Warning: this review contains spoilers.

****

This is the second part in the “Cyberman” series, in which the Cybermen will become the future of humanity if nothing is done to stop them. This installment was just as effective in delivering chills as its predecessor was. The scene where it is implied that Commander Barnaby has been converted to a Cyberman is terrifying: no background music, the only sound being his dialogue, panicked choking, silence, and then a Cyberman-style “There is nothing to fear”. Brrrr!

I had thought of giving this a 3.5 rather than a 4 because I find the Cybermen in this story hard to understand when they say more than one sentence at a stretch. I’m also not fond of people smooching right in my ear. Ew. But that ending, plus the extreme timeliness of the story (refugees and immigration, maintaining a decorative presidential front in the face of war, and the questioning of the president’s advisors being considered tantamount to treason), make me think it does deserve 4 stars after all. ( )

To my surprise, Fear, the second installment of Nicholas Briggs's Cyberman series, didn't open up with a continuation of the first installment's cliffhanger ending, but rather focused in on the character of Samantha Thorne, who had appeared in only one scene in Scorpius as Paul Hunt's discarded lover. I'd been disappointed that she'd gone unused in the rest of that story, but I hadn't anticipated her return in this-- and certainly not in the capacity it was undertaken!

But though Fear does not focus on Karen Brett directly, its protagonist is not Thorne either; the central character here is Liam Barnaby, formerly captain of Admiral Karen Brett's flagship, now commander-in-chief of the Earth Alliance's military forces. But he's been separated from his former friend and confidante; Karen Brett is now working very very closely with the mysterious Paul Hunt and becoming almost a figurehead for the Earth Alliance rather than actually conducting the war effort. And despite being commander-in-chief, more and more seems to be happening that is somehow not under Barnaby's purview.

Fear also continues the high level of production values set by Scorpius: Briggs's music, direction, and sound-design are all pitch-perfect. And the rest of the cast is good, too, especially Barnaby Edwards as the menacing Paul Hunt, though Brett doesn’t get much to do here. The story seems to be unfolding quite nicely, and though I enjoyed Scorpius, Fear has left me hooked. I can’t wait to find out what happens next in the saga of Cyberman.

You can read a longer version of this review at Unreality SF.