The first few pages of the StarCraft short story, Collateral Damage, were a good means of introducing the story’s main and supporting characters, and they gave a good overall feel of what to expect from the entire thing. After reading those first few pages, it’s easy to see that Collateral Damage bases its storytelling on character psychology, delivering an abstract story in the process.
I’ve now read through two-thirds of the story, and while everything distances itself slightly from the abstract formula set forth by the first few pages, this is still a story that requires some deep thought as well as a lot of interpretation for the characters, their surroundings, and the general story. In other words, Collateral Damage is a highly thought-provoking read.
One element that is introduced to Collateral Damage in the middle of the story is action. Those of you who may have been turned off by the lack of action sequences in the first few pages will be pleased to know that the next set of pages feature some great action, and there’s violence, a little bit of death, and gore galore.
Collateral Damage is shaping up to be a different kind of read, albeit an excellent one. Halfway through the story, Pandora begins to become desperate, a bit manipulative, and more focused on her task. She sees everything and everyone as an obstacle, and she does whatever it takes to get through them, whether that means lying to her confidant or shooting someone in the face. It’s going to be interesting to see how this story concludes.
