreciative over, because having a bad week, and really surprised as I kept asking if he was sure and he reassured me nonetheless.
The following is what I managed to squirrel away from the haul I clued you all in yesterday! (Click the line in order to read the blurb!)
Trying something new with this video. From now on, I am going to be doing short-form videos on topics of my choice in between my long-form Patreon requested ...
