[ARETE] Review of Fastball for freedom

[Duncan Jamieson]

All,
Please find below and attached Lisa Timpf's review of Morganstein's *Fastball
for freedom.*
Duncan

Lisa Timpf

72 Oak St.

Simcoe, Ontario

N3Y 3J8



email: lisa.timpf at gmail.com



Word count (body): approx. 830





*Morgenstein, Gary. A Fastball for Freedom (Book 2 of the Dark Depths
series). (Digital edition reviewed)*



As a long-time science fiction fan and sports enthusiast, I found the
premise of Gary Morgenstein’s dystopian novel *A Fastball for Freedom*
intriguing. It’s not all that often I find a book that meets two of my
interests at the same time. Morgenstein’s novel delivered, providing
imaginative world-building while at the same time weaving in the sport of
baseball as a central pillar of the story.

At the outset of the novel, former Major League Baseball pitcher Puppy
Nedick and his ex-wife Annette Ramos find themselves in London, England.
But London in the late 21st century isn’t the city we’re familiar with. In
a world where the Muslim forces won World War III and Britain has become
part of the Caliphate farm animals roam the Christian churches, the Palace
of Westminster has become the Mufti’s Throne, and Big Ben lies in ruins.
These cues tell us we’re in a very different world.

Crawling with hostile forces, London is not particularly safe for Americans
like Puppy and Annette. But it’s not safety the duo is after. Puppy, who is
wanted for treason and murder back in America, is on a mission “to find
Pope John and stop World War Four”—a tall order.

It's not just London that has changed. Back in America, things are
different too. Electoral parties and elections have been replaced by a
“family” system. During the time frame covered by *A Fastball for Freedom*,
former Chicago Cubs shortstop Albert Cheng is at the helm of the country,
having assumed the role of Grandpa. Top-ranking officials are known as
“Cousins,” with the degree (First, Second, and so on) designating how high
up they are in the hierarchy. Ordinary citizens are brothers and sisters,
siblings if you will.

Unlike Britain and Europe, America has not fallen under the sway of the
Caliphate—not yet, at least. However, people within the country have
historically been divided about whether to opt for war, or to seek peace.

The novel follows a number of characters, including Puppy and Annette, a
woman named Zelda and her baby Diego Junior; Fifth (formerly Third) Cousin
Elias Kenuda; a young orphan girl named Clary Santiago; and a member of the
Muslim rebel forces.

On the futuristic note, *A Fastball for Freedom* features androids with
varying degrees of sophistication, including some that are difficult to
tell from their human counterparts. Holograms are commonplace. As for the
central sport of interest, Major League Baseball was suspended after
homegrown terrorist attacks sparked by a group calling themselves the Blue
Wigs. The Blue Wigs themselves have baseball connections as exemplified by
their logo: a blue wig over crossed baseball bats.

With the world so vastly changed, it’s no wonder many Americans feel a
sense of nostalgia for a happier past. Included in that is a yearning to
see the sport of baseball revived. Individuals like Ernie Paicopolos hoard
baseball mementos as reminders of better times. Others are so ardent to see
baseball’s return that they volunteer to help out in rebuilding stadiums
like New Fenway Park. The sport’s deep connection to American values is
exemplified by displays put up by fans along the route to the Boston
ballpark:

On the corner, a scarecrow oozing stuffing dangled from a hook above a
shuttered haberdashery, a red B cap stuck atop its clown-like face. On its
chest was a sign, “Give Me Baseball Or Give Me Death.”

Another scarecrow bears a sign with the slogan, “Life, Liberty and the
Pursuit of a Fastball.”

Albert Cheng grasps the value of baseball as a morale booster. In
discussing plans to restore Major League Baseball, he states:

>From this day forward, we won’t look back . . . America will only look
forward to the future. We’ll rebuild the glory of our past greatness as we
rebuild the glory of baseball. Because as baseball will return on January
1, so someday soon will the greatness of our nation.



*A Fastball for Freedom* contains some dark references, including mention
of child sex slaves and wartime atrocities. Counterbalancing the sometimes
grim sections are moments of pure levity, found, for example, in dialogue
between characters (particularly Puppy and Annette), in Clary Santiago’s
antics, or in Puppy’s efforts to introduce baseball to Brits. The novel
offers a generous dose of satire as well.

*A Fastball for Freedom* is the second book in the Morgenstein’s Dark
Depths series. I jumped right into *A Fastball for Freedom* without the
benefit of having read *A Mound Over Hell*, the first of the Dark Depths
books. While Morgenstein provides enough information for the uninitiated to
deduce what’s going on even if they haven’t read the prequel, I had the
sense that I might have gained a deeper resonance from certain events if
I’d read *A Mound Over Hell* first.

That being said, I found *A Fastball for Freedom* original and
entertaining, with a strong undercurrent of humor. At the same time, the
novel provided food for thought on the staying power of the passion for
sport.

-END-

Morgenstein, Gary. A Fastball for Freedom (Book 2 of the Dark Depths
series). Plymouth, MI: BHC Press, 2021. pp. 480.




Remember to smell the roses as you recumber past

Duncan R. Jamieson, Ph. D.
Professor of History
Book Review Editor
*AETHLON: The Journal of Sport Literature*
Ashland University
Ashland, OH  44805
USA
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ku.edu/pipermail/sport_literature_association/attachments/20210705/f7fc58ca/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: fastball for freedom(1).docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 17530 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://lists.ku.edu/pipermail/sport_literature_association/attachments/20210705/f7fc58ca/attachment-0001.docx>