Title: Cyber Fighter (The Cyber Fighter Saga)
Author: William Joseph Hill
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: ‎ 1082737933
Pages: 284
Genre: Science Fiction
Reviewed By: Dan MacIntosh

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Calling a work of fiction, a ‘page-turner,’ is an overused and oftentimes unmerited descriptor. However, Cyber Fighter (The Cyber Fighter Saga), is deserving of this adjective – and then some. As of the book’s publishing, pre-production has begun on a film version of the story, justifiably too, because this book reads like a movie, which is high praise, indeed.

Author William Joseph Hill is also a screenwriter, and the reader can clearly tell. He knows how to create dramatic action via his words, and this keeps his book engaging, from beginning to end. The book’s plot is a little complicated, but don’t let this deter you. To put in a more positive light, this complexity leads to plenty of unexpected twists and turns.

As with many memorable movies, the book’s main character, Brian Baldwin, is an unwitting participant in a dangerous series of events, with plenty of international political intrigue. At the story’s beginning, Baldwin is a woebegone slacker, just looking for a temp job. His temp job, however, gives him much more than he ever bargained for. He’s quickly programmed to be a kind of half man/half computerized fighting machine. So, instead of saving himself from collecting unemployment, he’s ultimately called upon to save the world.

There are a few factors which make this story so compelling. One is the fact that Hill has studied and practiced karate and martial arts, which makes sections involving fighting – and there are plenty of these – as believable as they are exciting. Hill is also unashamed to say he’s watched a lot of Kung Fu movies. Therefore, many of these combats are both reality-believable and movie-believable. One is quickly made aware how Hill is a big movie fan in general. Various situations are compared to famous movies and movie scenes; more than you can probably count, in fact. This makes sense because if you were called upon to save the world, wouldn’t you want to do so in an exciting James Bond way? Of course you would!

Hill’s Baldwin character is such a good one because he’s basically everyman. He’s not some kind of ‘I’ve got it all together’ type of guy. No, he’s a man with many foibles and flaws. Hill puts him in situations where, quite frankly, he behaves like a klutz. Hill never compares Baldwin to Peter Sellers’ inept Inspector Clouseau, but he would have been justified if he had. Baldwin may have been programmed to fight like a master, but he has a way of breaking things and screwing things up, which incorporates a lot of humor into Hill’s story.

There are some truly scary people in this tale. Dictators and bad military people are involved in its creepy plot. Nevertheless, the reader never doubts that this is, after all, just a story. Heaven knows we have enough bad news, with countries invading other countries and a crippling pandemic. Therefore, this book will by no means bum you out or add even more worry to your life. Much like the aforementioned 007 series, this is all wild fantasy, where some of the characters just happen to be real life people.

Escapism, as when a person turns to dangerous drugs to avoid facing life, is never a good idea. However, the sort of escapism Hill creates with Cyber Fighter is the good, clean fun variety. It’s science fiction that – a little like Futurama – puts a large dosage of fun into thinking about the future. If you want to get lost in a book you likely can’t put down, this one is highly recommended.