Is there someone for everyone? Even me?
Time passes and Generation Y has become young adults. During this social period, computers and the Internet have become household items, at least in the middle and upper classes. Online gaming has now become a subculture complete with language, social activities, and clothing. The word ‘geek’ has become more of a description of an alternative subculture than a derogatory term. Daltry and Clarke take us on a wacky journey into the world of computer geeks, as they follow the eventful lives of Katie Garretty and George Lindell. Will this young woman and man be united in a sweet romance, or will they be doomed to remain single forever? Does being a computer geek mean you can never have self-respect, or can these youngsters grow in self-confidence? Will the pair ever fight to the end of Fatal destinationthe game that dominates their young lives? Backward Compatible is a romantic comedy that will entertain those who enjoy reading New Adult or Young Adult fiction.
It should be noted from the outset that this book is a comedy and much of the humor revolves around politically incorrect viewpoints. This book is full of obscene language, sexual references, and prejudice against minorities. If you’re looking for a book that expands on your social and political ideology, you’d do well to go elsewhere. However, if you are looking for something to make you smile, this is your book.
In keeping with the game spirit of the book, the novel is divided into 15 “Levels”, reminiscent of computer game levels in which each new stage represents a higher degree of complexity and difficulty. the plot of Backward Compatible It can roughly be divided into two halves. The first half, Level 1 – 7, revolves around the question of whether Katie and George will really get together, and the complication of a possible relationship between Katie and Jeff Browning (“Seynar”). The second half, Level 8- Boss level (15), covers Katie and George’s budding romance and a search for hidden keys to win a $10,000 prize and a trip to Montreal. Each of the two halves contains an expanded description of the game, so it should be noted that this novel is specially tailored for those interested in online gaming. If you’re not that interested, these sections might seem a bit boring. Most of the book, however, is of general human interest and will therefore appeal to a wide range of readers. The chapters are alternately written from Katie’s point of view and then George’s. As a result, we get a glimpse into the minds and lives of young adults both female and male. This book, then, should appeal to both male and female readers. In 356 pages Backward Compatible it is medium length, however it is a bit too long for the content. Could have benefited from a minor edit.
Daltry and Clarke have created a collection of likeable characters that the reader will instantly identify with. These characters will remind the reader of themselves or their friends. Both Katie and George are bright and witty and vulnerable at the same time. We empathize with their lack of trust and hope for the best for them. Typical of the romantic comedy genre, even the antagonist character, which I won’t name so as not to spoil the story, isn’t too bad: he even has endearing qualities. Katie’s character has an arc of development that spans the entire novel. She follows her as she moves from a painful lack of self-confidence to a position of much more self-confidence and certainty. George’s character has two arcs of development. The first arc covers the first half of the story and takes George from a nervous young man who doesn’t think he’ll ever get a girlfriend to a happy young man who is now dating. The second arc revolves around the question of whether George will actually have sex with Katie. Katie’s character is a bit more developed than George’s. Katie’s internal monologues take us inside her mind and her experiences. George’s character also has internal monologues, but we didn’t get the breadth of characterization. For example, we hear of George’s physical yearning for sexual gratification, but there are few detailed descriptions of this physical anguish. This is not to say that George doesn’t live on the page. The reader relates to it as real.
In contrast to the new circumstances of generation Y and technological development, as the subtitle suggests, romance is the central theme of Backward Compatible. This timeless theme is fully developed to the satisfaction of the reader. It’s a simple fact of life that for many of us, at least part of the solution to a lack of self-confidence is finding a partner we can love and be with. Katie and George aren’t the only characters to pair up at the end of the novel. Family is a very secondary issue. The reader gets a brief look at the families of George, Katie, and Lanyon (George’s ever-present friend). We see parents who hinder their children’s style, but are loving, and a brother who is competitive, but willing to help. These two themes fit well together, as one tends to lead to the other. Of course, a family is far ahead in Katie and George’s future, and we don’t know if it will eventually come to be, but the reader can wait.
