Those Who Walk in Darkness
By John Ridley 

     From the writer of the acclaimed movie Three Kings, what would you expect to follow the release of a pulse-charging, plot-twisting sci-fi cop thriller but a June 3, 2003 DVD/VHS release of an urban anime sci-fi movie starring the voice of hip-hop superstar Li'l Kim as the heroine of Those Who Walk in Darkness, Soledad "Bullet" O'Roark?

     Ridley's timing pushes the envelope, coinciding with the release of X-Men 2, whose plot also revolves around a group of superheroes with "metanormal" abilities who encounter prejudice from ordinary people. The difference is that Ridley's book (which also has parallels with the war on terror and in Iraq) deals more extensively with the hatred of ordinary people, personified by Soledad.

     This well-thought-out science fiction thriller also interweaves Los Angeles noir-ish crime stories, and urban hip-hop-type police intrigue (Training Day meets NYPD Blue meets X-Men, with a little Blade Runner thrown in) when Soledad is targeted for using an experimental weapon to kill a metanormal. In a delightful twist that's one of many, a metanormal-championing defense attorney uses Soledad's case to further her own ambitions. She is only one of many intriguing characters, from Soledad's mentor Bo (who quits the Metanormal Tactical or MTac Unit to save his marriage); the chief villain, Vaughn, whose angelic wife Soledad shoots with a regular gun while downgraded to patrol duty; Vin, who has a crush on Soledad even as she forms a relationship with the enigmatic Ian; Eddi Aoki, the Soledad wannabe and rookie whom Soledad first dislikes, then champions; and finally Ian, who seems to be Soledad's salvation from a life of hatred, but who hen pulls the rug out from under her in a twist well-foreshadowed in the plot, but as stunning as the final wrinkle in The Ring.

     This sci-fi world intrigues with its language, although the author tends to use terms like "MTac" without defining them. Also, Soledad's prejudice, coming from a black heroine, is an intriguing social commentary. The ending, while true to Soledad's character, will provoke commentary and debate, as any work of speculative fiction should.