In a note at the end of his latest book, “Militia Men,” Astoria author William Dean laments the fact that his novel is “gut-wrenchingly timely.”
It’s true, the topics this thriller traffics in — the rise of militia movements on the one hand, and the growing call for gun control on the other — do seem to mirror bitter divisions bedeviling the country.
Dean borrows from some of the real-life foment that has taken place on the streets of Portland over the past couple of years to create a backdrop for this work of fiction.
“Militia Men” is the tale of Robb and Sean, best buddies since third grade, and now pot-smoking, video game-playing underachievers in their twenties, who share an apartment in Astoria.
When Layla, the artist who lives upstairs, invites them to go with her to check out a Black Lives Matter march in Portland on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they end up witnessing more than they’d imagined. The evening is disrupted by a gun-toting militia group who identify themselves as the True Patriots.
Layla’s and Robb’s chief takeaway from the event is that there didn’t seem to be any police presence on hand to keep the peace.
Their friend Sean, on the other hand, is drawn to the machismo exhibited by the militia men. He grew up in a single-parent household — his dad had abandoned the family when Sean was just a toddler.
The spectacle of those camo-wearing toughs and their monster trucks appeals to him in a visceral way that Robb and Layla find disturbing. They try to talk him out of his fascination, but Sean wants to learn more about the group. He even talks Robb into going with him to a meeting the militia group is holding to protest gun legislation introduced by Oregon’s junior senator.
Sen. Alexandra Austin is a former teacher who only turned to politics after a gunman broke into her classroom, wounding her and killing many of her students.
This has made her a compelling advocate for a mass shooting prevention act, which would impose significant new limits on the ability to purchase guns. But her outspoken advocacy also places her in the bulls’ eye of the True Patriots’ wrath.
Dean offers this story from different points of view. But over time, political hyperbole escalates into paranoia and conspiracy. This tale explodes into a full-on, high-stakes thriller. And again, to flesh out his story line, the author borrows from another real-life headline that rocked the United States in recent years.
Robb has tried to play the guy who takes the middle ground, but when the middle ground gives way to quicksand he has to choose between remaining loyal to his best friend or trusting a federal agent who appears on his doorstep one day, threatening him with dire consequences unless he cooperates.
“Militia Men” explores charismatic leadership from different perspectives and how fear can be twisted to prevail over common sense.