Doug Engstrom

A solid, thought-provoking alternate-near-future novel where impossibly-high student loan or medical debts are settled by duels, with professional gunfighters on the payroll of insurance companies up against ordinary citizens whose lives have come down to a hard choice between indentured servitude (slavery) or the bad odds of a gunfight. Lots of meaty discussion, reflection, and commentary on the idea of personal responsibility, corporate greed, societal mores, and individual powerlessness. show more It's a brutal, ugly dystopia envisioned here, but a compelling read. show less

A very enjoyable read with all the right elements to keep one's interest peaked. I liked the main character and found myself rooting for her all the way. Highly recommended.