Title: Deadly Perversions Author: Brett Arquette Publisher: Lighthouse Press Deadly Perversions is the first novel from Arquette, son of well-known author Lois Duncan, who edits the book. It deals with the outbreak of a mutant viral epidemic, similar to HIV, and dubbed RAIDS for its killing power. Tied in with the disease is a company called Talon, a soft/hardware manufacturer that develops the ultimate safe-sex device, a jack/jillpack device that slots on your genitals, and guided by a combination of laser and internet technology, allows you to simulate sex with the delight of your choice. From the Ukraine to the US, people have popped on, plugged in and got off, but now they're dropping off, health authorities are clueless and the PR machine of Talon is revved into hyperdrive. Wuthering Heights it ain't. But the great thing about pop/pulp fiction is it's ability to deal with things in a way conventional, mainstream media disallows. For instance, Deadly Perversions is at it's most interesting when showing how the private self is mediated by the internet, how it becomes a public, sexualised self thanks to the intervention of consumerism. This consumerism plays back on the consumer, empowering at the same time repressing, and Arquette displays a real hand at creating characters who live and breathe the corporation, who shoot loads at one more chance to serve a company and a publicity machine at its most abhorrent. However, more problematic is when some of Arquette's characters utter prejudiced comments - is this the payoff for gritty fiction, and is it really necessary? Another negative are the factual or typographical errors, where AIDS epidemics took place in the 70s or 'Andromeda' is spelt 'Adramida" for example, and the way each chapter is started with an allegedly-humorous quote that distracts from the narrative flow. Lastly characters, for whom we're supposed to feel warmth, leave the novel half way through. These are things Arquette should improve on next time around, for he has a good writing voice that crafts an easy-to-read, undemanding thriller pulp fiction folks will enjoy.