Contact with Chaos

Freehold #4

by Michael Z. Williamson

The Galactic Rumble Is On!First contact with an alien species—and, surprise, the human race is far from united. The Freeholders want trade. The U.N. wants to manage. The eco-warriors want "purity" at all costs. Humans—you gotta love ‘em! Once again, a historic meeting between potential friends is about to turn into a free-fire zone! A stand-out entry in the "Freehold" saga by Michael Z. Williamson, co-author with New York Times best-seller John Ringo of "Posleen War" hit, Hero.At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management)."Williamson's military expertise is impressive." —SF ReviewsMichael Z. Williamson was born in Birkenhead, England and raised in Liverpool, and Toronto, Canada, before moving to Newark, Ohio. A 22-year veteran of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, he is a state-ranked competitive shooter in combat rifle and combat pistol. His other books include Freehold and The Weapon for Baen, the Target Terror series for HarperCollins, (Targets of Opportunity, The Scope of Justice, Confirmed Kill) and The Hero, a collaboration with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo for Baen. He currently lives near Indianapolis with his wife Gail, also a veteran, their two children, and various cats that are not to be trusted.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Military Fiction, Space Opera, Military Science Fiction, War, Aliens

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2009

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is by Michael Z. Williamson and is set in his "Freehold" universe. In this one a mining corporation ship from Freehold is exploring an uncharted solar system. They discover intelligent life on one of it's planets. This is the first non-human intelligence ever found. They report back to Freehold and make plans to exploit the system. The Freehold government decides to send a ship to the system to make sure that the natives are not taken advantage of. The UN representing Earth and it's many colonies also sends a ship. Despite the fact that Freehold and Earth had been at war several years earlier and still don't really trust each other they decide to cooperate in order to protect the natives who are thought to be just past a Stone Age technology. Several company's as well as some religious organizations also send ships. Everyone has their own agenda and it is up to Freehold and the UN to see that things are done properly. To complicate matters the natives are not as primitive as they are thought to be. This is a great read and I recommend it.

[Nathan Balyeat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally I read Mike's stuff for non-stop action. Often there's a good bit of thought provoking material in the books as well.

This book is a bit light on the action compared to his previous books, but is probably second only to Freehold in terms of cultural compare and contrast.

I am in awe of his portrayal of alien cultures. This is quite possibly the best first contact novel I've ever read. Everything is consistent enough that I don't have to suspend disbelief, and the aliens are both very like us, yet different in ways consistent with the limitations of their environment.

Great read. My biggest issue... it's too short. I'm looking forward to more.

[John Pitzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entry from the solid MZW, expanding on the Freehold Universe, is an enjoyable addition to the series. Solid, professional review and exploration of the main idea - what if a planet had no access to metals, and how would the civilizations develop - is well done, and leaves room for expansion. I look forward to more in this series, and especially more works by Mr. Williamson.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freehold (lawyered-up libertarian capitalists), the UN (bureaucratic fascists), and corporation imperialists encounter non-human sentient life for the first time. Surprise, chaos ensues. Nothing like Pournelle and Niven's The Mote in God's Eye or Aldrin and Barnes' Encounter with Tiber. More diplomacy than combat.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book that shows a governmental approach to a first contact event. Really enjoyed this side of science fiction that isnt typically seen.

[Jon]

I was excited to pick up this book by Williamson, which is once again set in his Freehold universe. It is, as one might guess from the title, a novel about first contact with an alien race. A ship owned by Halo Materials Group (HMG) of Freehold discovers a planet in the 107 Piscis system that they are hoping to mine for materials is already inhabited. While it can't be exploited in the ordinary slash and mine fashion, it could be a figurative gold mine for the company, but the first contact experts, such as they are, must be brought in first to determine what effect cultural contamination might have on the residents of the planet.

An expedition is hastily mounted, led by Citizen Mark Ballenger, a former corporate negotiator now working (as the nearest thing to an ambassador to aliens) for the Freehold government, to first survey and then possibly make contact with the Ishkul (as it turns out they call themselves). Mark has a little competition in the system, as a diplomat from the UN, Nurin Russ, soon arrives in system, as well, hoping to woo the Ishkul to trade with Earth and its allies, rather than Freehold. Mark and Ambassador Russ come to an accomodation fairly rapidly, and are able to work together to defend the Ishkul against the rapacious robber barons. The only corporate ships allowed in the system at first are HMG and DHS, one of their main rivals.

