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BattleTech Universe #23
Far Country
Sho-sa Yubari Takuda leads a Draconis Elite Strike Team, one of the Combine's elite commando units. Well versed in techniques of conventional and unconventional warfare, even MechWarriors respect and fear the prowess of these deadly warriors.
A follower of the ancient code of the samurai, Sho-sa Takuda firmly believes in the superiority of the Combine warrior culture and has always maintained that it would produce a harmonious and prosperous society - if only the realm could be freed from the pressures of foreign aggressors.
But when a JumpShip malfunction catapults Takuda's team and a company of mercenary MechWarriors beyond known space, he finds long-held beliefs challenged. For the warriors find themselves on a planet inhabited by a primitive alien race, a race enslaved by the descendants of another group of humans - from the Draconis Combine.
A follower of the ancient code of the samurai, Sho-sa Takuda firmly believes in the superiority of the Combine warrior culture and has always maintained that it would produce a harmonious and prosperous society - if only the realm could be freed from the pressures of foreign aggressors.
But when a JumpShip malfunction catapults Takuda's team and a company of mercenary MechWarriors beyond known space, he finds long-held beliefs challenged. For the warriors find themselves on a planet inhabited by a primitive alien race, a race enslaved by the descendants of another group of humans - from the Draconis Combine.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1993
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132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 29, 2019
So, my good friends Noah and Elyssa dropped off over 100lbs of books April 14, with the request that I review them. This is the first...
Battlemechs! Well, sort of. Expecting a light military sci-fi novel, I discovered Far Country is a discussion of what happens when a Battlemech group crashes on an alien planet. An interesting premise is marred by unfinished plotlines, weak character development, and casual unfocused sexism.
In the first few pages the author takes the time to point out that the male leaders of the various groups did not believe women should be in combat roles. One would hope in vain for character development over the novel that might shift views towards women, but at best the author just seems to forget as the novel progresses.
Battlemechs! Well, sort of. Expecting a light military sci-fi novel, I discovered Far Country is a discussion of what happens when a Battlemech group crashes on an alien planet. An interesting premise is marred by unfinished plotlines, weak character development, and casual unfocused sexism.
In the first few pages the author takes the time to point out that the male leaders of the various groups did not believe women should be in combat roles. One would hope in vain for character development over the novel that might shift views towards women, but at best the author just seems to forget as the novel progresses.
August 8, 2012
Though it is outside of what happens in the BT universe, I enjoyed having an alien species, the one and only time to my knowledge, and I really enjoyed the use of the LAM.
July 18, 2020
It was... mostly fine (?) as a piece of generic science fiction. Some of the characters actions in the latter half of the book (especially the conclusion) didn’t make a ton of sense.
May 31, 2013
Far Country by Peter L. Rice is a strange novel in the Battletech Universe. It has aliens and descendants of the survivors of a shipwreck. Into this world another jump disaster shipwrecks a DEST infantry group, a lance of mercenary mechwarriors and survivors from the crews of the jumpships and dropships.
I didn't really enjoy this book, partly because it is such a departure from the Battletech Universe, but also because the characters are very stupid. The DEST commander the worst of all.
I didn't really enjoy this book, partly because it is such a departure from the Battletech Universe, but also because the characters are very stupid. The DEST commander the worst of all.
May 25, 2024
This book is pretty irrelevant to the greater scope of the BattleTech universe. It's infamous among the fandom as "the one with the aliens," however, the plot remains largely about conflicts among the human characters of the book.
It's not a terrible book, but it isn't great. The main protagonist, Takuda, is a vey bland character, while the antagonists are far more interesting. We don't really get a resolution. I think Rice was attempting to leave it open for a sequel, but a direct sequel to this book never really followed.
This one is an easy "skip" if you're trying to follow the main plotlines of the BattleTech fiction. It isn't bad, but it isn't good either, and these characters are never revisited.
It's not a terrible book, but it isn't great. The main protagonist, Takuda, is a vey bland character, while the antagonists are far more interesting. We don't really get a resolution. I think Rice was attempting to leave it open for a sequel, but a direct sequel to this book never really followed.
This one is an easy "skip" if you're trying to follow the main plotlines of the BattleTech fiction. It isn't bad, but it isn't good either, and these characters are never revisited.
June 3, 2021
BattleTech Series Book 22. Does not really have anything to do with the main BattleTech story line, goes against the BattleTech mantra of only human development, with intelligent Avian Aliens. (To be fair, the Sword and the Dagger kind of delved into the alien aspect as well, but those aliens were much less advanced.)
I think this is the only book that used the Land-Air Mechs like Robotech as well.
This is my least favorite of all of the BattleTech series.
I think this is the only book that used the Land-Air Mechs like Robotech as well.
This is my least favorite of all of the BattleTech series.
February 25, 2024
So many thoughts. Many unkind and lots of justifiable criticism. (Again so much weird misogyny...even for a pulp 90s SF book.) At the same time, there are alot of interesting sci fi elements at play here. However none of them really synthesize into a coherent hole. Glad I reas this infamous piece of BattleTech history and very glad to move onwards to better fiction next.
