Heavy Weight of Darkness by JM Erickson

A violent clash of duty, truth, morality, and vengeance, Heavy Weight of Darkness by JM Erickson is a soul-searching second piece to an exceptional sci-fi series.

The interplanetary “terrorist” Cassandra Kurtz has become a liberatory force to be reckoned with, terrorizing the wealth-wielding Patrician class by freeing slaves and disrupting their colonization efforts on Mars. Acting Captain Thomas Bennett, after two years of reputational destruction and imprisonment for failing to kill that same rebel leader when he had the chance, is given a redemptive shot at revenge. However, Bennett’s experiences on the opposite side of the truncheon have changed him, and with eyes opening to the evils that drive and defend society, his critical mission is becoming more complicated by the day.

Reflecting the dark truth of humanity’s history of colonialism, slavery, and racialized oppression, this slow-burning book is an ominous prophecy about concentrated power and wealth inequality, and a warning not to repeat, revive, or forget humanity’s tragic errors of the past. Couched within the action and sci-fi intrigue, the novel is also a multilayered exploration of the struggle and humility of changing one’s ideology or beliefs, a crucial aspect of personal growth that feels sorely lacking in today’s deeply divided world.

While the action sequences and revolutionary stakes are riveting on their own, the probing philosophies and radical ideas are where the book really thrives, elevating the emotional core of this twisting plot, and transcending other works in the genre.