The Probability Broach [Paperback]

 

 

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It was so bad I couldn't finish it. It falls more in the category of fantasy rather than sci-fi in that you're asked to accept the situation at face value without any explaination of its mechanics; I couldn't figure out why the NAC was able to thrive with its philosophy of minimal-to-nonexistent official intervention, and the book doesn't seem to want to reveal the reasons. Why no price gouging if Adam Smith's economic theory reigns supreme instead of John Maynard Keynes'? Why no murder sprees killers could claim were justifiable homicides if everyone's required to pack heat? Why no airplanes in a tech base that produced flatscreen TV two decades before ours? Why won't a policy of requiring unanimous decisions on major issues result in a pattern of implicit dictatorship by one joker consistently voting against the grain and preventing the passage or revocation of a bill? Did Shay's Rebellion, which showed the ineffectiveness of the Articles of Confederation, even occur in this universe? Why aren't drugs addictive? And if drugs are still addictive, why hasn't some Omar Santiago wannabe used that scientific quirk to create a personal army and carve off a swatch of the NAC for himself?
The heavy politicization was also a turn-off--what's the point of making 1776 Anno Domini/Common Era into 1 Anno Liberatis ("year of freedom")?--as was the idea that the rule of law is what creates heinous acts, like airport metal detectors convincing terrorists to blow up airliners rather than hijack them. The Copyright Office in Win's universe has an armed tactical unit? I'd love to see what kind of heavily-armed death squads Smith gave the Departments of Agriculture and Education.
Having a Lexington minuteman ancestor and middle school classmates who were descended from John Adams and Benjamin Franklin also made this book rather heretical in my opinion. I do not consider the Founding Fathers to have been evil masterminds bent on unfairly forcing Josiah Saltpork to [loud shocked gasp] kick back some of his livelihood to help pay for road repairs, as much as the Newington, New Hampshire secessionists would beg to differ.
Basically, I think this book is merely an example of how the Libertarian Party is little more than a bunch of petulant whiners with an overinflated sense of entitlement. If you want better political analysis in sci-fi, try Frank Herbert's "Dune" saga; for a better alternate history detective mystery, try Harry Turtledove's "The Two Georges," as it also features right-wing loonies who think George Washington was scum and use unexplained, badly-written alternate history to promote their views.

And yes, I have picked up and used a firearm before.

Gun toting children, talking gorillas, steam-powered (?) aircars and mile-long zeppelins: You'll find all of these while reading this book. Now it's OK if this was, say, a Douglas Adams book, but smith takes his ludicrous alternate history seriously. In Smith's opinion, if we only switched to an anarchist form of government, every human ailment would disappear instantaniously, along with some annoying laws of nature such as the conservation of energy, or the fact that animals can't think like humans. As to the characters... every character was ripped right out of a Heinlein book, and the bad guys are simply pathetic. I'd call it a "mustn't read". I'm sorry I ever did - although I got some cheap laughs out of it.

Oh, the story is silly and the writing is just OK, but the portrait painted of the Libertarian ideal is pretty well done. One can read this book and almost imagine living in a world where there are *really* no laws, except for those that *individuals* collectively enforce.

Actual Libertarians tend towards two camps: Limited Government and No Government. Smith is in the latter camp.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Intercontinua Chase and Shootout
Probability Broach is Smith's first novel. It is the story of a Denver Police Lieutenant Edward William Bear, called Win, who somehow find himself in a different continuum. Read more

Published on Jan 21 2003 by Arthur W. Jordin

3.0 out of 5 stars For Your Libertarian Library
Heavy on its political agenda, and more than a little indebted to Phillip Dick and Sam Spade, "The Probability Broach" is entertaining but message-heavy. Read more

Published on Dec 19 2002 by I. Brynjegard-Bialik

5.0 out of 5 stars What being an American is all about!
This is precisely one of the best books that ever existed, but it is especially important for our time period. Read more

Published on Jun 7 2002 by Craig M. Rosenblum

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and entertaining read, but no Heinlein.
I read The Probability Broach in 24 hours this past weekend. It was an entertaining read, but somewhat awkward and dated. Read more

Published on Jun 4 2002 by Seth H. Bokelman

5.0 out of 5 stars Forget the politics! This is a FUN book!
... I love it. It made me think. Not too many novels do that.

Sure, The Probability Broach is a little heavy handed at times and the characters could have stepped out of a... Read more

Published on April 19 2002 by Rick

1.0 out of 5 stars Good Propaganda - Bad Prose
Let's get one thing out of the way: I agree with every idea that L. Neil Smith espouses in this book. Read more

Published on Mar 22 2002 by John Perich

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book, with lots of nice ideas...
Lieutenant Edward W. Bear, of Denver lives in a world where energy reserves are 'dwindling', unlicensed air conditioning could get you in more trouble than hoarding silver and... Read more

Published on Feb 25 2002 by Michael Valdivielso

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading for every American
L. Neil Smith introduces the average man-on-the-street to true American liberty, care of that trustiest of science-fiction plot devices: a parallel universe. Read more

Published on Dec 27 2001 by Peter Vinton Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars The SF candidate for President
The Author was on the ballot in Arizona, in November 2000 as their Libertain Party candidate for President {rather than Mr Browne}. Read more

Published on Dec 19 2001 by John K. Wilson

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful alternate historical base
In Denver homicide detective Win Bear begins to feel his age after years on the force dealing with all kinds of vermin. Read more

Published on Dec 2 2001 by Harriet Klausner

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