Red Sands

by Victor Milán

A WW III thriller--just this side of tomorrow's headlines--by the award-winning author of The Cybernetic Samurai. It is the late 1990s, and Russia is ruled by corrupt tyrants known as The League. When a rebel leader rises up to lead South Asia to independence, other nations take sides, as the world rushes to the brink of a terrifying war of global proportions.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446358401
• ISBN13: 9780446358408
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Warner Books (NY)
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Memorable and creative

One doesn't encounter many books like this. Although written in 1993, Red Sands is rather prescient in several regards: Russia's attempts to reabsorb some of its neighbors and the rise of the internet. At heart, this is a book about freedom, and Milan's depiction of a world run by bureaucratic dictatorships is a libertarian's nightmare. The most shocking aspect of this is his depiction of a police state America. At heart, he seems to suggest that this is the point all welfare state must eventually reach - a debatable conclusion, naturally. Red Sands begins with its protagonists unclear - we are introduced to Little Alex/Fast Eddie, Timur, Francis Marron, General Karponin and others. Frankly, it takes a bit of time to sort the good guys from the bad guys. The first two thirds of the book - dealing with a rebellion in Central Asia led by the enigmatic Timur - have a markedly different tone than the third. My advice is to sit back and enjoy the intrigue - all is not what it seems, and Milan reserves some nice surprises. Characterization is a pleasant aspect of this book. Timur the conflicted revolutionary is a rather memorable character - in this respect, Red Sands recalls other such depictions, such as in Frank Herbert's Dune series. The main protagonist, Eddie/Alex, is credibly and humorously rendered. Milan's writing has a sly wit to it that helps things along. Some characters are, perhaps, a bit underdeveloped - we don't see as much of Karponin as we should, and the French journalist character is simply bizarre. Nonetheless, Red Sands is an innovative, original, well plotted thriller, relying on human drama and political intrigue, not bland depictions of technology.

Post Modern Epic in the Mideast

Buy this book. It is a gem of a read, and has a heavy "mideast" and "patriot act" America flavor. Victor Milan outdid himself on this one. Written in 1993, it shows the problems that a modern army has fighting in the Mideast, and it indicates one possible future for America that is frighteningly accurate. Buy this book.