The Ishkul are at first thought to have only a neolithic level of technology, but it fairly soon becomes apparent that that impression was mistaken. The planet has almost no elements in the metals category of the periodic table present, and so all of their technology has developed without metals. However, the humans find out that the aliens have already created wood-framed telescopes with ground crystal lenses, and they become aware of the humans' presence in the system quickly and invite contact by drawing geographic and mathematic symbols, like the Pythagorean theorem, on the planet's surface.

Williamson does a fantastic job of doing something that SF authors used to routinely (with varying levels of genius) do - take a hypothetical situation and explore all of the philosophical, cultural and technical aspects of it while telling an entertaining and perhaps educational story. His descriptions of the Ishkul's methods of achieving what turns out to be the equal of 20th century technology in many areas without having the use of metals are fantastic. Sort of like building an alternate history of the industrial revolution that uses glass, resins, wood, steam, water power, biochemistry and genetic engineering rather than Earth's somewhat brute force approach.

His primary alien characters, the ambassadors appointed by the largest nation on the planet, Vlashn and Somle, have fully developed personalities and agendas of their own, which play against Mark and Nurin's desire to move slowly and not contaminate their culture with any hint of how humans got where they are. Some fantastic conversations and twisty intrigues ensue, and there's a truly great surprise at the end. Williamson has done a great job with this book, and I'm hoping to find some more of this genre and caliber soon.

[Matthew Stienberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting exploration of first contact in the world if Michael Z. Williamson's Freehold. It explores the merits of unrestricted capitalist systems, the problems those face in unintended consequences, and of course its interactions with other human systems and aliens. The aliens are, really, the most interesting part of this book. They are uniquely designed, have very different philosophy and technology, while remaining very interestingly alien.

Decent science fiction with intriguing ideas.

[Becky Beaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully entertaining book! Contact with an intelligent alien species... who may actually be more intelligent than humans, despite their apparently pre-industrial appearance. Contesting human groups seeking trade advantage, contesting alien groups seeking primacy... yes, chaos is a good term for the resulting situation. Good plot, great characters, swift pacing -- highly recommended!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Formidable author

Mr. Williamson appears well educated over a fairly broad range of disciplines. Sharing that with his readers effectively bridges many gaps and gives greater understandability to his perspectives. More meat, less fluff, is a good thing.

[Brandon Mehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humans encounter a metal-poor alien society, which turns out to be a little more advanced than they expected. The technology available with just ceramics is meticulously researched, and it follows the tribulations of a negotiator of a laissez faire diplomat.

[Eben Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Well written story about alien contact and the pitfalls of establishing a fair deal. Good book, great author. I do recommend this book to all.

[David Andelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Protagonist a bit too OP, aliens a bit too anthropomorphic, a lot of misdirection leading to a disappointing reveal at the end

[Daniel Hamad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get what he was trying to do here, but to me, it just didn't come together in a way that made sense.

[Eric Hersh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent enough book. It basically covered first contact with a new species. There just were not as many interesting twists as some of Williamson's books have.

[Keith Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on first contact I can recall having read.

[Pat Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

First contact with aliens is a rich source for science fiction writers. It can be backstory to well-known characters (as in David Weber's story in "More Than Honor"), it can present humanity in a good light (see "Legwork" by Eric Frank Russell) or reveal our less-than-stellar qualities (a far more common theme). In "Contact With Chaos", Williamson uses it to explore three very deep ideas.

First is a widely-held perception that primitive equates to innocent or ignorant (as in stupid) or both. The exploration team from Earth and Freehold is surprised when this outlook on their stone-tool-using aliens is shattered again and again by their ability and willingness to use those stone tools in creative and wicked ways. "...one good thing, they won't have artillery..." Oh, yeah? Ever heard of a trebuchet?

Next is the idea that primitive societies are always tribal or clan-like in structure. Instead, the human teams are confronted with a somewhat capitalistic economy "governed" by a pair of chairmen who can be removed from their posts if they don't deliver as expected. Here, WIlliamson's Freehold team members see the capitalist nature of the alien society, while the Earth team prefers to see the "elected" nature of the governors. Again, this misperception eventually bites them both.

