Victory

by Lester del Rey

It seemed Earth was a rich and undefended planet in a warring, hating galaxy. Things can be deceptive though; children playing can be quite rough--but that ain't war, friend!

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Aliens, Audiobook, War

56 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Lester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. Del Rey is especially famous for his juvenile novels such as those which are part of the Winston Science Fiction series, and for Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction branch of Ballantine Books edited by Lester del Rey and his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey.

Also published as:
Philip St. John
Eric van Lihn
Erik van Lhin
Kenneth Wright
Edson McCann (with Frederik Pohl)

Reviews

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as part of the 10th Science Fiction Megapack. Excellect listening 2023

[Kandice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd story. It was entertaining, mostly because it was written so very long ago. This is my favorite type of sci-fi, along the lines of Heinlein, Bradbury, etc. The actual look of the supposed future matters less than what they think the human race will become. How we will interact with other races/beings. What advances we will make, which in turn give us a glimpse into what was important to people at the time the story was written.

Where the story fell short was in a plot, story line or follow through with an actual ending! It’s more like a “Day in the life...” tale that goes nowhere. I have to admit that I didn’t even understand what Earth’s new weapon was really about. That science went over my head. Did “fly by” to quote Ian Malcolm of Jurassic Park!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant golden age sci-fi (Astounding Science Fiction, August, 1955) but the discussion of mature societies, and the difference between teens and adults who have grown to deal with things maturely seems overly hopeful in this current age of so many extremely immature adults in positions of power.

I loved the following summation, a positive spin on the human condition while acknowledging the imperfection of the work in progress that humanity is, and the inevitability of problems:

"And in the present, as always, there were larger and larger problems, while full maturity lay forever a little farther on... There were problems behind him, too. Ones whose solutions made these problems possible. And there would always be victory enough. What was victory after all but the chance to face bigger and bigger problems without fear?"

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique and enjoyable novella that manages to tie in a number of characters into a meaningful plot. The best part was a material change in world view by the protagonist and a poignant description of a world dealing with the aftereffects of war. The worst part was a number of cliche characters typical for a writer publishing in a scifi magazine, as well as a few plot holes.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I liked it; it was short, and had an intriguing premise. Earth kicks a deep game, friends...

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella is pretty good but it ends like a driving into a brick wall.

[Phil Giunta · Rating 3 out of 5]

After 14 years in space defending the planet Meloa from an incursion by the Throm, Captain Duke O’Neill returns to find Kordule, the capital of Meloa, devastated after a series of Throm raids that occurred over the past few months.

To make matters worse, Earth remained neutral and refused to intervene on behalf Meloa. For this, O’Neill holds a bitter grudge against his home planet and refuses to return. Rather, he decides to remain on Meloa. He first tracks down his wife, Ronda, who survived the raids, but is living in squalor along with many other humans and native Meloans. O’Neill soon learns that his marriage was a sham from the beginning and Ronda wants nothing more to do with him.

Meanwhile, another war is brewing between the humanoid Kloomirians and the Earth colony Cathay and yet again, Earth maintains its position of neutrality. With no job prospects on Meloa, O’Neill attempts to reenlist on behalf of Cathay, but Director Flannery of the Earth Foreign Office has other ideas for the soldier, one that will explain the psychology behind Earth’s apparent cowardice.

Victory begins as a story of a bitter, displaced war veteran with few prospects and ends with a lesson in the maturation of cultures from destructive warmongering to peaceful coexistence.

[William O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story very much. As exciting as some of the space battles are, the story has a far deeper meaning.

Lester del Rey takes us into the future where wars are fought almost continually by some human colonies, and the many alien races we encounter as humanity ventures out into the endless depths of space. Earth, however, remains neutral in the majority of these seemingly endless wars.

And it turns out there is a damned good reason for Earth's neutrality. Humanity has moved past warfare.

That is what spoke to me most about this story. It's shows a universe where humanity thrives, and, despite the conflicts raging all around it, we strive to maintain peace, because peace IS something worth striving for.

