- Wood, Fenton.
Five Million Watts.
Seattle: Amazon Digital Services, 2019.
ASIN B07R6X973N.
-
This is the second short novel/novella (123 pages) in the author's
Yankee Republic series. I described the first,
Pirates of the Electromagnetic Waves
(May 2019), as “utterly charming”, and this
sequel turns it all the way up to “enchanting”. As
with the first book, you're reading along thinking this is a
somewhat nerdy young adult story, then something happens or is
mentioned in passing and suddenly, “Whoa—I didn't
see that coming!”, and you realise the Yankee
Republic is a strange and enchanted place, and that, as
in the work of Philip K. Dick, there is a lot more going on than
you suspected, and much more to be discovered in future
adventures.
This tale begins several years after the events of the first
book. Philo Hergenschmidt (the only character from
Pirates to appear here) has grown up, graduated
from Virginia Tech, and after a series of jobs keeping
antiquated equipment at rural radio stations on the
air, arrives in the Republic's storied metropolis
of Iburakon to seek opportunity, adventure, and who
knows what else. (If you're curious where the name
of the city came from,
here's
a hint, but be aware it may be a minor spoiler.)
Things get weird from the very start
when he stops at an information kiosk and encounters
a disembodied mechanical head who says it has a message
for him. The message is just an address, and when he
goes there he meets a very curious character who goes
by a variety of names ranging from Viridios to Mr Green,
surrounded by a collection of keyboard instruments including
electronic synthesisers with strange designs.
Viridios suggests Philo aim for the very top and seek employment
at legendary AM station 2XG, a broadcasting pioneer that went on
the air in 1921, before broadcasting was regulated, and which in
1936 increased its power to five million watts. When other
stations' maximum power was restricted to 50,000 watts, 2XG was
grandfathered and allowed to continue to operate at 100 times
more, enough to cover the continent far beyond the borders of
the Yankee Republic into the mysterious lands of the West.
Not only does 2XG broadcast with enormous power, it was
also permitted to retain its original 15 kHz bandwidth,
allowing high-fidelity broadcasting and even, since the
1950s, stereo (for compatible receivers). However, in order
to retain its rights to the frequency and power, the
station was required to stay on the air continuously,
with any outage longer than 24 hours forfeiting its rights
to hungry competitors.
The engineers who maintained this unique equipment were a
breed apart, the pinnacle of broadcast engineering. Philo
manages to secure a job as a junior technician, which means
he'll never get near the high power RF gear or antenna (all
of which are one-off custom), but sets to work on routine
maintenance of studio gear and patching up ancient tube gear
when it breaks down. Meanwhile, he continues to visit
Viridios and imbibe his tales of 2XG and the legendary
Zaros the Electromage who designed its transmitter, the
operation of which nobody completely understands today.
As he hears tales of the Old Religion, the gods of the spring
and grain, and the time of the last ice age, Philo concludes
Viridios is either the most magnificent liar he has ever
encountered or—something else again.
Climate change is inexorably closing in on Iburakon. Each
year is colder than the last, the growing season is shrinking,
and it seems inevitable that before long the glaciers will
resume their march from the north. Viridios is convinced that
the only hope lies in music, performing a work rooted
in that (very) Old Time Religion which caused a riot in its
only public performance decades before, broadcast with the power
of 2XG and performed with breakthrough electronic music
instruments of his own devising.
Viridios is very odd, but also persuasive, and he has a history
with 2XG. The concert is scheduled, and Philo sets to work
restoring long-forgotten equipment from the station's
basement and building new instruments to Viridios'
specifications. It is a race against time, as the worst
winter storm in memory threatens 2XG and forces Philo
to confront one of his deepest fears.
Working on a project on the side, Philo discovers what
may be the salvation of 2XG, but also as he looks deeper,
possibly the door to a new universe. Once again, we have
a satisfying, heroic, and imaginative story, suitable
for readers of all ages, that leaves you hungry for more.
At present, only a Kindle edition is
available. The book is not available under the Kindle Unlimited
free rental programme, but is inexpensive to buy. Those eagerly
awaiting the next opportunity to visit the Yankee Republic will
look forward to the publication of volume 3, The Tower of
the Bear, in October, 2019.
June 2019 