Soldier, Ask Not

Childe Cycle #3

by Gordon R. Dickson

A Hugo Award-winning novel of destiny and revenge. On the sixteen colonized worlds, mankind had changed: men of War on the Dorsai worlds, men of Faith on the Friendly worlds. Jamethon Black, a Friendly, is a true soldier, and a true man of faith. Now he must face a deadly enemy--an enemy whose defeat will forever separate him from the only woman he has ever loved.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Military Science Fiction, Space Opera, Military Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

224 pages, ebook

First published October 1, 1964

About the author

Gordon Rupert Dickson was an American science fiction author. He was born in Canada, then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota as a teenager. He is probably most famous for his Childe Cycle and the Dragon Knight series. He won three Hugo awards and one Nebula award.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ohhhh, potential-squandering frustration...thy name is The Childe Cycle!!!

Gordon Dickson’s superbly premised, yet underachieving Childe Cycle has been a source of teeth-gnashing, knuckle-whitening frustration for me. This disappointing, expectation larceny began while I was reading the previous novel in the series, Necromancer, and then continued, and became even more pronounced, as I was reading this installment. In order to provide context for the source of my reading angst, I want to provide some back story on the series because it is the wonderful ideas and potential for awesomeness that Dickson created that cause its failings to burn like lemon juice upon my soul.

CHILDE CYCLE BACKSTORY

At some time in the future (approximately 100 years from now), humanity develops the technology to colonize distant worlds (road trip!!). By the end of the 23rd Century, humanity has spread like butter and settled 15 younger worlds which, together with “Old Earth," are called the Sixteen Worlds.

Earth-born inhabitants have remained pretty much like you and me throughout this whole period and are known as “full spectrum” humans. We can do a lot of things pretty well but are not the best at anything. The rest of the 16 Worlds have each formed a “splinter” culture in which one aspect of humanity has been encouraged over all others. The three most prominent of these splinter cultures are (1)the "Dorsai" who are master warriors both physically and as strategists and tacticians; (2)the “Exotics” who are philosophers, mystics and psychologists and have developed certain mental abilities as well; and (3) the “Friendlies” who are deeply devout followers of a religion called the “One Faith” and can really spoil a party when they get their dander up. Each of the other "splinter" cultures focus on a different primary skill as well (e.g., agriculture, mining, commerce, science, ship-building, etc.).

Trade among the various worlds is done primarily through “personal service contracts.” For example, the Dorsai might provide defense forces for an agricultural world in exchange for that world sending skilled farmers to the Dorsai world to implement the latest techniques in growing foodstuffs. In addition, each of the worlds is considered either "loose" or "tight" depending on the amount of freedom the individual worker has over his job placement. On “loose” worlds, the contracted worker has some say about where they are sent to work, while on “tight” worlds, the planetary government has complete control over each worker's contract.

CENTRAL THEME OF THE SERIES

The central theme of the Childe Cycle is human evolution. Throughout the series, there are various factions, philosophies, organizations, religions and movements that are all interested in the same fundamental thing. Namely, creating the circumstances under which humanity can best reach its full potential. The problem is that each group has a different idea about what the optimal path is for that progress. This creates the central source of conflict for the series.

PLOT SUMMARY

The main character in Soldier, Ask Not is Tam Olyn. Tam is a bad guy, kinda, sorta, but not really. He is just an angry, stubborn and very ambitious young man. The problem is that he is also incredibly bright and has been gifted with the ability to expertly read people and situations such that he is able to manipulate circumstances so that events will transpire as he would like. This ability to read people and events is a little like Asimov’s “psychohistory” from the Foundation trilogy, except that Tam’s ability is mostly instinctive. The end result is that Tam’s ability makes him a kind of “focal point” around which major events occur.

I don’t want to give away much of the plot so I will simply tell you that Tam becomes enraged following the death of someone he cares about and begins a long and complicated revenge using his unique abilities. This scheme of Tams may result in the destruction of an entire “splinter” culture which may have a serious and permanent effect on all of humanity unless Tam’s plan can be thwarted.

OKAY, after that long (but hopefully useful) infodump...let's talk about frustration....