April 6, 2023
I've been on a read through of all the Battletech novels and honestly this has been the worst so far. The premise is interesting, a small unit of Draconis Combine troops and some mercenaries crash on an alien world. There is tension between the two groups right off the bat but it goes into overdrive when it is discovered that there is an alien race and several conclaves of previously ship-wrecked humans on the planet. The plot goes downhill from there. Don't read it's not worth it.
December 21, 2018
Really great read. Loved the ending.
June 30, 2022
I loved the different POV of this story. The “alien” planet, making the humans the aliens is a delightful switch. Very thought provoking with a few nice twists.
December 25, 2015
Having worked my way through a lot of terrible books in my time, I can comfortably say that this was easily one of the worst books I've ever read. Hands down.
What's wrong with it?
Aside from the infuriating amount of sexism, blatant racism, and the piss-poor way it was written?
Well, the entire book is nothing but a novel based around the concept of The White Man's Burden.
In a universe that seems to take pride in not giving half a fuck, this book is one of the most enraging pieces of literature ever written. Mercenaries are portrayed in a light that is completely counter to the theme of mercs in the entire book series. Instead, they are shown as pitiful, mindless, greedy, and short-sighted. Nothing more interesting than even the most debased Spanish Conquistador.
Also in a series that goes out of it's way to mention that in all of the expansion that humans have managed to do during the time space travel has been consistent the only other sentient species ever encountered is nothing more advanced than what the English believed native Africans and Americans to be. Simple minded, easily lead, and in desperate need of guidance and care.
It's an enraging book and if I could give a half-star I would because this does not even deserve to have a single point of a star shining. Giving it a single star is still too generous.
What's wrong with it?
Aside from the infuriating amount of sexism, blatant racism, and the piss-poor way it was written?
Well, the entire book is nothing but a novel based around the concept of The White Man's Burden.
In a universe that seems to take pride in not giving half a fuck, this book is one of the most enraging pieces of literature ever written. Mercenaries are portrayed in a light that is completely counter to the theme of mercs in the entire book series. Instead, they are shown as pitiful, mindless, greedy, and short-sighted. Nothing more interesting than even the most debased Spanish Conquistador.
Also in a series that goes out of it's way to mention that in all of the expansion that humans have managed to do during the time space travel has been consistent the only other sentient species ever encountered is nothing more advanced than what the English believed native Africans and Americans to be. Simple minded, easily lead, and in desperate need of guidance and care.
It's an enraging book and if I could give a half-star I would because this does not even deserve to have a single point of a star shining. Giving it a single star is still too generous.
June 28, 2010
This book is different from the other Battletech stories. The book opens with a jumpship having an accident during jump 500 years before the current battletech setting (meaning that Battlemechs are just a new idea) and the dropships crashland on an uncharted planet. 500 years later the same thing happens but this time with 5 battlemechs on board.
What happens is a mixture of different ideas - how the original strandees have evolved, sharng the planet with an alien species and how the humans cope with this, the introduction of incredibly advanced war machines into a early industrialised society. The author makes some use of these and it is refreshing to see something different in the battletech storyline but he doesn't make full use of what he has got which is a shame.
Still a good book thugh and a worthwhile read.
What happens is a mixture of different ideas - how the original strandees have evolved, sharng the planet with an alien species and how the humans cope with this, the introduction of incredibly advanced war machines into a early industrialised society. The author makes some use of these and it is refreshing to see something different in the battletech storyline but he doesn't make full use of what he has got which is a shame.
Still a good book thugh and a worthwhile read.
July 23, 2016
A complete standalone Battletech novel, having nothing to do with the current (3056 era) timeline.
A dropship gets caught up in a cosmic anomaly and is blasted into unknown space.
On board are a DEST commando team and a group of mercenaries.
Being stranded brings tensions to the fore, especially when they discover descendants from another victim of the anomaly 500 years earlier.
This was difficult to get into, although it picked up towards the end. It's pretty far fetched, even by giant stompy robot standards. It's the only Battletech novel by this author. I'm not sure if the idea for it was his, or if it came from FASA trying to expand the universe.
A dropship gets caught up in a cosmic anomaly and is blasted into unknown space.
On board are a DEST commando team and a group of mercenaries.
Being stranded brings tensions to the fore, especially when they discover descendants from another victim of the anomaly 500 years earlier.
This was difficult to get into, although it picked up towards the end. It's pretty far fetched, even by giant stompy robot standards. It's the only Battletech novel by this author. I'm not sure if the idea for it was his, or if it came from FASA trying to expand the universe.
February 6, 2019
This is a book that has been at the center of many debates in the Battletech universe. Aliens, not the Clans but actual aliens. The difference is that humans are the aliens not the Tetate on whose planet the humans land. I think it is worth a read simply because it is something different in the canon that does not involve the 'mechs as the main characters. This book is a study of no matter what opportunities we have in front of us people will always want more, even if what we want has no real value.
August 12, 2011
Far Country is a bit of a departure from the "main line" of BattleTech novels. It's okay, and worth a read, but be prepared for something not-quite-vanilla-flavoured-BattleTech.
It's a decent BattleTech novel, and the addition of sentient aliens doesn't intrude too much.
In the end, I liked the novel for what it was. But I wouldn't recommend it as typical BattleTech.
It's a decent BattleTech novel, and the addition of sentient aliens doesn't intrude too much.
In the end, I liked the novel for what it was. But I wouldn't recommend it as typical BattleTech.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews