Book Review:- The Chaos Function, by Jack Skillingstead

by Toria Burrell, 2/1/2020

Introduction

What a thrill to experience the world of The Chaos Function, and the incredible mind of Jack Skillingstead. I first read this powerful science fiction novel last year, but have just re-read it, in order to finally write the review it deserves. I've enjoyed all of Skillingstead's science fiction stories and novels to date, but this is my new favorite. It's also up there with my appreciation of Philip K Dick's works, on paper and on screen, especially the gripping Amazon series, "Man in the High Castle". I'm also a big fan of "Electric Dreams" and "Black Mirror" - two great sci-fi TV series. Even the recent TV thriller, "The Spy", (about an Israeli spy in Syria), though it isn't sci-fi, got me thinking again about The Chaos Function, which is both sci-fi and thriller, and set (partially) in Syria.

Since this is a book review, I mustn't get too carried away with comparisons to TV series, however I will say that Skillingstead's powerful descriptions cause you to feel like you're watching cinematic movie scenes. I can easily imagine this book being adapted for screen-play. (I'd love to see the CGI effects of the time travel bits!)

Skillingstead's edge-of-your-seat description pulls you in, right at the beginning and never lets you go. We're plunged straight into ravaged, war torn Syria: a setting that feels both daring and relevant for our times. It's daring to imagine such a dangerous place in our near future (the year is 2029); a place most of us have only heard horrific reports about on the news. It's also bold to tackle a place the author clearly can't have visited, yet one he brings it to life so vividly. It's also an exciting change from the usual western settings of most sci fi stories, and an excellent starting point for this mysterious, terrifying thrill-ride. The story later brings us back into America; indeed, into a nerve-wracking journey across a huge part of it. The contrast between the two seemingly disparate places gradually changes from stark to similar, as the USA lurches towards apocalypse.

Writing style and language

In addition to the thrilling plot, what I deeply appreciate about Skillingstead's novels, and what puts him above the average story teller, is his writing style. His use of language is satisfyingly devoid of clichés, full of realistic dialogue and cleverly descriptive, with uniquely crafted metaphors and similes that are fresh and raw; no frills, but plenty of punch.

Right from the first page, Skillingstead awakens all five senses immediately, with unique sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch:

"a canvas tarp that smelled like a dead goat"

"coffee, a potent Arabic blend spiced with cardamom"

"sweat trickling from her hairline and her shirt sticking to her body"

"Olivia savored the scalding jolt of caffeine"

"trousers whisking up dust"

The heat of Aleppo is described often, throughout the first few chapters, with sensory imagery to reinforce its oppressiveness. I almost started feeling out of breath and sweaty just sitting and reading! To my satisfaction, this vivid sensory description is continued throughout the book, crescendoing right up until the shattering, climactic ending.

Characters

The author's characters are refreshingly real, believable and endearing. From the beginning, I'm immediately fond of the protagonist, Olivia. Though more and more sci-fi books in recent times do have strong female characters, it still feels refreshing to have a strong female protagonist here. Her authenticity struck me with simple small details, such as having to adjust her chafing bra strap in the sticky heat; the mention of "bra strap" being refreshingly unsexy and designed, not to titilate, but simply to highlight the oppressive heat. She is a hero who happens to be female, not an overly feminine, sexualized "heroine".

Brian is her opposite in satisfying ways; the optimist to her pessimism, the hopefulness to her cynicism, and yet, although he's lovable, he's still believable and not without realistic flaws. Their relationship is authentic and one that you root for. Rohanna, Olivia's step-mother, even though a less major character, is another believable female character, as is Olivia's strained relationship with her. Dee and Toria are also strong female characters, Dee especially being a pioneering figure in the male-dominated, misogynistic "Society" she's in. We meet a host of other strong characters: a balance of male and female, old and young. All incredibly real.

Science Fiction Elements

The author's sci-fi imagination is amazing (in the true sense of the word), and, like all successful sci-fi writers, completely believable. In addition to the big, mind-blowing concepts (such as the probability machine) Skillingstead inserts smaller, fascinating objects into the setting, such as "personal tech sunglasses", self-driving cabs, "3D chat-windows" popping up from tablets and phones: things not too far removed from our current world, painting a realistic portrait of this future world, with minutely vivid detail: 

"the round lens on the left side of her glasses possessed a polychromatic shimmer, indicating personal technology"

"a 3D chat window opened, like a little box holding her editor's head..."

"the tiny rendering of her head, no bigger than a mouse's head, seeming to come off the tablet..."

"her phone started bleeping and a chat request spun over the device like a silver coin..."

"Olivia... finger-flicked the spinning icon. After a brief twinkle of instability, the spinning coin ballooned into a virtual bubble the size of a coaster. The bubble contained the image of Helen's head..."

"The woman... was staring at her phone when a red holo-projected NewZalert exclamation mark jumped out of it and jiggled as if attached to a tiny spring."

Philosophical Themes

(Warning: Some small spoilers ahead)

Death and Life

All the way through the book, images of bleakness and destruction are juxtaposed with brave signs of new life. Right at the beginning, Habib, the café owner, has set up a meager, improvised "cafe" among the ruins.  Next we see a cat and a little girl pursuing it, "under a slab of broken concrete": both the epitome of sweetness and innocence, contrasted against the horror of destruction. It's "death and life", side by side, as the title of the first part of the book suggests. (And the fact that the word "death" is first in this title is significant. It's death first, followed by life, not the other way around.)  The struggle for death and life is apparent everywhere throughout the book, but no more painfully than with Olivia's biggest struggle: - the horror of discovering she has (apparent) control over Brian's death or life.

Chaos and Order

The Chaos Function - The title of the book itself, is an oxymoron, a paradox: "Chaos" and "function" - these two words side by side are opposed to each other. "Chaos" suggests destruction, meaninglessness and disorder; "function" suggests creation, meaning and order.  The whole book is an exploration of these two opposing sides of life, of humanity, of the world. Chaos and order. Chaos theory in science asks the age old question: - are we here because of a random coincidence, or are we here because of an underlying purpose? Does everything which appears random and chaotic actually have an ordered, calculable pattern?

In this book, we're introduced to a man-made probability machine, whose main function (tweaking the past to choose a new future path), seems to cause nothing but chaos, especially in the wrong hands. It is a powerful tool to play with the butterfly effect, i.e. making small changes in the past (or present) to cause large-scale repercussions in the future: - These changes need not be intrinsically negative or positive, but, as we see, without proper control, they are often dangerously unpredictable.

This juxtaposition between chaos and order is one of the biggest ironies of this story, and of humanity in general. It not only reflects our world today, it reflects the entire history of humanity. The machine was made for seizing power and order; for man (and specifically "man", as opposed to "woman", as we learn more about the misogynistic "Society" that created it) to take control of the future and therefore the world.  Much like guns or bombs. Much like any weapons of war and destruction. The hunger for power, control and order, which man has pursued, and still pursues today, even if originally intending for good, leads ultimately to chaos, death and destruction. After which, the humans that are left have to rebuild, reconstruct and restore life again. Humans become functional again, creating meaning and peaceful order in the world, but, after they've rebuilt and restored, they once again pursue power and control, which once again leads to death and destruction... And the cycle continues. Not a very optimistic outlook for humanity, but one (we hope) that we might try to learn from, if there's any hope of ever breaking this cycle. (Or maybe this cycle is just a pattern in the universe that we have no choice but to live with?)

Inner and Outer Conflict

Early on, we're introduced to another of the books biggest themes: - the side by side comparison between two "hazardous territories" - the outer world and Olivia's inner world. Jodee was her "escort into the Old City of Aleppo"... Brian was her "escort into a different kind of hazardous territory; a relationship impervious to her usual strategies of detachment..." Olivia's heart is described as a "door," which Brian, like a "pushy salesman, had wedged his foot in the gap when she tried to slam it in his face."