1. IMHO, the universe of the “Childe Cycle” is not just very good but actually OMG outFRICKINGstanding and has all of the necessary components to act as the backdrop for a very thoughtful, highly literate, philosophical SF series in the spirit of Frank Herbert’s Dune. While not as rich as Frank Herbert's legendary creation, both lend themselves to more reflective, dialogue driven stories designed to address “larger issues of humanity.”

2. The stories that Dickson has told up to this point within the Childe Cycle are very much consistent with the philosophical, meditative and social aspects of the Child Cycle universe. In other words, Dickson is telling the right kind of story to explore the most intriguing aspects of his universe.

3. Dickson clearly thought through the path that his Childe Cycle stories would follow (see the Central Theme above) and had a definite idea about the how the story of humanity's evolution would play out. This well-defined and consistent outline helped Dickson establish the very impressive and compelling dynamic within which the various groups and organizations struggle in order to accomplish the central theme of the Childe Cycle.

...after all that praise can you sense what's coming next, creeping closer and closer, yes it is the impending arrival to this review of a very, very large
NOTE: subtract one "t" from above.

Unfortunately, for all of the promise of the universe Dickson has created and the interesting philosophical themes explored in these stories, I have not yet been able to rate either Necromancer or this book higher than 3 stars. Something critical is missing. The characters, while intriguing, are just not quite enough to garner a full investment from me. While portions of the story are compelling and very well done, other portions break my narrative engagement like a commercial in the middle of your favorite show.

Something just hasnt clicked for me and it is driving me nuts because I love the universe and the central theme of the series. Part of me thinks that maybe Dickson just didn't quite have the writing chops to carry through on the ambitious project he envisioned. Whatever the reason, the books have not yet been able to get over the 3 star hump. It is very...wait for it... frustrating for me...


Notwithstanding my crushed expectations of the unfulfilled promise, I still intend to read the remaining books in the series as there is much to like about them. However, I can not help but feel the stinging disappointment of what “might have been.” True happiness seems just out of reach for me, sorta like….

Still, there are some great ideas in this story and some portions that are very well written and compelling. Far better than much of the SF i have read and still one I would label as quality. Thus, a solid 3 stars for a series with 5 star potential.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an odd book. Ostensibly military science fiction, the narrative is highly introspective and even dips in and out of the philosophical and mystical. The story is essentially one of personal growth, told as a tale of revenge carried out through political and military intrigue and scheming, and amounts to a harsh rebuke of religious fanaticism as well as more fundamental and destructive attitudes incipient in mankind.

All this against the background of Dickson's fascinating worlds of "splinter" human cultures. Each with their own narrow specializations, relying on trade with the others for much of what they require. He introduces some intriguing concepts - the "Encyclopedia" being built to store all human knowledge and illuminate the unseen connections and usher in a kind of enlightenment for mankind; the science of "Octogenetics" whereby patterns of human behavior can be predicted (reminiscent of the psychohistory in Asimov's Foundation novels though with a focus on the near term).

The character motivations at certain points are questionable, if not baffling, and ultimately it feels like the story takes a backseat to some of the larger concepts and settings that Dickson wanted to explore.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10. Media de los 14 libros leídos del autor: 6/10.
Comentario de "No habrá tregua para los reyes" - Hugo en el 63. USA post-apocalíptica con reinos tipo feudal y aliens adoctrinadores. No está mal.

[Sarah B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what other people think about this book as I didn't look at any of the other reviews, but I found the story rather dull... I think there was too much politics in it (between the various sides in the wars) and I just don't like politics. It just doesn't interest me. The story doesn't really have any action or suspense either. There is some danger caused by the war (in one scene) but that's about it. The story pretty much plods along at a slow pace.

This is a story about revenge and faith, about how one man could bring about great destruction if given the chance. And I suppose it's also about the path one's life takes based on the decisions you make. Should you turn left or right? Should the main character chase after his dream of being a news reporter or should he go work for the Encyclopedia? People think he should do the later but he wants to do the former. Who's correct?

I suppose the story took a different path than what I had expected based on what the beginning of the story said. I had thought it would be more about the Encyclopedia...

I never really understood what the wars were about.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-¡Shai Dorsai!... bueno, en realidad no del todo...-

Género. Ciencia-Ficción.

Lo que nos cuenta. Tam Olyn es un joven periodista, un hombre de la Vieja Tierra, que visita la Enciclopedia Final con su hermana y sufre un extraño episodio que despierta el interés de los responsables del proyecto y lo identifica como un Aislado, un tipo de persona poco común cuyas acciones y comportamientos marcan el devenir de la Humanidad. Segundo volumen del Ciclo (serie) Dorsai.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Lindig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of course, I read this many many years ago. I have fond memories of the whole Dorsai set of books. However, I find this very difficult to re-read and finally quit trying. The main character was extremely obnoxious and all the females were extremely "feminine" -- very annoying. The ideas are still interesting, though. We'll see how the re-read of the others goes.

[Rogue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally finished omg. Took so long for like 200 pages. A pretty unlikeable and irredeemable character through and through, and I've only given this 2 stars because the plot is somewhat different to most scifi/fantasy trope plots are.

[prcardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storyline: 2/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
World: 4/5

Dickson weaves ambience like few others. From the first pages you find yourself mesmerized by an eeriness that has nothing to do with horror. The ether from which this tale descends is heavy with enigma and foreboding. It promises a march through the human psyche, with all the concomitant darkness and ill-will potentially therein.

We again start with a character weighted with possibilities. We again are confronted with that elusive yet ever-so-powerful personal attribute: charisma. Dickson is going to try a slightly different approach to his great man theory of history this time. Along the way, he's going to tie together the events from the first two in the series, Dorsai! and Necromancer. It is here, in Soldier, Ask Not, that we get a functional galactic picture. The future Dickson has put together is astonishing for how different it is from both our reality and others' visions of a planet-colonizing future. Dickson envisions planetary colonization having occurred along ethnonationalist lines. The galactic economy is founded on the simple principle of comparative advantage and the presence of powerful labor unions. Dickson, however, never treats this worldbuilding as part of the show; all of this is the background, the context in which his psychological drama plays out. Character motivations, politics, options and obstructions all follow from this future he has envisioned. It is beautiful in its originality and ugly in its internecine repercussions.

I liked and enjoyed this more than I do most novels from the early years of science fiction. I'm really just not a fan of the Golden Age stuff, and the first Childe novel was published just after, in 1960. Dickson has great aims, aims that far exceed what his contemporary and even next generation science fiction writers held. The main problem with the book - and what might just ruin it for others - is that it is restricted by the page count and the repeated decisions to skip over some of the more crucial scenes and details. What Dickson was aiming for was never going to be accomplished in 320 pages. To get to his ending he has to skip over years of activity of his main character, leaving a promise that interesting maturation and perfection did indeed occur in that time. We don't get to see it though, because Dickson didn't make room for it. This particular story cries out for some creativity with mediums within the text - some shifts of perspective or sources. Today, we would get excerpts of news articles or something similar to fill out and enrich the book. Compared to science fiction of the 1950s and earlier, the Childe Cycle is a real treasure and offers something unique. Compared to the science fiction of later years, however, this will be viewed by some critically as not following through on its promises, not developing the story or character fully, for not working through and making everything fit in the end. And those critics are right. Still, the ambience Dickson creates made this a remarkable read. I'm a fan.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A harder read than I remembered. Basically a logic driven book written parallel to Dorsai!. But in this book, the main character Tam, is a brat. It's hard being in his head page after page. He does dumb things then blames the world. And again there is an ornamental woman, Lisa, to rescue and reward him. And yet the book pulls together right at the very end. This is a book about belief, but I'm not sure that it's right or true. It does try very hard. The whole splintering of man versus those that stay home kind of echoes the out-of-Africa spread of man. Given when it was written, I'm not sure it was intentional or what it would mean. But there are questions sitting there. 3.5 of 5.

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately I found the first half much stronger than the second. The first half was Ideas SF driven by an emotional story -- than which I ask for nothing more in life. The personal story of our protag flagged in the second half, and I had less incentive to follow the convolutions of politics without it.

I was wary of the big evolutionary scenario which is always a worry (lucky SF writers are not in charge of world policy such that they can perpetrate their scientific experiments upon us). It wasn't too bad though, if not believable either.

Good concentration on the psych of his characters, even while he gets too ev-psych in the plot as a whole.

Example of what a short novel can do, and how.

[Sue Bursztynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read just about the entire Childe Cycle many years ago, but this was the first I read. I even have - somewhere among my messy bookshelves - the original magazine in which part of it was first published.

It's not standard military SF. The characters and their treatment of each other are more important than the fighting. The universe is fascinating, with the human race split up into specialised areas - warriors, mystics, scientists, etc. The main character's wish for revenge could have disastrous consequences for the entire human race.

I found it very powerful reading.

A classic of SF.

[R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, so 2 stars. Not going out of the way to find the rest of this series like ever. It wasn't so bad that it turned me off to the writer or anything and there was an interesting conceptual plot. It's just missing everything that seperates amatuer writing from what I have come to expect from the big names in science fiction. The world building was weak, the characters were shallow and under developed, etc.

Don't go out of your way to get this. But if you find it on a shelf at the library and can't settle on anything else, why not?

[Jerry-Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in the (supersoldier) Dorsai saga. However, it does not star one of the Dorsai. Instead, it stars a "normal" human (Tam) but one who has a psychological skill for manipulating events. The big issue in the book will he be on the good side of history or the dark side. After his brother in law is executed by a soldier from the Friendlies Worlds, it does not look good for the good side. The Friendlies are mis-named since their only export is soldiers with religious fanactism like today's' Isis warriors. In this future the main export each world has is the skills of their people. Also, Tam is being recruited to head the Giant Encyclopedia due to his talents. This will be his good path if he chooses it and not the path of revenge against the Friendlies. One of the super soldiers, a Dorsai, does play a prominent role in the latter part of the book. The main character faces an interesting climax which also involves the Dorsai. Perhaps, a weakness in the book are many of the characters other than Tam are one dimensional especially the female characters. I think a strength of the book is the portrait of religious fanactiscm. The black-clad Friendlies warriors seem quite similar to today's Isis warriors. For example, one of the warriors says, "Without my faith I am but common earth. But with my faith, there is no power can stay me!”

[Nebula Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally a short story (that won the Hugo award) and later re-written as the third installment of the Childe Cycle, Soldier, Ask Not is heavy with themes of faith and philosophy and treads a thin line between logic and faith – never condemning nor promoting one or the other.

The title – Soldier, Ask Not – hints at the main themes of the book; the constant struggle between duty and responsibility; between blind obedience and discretion; between destiny and choice.

Our main character – Tam Olyn – was brought up with a nihilistic ethos that he has spent his life trying to shrug off. He has a ‘divine experience’ and is thus interpreted by some to be a man of importance; a man of great power and responsibility.

However, Tam is stubborn and arrogant and, through circumstances, sees himself as not a power for good, but a force for vengeance and for change. He embraces his nihilistic upbringing and sets out to destroy those he feels have wronged him.

To read the rest of this review or read author interviews or science fiction, fantasy and horror reviews visit my blog: https://nebulabooks.wordpress.com/201...

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book really convinced me that Dickson meant for the Childe Cycle to be a self-contained trilogy in the beginning.

Soldier, Ask Not runs parallel to and sheds light on a pivotal plot point in Dorsai!. It also draws themes (directly and indirectly) from Necromancer and really helps to bind the two together in a cohesive whole.

Dickson did a great job of making me root for a protagonist who really seemed more like an antagonist; he was more sympathetic than I expected and I found myself not only curious about his eventual plans, but rooting for his success.

Dorsai!, Necromancer, and Soldier, Ask Not are all parts of a whole that illustrate Dickson's thesis about humanity and humanity's evolution; even though I'd originally wanted to know more about Donal Graeme's (the protagonist of Dorsai!) story, I was fairly content with the story that Dickson wanted to tell here about humanity.

I can't say, however, that I came away from this trilogy feeling incredibly impressed or moved. I think that's mostly because I've seen fuller executions of these ideas in books like Dune.

[Gabriel Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly I'm not done with these. There's something both sparse and torridly overwritten at once about this odd, humourless book. The "science" behind it barely holds together and the story, a twisty tale of revenge sought through Machiavellian manoeuvres of politics and manipulation, would function perfectly well without it. But the universe of the splinter worlds compels and somehow, even the awful Friendlies extract a modicum of sympathy. On to Tactics of Mistake, the first one I read back when I was sixteen.

