Streetlethal (1983) by Steven Barnes is a high-stakes story of violence and revenge. Barnes brings hand-to-hand combat to life in a way rarely seen outside of the cinema. Emotional and visceral, Streetlethal captures both hearts and minds of readers.
When I began Streetlethal is was expecting a much different story. Barnes’ protagonist, Aubrey Knight’ is a null-boxer with hopes of becoming champion. However, Knight’s former employers, the Ortegas, are not happy about it and set him up for murder. Imprisoned, Knight has only one thing to live for, revenge. And this is only the start.
From this point on Streetlethal could have focused on Knight’s story of vengeance and be a perfectly good story. While this remains part of the plot, Barnes takes things in a very different direction. Instead of the just following the physical path to revenge, Barnes explores the personal and emotional aspects of what such a path requires.
Knight’s story is ultimately not about revenge, but growth. In order for Knight to achieve his ultimate victory he must both lose and find himself. In the end, Knight must decide for himself what his ultimate goal truly is.
Barnes writes in a style that is very evocative. He writes fight sequences as if he is taking part in them. This, in turn, draws the reader into the scene as well. When punches land and bones break you can’t help but wincing in sympathetic pain.
What is most interesting about Streetlethal, though, is how personally touching it turns out to be. Knight’s life goes from one calamity to another. And even when it seems like he’s getting somewhere, it turns out to be another step backwards. When something even a little positive happens to Knight you can help but claiming the feeling for yourself.
The story of Streetlethal is that violence is a trap, and revenge doubly so. No matter how justified violence may seem in the moment it hurts everyone involved. The only way to escape the trap is to grow beyond the need to hurt people. Especially yourself.
Streetlethal was written at a time when cyberpunk was setting the SF world on fire. While Streetlethal is not strictly cyberpunk it incorporates some of hallmarks of cyberpunk in its attitude and world building. Barnes deserves credit for creating a world that is uniquely its own.
One aspect of Streetlethal that makes it very relevant today is its diversity of characters. The story is set in a future Los Angeles and the cast reflects the actual diversity of its people. And its not just race that Barnes makes authentic but their sexualities as well. And Barnes isn’t just ticking boxes to make publishers happy.
Streetlethal is a forgetten gem of a novel. Overshadowed by the rise of cyberpunk it is deserving of much greater recognition. I didn’t get the story I expected with Streetlethal. Instead I got something much greater and much better.
