Somewhere between a short story and a normal length disc novel. More of mad ideas than commentary, kinda reminds me of Dirk Gently. But it is a defiant song of do not go gentle into the night. The idea about the need of a barbarian hero sort of follows Interesting Times, (well I feel the bard went through a similar process as the teacher there,) and Troll Bridge, where the old heroing business is replaced in a modern world revolutionalised with tech, science and the new appreciation of human rights.