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Conquest Over Time
Conquest Over Time "", has been considered a very important part of the human history, but is currently not available in printed formats. Hence so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format so that it is never forgotten and always remembered by the present and future generations. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed.
26 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2010
7 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Michael Shaara
117 books972 followersMichael Shaara was an American writer of science fiction, sports fiction, and historical fiction. He was born to Italian immigrant parents (the family name was originally spelled Sciarra, which in Italian is pronounced the same way) in Jersey City, New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University in 1951, and served as a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne division prior to the Korean War.
Before Shaara began selling science fiction stories to fiction magazines in the 1950s, he was an amateur boxer and police officer. He later taught literature at Florida State University while continuing to write fiction. The stress of this and his smoking caused him to have a heart attack at the early age of 36; from which he fully recovered. His novel about the Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. Shaara died of another heart attack in 1988.
Shaara's son, Jeffrey Shaara, is also a popular writer of historical fiction; most notably sequels to his father's best-known novel. His most famous is the prequel to The Killer Angels, Gods and Generals. Jeffrey was the one to finally get Michael's last book, For Love of the Game, published three years after he died. Today there is a Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction, established by Jeffrey Shaara, awarded yearly at Gettysburg College.
Before Shaara began selling science fiction stories to fiction magazines in the 1950s, he was an amateur boxer and police officer. He later taught literature at Florida State University while continuing to write fiction. The stress of this and his smoking caused him to have a heart attack at the early age of 36; from which he fully recovered. His novel about the Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. Shaara died of another heart attack in 1988.
Shaara's son, Jeffrey Shaara, is also a popular writer of historical fiction; most notably sequels to his father's best-known novel. His most famous is the prequel to The Killer Angels, Gods and Generals. Jeffrey was the one to finally get Michael's last book, For Love of the Game, published three years after he died. Today there is a Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction, established by Jeffrey Shaara, awarded yearly at Gettysburg College.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 14, 2015
As my first book by Michael Shaara I didn't know quite what to expect. The main character is struck by the challenge of arranging a trade contract with a planet "straight out of Dickens" whose society is run completely off of their own brand of astrology. The task is made more difficult by landing there on a "bad day".
It is an oddly amusing tale about the meeting of two humanoids civilizations through the third person POV of Pat Travis, a man that has recently been dealing with a string of bad luck. I really dug his resourcefulness and tenacity. There is a fine explanation of translation technology that is something often overlooked in stories about the meeting of two peoples. And the payoff is bang on as well.
Whilst there is a touch of the pulp science fiction story in Conquest Over Time, it doesn't feel rushed or convenient in any regard. The characters react appropriate to their situation and background. The dialogue was neat, with the sections featuring the translation to the alien language offering a wonderful contrast to the language used by the main character. The world-building offered the right amount of conflict for the main character, and I also found it easy to imagine the odd predicament that he was in.
I recommend this story to anyone the enjoys an adventure focusing around the conflict of two cultures. The science fiction buffs will love the descriptive of the world as well, the story offering some solid sci-fi noms. It was a fun read and a great introduction to the writing of Michael Shaara.
It is an oddly amusing tale about the meeting of two humanoids civilizations through the third person POV of Pat Travis, a man that has recently been dealing with a string of bad luck. I really dug his resourcefulness and tenacity. There is a fine explanation of translation technology that is something often overlooked in stories about the meeting of two peoples. And the payoff is bang on as well.
Whilst there is a touch of the pulp science fiction story in Conquest Over Time, it doesn't feel rushed or convenient in any regard. The characters react appropriate to their situation and background. The dialogue was neat, with the sections featuring the translation to the alien language offering a wonderful contrast to the language used by the main character. The world-building offered the right amount of conflict for the main character, and I also found it easy to imagine the odd predicament that he was in.
I recommend this story to anyone the enjoys an adventure focusing around the conflict of two cultures. The science fiction buffs will love the descriptive of the world as well, the story offering some solid sci-fi noms. It was a fun read and a great introduction to the writing of Michael Shaara.
March 28, 2020
I’m torn on his science fictional tales. It’s just not as good as his use of the English language in “The Killer Angels”.
That being said, there is a twist in this story I had seen coming, dealing with time and space drives. Very cool in that aspect.
But if you want to see Shaara at his best tackle his book on Gettysburg.
That being said, there is a twist in this story I had seen coming, dealing with time and space drives. Very cool in that aspect.
But if you want to see Shaara at his best tackle his book on Gettysburg.
June 2, 2024
Pat Travis, a businessman and diplomat from Earth, lands on Diomed III to make first contact and open a trade agreement. However, his hopes are diminished when he learns that all laws on Diomed III—known as Mert to its inhabitants—are based on astrology. A citizen’s horoscope at birth dictates their station in life. “Earthmen” represent an unknown quantity to the people of Mert and are not to be trusted. To make matters worse, Travis’s arrival coincides with an eclipse during which no business is conducted. Nevertheless, the planet’s leadership provides luxury accommodations for him during his stay—until he’s abducted by locals for ransom.
July 3, 2020
Very nice, short story.
I enyoied it a lot.
I enyoied it a lot.
May 28, 2020
A comedy of first contact.
Pat Travis is a legendary contact man down on his luck and desperately in need of finding another Open Planet so he can sign a trade contract before anyone else gets there. It's an unpredictable occupation, you never know what kind of society you're about to barge in on:
'You went from a matriarchy which refused absolutely to deal with men (the tenth ship to arrive had a lady doctor and therefore got the contract) to a planet where the earth was sacred and you couldn't dig a hole in it so mining was out, to a planet which considered your visit the end of the world and promptly committed mass suicide.'
So what kind of people live on Diomed III, or Mert as the locals call it? Theirs is a culture completely predicated on astronomy. They speak in a garbled version of old English sprinkled with astrological gibberish. And poor Pat couldn't have arrived at a less propitious time.
Give me the matriarchy or the suicide planet any day.
Pat Travis is a legendary contact man down on his luck and desperately in need of finding another Open Planet so he can sign a trade contract before anyone else gets there. It's an unpredictable occupation, you never know what kind of society you're about to barge in on:
'You went from a matriarchy which refused absolutely to deal with men (the tenth ship to arrive had a lady doctor and therefore got the contract) to a planet where the earth was sacred and you couldn't dig a hole in it so mining was out, to a planet which considered your visit the end of the world and promptly committed mass suicide.'
So what kind of people live on Diomed III, or Mert as the locals call it? Theirs is a culture completely predicated on astronomy. They speak in a garbled version of old English sprinkled with astrological gibberish. And poor Pat couldn't have arrived at a less propitious time.
Give me the matriarchy or the suicide planet any day.
March 27, 2017
This was a fun and entertaining story, despite being a little bit sexist.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews