Ronald Reagan’s Brilliant Bullet Review

More Parody Than Twisted History

I loved the tone of The Devil’s Dictum, which I described in my review as, “delightfully original and pleasingly unpredictable.” That certainly applies to this story, as well, although the setting is very different. This leads me to suggest it is more parody than “twisted” history.

However, readers will still find the tone similar, with many silly and exciting elements: the all-star cast of historical figures, the impractical and comedic use of monuments, and the anything-goes technology.

Setting

The setting of the story, the United States during Reagan’s presidency, is not one that I am too familiar with, but this was hardly a detriment to my enjoyment of the story. Indeed, the scrambled figures and events threw off my confidence on many historical factoids. Eventually, I resigned to simply enjoying the familiar name drops, like recognizing actors in a new film!

The fantastic elements are where Heimbach’s alternate histories really shine. They keep the political nature of the characters and plot from becoming ho-hum by introducing a sense that anything can happen. A flying suit piloted by the president himself, a political antagonist with an addiction to pills that give him special abilities, and a demonic rhetoric surrounding a secret Soviet project maintain the intrigue without the soul-sucking boredom of real political deals.

Closer-to-Home Antagonist

I appreciate a world-wide threat, and Ronald Reagan’s Brilliant Bullet delivers one through the role of the Soviets. However, the Soviets are still a distant threat in this novel, appearing for phone calls, but doing nothing more proactive than their sinister secret project. It seems likely they will come into any sequels more.

For Ronald Reagan’s Brilliant Bullet, the main antagonist is much closer to home, both literally and figuratively, in the career politician Congressman Cookingham. “Cook” is simultaneously fumbling and corrupt, working to undermine the president’s agenda and build his own reputation.

The wonderful thing about this world, however, is that even this congressman has redeeming qualities. He has a genuine sense of loyalty to his district and noblesse oblige towards the people he represents. Obviously, his methods are less than upright, and his strange addiction to a supernatural pill of dubious origin undermines his integrity. But his genuine desire to connect with “his people” makes him sympathetic as an antagonist without compromising the conviction that he deserves what he gets.

More villainous villains exist in the story, of course. They help to keep up the momentum of the tale, complicating mysteries and forcing Reagan to stay on his toes. There are no useless characters here!

Small-scale, High-impact Action

The action is driving without being on the level of “save the world,” despite the Soviets.

The military purpose behind the “Brilliant Bullet” is to intercept missiles. While highly important, the actual chasing of missiles is less than compelling over a novel-length story. Heimbach skillfully keeps his readers engaged with Reagan’s project by introducing a smaller, but urgent, problem: teenagers.

The question of how to manipulate an overpowered machine against delinquents is far more complicated than chasing missiles, and a series of clumsy confrontations put me on the edge of my seat in a way that the military exercises would not.

Politics and Religion

Ronald Reagan’s Brilliant Bullet does not go out of its way to make social commentary, explicitly or thematically. But, as I have said before, a theme is always present by default, whether intentional or not. I think in this case, the interplay of religion and politics is the most prominent, although I’d love to hear what other readers thought!

It certainly brings to mind how politics can become a religion for people like Congressman Cookingham, who stepped brazenly into a messiah role and justified all his actions through that lens. And it cannot be denied that evil can hijack political movements for its own ends, as it plays out with the Soviets.

The importance of religious figures in investigating the Soviet threat, combined with the televangelist’s frequent appearances to proclaim doom in the form of Revelation imagery, makes the religious element in this story about a political figure quite important. It perhaps most strongly suggests a commentary beyond the mere identification of truth: that Christians have a role to play in the political sphere. Perhaps that role is to provide wisdom and guidance, or to work within politics to protect against evil.

Check Out Ronald Reagan’s Brilliant Bullet!

Ronald Reagan’s Brilliant Bullet is an exciting alternate history adventure. A wonderful Cold Warriors novel and a great next read for fans of The Devil’s Dictum.