A Review of 365 Infantry: The 2022 Collection

Wolves, motorcycles, and bullets, oh my!

In the dark future, what kind of spirit is needed in order for us to survive? When an all-knowing artificial intelligence threatens organic life, will humanity submit, or fight to live another day?

That, dear reader, is what 365 Infantry is all about. Only instead of humans, it’s vicious wolf-hybrids with a penchant for guns, motorcycles, and badassery. It’s honestly been a while since I’ve done a review, as I’ve been quite busy with finishing my own projects. The good news is that life is finally simmering down a bit, and I can focus on showcasing indie creators with a clear conscience.

But enough about me. On to the review proper.

Taking place in the future of 2476, the world is a dystopian wasteland. Humanity is replaced by wolfen-kind, and a benevolent AI, commonly referred to as A.C.E.S., has gone berserk as it guides its legions of android soldiers against the remaining rebels. Life continues to thrive in the desolate wastes, though there is hardly any peace, as the survivors must fight to keep what they have.

Needless to say, the premise isn’t short on interesting ideas. And despite some issues I have with the execution, I believe it’s an intriguing world to follow. The 365 Infantry make for one hell of a resistance group, with cigarette smoke, aviators, and badass one-liners as their true meat and potatoes. Personally, I couldn’t get the Judas Priest song Rock Hard Ride Free out of my mind while reading.

The villains, by contrast, are primarily either bandits or robotic drones of A.C.E.S., one showing us just how dangerous life can be in this new world, while the other is a stark reminder of what it could become.

I will say that it is an acquired taste. Stick with it, however, and you’ll find that there’s a lot to enjoy here, particularly with how Jacob Calta has handled the tone and pacing. The writing is fast and doesn’t linger too long on details. The characters themselves embody the ethos of action movies like Cobra and Commando, along with some snarky quipifying we see from Internet personalities such as Razorfist. The story could have easily dwelled on the bleakness of the future and how dismal life is. And fair enough, there are moments of intrigue, violence, and depravity; but it’s all focused on keeping things fast and fun.

That’s how I would describe this anthology, even in spite of my greater criticisms, which I will get to in a bit. Fun. Between battling androids, hunting down serial killers, and surviving in the wastes, there’s a fresh sense of adventure that makes this series difficult not to love.

However, the stories are held back by some novice writing mistakes. This includes character voices bleeding together, as well as an overall lack of scene description. Both problems made the experience difficult to digest at times, and it hindered the anthology from reaching its full potential.

Which is a shame to say, since there are several aspects I simply adore. I enjoyed the snarky back-and-forth dynamic between characters, even in spite of the more samey dialogue, not to mention the setting being a real treat to explore. I noticed this the most during my read of Valentina’s stories, which were a personal favorite given how unique her journey is.

That said, there were a few areas I had difficulty wrapping my head around. We’re given a fair amount of context in the beginning, enough for us to grasp what’s going on with the region itself, as well as the main city of Haven. However, I believe including a few more details would have made a huge difference in immersing the reader. I hate to be that reviewer who suggests engaging the different senses, but I believe that would have done wonders in fixing some of my more major criticisms.

I can tell that Calta is already halfway there: the prose, for the most part, is smooth and well-paced, and there’s a sense of movement and gusto as we speed from one frantic scene to the next. Yet we need those vital descriptions: how does it feel, how does it smell, taste, etc.? As it stands, the action, while certainly fun, often leans more on the confusing side.

Now with gripes aside, I would be remiss if I stated I didn’t enjoy my time while reading. This first collection stands on its own as a diamond in the rough, a promise for something truly special down the road. All it requires is just a few improvements here and there, just a little more polish to make it shine. Ultimately, I recommend checking it out, but be aware of these rougher spots. Give it some time, though, and you may just see the same potential that I did.

If you would like to learn more about 365 Infantry, you can check out Jacob Calta’s Substack page. He’s also on Twitter, where he posts regular updates on new stories as well as other projects.