[Tige Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story doesn't hold up well, today it is dull and obvious; the sci-fi is very common - yet in the 1930s when this was written the idea of a galactic Federation and interstellar war was probably newish - the writing itself is not very good nor is it well constructed; its very simple writing, often overly descriptive and redundant - I kept returning to the notion that this author was a child and wrote this when he was very young but he was grown. Considering how much he's written and how much success he had as a writer, I'm sure this is just a bad example of his work; I know some readers really enjoyed it; perhaps in the 1930s it was interesting and new because it was before television and movies.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Duke O'Neill is coming home are a fourteen years at war, defending the planet Meloa against the aggressive insect-like Throms. It's been five years since he's seen his wife.

One problem is, there' not much left of Meloa, his adopted planet. And he's disgusted with this planet of origin, Earth, for not intervening and ending this savage war sooner.

So he can't stay on Meloa. He can't go back to Earth. Maybe he can get involved in another war. Or, maybe as his old buddy Flannery suggests, there's another alternative.

Please see the full review here.

[Marco De La O · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Victory" by Lester del Rey is a captivating science fiction novel set in a future where humans have colonized other planets. It explores themes of war, power, and the resilience of humanity. One interesting aspect of the book is how it mentions magazines, which adds a bit of an odd twist to the story. The inclusion of magazines in a futuristic setting adds a unique touch to the narrative, giving readers a glimpse into the author's imaginative world. The story itself is fast-paced and thought-provoking, with well-developed characters and a suspenseful narrative. Recommended for science fiction fans who enjoy immersive worlds, complex characters, and a touch of the unexpected.

[Rock Conner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little sci-fi taste for consumption between larger books. Being so small it has some story problems, but it's nice for what it is. I read del Rey's A Tunnel Through Time as a child & it became seminal in my appreciation for science fiction & specifically tales of time travel.

[Al Lock · Rating 4 out of 5]

When do species become mature?

That is the question that Lester Del Rey asks in this work. His way of addressing the question seems to indicate a lot of study of human empires.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where have you been all my life? What a great story! Fascinating notion of cultural maturity. Way ahead of its time.

[Joel Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed a short book to reach my goal of 100 books for 2021. This one was not great, but it got the job done.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was fantastic. I would love a much longer version or series of this world. I was hooked right away and it kept me going. Fantastic story.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s got that sweet-sweet Robotech energy and I’m here for it.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published in 1955 in Astounding Science Fiction. This story follows the reintegration to society of Duke O'Neill, a war hero, coming home after many years of service to find out how drastically things have changed and how some were never what they appeared to be to begin with.

[Austin Aslan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very long short story captured my interest all the way through. I immediately locked onto the framework that this was an allegory of WWII, in which the very wise, erudite USA was reluctant to enter the fray (his premise, not mine). I think the story detracted from that somewhat, but the framework stuck in my mind. There's a good summary of the story here, http://www.amazon.com/VICTORY-LESTER-..., though I don't necessarily agree with the analysis. This was my first introduction to Lester del Rey, who was/became the editor of del Rey books inside Ballentine Books. I can see why he was so respected in the field, and I look forward to reading more of his offerings. Though to be clear, I don't think this story was particularly unique or memorable. It was a middling sci-fi romp through interstellar politics and war strategy with rather banal characters and moments of dialogue. But I'd be thrilled if I could write something similar at least this well, so I'll give him a pass.

[Ardent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tentokrát som si ju pustil v aute ako audiobook.
Základná premisa tejto krátkej knižky je, že medzihviezdne vzťahy sú iné než sa zdajú a...treba prečítať.
Je to uveriteľné? Ako scifi príbeh áno, ako realita nie. Každopádne či už na čítanie alebo počúvanie knižka stojí za tú hodinku (resp dve) času.
(Dostupná na gutenberg.org a librivox.org)

[Anya · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a few moments of potential, but overall this short-story falls flat.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read the author's other stuff before this one.