[Joe Santoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really deep, and in the good way, not the annoying hipster way. It's a great exploration of humanity in general, with some really interesting bits about the press.

Tam is a very interesting character, and the 14 worlds, with their Splintered evolution, is a great, unique setting. There's not much hard sci fi to be found (none, in fact), but that's totally not the point here. And if one of the characters is alot like Hari Seldon, I consider that a tribute :)

[Kathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10
In this installment of Dickson's Childe Cycle, we learn about the Final Encyclopedia and the man seemingly destined to lead it, Tam Olyn. Turning his heart and unique powers toward "Destruct", Tam roams the galaxy and works his way up the ranks of Newsman's Guild, all the while manipulating people and events as he seeks a very personal revenge with interstellar consequences.

Fast-paced action with philosophical interludes, the book is both interesting and thought-provoking.

[Quad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secondo tomo del ciclo dei Dorsai.
Tom Olyn, spinto all'inizio dalla giovanile ambizione e poi da un senso di vendetta, tenterà di distruggere un'intera razza, gli Amichevoli, mercenari dalla divisa nera e veri fanatici. Il loro motto è "soldato non chiedere" poiché obbediscono agli ordini senza mai porsi domande.Bello, più bello di Generale genetico perché più strutturato e raccontato. Forse uno dei migliori di Dickson.

[Trevor McGuire · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was simply too complicated and uninteresting for me. It had too many sidelines and uninteresting characters for my liking. Maybe if I read the rest of the Childe Cycle, I would have a better grasp of this universe? I think I'll pass on that.

I got the feeling that the author read Foundation and was like "Hey, I can do that, too! But instead of following a main story, I'll following ALL the stories and loosely connect them to the Encyclopedia."

[Connor Ha · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

Although Dorsai! Was by far my favorite book in the series, this book also was very good, told in the point of view of someone with less than pure motives. Great ending

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good solid SciFi that starts and ends focused on "I".

[Jesse Callaghan]

Not really sure how I feel about it. Very dated in terms of style but has its moments.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn’t even graduated from high school when the Hugo-winning Soldier, Ask Not was published. Frankly, it is as relevant today as it was back in the 1960s. A story about fanaticism, social and biological evolution, and individual obsession, it could easily be about politics, social engineering, and human nature in the modern world.

Tam Olyn and his sister, Eileen, are orphans, raised by a strict uncle with a nihilistic philosophy. The uncle hates the populations adapted to the colonized worlds because they all are superior to “mere” earthlings in at least one regard. So, he sees “mere” earthlings as failures and hates the outworlders for having shown their superiority.

Tam believes that he can throw off his uncle’s programming. He believes he can find his calling in the News Guild, working for the Interstellar News Service. It offers cash and prestige, as well as “power” in Tam’s mind. But before he can join the guild, his sister talks him into visiting a project called the Final Encyclopedia. Modern readers might consider this massive storage of information combined with analytics to be analogous to a global artificial intelligence project today. Yet, in the novel, the project has a more transcendent relationship to Tam. For years, no one has heard the voices in the center of the project, but Tam has that ability. Yet, he rejects it as surely as many human beings try to reject any form of transcendence in their lives today.

Tam’s rejection, or possibly denial, leads to circumstances which undermine his purpose and his self-confidence. I wouldn’t ordinarily give such a spoiler, but it’s on the back cover of the paperback edition I read (Dell first edition, 1967) that he sees his brother-in-law murdered in a wartime atrocity and decides to wreak revenge on the population who perpetrated said atrocity. It doesn’t give the psychological reason Tam felt so strongly that he needed to avenge the brother-in-law, but it’s a very good one.

When I’m reading fiction, I particularly enjoy imagery or description that makes me stop and consider the implications or possibilities. On one occasion, Tam meets the second of the twin Dorsai military geniuses “…striding toward me like some two-eyed Odin, …” (p. 185) and the entire gravitas of the description washed over me with the exhilarating delight of a wave off Oahu. But Dickson doesn’t just draw from mythology and literal gods in describing the fanatical soldiers against whom Tam has sworn vengeance; he also draws from history. He sees in the commander-in-chief of the military sect “…the eyes of a Torquemada…” (p. 134) with inevitable reverberations from the Spanish Inquisition.