The humor in the novel works quite well. There’s a lot of witty commentary and retorts, slapstick humor, and tongue-in-cheek events. George and Lanyon are particularly a comedy duo that is somewhat reminiscent of The Three Stooges, though of course there are only two of them. For example, while George and Lanyon are at the store at midnight to buy the new release of Fatal destination George tries to lure Katie out as a date by giving her copy of the game to buy. Seeing this, Lanyon comments, “I mean, if you’re going to give up a midnight release, the least she can give you is a little midnight release.” During the same incident, George comments of Katie, “her smile is more that of a hungry T-Rex than an innocent…”. At times, the plot becomes a bit hyperbole. For example, there’s a three-story climbing incident that’s a bit unrealistic and certainly wouldn’t work in a less humorous, more realistic story. Similarly, few friendships would really last if a young man hit his friend in the testicles. But as has been pointed out, this is a comedy and the reader is not too bothered by these unrealities.
From the perspective of feminism, the women in the novel are depicted as quite dynamic and progressive. Katie, despite her lack of self-confidence, can be very forceful in making her opinions known. She is a talented player and an aggressive fighter in Fatal destination. She is also a smart college student, an Art History major, who has managed to get into Amherst College, a prestigious and exclusively selective university. Katie’s friend Allie is the first to turn on the antagonist character, deliberately killing her in-game avatar even though the antagonist is supposed to be on the same team. However, Anna, Katie’s best friend, is more of a female stereotype. She is mainly interested in boys and clothes. However, Anna certainly gets a joke from Katie on these points. Stacey and Vicki, two shameless who knew Katie in high school, also embody the female stereotype of getting a man, having a baby, and starting a family. However, these two women are hardly represented in a positive light and their lifestyle is certainly not recommended.
The male characters, viewed in terms of gender studies, are insensitive New Age men. Much of the humor comes from George and Lanyon’s callous and macho dialogue about women. In fact, as far as women are concerned, they seem to be interested in only one thing: sex. Much of this, however, is purely a facade, an adopted persona. We see from the internal dialogue in his chapters that George does, in fact, have feelings and is, in fact, quite sensitive, even concerned about his own masculinity. In the second half of the novel there is a lengthy incident where George goes to great lengths to cheer up and comfort Katie, who is crying over some abuse she has received.
The LGBTIQ minority is not represented in the novel and, in fact, homosexuals have quite a bit of bigoted humor. Much of this, however, stems from George and Lanyon’s insecurities about their own masculinity. However, this could have been balanced by including a positively described cameo from a gay character.
The elders are completely absent from the text, but this is not much of a surprise since Backward Compatible is a young adult/new adult novel. Once again, a cameo could have been included to represent this much-ignored minority. It is certainly true that age can make a positive contribution to the lives of young people.
In terms of the Capitalist/Socialist debate there can be no doubt that Backward Compatible lies firmly in the capitalist camp. Both George and Katie live an alternative lifestyle and have money problems, but are able to do so thanks to the generosity of their parents. Neither of them, nor Lanyon, work during the winter holidays. In fact, they don’t even try to find work. All three attend college through the generosity of their parents. Katie actually goes to a very expensive college. Also, much of the second half of the novel revolves around an attempt to win $10,000. This is clearly a capitalist motivation. However, at one point in the story, Katie makes it clear that she does not want to own many products and that money is not important to her. Also, George drives a car that is old and constantly breaking down. His parents haven’t given him an expensive new car. Clearly, this book will appeal to middle class and upper class readers.
The novel is quite solid in psychological terms. Indeed, the split narrative allows Daltry and Clarke to illustrate the concept of “mind reading.” In Cognitive Behavior Therapy, this is a classic error in thinking in which an individual imagines that he can read the thoughts in another person’s head. Usually the individual imagines that the other person is thinking negatively about him, in reality this is simply not true. (Sarah Edelmann. Change the way you think: overcome stress, fight anxiety and depression and improve your life with CBT: New York, NY: Marlowe, 2007, p. 53) Both Katie and George engage in mind reading when, in fact, the other thinks of them quite positively.
Backward Compatible is an endearing and humorous game that will especially entertain young adults, but also, more generally, the young at heart. The narrative split between Katie and George means the book will appeal to both male and female readers. While the novel focuses on Gen Y culture, the themes of romance and family are universal and will appeal to many. I am happy to rate this book 4 stars out of 5.
References
Caltry, Sarah and Clark, Peter. Backward Compatible: A Geek Love Story:__ Smashwords ed.:__ Los Gatos, CA: Smashwords, c2013.
Edelman, Sara. Change the way you think: overcome stress, fight anxiety and depression and improve your life with CBT: New York, NY: Marlowe, 2007.
http://goo.gl/tTgTVOBackwards Compatible (Kindle ed.)