Can the teen novel and the sci-fi novel meet? On the surface it would seem the thematic chasms between the two genres would be too wide to cross, but Becca C. Smith’s Riser cleverly bridges the gap. Riser is the first book in a series aimed at teenagers, though many adult sci-fi fans should have no problem enjoying the story.
The biggest question is how to put the archetypical lone hero of classic science fiction into the world of teen novels and the archetypical loyal group of friends who band together to save the day. Science fiction stories are often filled with outcasts who are out of step with the rest of society, such as Neuromancer’s Chase, 1984’s Winston or I Am Legend’s Neville. They are old souls lost in new worlds. These heroes, or anti-heroes in some cases, have long since given up on relationships or the thought of fitting in. They have usually settled into their own existence, content to be outcasts, until they are suddenly thrown into a situation where they must take some kind of action. Teen novels, on the other hand, are often all about relationships and fitting in. They are about young people actively trying to find their place in the world.
Chelsan, the hero of Riser, is both outcast and typical teen. It works because all teens feel like outcasts sometimes. Chelsan is an average teenager from the wrong side of town who happens to go to the most prestigious high school in the country. Chelsan does not attend the high school because she wants to be more popular or even to get into a good college. She does it out of necessity.
It turns out she possesses a unique power; she can control dead things. From tiny bugs, to plants, and even to people, she can tap into a swirling black hole that exists in the bodies of the dead. Chelsan can connect with that swirling hole and reanimate the body so that appears as alive it once was. The catch is her power only has a reach of four miles and if she loses her grip the body decays and turns to dust within minutes. It’s the zombified body of her step-father that keeps Chelsan within a four mile radius of her trailer park home at all times. As it turns out, Chelsan’s upper-crust high school is the only school within four miles, so that is where she must go.
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