Finally, I found it delightful that the alien scientists learned just as much from what they were not told as from what they were, the alien's military trainers found even the Freehold students in their training classes to be a bit clumsy and hard to train, and that generally, these aliens were shrewd and canny. They played each side of the human team against the other, and managed to keep them guessing and off-balance.

An excellent story that plays well on several levels, this is a worthy addition to the Freehold series.

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the “Freehold” universe, this novel is about first contact with a planetbound race that has almost no metals. They turn out to be quite advanced in ceramics, steam and other sciences, all developed without metals. Humanity, in the form of a joint Freehold/UN mission, makes efforts not to expose the race to metals. This inevitably causes tension.

While not as action packed as other Williamson novels, I found this highly enjoyable. The plot is both smart, entertaining and clever. The characters are perhaps somewhat unoriginal, but do the job adequately. I did have a hard time keeping track of some of the secondary characters. A dramatis personae would have been great. Williamson is at his best when describing the effects of weapons and other technology. Many other authors would have turned this book into a boring scholarly piece, but Williamson manages to keep the technology discussions both entertaining and fascinating. The story has many interesting twists to keep it going.

http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=39

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot less boom than the last MZW books I read. Traders from the Freehold of Grainne, a libertarian capitalist society, discover a planet with a nonhuman sentient species. The UN, a bureaucratic octopus now spanning twenty worlds, is also interested in contact with this new culture. (The Freehold/UN war is apparently within the lifetime of most of the characters - this adds a bit of tension and mutual distrust.) And there are various corporate interests from both Grainne and the UN looking for a slice of the pie as well. And no one really knows what the aliens want...

I liked it a lot. More to think about than "things are going to crap, start shooting" (although there is a bit of that toward the end).

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it was very different from earlier books in the series. It takes place at least 20 years after the last book, and is entirely different. Same universe, very different characters and problems to solve. Interesting idea, of how to deal with an entirely new species, and the different ways it might be approached. I like the underlying idea, of a single human planet that has minimal government, and its interactions with a confederation of human planets that have LOTS of government. For most of the book, nothing really happens. But it's still a decent read. I'll read more books in the series.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an exciting change from the last Williamson book I read. The story has mystery and suspense along with plenty of action. There is a real sense of wonder as we follow the first, first contact in this universe. The pacing is exceptional making the book hard to put down at any point after the first few chapters.

The only downside, was the characters mostly seemed under-developed. They were interesting, but not entirely or even mostly believable. It was a very fun read of a well constructed story.

[Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

A diplomatic process tome with none of the fire of the previous books.

As a third book in the series this is a departure from the keen military zeitgeist of the proceeding books. It is a process tome on first contact diplomacy. As the young Chinran is present but hardly seen, I kept mentally filling in on her unwritten adventures with the Ishkul -- to bad Williamson didn't record them!
As I like process books al la Heinlein and Weber, I found this one a mediocre attempt, merely a filler in the Freehold saga.

[Chuck Springer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the third in a series, but could almost stand on its own. It is set as a first contact novel. It was quite an intriguing tale as this book focuses on the interactions between the aliens and the humans, with both sides trying to learn as much as possible about the other without giving away too much information too early.

I thought that this was an excellent story that plays well on several levels, this is a worthy addition to the Freehold series.

[Alpha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 Pretty ho-hum overall. The standard for a "first contact" book (in my opinion) is A Mote in God's Eye, which is admittedly a pretty high bar to meet. Contact with Chaos was refreshing in its realism, with only the characters' being too rational for me to wholly believe. I could have overlooked the lack of conflict, if the alien species were more interesting.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book moved a lot slower and had a lot less action then most of Williamson's work that I read but I loved the world building. I thought Williamson did a great job with the first contact concepts. He also looked at how differences in culture and access to material could change technological and social development in a group and handled it in an interesting and believable way.

[Fumijo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmm...I ust don't like the style of the writing in this book. To me, it's very kludgy and doesn't flow. I just stopped reading it.

[Steve M.]

Very enjoyable. Best since Freehold 1.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking and interesting but a bit slower than some of his other works. Enjoyed the read and look forward to the next book.

[Keira F. Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably one of the more unique first-contact stories I've read. Interesting in that we're the 'advanced' race (sort of) making contact with a non-unified alien race.

[David Kilby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

As with every other book by Mr. Williamson, this one has a great story, fantastically written characters, and a firm grasp of military tactics. Well worth it.