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Machiavelli once stated in his political entreaty that that the end justifies the means. This can often be the case when political tension is high between nations. A prime example of this atomic warfare used by America against the Japanese in World War II. In the case of The Goners Fight Back, Goran Jovanic, takes a spin on this ideological concept through his political satire.
Written through the medium of a video game, the story revolves around anti-heroes whose sole purpose is to invade the Unites States of America and persuade them to disarm. The destructive power of their weapons is too terrible to even safely possess. Unlike Machiavelli, the end does not justify the means where the loss of innocent lives are concerned. It is a near impossible and dangerous mission on a global scale, but one that considered worth the risk. As the story progresses through the viewpoint of the protagonists, the reader also journeys through various levels of the game, each one foreshadowing the actions and outcome of the main characters at the beginning of each chapter. It is catchy and uniquely draws upon the element of video game storytelling as a means of making a profound political statement.
While the author does a decent job of portraying the inhumanity of warfare and the destroying civilizations with weapons of mass destruction, the message may have gotten lost, or its impact diminished, via translation. Many of the sentences are choppy or grammatically incorrectly, making the novel a difficult read. Despite this, it is a short, controversial read that will appeal to those who are interested in politics, philosophy, and satirical prose.