The Acts of Caine — (1998-2012) A sci-fi/fantasy blend. Publisher: Renowned throughout the land of Ankhana as the Blade of Tyshalle, Caine has killed his share of monarchs and commoners, villains and heroes. He is relentless, unstoppable, simply the best there is at what he does. At home on Earth, Caine is Hari Michaelson, a superstar whose adventures in Ankhana command an audience of billions. Yet he is shackled by a rigid caste society, bound to ignore the grim fact that he kills men on a far-off world for the entertainment of his own planet — and bound to keep his rage in check. But now Michaelson has crossed the line. His estranged wife, Pallas Rill, has mysteriously disappeared in the slums of Ankhana. To save her, he must confront the greatest challenge of his life: a lethal game of cat and mouse with the most treacherous rulers of two worlds.
   
 Heroes Die
Science has discovered inter-dimensional travel and the other-dimensional world of Ankhanna, which we call Overworld. And like all most discoveries, it’s not long before someone figures out how to cash in. Big corporations create the ultimate reality entertainment by sending “actors” to Overworld on adventures for the masses to experience via cyber linkups for the elite who can afford them or by just watching through good ol’ fashioned video. Harri Michaelson, as the ruthless Caine, is by far the most popular “actor” on Earth and the most famous assassin in Ankhanna.
But when his ex-wife Shanna, the actress Pallas Rill, disappears during an Overworld adventure, Caine/Harri takes on the most powerful rulers of both worlds to save her. Equally as thrilling is the strategic and social struggle Caine must face on Earth against the all powerful corporation he’s contracted to work for. In the strict caste system of the future, a slight breach of the rules can land someone of the lower classes in prison, or worse.
Heroes Die is an interesting blend of futuristic Phillip K. Dick–style science fiction and Sword & Sorcery.
Not only is it an exciting story, but it’s also refreshing to read a straight-up adventure tale with an old-school badass hero (and one who’s middle-aged like me rather than the ubiquitous coming-of-age adolescent).
In an interview transcribed in the back of the book, Stover says that Caine’s fighting style is realistic — he’s not necessarily the greatest fighter but he just has the mule-headedness to keep going. Thus, according to Mr. Stover, Caine is not a Bruce Lee/Remo Williams type of hero.
I understand what Stover meant, but about four pages into Heroes Die (before reading the interview) I thought to myself, “This dude reminds me of Bruce Lee, The Destroyer (Remo Williams), or Mack Bolen,” which to me is a good thing — or, more accurately, a great thing. I thoroughly enjoyed Caine’s authority-problem attitude, action-hero skills, and his just flat-out coolness. He reminded me so much of the 70’s-80’s martial arts movie-heroes or a character from back in the day when bookstores still had a Men’s Adventure section. Plus, I just have a soft-spot for a character who considers it easier to kill than to lie.
On the surface Heroes Die is a testosterone-driven guilty pleasure of gladiatorial bloodsport that, at times, borders on cheesy. But there are deeper themes questioning the definition of good and evil, and how people can control their fates despite the cards they’ve been dealt. —Greg Hersom
 Blade of Tyshalle
Several years after the events in Heroes Die, Hari Michaelson, known as Caine on the fantastical inter-dimensional planet called Overworld, is now wheelchair bound. Despite this he still holds onto administrator status in the martially enforced caste system of Earth’s grimly overpopulated and ultra-corporate controlled future. When Hari/Caine discovers a plot to gain control of Overworld’s desperately scarce natural resources by infesting its people with a deadly virus, all hell breaks loose. Caine’s many enemies take the opportunity to strike at him, targeting his wife, the Overworld goddess Pallas Ril, and their daughter. In Blade of Tyshalle, the fate of Overworld hangs in the balance as the conflict escalates to include ancient and forgotten gods.
Handicapped and getting older, Caine remains as tough, mean, and defiant as ever. And I love him for it. In fact, it’s Caine’s character that the Overworld series is really about. The setting and plot serve as an extreme context in which to observe this natural born killer who is incapable of bowing down to authority. Aside from his Bruce Lee–like ability to kick-ass, I find myself relating to him. Like me, Caine is ill tempered and rebellious, has a compact build, and he’s struggling a bit with male middle age crisis. But in both future Earth and the Overworld, these traits are dangerous.
Readers expecting a continuation of the action/adventure and sci-fi fantasy combo that was Heroes Die are in for a shock. Though there is still a lot of two-fisted action, Blade of Tyshalle is a whopping 800 pages and carries a much more complicated storyline with chasm-deep philosophical and psychological themes. It hardly seems possible, but it’s even darker than the previous book.
However thoughtful it may be in comparison to its predecessor, Stover refrains from preaching. Instead, he offers more of a workingman’s interpretation of stuff like Nietzsche, existentialism, Sun Tzu, and even thoughts drawn from Bruce Lee’s philosophy. This is all very interesting, but can be overwhelming for readers who didn’t take Nietzsche 101.
Speaking of Nietzsche, there are a few too many long looks into the pit here. There are violent acts, descriptions of bodily functions, dungeon conditions, and rapes. I could have settled for a tad less graphic detail — that there is some sadistic $#!+ going on comes through loud and clear without all the added detail.
I would love to read someone else’s opinion of Blade of Tyshalle, particularly if that someone is educated in philosophy, psychology, or sociology. I did enjoy this novel, but felt like I didn’t understand everything that Stover was getting at. —Greg Hersom
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