To be honest, Soldier, Ask Not is more of a journey of self-discovery and realization than a story of vengeance. Oh, vengeance is a vital motive, but it always seems as if Tam is running away from something more than advancing his resources directly upon revenge. He could be running away from: 1) his past, 2) love, 3) his weakness, 4) human society, or 5) responsibility. Maybe, he is running away from some tapestry of all of the above.

Whatever Tam was running from, I found him to be one of the few protagonists for which I didn’t feel more than the most minor grain of sympathy. I usually identify with at least some attitude or attribute of a protagonists—even one from different social classes, cultures, or gender from myself. As a result, Hugo winner or not, I can only give this four stars. For those unafraid of spoilers feel free to read beyond the bold print. For those who still haven’t experienced this ground-breaking book in the genre, I advise skipping the rest of this review.

SPOILER ALERT

While I’m not sure exactly how much of a spoiler this is, much of Soldier, Ask Not revolves around an earthly human’s prejudice toward the genetically adapted (and superior in at least one way) humans of the outer worlds. Tam’s rumination on their differences should have implications for the ending of the novel as well as for the reader. “If they had only one thing in actuality, I had all things in potential. Root stock, basic stock, Earth human that I was, I was part of all of them on the Younger worlds, and there was no one of them there that could not find an echo of themselves in me.” (p. 218) For me, this spoke of human connectedness in the modern world, challenging myself and other readers to be more open to other perspectives and be adaptable in terms of relating to others.

[Joseph Hirsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the future, humans have seeded the far stars, becoming estranged from their homeworld, Earth, in the process. Subspeciation hasn’t yet occurred (so far as we know), but heavy specialization has. Each planet has its own specialty and its own guild representing the master practitioners of that trade. There’s a planet devoted to scientific endeavors, one devoted to mysticism; and there’s of course a planet whose inhabitants are devoted to all things martial. This last group ironically call themselves “the Friendlies,” and bear some resemblance to Frank Herbert’s Harkonnen, or Heinlein’s jingoistic earthlings in Starship Troopers.
Most of those still on Earth are considered inferior, an afterthought, either lacking the skills or connections necessary to ascend to some place of greater importance among the exoplanets. Earth itself is sort of a ghetto (in the traditional sense of the word), a place to confine socially stigmatized people who can achieve some mobility (but not a lot) by practicing some trade.
Among these leftovers is Tam Olyn, a cynic and a son of nihilist who has ambitions of escaping Earth, and making the most he can of that limited mobility he’s been allowed. At the beginning of the novel, he’s a bit like William Makepeace Thackeray’s Redmond Barry in The Luck of Barry Lyndon. He’s shrewd and cunning, but in a mean and completely utilitarian way. He’s offered glimpses of a more meaningful life, and even offered a place in a society devoted to something called “the Encyclopedia,” a massive project intent on curating and analyzing the whole of human history and thought in the hopes of helping humanity to evolve to the next stage (rather than growing into ever-more fissiparous factions.) There’s not quite enough information about the Encyclopedia for the reader to get a clear understanding of the stakes, but this subgenre/strain in SF of curatorship has been done better, and before Dickson. See Canticle for Liebowitz and Walter Tevis’s Mockingbird for a couple examples.
It’s an interesting idea, and Olyn’s character arc marks a fascinating trajectory, but it feels mandated by the plot rather than being a matter of an organic transition. People can change, but it’s hard to see why one battle not only clarified things for the cynical Olyn, but caused him to pull a one-eighty.
Author Ernest Dickson was a solid SF writer, but seemed to hit his stride with his comedic novels about the “space bears” (I forget his name for these extraterrestrial ursine creatures.) Soldier, Ask Not has the strained and purple quality I associate more with Ray Bradbury’s melodramatic operas, not the lean sardonicism (or blithe humanism) Dickson usually musters. At his best (or most humorous) Dickson’s imagination is so strong that his work feels like intergalactic anthropology. He doesn’t seem to be pulling the customs, folkways, and artifacts of these distant species out of his ass, or even extrapolating based on Earth’s morphology. He really just seems to be standing there taking notes on other planets.
I guess what I’m trying to say is I think Dickson had a knack for finding humanlike traits in the aliens, rather than dealing with humanity itself.
I think this thing won a passel of awards, though, and probably still has many defenders. And maybe rereading it would yield new insights and another assessment. Maybe I’ll try it again a few years hence.

