Review: Radioactive Evolution by Richard Hummel

In Radioactive Evolution, a new iteration of a dystopian world, is painted in graphic detail by debut author Richard Hummel. After humanity has destroyed itself through nuclear destruction, the wealthy have fled to their safe havens in the sky, leaving the rest of humanity behind to fend for themselves in a world all too eager to destroy them.

The focal character of this novel, MC, is not your typical dystopian hero; in fact, in many respects, he is quite the average protagonist, but with endless potential. This lends itself well to the style of the book, which reflects a video game in certain ways, wherein the hero begins at a decidedly weak and vulnerable level, and is only able to improve and strengthen himself through achievements, namely killing mutated monsters. There is even a point system, of sorts, within this world.

The technical details and world building required to pull off the plot is impressive, to say the least, which makes this a thorough and engaging read, but the measurable progress aspect can be somewhat off-putting. While the video game aspect of the story makes it logically progress up through monsters and conflicts of increasing danger, it also makes the story somewhat predictable and procedural, as though readers are working their way through levels – boring ones and all.

There are certain moments and plot points that diverge from this one-directional path, but there is a lack of spontaneity and surprise that a twisted dystopian novel usually features. Furthermore, some of those divergences are interesting, but never fully pursued, leaving a lot of loose ends by the end of the book. There seem to be opportunities passed up by the author to tie certain plot points together – they were entertaining diversions, but not a part of the main quest, like low-level tasks in an adventure game.

As MC progresses through the hellish landscape of an alternative earth, the fantasy elements of the book come to the fore, including the appearance and key role that dragons play. This was a strange wrench in the plot that could have potentially doomed the book, but instead gave it an eyebrow-raising element that works in its favor. The relationship between MC and his dragon is decidedly interesting, more so than his interactions with other characters, which often feel strained or unnatural. As a whole, the peripheral characters feel undeveloped, but perhaps as this series progresses, there will be more time and space to put muscle and flesh on those bones.

There are so many different genres and potential through lines in the story that none of them are fully committed to, as though the author is plagued with good ideas and can’t kill his darlings. A thorough editing sweep to eliminate unnecessary or dragged-out scenes, and disrupt the methodical progress of the hero, could make this book more unpredictable. As a whole, the story is interesting and the details of the premise are unique, but the final execution of the book could use some polishing.

In terms of future books in the series, more descriptive writing, and a better balance between action and introspection, could elevate this writing to a true standout voice of the genre. Despite these missed moments, Radioactive Evolution is entertaining and original, with an effective mash-up of genres.