The whole book reflects on this theme, the mirroring of these two things: Olivia's inner emotional conflict and the outer world of conflict and war. Both of which lead to tragedy, but ultimately, the book shows us how humans survive tragedy, overcome grief, and keep living and moving on. As the APC man says at the end, "In Aleppo, we have a proverb... The act of destruction is the beginning of restoration." (But again, the book asks, can we break this cycle?)

Power and Control

Going further with my discussion of order, power and control, and mankind's eternal desire to pursue it, Skillingstead deeply examines this theme through the metaphor of cracking open a DOOR. He illustrates this with THREE things that are compared and connected: 

WARNING: - BIG SPOILERS AHEAD

1) The metaphorical door into Olivia's heart is cracked open by Brian, with dangerous possibilities of love and hurt inside. The book shows Olivia's courageous journey towards allowing this door to be opened and stay open. She finally allows herself to fully love Brian, even though this brings pain and grief. Then, at the very end, she finally allows herself to let her step-mother "inside", to comfort her, even though this brings more pain and grief, as she finally has to accept the loss of her birth mother (and father). Though quiet and subtle, this intimate moment becomes Olivia's last act of heroism, and a deeply satisfying epilogue after the climactic ending.

2) Actual doors into seemingly impenetrable and dangerous areas are continuously opened for Olivia, sometimes mysteriously, sometimes because of her courage, boldness and determination. 

Firstly, the gate into the Old City of Aleppo, off limits to journalists, is penetrated for Olivia, by Jodee Abadi, one of the many Syrian connections she's made as a courageous journalist. Then, the door to the sacred, ancient madrassa, the fateful place she is drawn to, the secret location of the probability machine, is already mysteriously open when she first finds it, almost as if inviting her in. At first, this place provides a shelter to hide with the injured Brian, but then it becomes the place where her life, her future, and that of the world change dangerously and dramatically.

Later, the door to the male dominated "Sanctuary", (the home of the secret "Society" that controls the probability machine), is opened to Olivia, albeit against her will when she is taken there as a hostage.

Then, in a desperate attempt to find a vaccine for the small pox virus, Olivia attempts to crack open the door to a mysterious, locked shed or bunker, where a fugitive, who supposedly has the real vaccine, is hiding. Thanks to her determination, after establishing contact with the man, she is successful in getting him to open the vault-like door to her.

3) The metaphorical door into the future (the link), which is buried in her brain, connecting her to the probability machine, enables her to crack open multiples doors into the future... Olivia is able to enter these doors, tweak the past and change the pathways of the future. As she gradually learns how to use this machine, through the link in her head, she gradually learns about control and lack of control, in the face of infinite probabilities, which threatens to overwhelm her and destroy the world. At first, following only her natural human selfish desires, she only causes more and more chaos and destruction...

As she struggles to find the most morally correct, most ethical pathway to the future, she discovers in the end that she can't be selfish and choose the most "ideal" pathway (i.e. the one where Brian lives) but in fact has to sacrifice her own love, and choose the least ideal pathway: - the one that means Brian's death and her own personal loss, but the one that spares the world and humanity from the apocalypse. It's a sacrifice of the individual for the greater good of the many. It's what the "Society" has been trying to tell her all along, but something she had to learn for herself. (Which makes us speculate on the motives of the Society: maybe the probability machine was originally created for "the greater good", as Jacob told her early on, but, in the wrong hands it could easily become a tool for over-reaching power and corruption.)

In making her personal sacrifice, Olivia discovers a way forward, a way to overcome her grief, and a way to move on with her life. It's called "letting go": - the exact opposite of seeking control. Man sought to control the world with the probability machine; Olivia sought to control it too, in order to save Brian. But, in learning to let go and accept the only real path forward, without Brian, she learns to survive, live and move on.

It's appropriate that the one door which has to be closed: the door to the future, is closed by Olivia's choice to destroy the probability machine. Having destroyed it, she guarantees that mankind will have no more control over the future (at least through this dangerous tool), no more temptation and corruption with the over-reaching power that this tool afforded a chosen few.

We are left with the hope that, with the door to her heart now open, however, she may be rewarded in the not-too-distant future, by a new, and we hope, lasting love.  If Olivia has broken the cycle of destruction, maybe we can too... that's the hope for humanity.