[Stuart McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is where Dickson really starts getting into his stride on the Childe cycle. This is also my reread some 35 years after the last time I read this...

Tam Olyn, a journalist, finds himself, as an old-earth native, at the centre of project to consolidate all of human knowledge in a vast machine as part of his familial responsibilities to his sister.

In spite of his clear 'psychic' link between himself and this project ('The Final Encyclopedia') he rejects a role to be involved in creating the largest database of human knowledge there ever might be.

Dickson prophetically creates wikipedia (without creating the internet) and its' potential impact on our (global) ability to learn. He also predicts (in prior books) the splintering of the human race into factions, based on other planets.

The factions are the strong splinter movements of humanity - from faith to science, military might to psychic potential, human groups have migrated to the echo chambers of their own kind on the worlds that they have claimed.

Tam, as a newsman, has unprecedented access across these spheres of influence and, after an horrific incident involving a family member early on, starts to plot the downfall of one of these splinter groups, much to the chagrin of wiser folks.

We see the impact of military training on the worlds he works on and, in particular, the difference between the utter professionalism of the Dorsai and the enforced servitude of the Friendly religious forces. While it's clear who's top dog militarily, one is led to understand that being good at fighting isn't the be all and end all of battle...

Definitely worth reading - the depiction of (gross, large-scale) splintered socio-politico groups is worthwhile and Dickson has also very cleverly managed to create a transparently pervasive technology that is not uncomfortable in 2019 (the novel was published in 1967).

This is Dickson as he is coming into his powers, confidently extending the shorts (Genetic General and Necromancer) into something of novel length and extending the shared universe he has created with both existing characters (Donal, Ian, Kensie Graham, Padme, etc) and new ones that have influence across the milieu.

It's also one of the first SciFi series published over multiple years that had a real story arc - where the characters and narrative have links across the years, without necessarily being 1/2/3 etc in a series.

If you want to start this cycle, this is the place to begin - fill in the story arcs from the earlier books later. Reading this in 2019, it still has a degree of freshness that is pleasantly surprising.

If you haven't read this, pick it up and have a go - the writing from the 1960s may still surprise you...

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soldier, Ask Not won the Hugo award as a short story in 1965. Gordon R. Dickson subsequently expanded it to a full-length novel in 1967. The edition I read was published in 1975, with wrap-around cover art by Tony Roberts. Soldier, Ask Not is the second volume of Dickson's Dorsai trilogy, following Tactics of Mistake.

Dickson provides much more detail of his Splinter Cultures universe than he does in Tactics of Mistake. The human race has spread to a number of other planets and on each of these planets has evolved into a distinct subtype. Trade between the planets consists of the exchange of  specialized skills.

The Exotics, for example are mystical philosophers, whose science of ontogenetics enables them to predict human behaviour; the Friendlies are a martial faith-based culture; other planets are science-based; the Dorsai are soldiers.

On Earth, the homeworld, the Final Encyclopedia is being developed, which is somehow a gathering together of all human knowledge, destined to play a mystical role in reintegrating the human race. The Final Encyclopedia feels a bit like the Internet, though Dickson doesn't give much detail. 

The main protagonist, Tam Olyn, has a special connection to the Final Encyclopedia, though again Dickson doesn't explain. Olyn, actually, is a twisted and hate-filled character, who makes it his goal in the book to destroy the Friendly culture.

We can sympathize with the Friendlies, against Olyn, despite their religious fanaticism. The title of the book is based on their battle hymn, which begins,

Soldier, ask not—now, or ever,
Where to war your banners go.
Anarch's legions all surround us,
Strike—and do not count the blow.

