I “know” Adam Kovac through my roleplaying game (RPG) purchases as he is the lead author of the Scoundrels of Brixton and Hard Vacuum series of adventure settings for Cepheus Engine. When he offered to send me a review copy of his novel The Surge I hesitated before accepting because, truth be told, I am not a fan of much of the fiction writing from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The war is still, in some ways, way too personal for me; I went to too many funerals. Ultimately, however, I accepted Adam’s offer.
Which turns out was a very good choice.
In interviews, Kovac, himself formerly of the U.S. Army, is quick to point out that The Surge is not a memoir but a work of fiction. The Surge takes place in 2007 during the war in Iraq when the U.S. strategy increased the number of troops in-country in an effort to improve security and stabilize the country. The main character, Corporal Larry Chandler, leads a fire team on their first deployment. The tension in Chandler comes from the challenge of leading a pack of soldiers who want to prove themselves under fire while Chandler himself is less sanguine having been wounded in an ambush during a previous deployment in Afghanistan.
The Surge is not a long book—202 pages in digest format—and the story moves along briskly. Which is a bit of a surprise because, for as much combat is in the book, there is plenty of…boredom. Kovac captures the vibe of life on the FOB [Forward Operating Base] by showing just how boring it could be. Boring and surreal. Playing Call of Duty one moment then diving for cover from a rocket attack the next. Drinking a latte before casual sex with a married soldier away from family (oh wait, that happens almost everywhere there are GIs). Leadership that does not believe in the mission but still follows orders because that is what good soldiers do.
When it comes to character development and story The Surge is adequate in both. I say “adequate” not as a swipe against Kovac and the book but as a compliment; the character of Chandler is explored deep enough to understand—even empathize with—while others are less deeply explored with some coming across only superficially. That reflects my own personal experience in the military—one has few good friends but many acquaintances that you might know and recognize if you cross paths later. The story is…well…mostly about the boredom of the FOB against the sheer terror of patrols with the threat of IEDs [Improvised Explosive Devices] hanging like the Sword of Damocles over every excursion beyond the wire. There is a storyline to be followed and it helps drive the book along with an ending that is, like war, simultaneously a satisfying victory and an ignominious defeat.
At one time I entertained the idea of taking The Surge and using it as part of a “History to Wargame” post with Boots on the Ground: Intel Always Changes (Deluxe) by designer Sean Cooke from Worthington Games (2024) (see my review at The Armchair Dragoons). Given the words of the designer, at first I thought Boots on the Ground could replicate The Surge:
Sean: When I originally designed Boots on the Ground in 2010, the “War on Terror” was in full swing, and the news cycles constantly repeated the story of soldiers walking house to house searching for insurgents and terrorists. They stood out as apparent outsiders, and danger was always around the corner. I was intrigued by the unknown threat and how the enemy was not clearly uniformed, like Green vs. Gray. The game tries to replicate this everchanging battlefield.
June 2024 interview with The Players’ Aid designer Sean Cooke
While Boots on the Ground can, in some fashion, replicate the everchanging battlefield of The Surge what the wargame cannot do is capture the inner personalities and motivations/fears of the combatants. To try and shoehorn The Surge into Boots on the Ground would strip away the most important parts of the story—the people.
The characters in Adam Kovac’s The Surge are not cardboard cutouts. I cannot treat them that way. Yes, the book touched me that deeply.
When Adam sent the book along he included a note with some more information:
I appreciate all the support you gave Scoundrels of Brixton and thrilled you’re enjoying the Hard Vacuum series. Blogs like yours are huge boost to independent ttrpg creators, and it’s great to see our projects discussed by others in the gaming community.
I hop you enjoy reading THE SURGE. If you decide to post a review, I’ve included a couple of links in case any of your readers are interested in purchasing a copy for themselves.
Thanks again and all the best,
Adam
Tortoise Books:
https://tortoisebooks.com/store/thesurge
Bookshop.org:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-surge-adam-kovac/d291008c53217589?ean=9781965199046&next=t
The Surge. Worth reading.
Feature image courtesy RMN
The opinions and views expressed in this blog are those of the author alone and are presented in a personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of U.S. Navy or any other U.S. government Department, Service, Agency, Office, or employer.
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