PLAUSIBLY DENIABLE

Reviewed by Steven H Silver

Plausibly Deniable is a collection of ten stories edited by Jamie Ibson in which the main characters are people in less savory social roles: spies, hitmen, and mafioso. They all have a lack of traditional morals in common as they fulfill a societal need for people who take on tasks which may need to be done, but aren't entirely legal (or are downright illegal). Interestingly, the ten stories represent 14 authors since five of the stories are written by two person writing teams (Casey Moores has a solo and collaborative story in the anthology).

Jack Clemons gives a strong feel for the book in "Bag Man," the story of Drake, an amoral operative who barely sees people as individual humans. He has a team he works with, Ivan and Zipline, but mostly thinks of them in terms of their usefulness. He has a lover, Sarah, who he had hired as a decorator, but their relationship appears to be mostly transactional from Drake's end. In some ways, the most human characters in the story are the weapons and cyberenhancements Drake describes, which is clearly Clemons's intent. Clemons manages to keep to story interesting, despite the fact that the mission Drake is hired for isn't revealed until most of the way through the story and none of the characters are sympathetic. Although the story's ending seems sudden, almost incomplete, that suddenness also provides it with its impact.

"Backup Plans" is set in the same universe as To Tread Obsidian Shores, by authors Jason Cordova and Melissa Orthoff. Sylvie appeared as a minor character in that novel, but in this story, she is participating as a spy on her first mission, infiltrating the harem of the Tyrants on the planet Myrkyma. As the name suggest the Tyrants were not beloved rulers and Sylvie was instructed to gather a genetic sample of the Tyrants to bring back to Mars. The story also tells the story of Dillon, another spy on Myrkyma, with a similar remit. Naturally enough, the two wind up getting in each other's way. The story Cordova and Olthoff are telling seems to need more space than allowable in a short story, with the result that it feels like important parts of left out or can be expanded. The appearance of a third spy and a riot don't help make the story feel as if it fits within its bounds, although they are able to give Sylvie a satisfying conclusion, even if Dillon's ending feels like it is incomplete.

In 1953, Robert Sheckley published the story "The Seventh Victim" in Galaxy in which humans are hunted for sport. Craig Martelle offers a take on that set up with "The Hunter Becomes the Hunted Becomes the Hunter." In Martelle's world, individuals who are banished from the walled city are no longer considered people. Killing them is not illegal and an economy has grown up among guides to take people out to hunt the exiled. Mr. Smith is one of those guides. For a fee, he provides the weapons and ammunitions and leads anonymous clients out on a hunt. When one of those clients, "Mr. Smythe," shoots another client who is on a hunt, the murder threatens to upend Smith's life and the entire human hunting economy. Martelle offers an interesting take on the situation, but ignores the moral issues and offers a solution which is a little too easy.

When an undercover case Olivia Hastings is working on goes sidewise, including the death of one member of her team and the possible compromising of the other members, Olivia finds herself reaching out to an American mafia enforcer living in Venezuela in Kacey Ezell & Nick Steverson's "No Extradition." The two form an unlikely alliance in their attempt to complete Olivia's mission, knowing that they might face her former team members. The title refers to the fact that the mafia enforcer, living in Venezuela under the name Brian Smith, chose the country because he wouldn't have to worry about being extradited to the U.S., but Olivia offers to have his record wiped clean to allow him to return home, should they be successful. Olivia and "Brian" may be among the most likeable characters in the anthology, and Ezell and Steverson note that they are both trained killers, with Olivia killing for the good of her country and Brian killing to protect the mob. They also show the impact (or lack thereof) killing has on each of the characters.

Multiple stories in the anthology are connected to ongoing series, including "Blood and Circuits," "Backup Plans," and "Off Duty." Buff Orpington's "Buff Orpington Crosses the Finnish Line" is connected to Buff Orpington versus the League of Conspicuous Evil, which was published a month after this anthology. Buff Orpington is a collaborative pseudonym (also a type of chicken) for Casey Moores and Jamie Ibson, both references in the first paragraph of the story. Based on the story's title, the reader could expect a gonzo tale. Although it has metafictional elements, with the narrator referring to the authors and characters making side comments, Buff Orpington doesn't have a large enough personality to successfully carry a gonzo tale.

Plausibly Deniable offers ten exploration sof the seamier side of humanity with its depictions of people doing the jobs that need to be done. While many of the characters are amoral, they don't generall take enjoyment in doing their jobs, aside from the sense of being the best at what they do and offering a necessary service. The stories move quickly and often (but not always) have characters who are likeable as they complete the tasks while demonstrating their resourcefulness.

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