The main protagonists in both this book and in its predecessor, Tactics of Mistake, are supremely gifted though highly unpleasant individuals. Tactics of Mistake hints at redemption through love, though I think Dickson ultimately misses the mark. The author is more explicit about the redeeming power of love in Soldier, Ask Not, in which consists perhaps the main thrust of the story.

The splinter culture idea and the Final Encyclopedia are both interesting concepts, though both I feel are somewhat dated from the perspective now, many years after the book was written. Soldier, Ask Not is certainly military science fiction, though the Dorsai soldier-culture plays a relatively minor role in this second volume of the trilogy—the "soldier" of the title is a mercenary from the Friendly planets, not a Dorsai. I'm interested now to see how the trilogy concludes in the third volume, Dorsai!.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most inspiring books I ever read. It enabled me to truly focus on nothing but my task in life. In retrospect not too healthy for me, but a lot of fun for several decades.

Quote from "Soldier, Ask Not" by Gordon R. Dickson
"They are fools that think that wealth or women or strong drink or even drugs can buy the most in effort out of the soul of a man. These things offer pale pleasures compared to that which is the greatest of them all, that task which demands more from him than his utmost strength, that absorbs him, bone and sinew and brain and hope and fear and dreams -- and still calls for more.

They are fools that think otherwise. No great effort was ever bought. No painting, no music, no poem, no cathedral in stone, no church, no state was ever raised into being for payment of any kind. Not Parthenon, no Thermopylae was ever built or fought for pay or glory; no Bukhara sacked or China ground beneath Mongol heel, for loot or power alone. The payment for doing these things was itself the doing of them.

To wield oneself -- to use oneself as a tool in one's own hand -- and so to make or break that which no-one can build or ruin -- that is the greatest pleasure known to man! To one who has felt the chisel in his hand and set free the angel prisoned in the marble block, or to one who has felt the sword in hand and set homeless the soul that a moment before lived in the body of his mortal enemy -- to these both come alike the taste of that rare food spread only for demons or for gods."

[Some Random]

February 2025, Montana.

Is it better to believe in something foolish or not to believe in anything at all? I'll admit, there's not a lot of appeal to Nihilism, but it's a hard philosophy to argue against. Most arguments against it seem to come down to that it's either not fun or not pragmatic. Both of which I agree with, but how does one renew belief once it's lost?

The answer for Tam Olyn seems to be some kind of magic handwaving and a pretty girl. I found his last minute conversion from Nihilistic Narcissism to be incredibly unconvincing. I suppose it had to happen for whatever grand goals Dickson has for the series and the world it tells of, felt very railroaded to me.

Speaking of railroads, Olyn seems to be the worst so far of the superhuman, even godlike protagonists of the series. It's one thing to have superhuman intuition or Admiral Thrawn-like mastery of strategy, but Olyn's ability to manipulate anyone is nothing short of magical.
Of course, he fails when it comes to manipulating the religious fanatics or "Friendlies". It seems like that this is more due to him not understanding their intrinsic motivations more than any inherit difficulty with manipulating them. Which leads us back to the mutual incomprehensibility that exists between believers and unbelievers.

To this I can relate. For asking these questions, I would say that this is the best book of the series so far, though the story itself is the least engaging and the main character the most off-putting (which was obviously intentional on Dickson's part).

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars
I am still 2 books behind schedule and probably going to lose more ground in the next couple of months. So I pulled this one from our 60s scifi bookcase to reread. I knew it would go quickly and that I would be crying as I read the last chapter.

Yes, I enjoyed it. I liked the themes of faith and reason; duty and revenge; love and hate. And Tam changes immensely during the course of the book. That's what makes a book worthwhile.

Although this book is listed as #3 in the Childe cycle, that is based on internal chronology. This was the first book written in that universe. As another reviewer noted, "Soldier, Ask Not" was originally a short story. Dickson's editor and/or agent convinced him to expand it into a novel. And then Dickson went beyond that and wrote the other stories of the cycle. I haven't read all the others, but of the ones I have sampled, this is IMO the best. Some of the others are quite weak in characterization, and reading them feels to me like hard work, while Dickson fills in the imagined future history but without the passion of Soldier Ask Not. Others are pretty good, again IMO, because the development of the character is what is most important to me.