Book 10: The Repossession Mambo

The Repossession Mambo

Eric Garcia

As I've noted time and again, science fiction is remarkable for its pliability, for its ability to exist within and inform numerous other genres. Despite its intriguing premise, which posits a future where artificial organs are not only widespread but also independently financed, and its protagonist (and narrator)- who is a hardened hunter- The Repossession Mambo is more of a character study than the thriller or morality play it seems to want to be. The narrative framework is quite clever and very well executed, as the story jumps between flashbacks and ongoing events, as told by a protagonist typing his manuscript while on the run. Garcia's use of broken sentences, frequent section breaks, and other interruptions cleverly lends the book a sense of urgency and (more importantly) realism, though the novel never does establish an effective balance between past and present events. Unfortunately, it is difficult for readers to initially get a handle on the story as it is unfolding, and present events are neglected throughout the first part of the novel. By the time the story picks up- about halfway through the book- it is unclear what kind of book the novel actually aspires to be. This inconsistency, as the novel does include much introspection and action, hampers the reading experience and sometimes makes the book feel strangely incomplete.

Garcia does, however, excel at setting and maintaining a consistent narrative tone. I almost couldn't believe that the protagonist-narrator's sarcastic tone remained consistent and believable throughout the entire book. The voicing contributes to an overall sense of ambiguity that permeates the story, until softening slightly toward the end. This softening, however, parallels the narrator's development of self-awareness and still fits with the general tone of the story. The ambiguity itself feels unusual for a story like this; the main conceit, which is predicated on the ethics of artificial organ financing and repossession, is rife with possibilities for philosophical exploration and debate. Rather than moralizing, however, Garcia allows most of the moral dilemmas to remain unstated, and while this can initially be frustrating it does, upon reflection, match the general tenor of the book. Cramming deep philosophical inquiries into the text would create too many inconsistencies, given the narrator's established character, and it ultimately seems like a blessing that Garcia is content to keep his world- and its moral compass- thoroughly ambiguous (and thus plausible). Though the resolution of one of the protagonist's relationships is utterly unbelievable, the end of the book is at once emotionally effective and consistent with the book's general tone; it is a fitting ending, though much is left unsaid. Though The Repossession Mambo lacks a thrilling present-day plot that could make it a true page-turner, the book handles its science fiction elements nicely and maintains a kind of ambiguity that is rare and under-appreciated in a genre that often settles for obvious heroes and villains.

Grade: B+