Joe Mauser Mercenary from Tomorrow

By: Mack Reynolds, Michael Banks

Narrated by: Kelly Rhodes

It's a crooked road to world peace...but it works. Warfare between nations has been banned. Taking its place are the Corporate Wars - full-scale battles between mercenary armies hired by large corporations, ostensibly to settle trade disputes.

But the wars are also free entertainment for the masses. In a world where most jobs have been taken over by automation, free tranquilizers have to be issued to the vast lower class to keep them subdued. The Corporate Wars offer what little excitement their lives hold: deadly serious fighting action - live and in color.

But when you play with armies, you play with fire. The world's leaders seem to have forgotten that, but Joe Mauser hasn't.

©1986 The Literary Estate of Mack Reynolds (P)2015 Wildside Press, LLC

A fast-paced romp in a dystopian world, the characters are compelling—if you can bear the author’s Socialist zealotry

I very much enjoyed both the plot conceit and the characters in Mercenary….I could, however, have done without the often-overbearing Marxist zealotry displayed by the author. Born and raised by Marxist parents (and a member of the “Socialist Youth of America” during the McCarthy era), the author often spoils enjoyable action sequences by having the protagonist’s love interest (who comes across as a “Champagne Socialist”) launch into lectures on Engels, or on the uplifting of the proletariat….All in all, a solid “4” out of 5 stars.

Great story, narrator not so much

Narrator has a very nasally voice. Distracted from the story overall. Sadly this is the only version that isn't abridged.