The pace of the cross-border killing spree is picking up fast. But the motive? Murky at best. The only clue comes in the form of cryptic four-digit number sequences tattooed on the victims’ bodies. CIA analyst Quinn Mitchell has never faced a tougher assignment. Scorpion, Christian Cantrell’s philosophical techno-thriller, offers a glimpse into the brutal future knocking at our door.
The Future Is Now
Just a stone’s throw away. And yes—it’s just as ugly as we imagined. Scorpion could be set five years from now. Or ten. Or the day after tomorrow. The staggering pace of technological advancement has already brought the achievements of the near future into view. And artificial intelligence—as we’re already experiencing—is changing everything, day by day.
Christian Cantrell—an engineer and software developer in civilian life—offers a vision that’s filled with both the familiar and the unknown. The tech and gadgets in Scorpion are so convincingly real, you’ll find yourself wondering whether you read about them here first—or in yesterday’s news.
In any case, they’re surrounded by the gentle warmth of familiarity—and thankfully, by credibility as well. That’s where many future-set thrillers stumble right out of the gate, either trying to say too much or trying to say it all at once.
But there’s one thing you definitely haven’t heard of: no one has ever received a message from the future. (Or at least, no one’s been willing to admit it—so far.)
So what are the messages in Scorpion about? Well, danger—obviously. A time when physics and information technology advance to the point where anyone with a bit of know-how can throw together a neutron bomb out of toaster parts and a dismantled washing machine… yeah, that’s going to be a dangerous era. The best part? It’s not even that far off anymore.
Scorpion Is Driven by Its Characters
Some books grab you instantly. By sentence two, you’re hooked. Scorpion is one of them. With a style that’s often ironic, sometimes downright mocking, it pulls you right into the story. Just like it does with its characters.
Cantrell’s novel belongs to that rare breed of thrillers that really dive deep into character development. Quinn Mitchell’s personal tragedy gets just as much attention as the CIA’s desperate manhunt for the Elite Assassin.
We also get to know the Elite Assassin quite well. Turns out he’s actually a pretty decent guy—with the calm and patience of a Hindu yogi. Minor drawback: he has a kill list that looks like it includes both Santa Claus and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
But the real cherry on top is, of course, Henrietta Ji. She’s straight out of a manga—right down to the vibe. And as if that weren’t enough, she also happens to be the smartest character in the book. Those lucky readers with a Japanese schoolgirl fetish are in for an absolute treat.
Killing Is a Fun Pastime!
Or, well, not exactly. I mean, it shouldn’t be, but if your job happens to be murdering innocent people by the dozens, it’s probably best to find the silver lining and try to enjoy it a little, right?
The core plot of Scorpion wraps up at about the halfway point of the book. (That’s when it becomes clear that what really matters isn’t how a story ends, but how it begins — at least in this book.) That might sound deliberately vague, but of course, we mustn’t forget the message coming from the future.
The second half of the book is essentially a bonus round—especially for Quinn Mitchell. And bonus rounds are usually enjoyable, because they’ve been earned. Scorpion earns it by being an exceptionally entertaining and original piece of sci-fi. Quinn unexpectedly sets off on a journey that leads her back to the past—possibly even back to herself.
But the ease and casualness with which she does this slightly undermines the grim, violent vision of the future that Cantrell had worked so hard to build. But of course, it clearly echoes the luxurious lifestyle that Ranween—aka the Elite Assassin—enjoys between bouts of ruthless killing. What could that be saying? Maybe that contract killing is a great gig—not the least bit taxing on the soul, and pays like a dream? Yep, that’s the message. Absolutely.
I’ll Be Bad Tomorrow. No—Scratch That—Today!
The main villain in Scorpion is, in some ways, an excellent choice. You believe they have the brainpower to orchestrate attacks on a massive scale. What’s harder to buy, though, is the idea that they’d actually want to pull it off. Why? Because Cantrell seems to forget about building up the villain’s motivations. People don’t just flip from good to evil in a heartbeat. Not without a reason.
Scorpion ends in a way that’s overall quite satisfying. Great characters, a believable vision of the future, unexpected (and sometimes expected) twists and surprises—all present and accounted for. What’s more, Cantrell’s book avoids the usual curse of future-set stories, where the heroes do little else but try to fix the mistakes they made the day before yesterday. Or the day after tomorrow.
Rating: 8/10
Scorpion by Christian Cantrell
336 pages, Hardcover
Published in 2021 by Random House
—
You may be also interested in:
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch