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Aristillus #1
The Powers of the Earth
Earth in 2064 is politically corrupt and in economic decline. The Long Depression has dragged on for 56 years, and the Bureau of Sustainable Research is hard at work making sure that no new technologies disrupt the planned economy. Ten years ago a band of malcontents, dreamers, and libertarian radicals bolted privately-developed anti-gravity drives onto rusty sea-going cargo ships, loaded them to the gills with 20th-century tunnel-boring machines and earthmoving equipment, and set sail - for the Moon.There, they built their retreat. A lunar underground border-town, fit to rival Ayn Rand's 'Galt's Gulch', with American capitalists, Mexican hydroponic farmers, and Vietnamese space-suit mechanics - this is the city of Aristillus.There's a problem, the economic decline of Earth under a command-and-control economy is causing trouble for the political powers-that-be in Washington DC and elsewhere. To shore up their positions they need slap down the lunar expats and seize the gold they've been mining. The conflicts start small, but rapidly escalate.There are zero-gravity gun fights in rusted ocean going ships flying through space, containers full of bulldozers hurtling through the vacuum, nuclear explosions, armies of tele-operated combat UAVs, guerrilla fighting in urban environments, and an astoundingly visual climax.The Powers of the Earth is the first book in The Aristillus series - a pair of science fiction novels about anarchocapitalism, economics, open source software, corporate finance, social media, antigravity, lunar colonization, genetically modified dogs, strong AI…and really, really big guns.
661 pages, Paperback
Published November 16, 2017
634 people are currently reading
695 people want to read
About the author
Travis J.I. Corcoran
14 books95 followersTravis J I Corcoran is a Catholic anarcho-capitalist, a software engineer, and a business owner. He is an amateur at farming, wood turning, blacksmithing, cooking, throwing ceramic pots, and a few other things.
He lives on a 50 acre farm in New Hampshire with his wife, dogs, livestock, and a variety of lathes and milling machines.
Travis has had non-fiction articles published in several national magazines including Dragon, Make, and Fine Homebuilding.
The Powers of the Earth is his first novel.
He lives on a 50 acre farm in New Hampshire with his wife, dogs, livestock, and a variety of lathes and milling machines.
Travis has had non-fiction articles published in several national magazines including Dragon, Make, and Fine Homebuilding.
The Powers of the Earth is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
March 28, 2018
I gave up after reading about a third. Almost every character is a caricature intended to prove a point or shout out a particular set of values. Feels highly affected. The author's voice ought to fade into the story, not shout out from every character, dialogue and action.
August 11, 2017
If you read Atlas Shrugged and thought "the science fiction elements of this book are pretty desultory; I wish it were more fleshed-out," this book may be for you.
If you read Atlas Shrugged and thought "that was fine, but it wasn't libertarian enough," this book is definitely for you.
A very fun low-gravity to no-gravity romp through a near future world where sclerotic overregulation has gradually choked off economic growth, and the world's remaining hackers and hustlers have decamped to a pan-ethnic anarcho-capitalist mining colony on the moon.
If you read Atlas Shrugged and thought "that was fine, but it wasn't libertarian enough," this book is definitely for you.
A very fun low-gravity to no-gravity romp through a near future world where sclerotic overregulation has gradually choked off economic growth, and the world's remaining hackers and hustlers have decamped to a pan-ethnic anarcho-capitalist mining colony on the moon.
October 29, 2018
Oh, for heaven's sake!
Oh, for heaven's sake! Get a proofreader! Or learn the difference between a "hangar" and a "hanger"! What's wrong with you, SiFi writers?
Oh, for heaven's sake! Get a proofreader! Or learn the difference between a "hangar" and a "hanger"! What's wrong with you, SiFi writers?
November 5, 2017
The Aristillus series is an example of the SF sub-genre 'If this goes on'. It is well-written, with plausible characters. The action engages the reader from the beginning. I can't wait to see what happens in books 3 and 4.
The bad guys are not mustache-twirling villains, the good guys are not staunchly upright Doc Smith heroes. They're just people, trying to get by.
This book contains;
Artificial Intelligence, uplifted Dogs, ridiculously large firearms, space combat, a smidgen of religion.
A plausible setup for an anarcho-capitalist society, issues with same, and how such a society can contain the seeds of its own destruction.
Bias: Travis was kind enough to send me an early draft, and I like the guy. But if I didn't like the book I wouldn't say so.
The bad guys are not mustache-twirling villains, the good guys are not staunchly upright Doc Smith heroes. They're just people, trying to get by.
This book contains;
Artificial Intelligence, uplifted Dogs, ridiculously large firearms, space combat, a smidgen of religion.
A plausible setup for an anarcho-capitalist society, issues with same, and how such a society can contain the seeds of its own destruction.
Bias: Travis was kind enough to send me an early draft, and I like the guy. But if I didn't like the book I wouldn't say so.
August 29, 2018
If you are fairly well versed with science fiction, you will know of "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress", one of Heinlein's better novels.
What Mr. Corcoran does to the concept should be a crime, because he makes it his own, cranks it to eleven, then over-clocks it, slaps on a VR overlay, then, just to rub salt in the wound, adds in the best uplifted species I've read in many years.
While TMISAHM is more quotable, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch" was popularized due to Mr. Heinlein, Mr. Corcoran is a better story teller for the 21st century. I know. Blasphemous and unfair. Read it and see for yourself.
Mr. Corcoran does heroism of the smart-man-with-a-screwdriver well. The sort of hero that takes a look at the deck stacked against him, cracks his knuckles, and ignores the odds as he gets down to business. The hero could easily fail, but he's not going to accept quietly like a lamb to the slaughter. Mr. Corcoran has crafted several believable characters that use their wits to get out of hard situations. The solutions aren't Deus Ex Machina moments, and quite often, they only work once. His world is populated with heroes and villains and the average Joe just trying to rub along with his fellow man the best he can, as political forces begin to change everything.
Despite the size, it's tightly written (with a few exceptions, mostly two "well, that's convenient" events. I won't spoil the future reader since he might not notice or care). Mr. Corcoran builds the world in logical chunks, giving the reader just enough to understand and orient himself before plunging into the action. If you want blocks of text detailing the world, I'm sorry to say but you won't find it here.
Aside from all that, Mr. Corcoran also paints a bleak near-future Earth that's part "1984" and part "Brazil" and all too close to home.
What Mr. Corcoran does to the concept should be a crime, because he makes it his own, cranks it to eleven, then over-clocks it, slaps on a VR overlay, then, just to rub salt in the wound, adds in the best uplifted species I've read in many years.
While TMISAHM is more quotable, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch" was popularized due to Mr. Heinlein, Mr. Corcoran is a better story teller for the 21st century. I know. Blasphemous and unfair. Read it and see for yourself.
Mr. Corcoran does heroism of the smart-man-with-a-screwdriver well. The sort of hero that takes a look at the deck stacked against him, cracks his knuckles, and ignores the odds as he gets down to business. The hero could easily fail, but he's not going to accept quietly like a lamb to the slaughter. Mr. Corcoran has crafted several believable characters that use their wits to get out of hard situations. The solutions aren't Deus Ex Machina moments, and quite often, they only work once. His world is populated with heroes and villains and the average Joe just trying to rub along with his fellow man the best he can, as political forces begin to change everything.
Despite the size, it's tightly written (with a few exceptions, mostly two "well, that's convenient" events. I won't spoil the future reader since he might not notice or care). Mr. Corcoran builds the world in logical chunks, giving the reader just enough to understand and orient himself before plunging into the action. If you want blocks of text detailing the world, I'm sorry to say but you won't find it here.
Aside from all that, Mr. Corcoran also paints a bleak near-future Earth that's part "1984" and part "Brazil" and all too close to home.
August 13, 2017
Characters: Solid 8/10. Corcoran avoids (outright) stereotypes or strawmen and we are given a wide array of viewpoints on the story and only a couple of them are portrayed in such a way that the author's biases leak through. That is to say, certain characters pass the ideological Turing test even if the author is clearly against the ideas that they are favoring. They have clear motives, they generally make good decisions based on their understanding of their circumstances, and they usually have something at stake in the plot.
Of particular note are the uplifted dogs and Gamma, the artificial intelligence. Most authors make AI out to be either far too human or simply inscrutable entities that are smarter than everyone and as such their motives never come into question. Gamma definitely harkens (deliberately) to Mike from "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" but since *that* book actually exists in this timeline, he contrasts himself in certain key ways, not the least of which is the fact that he is clearly working largely for his own ends and takes no orders from the humans, and only sparingly tells them of his own plans. This becomes both a plot point and a character point through the book, and by the end of it we're still not 'sure' what Gamma actually plans.
As for the dogs, they provide a lot of comic relief while still being complete characters and active in the plot and having dreams, hopes, ambitions and fears of their own, while still retaining the characteristic charm of man's best friend.
Plot: 9/10. Its a slow burn with only a few action sequences to punch it up, but it remains a riveting read just to see the behind-the-scenes political machinations as each actor prepares for the inevitable conflict.
A few threads seem to be dropped, but as this is the first book in the series, there is ample time to pick them up again so I don't count against the book too much yet.
Dialogue: 7/10. The conversations tend to sound natural and never overly 'witty' or snarky or forced. BUT when you're comparing to a classic like TMIAHM it only rarely reaches the heights or cleverness of Heinlein. Heinlein went to a lot of trouble setting up unique dialects for characters of various backgrounds and thus everyone speaks with a very distinct 'voice.' In this story, pretty much everyone speaks standard english, even though the story goes out of its way to mention that there are Nigerians, Chinese, South American, and other various cultures and races in the moon colony.
Since the rest of the world and tech and the implications thereof is well-thought out, this might be an intentional decision, but it wasn't built into the world that I could see. So finally:
Science: 9/10. True to the Heinlein spirit, this story sticks with the hardest science possible while still allowing for a fun story, and really only has one *blatant* departure from real tech in the Anti-gravity drive, which isn't even all that impressive in its effects... aside from enabling a regular cargo ship to become a spacegoing vessel. Orbital mechanics are respected, the difficulties of living in a bubble of air surrounded by hard vacuum are DEFINITELY respected, and it is clear that Corcoran thought through the mechanics of living on the moon and the weaknesses that an aggressive earth might exploit. VERY little is handwaved, even if he doesn't take pages and pages of time explaining everything.
Anyway, this is an invigorating entry into the libertarian sci-fi genre, and it marks itself for not being *too* libertarian and actually discussing many of the pros and cons of a free society and the different approaches thereto, and also avoiding an outright lecture on the subject to readers who, in all likelihood, are already on board.
Worth a read for the uplifted dogs alone.
Of particular note are the uplifted dogs and Gamma, the artificial intelligence. Most authors make AI out to be either far too human or simply inscrutable entities that are smarter than everyone and as such their motives never come into question. Gamma definitely harkens (deliberately) to Mike from "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" but since *that* book actually exists in this timeline, he contrasts himself in certain key ways, not the least of which is the fact that he is clearly working largely for his own ends and takes no orders from the humans, and only sparingly tells them of his own plans. This becomes both a plot point and a character point through the book, and by the end of it we're still not 'sure' what Gamma actually plans.
As for the dogs, they provide a lot of comic relief while still being complete characters and active in the plot and having dreams, hopes, ambitions and fears of their own, while still retaining the characteristic charm of man's best friend.
Plot: 9/10. Its a slow burn with only a few action sequences to punch it up, but it remains a riveting read just to see the behind-the-scenes political machinations as each actor prepares for the inevitable conflict.
A few threads seem to be dropped, but as this is the first book in the series, there is ample time to pick them up again so I don't count against the book too much yet.
Dialogue: 7/10. The conversations tend to sound natural and never overly 'witty' or snarky or forced. BUT when you're comparing to a classic like TMIAHM it only rarely reaches the heights or cleverness of Heinlein. Heinlein went to a lot of trouble setting up unique dialects for characters of various backgrounds and thus everyone speaks with a very distinct 'voice.' In this story, pretty much everyone speaks standard english, even though the story goes out of its way to mention that there are Nigerians, Chinese, South American, and other various cultures and races in the moon colony.
Since the rest of the world and tech and the implications thereof is well-thought out, this might be an intentional decision, but it wasn't built into the world that I could see. So finally:
Science: 9/10. True to the Heinlein spirit, this story sticks with the hardest science possible while still allowing for a fun story, and really only has one *blatant* departure from real tech in the Anti-gravity drive, which isn't even all that impressive in its effects... aside from enabling a regular cargo ship to become a spacegoing vessel. Orbital mechanics are respected, the difficulties of living in a bubble of air surrounded by hard vacuum are DEFINITELY respected, and it is clear that Corcoran thought through the mechanics of living on the moon and the weaknesses that an aggressive earth might exploit. VERY little is handwaved, even if he doesn't take pages and pages of time explaining everything.
Anyway, this is an invigorating entry into the libertarian sci-fi genre, and it marks itself for not being *too* libertarian and actually discussing many of the pros and cons of a free society and the different approaches thereto, and also avoiding an outright lecture on the subject to readers who, in all likelihood, are already on board.
Worth a read for the uplifted dogs alone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 8, 2019Since I read so little of this book, I'm not gonna leave a rating. A review, tho, is fair game.
I initially had plans to write a running commentary this year of all 600+ pages of whatever this is (propaganda? a manifesto? an extremely boring Ayn Rand sci-fi fanfic? idk), but I realized I wanted to use that time to actually better myself instead of being bored out of my mind. Also I hated all of the POV switches. Dear writers, unless you are supremely good at this style of storytelling, please stick like a few POV characters at most. I hate having to get introduced to new characters all the time, especially midway through a story when I've finally become familiar with most of the central figures. So I read 10% and skipped to the last few chapters and it was still about as interesting to me as the first several chapters, so yeet and let yeet.
If you're wondering what happens in the end, not much: An invasion of some sort, panicked people, private militias, rah-rah anarchist moon colonies, cliffhanger, El Fin.
And I still find it profoundly hilarious how so much of the worldbuilding and other stuff used to make this book is sourced from folks who are like the exact opposite of anarcho-capitalism. (I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt for some folks involved in those things, but NASA, really?)
If you decide to read this book, good fucking luck with whatever must be going on with your life and I wish you more pleasant book choices in the future.
I initially had plans to write a running commentary this year of all 600+ pages of whatever this is (propaganda? a manifesto? an extremely boring Ayn Rand sci-fi fanfic? idk), but I realized I wanted to use that time to actually better myself instead of being bored out of my mind. Also I hated all of the POV switches. Dear writers, unless you are supremely good at this style of storytelling, please stick like a few POV characters at most. I hate having to get introduced to new characters all the time, especially midway through a story when I've finally become familiar with most of the central figures. So I read 10% and skipped to the last few chapters and it was still about as interesting to me as the first several chapters, so yeet and let yeet.
If you're wondering what happens in the end, not much: An invasion of some sort, panicked people, private militias, rah-rah anarchist moon colonies, cliffhanger, El Fin.
And I still find it profoundly hilarious how so much of the worldbuilding and other stuff used to make this book is sourced from folks who are like the exact opposite of anarcho-capitalism. (I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt for some folks involved in those things, but NASA, really?)
If you decide to read this book, good fucking luck with whatever must be going on with your life and I wish you more pleasant book choices in the future.
September 7, 2018
Purely wonderful.
I approached this book with some hostility, because it won the Prometheus Award for 2017, beating out another book I loved, Drug Lord by Doug Casey. Well hell, what can I say? They're both great books, but I've got to agree, The Powers of the Earth deserves the win. There hasn't been this much thoughtful ancap fun on the moon since Heinlein wrote The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.
I approached this book with some hostility, because it won the Prometheus Award for 2017, beating out another book I loved, Drug Lord by Doug Casey. Well hell, what can I say? They're both great books, but I've got to agree, The Powers of the Earth deserves the win. There hasn't been this much thoughtful ancap fun on the moon since Heinlein wrote The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.
August 15, 2019
The author attempted to merge a great book (TMIAHM) with one of the worst books in print (Atlas Shrugged). Please, dear author, stop with the didactic rant preaching lecture! The tension in the tale is good but the “I’m pissed off at everything and everyone” theme is disappointing. The dogs are the sole saving grace of a one dimensional, near dumpster fire.
October 16, 2018
Waste of a good theme.
The protagonist is ineffectual, all his friends play him and he can't do anything about it. Earth government can't seem to make any mistakes, no matter how ignorant and obnoxious their agents are. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" has nothing to worry about.
The protagonist is ineffectual, all his friends play him and he can't do anything about it. Earth government can't seem to make any mistakes, no matter how ignorant and obnoxious their agents are. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" has nothing to worry about.
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August 3, 2025Rating: minus 25 on a scale of minus 5 to plus 5. This is the book which set me on the course to replace my formerly mild reviews with more honest judgements.
I had developed the format for my reviews. Finally I now correct these scribbles, which perhaps no one will read but this revision is the most cathartic.
I need a visit to the YouTube before continuing this revision. This next was brought to you by the channels Doctor Who/Never Cruel or Cowardly - Ozar, NCMI, ABC Australia, Northern Narrowboaters, Welcome to Ukraine, Kris Atomic, The Mindful Narrowboat, RevolutionarythOt, Keffals, ATP Geopolitics, Ravens Rants, Mandy, Smack the Pony, LuckyBlackCat, Kiko1006, Media is Fay, Shannon Makes, Mia Mulder, Truth to Power, Karolina Zebrowska, Snappy Dragon, Arvin Ash, Welcome to Ukraine, The Dice Hour, Dungeons and Discourse, Deerstalker Pictures, FAFO, Cruising Crafts, Eileen, UATV English, The Great War, A Cup of Nicole, Lily Simpson, ThePrimeChronus, Diem25, The Book Leo, Abbie Emmons, Tom Nicholas, Katy Montgomerie, Jormungandr, The Nomadic Crobot, Forgotten History, Deerstalker Pictures, Terrible Writing Advice, The Bands of HM Royal Marines, Chris and Shell, History of Everything, TallGirl6234, The Octupus Lady, Chem Thug, Cold Fusion, The Grungeon Master, The Clockwork Reader, Bella Ciao -Kutuzov, OrangeRiver, Eckharts Ladder, Templin Institute, Kazachka, Battle Order, TVP World, May, Silicon Curtain, Dr Brian Keating, Valhalla Drums, KernowDamo, Planarwalker, Up and Atom, Sailing Melody, Ship Happens, The Juice Media, Skip Intro, Honest Trailers, History with Kayleigh, Philosophy Tube, Delamer, Andrewism, Leftist Cooks, Nicole Chilaka-Ukpo, Guard the Leaf, The Ushanka Show, Gingers are Black, Adam Something.
I Recently saw that a member of the Idiots R US movement, who whilst insulting a favourite essayist, complained to her that I list trans creators. The epidemic of arrogant, vicious stupidity among poorly educated white US males continues. A trigger warning then. The channels I list include archaeologist, tall, bi, military historian, Australian, primatologist, het, linguist, physicist, cis, married, writer, asexual, military board gamer, Irish, model, economist, trans, chess player, miniatures modeller, intersex, zoologist, redhaired, hobbyist, Indian, government advisor, WOC, farmer, marine biologist and other creators known to the less mentally challenged as Women. Almost as threatening to emotionally damaged white US males are the channels with artist, anthropologist, other LGBTQI +, logician, German, train enthusiast, fashion historian, other BIPOC, neurodivergent, futurist, mathematician, Ukrainian, science educator, chemist, musician, RPG enthusiast, architect, Polish, ship builder, miniatures gamer, literary critic and other creators who are labelled by the sane as Human Beings. Should the voices be not yet silenced, seek emergency therapy, immediate pastoral counselling or our Catholic exorcism. When overwhelmed by my distaste for these cretins, I think back to the early days interview with the middle age teacher, who organised and led her civilian anti-tank team hunting Russian tanks North of Kyiv. With their example I can not but continue. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the Heroes. Crimea is Ukraine.
There is little to say about this pile of rubbish. The original blurb likened the book to the Heinlein classic "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". After the response of real readers to the blurb, I saw that it has since been altered and now describes it as a heroic struggle of a working class geologist or some such.
There is no worldbuilding. What characters? The plot is standard "libertarian" to which Amazon Unlimited seem addicted. The prose is childish. The story opens with a twat ranting that the government "wants to take my stuff". He plans to enlist the military in the overthrow of the US government in order that he not pay inheritance tax.
Unhealthy and dangerous was an understatement but it is now a more popular theme than ever among readers who will never become wealthy. The theme of these books is "power to the white, working class male". The present reality should but seems not to have opened their eyes or little minds.
Lastly the writer's several several equally racist train wrecks are not mentioned.
The writer had declared a high regard for Putin (now a popular US stance), himself a libertarian and advocate for a return to chattel slavery (again now a popular US stance), employee of an unnamed US agency and veteran. A description today of a MAGA stalwart.
He and six fellow patriots were offended by my opinion and spent a year demanding a response to their unhinged comments. Finally Claes Rees Jr aka Cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr declared that They had "won".
I discovered that They, reinforced had launched a vicious year long campaign against apparently every female channel creator which I referenced, which continues still. They failed to impress the many female creators, though They did increase the world's supply of unpleasantness and did deliver an accurate self-portrait of the snowflake (vicious, self-important US man-child) to a multinational audience. Quite the Victory that.
My pre-Powers harassment.
Nasty comment streams began in my first six months on this site, in response to my mild dismay at the quality of Amazon's science fiction. What drew the most incredible vitriol were observations on racism, sexism and other anti-human elements in almost every Unlimited selection. I have since discovered that BookTubers have from Goodreads members, attracted much the same reactions for much the same reasons.
Those early responses prepared me somewhat for the storms to come. I doubt that these stupid thugs expected my revisions with their far more honest judgements.
I eventually abandoned the "I am glad that you found a good read" for "F@ck off, idiot", which worked a treat. Even in the same language, correct idiom is the key to communication.
Kindle apps and internet connectivity were removed for 24 to 36 hour intervals over 5 to 6 months. Mentioning that in reviews, seemed to have corrected my "technical" problem.
Goodreads uploads were blocked or incredibly slowed until I managed to slip in one entry. "Why the blockade Amazon?" Suddenly that ended with no explanation. The god of the system log was apparently the only authority to which the madlads of Kindle answer.
My keyboard was reset continuously for a year or more. I thought it an Amazon quality issue but it mysteriously carried over to my new Kindle. My ex had insisted that I should purchase another Amazon device.
After Powers review.
I was not Allowed to remove the last of my Lurkers. I had over a year requested that Dr Susan Hamilton (Emeritus maths professor at University of Tennessee) defriend me five times, as Goodreads would not Allow me to remove her. I received no response and was unable to reach her by phone. My page would not Allow me even to message a follower named "Stone" who followed me over more than 3 years. Seeing that need to cosplay at Hard Man was amusing for a little.
My ability to see the reviews of others on books which I reviewed, was removed. I had used it occasionally to correct my oversights or rethink my judgement of titles. The Community Reviews tab was deleted from my pages.
All commenter names were replaced with "Goodreads member".
I began a final purge of Lurkers, those friends and followers who never post. Goodreads blocked me midway through and my page was edited, eliminating that or the message option.
In my original review of this sorry book, a Goodreads tech erased all but the most vile comments made by The Corcoran and friends. He/She then wrote in stylus across half of a page. HA! HA! May the god of the system log, smite them. Smite them really hard.
I was treated to my first hacking attempt but am unsure if it was Kindle generated.
The Australian intervention.
My limited message history was given over to these thugs. I was made aware when Claes Rees Jr referenced the contents of my last message to the one friend whom I on occasion messaged. That friend contacted me about the interrogation attempt by Australian Security. Without my penetrating what I now suspect is a third rate service, such a request can only originate with Pine Gap Centre.
A blatantly illegal act across at least two continents to make an attempt on the personal information of a citizen of neither country was considered good fun, I suppose. Both governments are at present displaying to the world their natures with no pretence. The USA is an arrogant bully led weak leaders. Australia is a hopeful lackey led by weaker leaders.
My post Australian Intervention experiences.
All comments were entirely masked and my notification history rewritten quite a few times.
Suddenly all remaining lurkers from among friends and followers were disappeared. All other visible Alterations to this customer's pages were undone.
My keyboard no longer resets itself, though I did receive an odd question on my screen months after the cleansing. It was 'Did I wish to change my keyboard language to its current keyboard language'. From curiosity, I looked at the keyboard setting and it had been reset. The combination of no imagination, stupidity and cowardice is truly sad.
I again must visit the YouTube to fortify my spirit before continuing. This next was made possible by channels Doctor Who/Be Kind - Reality Genre Studios, NCMI, Supertanskiii, Biz, Bobbing Along, Lee Francis, Red Viburnam Song, Crow Caller, Emma Thorne, JohnTheDuncan, Owen Jones, The ritual Kitchen with Laura May, Reese Waters, Julie Nolke, Veritas et Caritas, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Boat Time, Cruising Crafts, Lynn Saga, Ragnarok, Naughty Nana DUZ, Engineering with Rosie, Geo Girl, Planarwalker, Alexis Donne, Female Warriors - Teresatessa, Icarus Games. Mia Mulder, Pike and Shot Channel, Ukraine Calling SOF USA, Kat Blacque, Dark Docs, Dark Seas, Kelly Loves Physics and History, SandRhoman History, Norse Witch, Octopus Lady, Chem Thug, Yarmak, Planet D, Kirkpattiecake, Roomies Digest, Kozak Siromaha, Verilybitchie, History of Everything, Queen Penguin, TIKHistory, IzzzYzzz, Ukraine News TV, Alex Fleev, No Justice, Raw News and Politics, Honest Ads, Jabzy, The Juice Media, GhostTime History, A Very Casual Librarian, Natasha's Adventures, The Kavernacle, Jay Exci, The Trans Atheist, Twinshangout, Claus Kellerman POV, Princess Weekes, Novara Media, Kings and Generals, Big Train, Guard the Leaf, FAFO, Roisin's Reading, Tale Foundry.
I now only look at the background universe of Amazon books, since without a context the rest is pointless. US publishers have well and truly degraded all fiction genres but speculative fiction most successfully. The lack of world building must be publisher required or every editor are obviously overpaid or horribly underpaid.
The libertarian fantasy is always the same. The deserving protagonists discover a small fortune, develop fantastic new connections, steal a fortune from criminals, suddenly inherent a fortune or something similar and our hero is off to fame, women and status as a result of his hard work, previously unrecognised genius or some other quality that raises him above the poor working class.
The new standards seem to be No Effort, Insulting and Abhorrent. I admit that for the first time, I no longer rely on print for most of my fiction. As for science fiction and the related, the streaming services are the better choice for a good story and better writing. Though there are some awful productions, none are as bad as US publisher choices. YouTube also provided some very interesting short film channels, such as DUST and Omeleto.
YouTube became my search site for useful science fiction commentary. The lifestyle, hobby, documentary and essayist channels were a pleasant surprise. The book channels were a real gift. 😍 These are communities of thoughtful, curious and sane readers in love with all bookish things. They are an environment far different to that of whatever Goodreads have become. Nebula with many BookTubers may be the most modestly priced of the dedicated educational video sites.
I looked at the writer for an explanation of his warped worldview. This writer produced a sequel and two other books all of which are horrible.
Ominous music begins. 😊 The above is not unusual for Goodreads member groups. US readers probably find the above normal, acceptable and or justified.
I suggest the following for safer exposure on this site. Remove all personal information from Goodreads profile and avoid messaging. Remove the Lurker, the friend who never posts. They are gang monitors, not admirers. Given the Goodreads penchant for Altering customer pages, the screenshot of the odd, ugly and threatening are valuable. These measures should suffice.
Kindle is a more dangerous exposure. Do Not use Kindle Files, Contacts, Calendar or Email. Amazon like Google read all emails without permission or notice. Unlike Amazon, I have no evidence for the Google employee generated vendettas. Do Not "purchase" Amazon e-books. You own only your device not downloads, which may be altered or deleted at Amazon's whim. When using Amazon Silk, searches must be innocuous and non-critical.
If certain you are a member of a protected class, please remember that your temporary immunity rests on the whims of the members and employees described. They are sociopathic, lack non-Randian morality or restraint and these snowflakes are US patriots with all that implies.
I have one request of the reader. If you should know in what agency Travis Corcoran was/is employed, anything about Claes Rees Jr aka cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr or whether Dr Susan Hamilton exists as anything other than a computer record at University of Tennessee, please contact me. I refer you to any of the one star reviews for a solid criticism of the book (I cannot call it a novel). For a list of people, you would rather not have to dinner, see any reviewer with a rating higher than one star. Ominous music ends. 😊
Be well and may we all find Good Reading! 🤗
Taken from the amended original.
The Insane Brigade have arrived. Ably led by Claes Rees Jr aka cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr (formerly Colonel of the 7th Bitter Mail Order Brides). Their flanks were well protected by the legendary Corcoran (hero of overt racism) and Andrew (of the twisted childhood).
They demonstrated bravery worthy of Arnhem and Islawanda in their repeated assaults against a foe, who well entrenched in university education, social norms, years long personal study of various histories and a wide range of reading interests, strongly supported by both decency and a knowledge base which would in comparison to that of our heroes, might well count as that of a polymath. Yet over the walls did these intrepids attempt again and again. The Polish Hussars and Crimean Light Horse would count them brothers, having heard their tale.
Claes Rees, Jr aka Cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr opened the assault with the probe "you're not as smart as you think you are". I was stunned but recovered with a sharp "Pardon, have you written a review". I then parried both Andrew and The Corcoran simultaneously when they declared intent to purchase the book with "I am glad that I was of help". I sighed and considered the matter closed. I was so naive in those long ago days of 2020. And then the siege began in earnest. If only interested in the popular, have at it but do not judge all speculative fiction by the measure of Amazon.
I wish you a wonderful morning, a splendid afternoon, a brilliant evening, a pleasant night and may we all continue to learn.
Allow Another to speak in your name, adopt Another's sins.
My Grandmother
I had developed the format for my reviews. Finally I now correct these scribbles, which perhaps no one will read but this revision is the most cathartic.
I need a visit to the YouTube before continuing this revision. This next was brought to you by the channels Doctor Who/Never Cruel or Cowardly - Ozar, NCMI, ABC Australia, Northern Narrowboaters, Welcome to Ukraine, Kris Atomic, The Mindful Narrowboat, RevolutionarythOt, Keffals, ATP Geopolitics, Ravens Rants, Mandy, Smack the Pony, LuckyBlackCat, Kiko1006, Media is Fay, Shannon Makes, Mia Mulder, Truth to Power, Karolina Zebrowska, Snappy Dragon, Arvin Ash, Welcome to Ukraine, The Dice Hour, Dungeons and Discourse, Deerstalker Pictures, FAFO, Cruising Crafts, Eileen, UATV English, The Great War, A Cup of Nicole, Lily Simpson, ThePrimeChronus, Diem25, The Book Leo, Abbie Emmons, Tom Nicholas, Katy Montgomerie, Jormungandr, The Nomadic Crobot, Forgotten History, Deerstalker Pictures, Terrible Writing Advice, The Bands of HM Royal Marines, Chris and Shell, History of Everything, TallGirl6234, The Octupus Lady, Chem Thug, Cold Fusion, The Grungeon Master, The Clockwork Reader, Bella Ciao -Kutuzov, OrangeRiver, Eckharts Ladder, Templin Institute, Kazachka, Battle Order, TVP World, May, Silicon Curtain, Dr Brian Keating, Valhalla Drums, KernowDamo, Planarwalker, Up and Atom, Sailing Melody, Ship Happens, The Juice Media, Skip Intro, Honest Trailers, History with Kayleigh, Philosophy Tube, Delamer, Andrewism, Leftist Cooks, Nicole Chilaka-Ukpo, Guard the Leaf, The Ushanka Show, Gingers are Black, Adam Something.
I Recently saw that a member of the Idiots R US movement, who whilst insulting a favourite essayist, complained to her that I list trans creators. The epidemic of arrogant, vicious stupidity among poorly educated white US males continues. A trigger warning then. The channels I list include archaeologist, tall, bi, military historian, Australian, primatologist, het, linguist, physicist, cis, married, writer, asexual, military board gamer, Irish, model, economist, trans, chess player, miniatures modeller, intersex, zoologist, redhaired, hobbyist, Indian, government advisor, WOC, farmer, marine biologist and other creators known to the less mentally challenged as Women. Almost as threatening to emotionally damaged white US males are the channels with artist, anthropologist, other LGBTQI +, logician, German, train enthusiast, fashion historian, other BIPOC, neurodivergent, futurist, mathematician, Ukrainian, science educator, chemist, musician, RPG enthusiast, architect, Polish, ship builder, miniatures gamer, literary critic and other creators who are labelled by the sane as Human Beings. Should the voices be not yet silenced, seek emergency therapy, immediate pastoral counselling or our Catholic exorcism. When overwhelmed by my distaste for these cretins, I think back to the early days interview with the middle age teacher, who organised and led her civilian anti-tank team hunting Russian tanks North of Kyiv. With their example I can not but continue. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the Heroes. Crimea is Ukraine.
There is little to say about this pile of rubbish. The original blurb likened the book to the Heinlein classic "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". After the response of real readers to the blurb, I saw that it has since been altered and now describes it as a heroic struggle of a working class geologist or some such.
There is no worldbuilding. What characters? The plot is standard "libertarian" to which Amazon Unlimited seem addicted. The prose is childish. The story opens with a twat ranting that the government "wants to take my stuff". He plans to enlist the military in the overthrow of the US government in order that he not pay inheritance tax.
Unhealthy and dangerous was an understatement but it is now a more popular theme than ever among readers who will never become wealthy. The theme of these books is "power to the white, working class male". The present reality should but seems not to have opened their eyes or little minds.
Lastly the writer's several several equally racist train wrecks are not mentioned.
The writer had declared a high regard for Putin (now a popular US stance), himself a libertarian and advocate for a return to chattel slavery (again now a popular US stance), employee of an unnamed US agency and veteran. A description today of a MAGA stalwart.
He and six fellow patriots were offended by my opinion and spent a year demanding a response to their unhinged comments. Finally Claes Rees Jr aka Cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr declared that They had "won".
I discovered that They, reinforced had launched a vicious year long campaign against apparently every female channel creator which I referenced, which continues still. They failed to impress the many female creators, though They did increase the world's supply of unpleasantness and did deliver an accurate self-portrait of the snowflake (vicious, self-important US man-child) to a multinational audience. Quite the Victory that.
My pre-Powers harassment.
Nasty comment streams began in my first six months on this site, in response to my mild dismay at the quality of Amazon's science fiction. What drew the most incredible vitriol were observations on racism, sexism and other anti-human elements in almost every Unlimited selection. I have since discovered that BookTubers have from Goodreads members, attracted much the same reactions for much the same reasons.
Those early responses prepared me somewhat for the storms to come. I doubt that these stupid thugs expected my revisions with their far more honest judgements.
I eventually abandoned the "I am glad that you found a good read" for "F@ck off, idiot", which worked a treat. Even in the same language, correct idiom is the key to communication.
Kindle apps and internet connectivity were removed for 24 to 36 hour intervals over 5 to 6 months. Mentioning that in reviews, seemed to have corrected my "technical" problem.
Goodreads uploads were blocked or incredibly slowed until I managed to slip in one entry. "Why the blockade Amazon?" Suddenly that ended with no explanation. The god of the system log was apparently the only authority to which the madlads of Kindle answer.
My keyboard was reset continuously for a year or more. I thought it an Amazon quality issue but it mysteriously carried over to my new Kindle. My ex had insisted that I should purchase another Amazon device.
After Powers review.
I was not Allowed to remove the last of my Lurkers. I had over a year requested that Dr Susan Hamilton (Emeritus maths professor at University of Tennessee) defriend me five times, as Goodreads would not Allow me to remove her. I received no response and was unable to reach her by phone. My page would not Allow me even to message a follower named "Stone" who followed me over more than 3 years. Seeing that need to cosplay at Hard Man was amusing for a little.
My ability to see the reviews of others on books which I reviewed, was removed. I had used it occasionally to correct my oversights or rethink my judgement of titles. The Community Reviews tab was deleted from my pages.
All commenter names were replaced with "Goodreads member".
I began a final purge of Lurkers, those friends and followers who never post. Goodreads blocked me midway through and my page was edited, eliminating that or the message option.
In my original review of this sorry book, a Goodreads tech erased all but the most vile comments made by The Corcoran and friends. He/She then wrote in stylus across half of a page. HA! HA! May the god of the system log, smite them. Smite them really hard.
I was treated to my first hacking attempt but am unsure if it was Kindle generated.
The Australian intervention.
My limited message history was given over to these thugs. I was made aware when Claes Rees Jr referenced the contents of my last message to the one friend whom I on occasion messaged. That friend contacted me about the interrogation attempt by Australian Security. Without my penetrating what I now suspect is a third rate service, such a request can only originate with Pine Gap Centre.
A blatantly illegal act across at least two continents to make an attempt on the personal information of a citizen of neither country was considered good fun, I suppose. Both governments are at present displaying to the world their natures with no pretence. The USA is an arrogant bully led weak leaders. Australia is a hopeful lackey led by weaker leaders.
My post Australian Intervention experiences.
All comments were entirely masked and my notification history rewritten quite a few times.
Suddenly all remaining lurkers from among friends and followers were disappeared. All other visible Alterations to this customer's pages were undone.
My keyboard no longer resets itself, though I did receive an odd question on my screen months after the cleansing. It was 'Did I wish to change my keyboard language to its current keyboard language'. From curiosity, I looked at the keyboard setting and it had been reset. The combination of no imagination, stupidity and cowardice is truly sad.
I again must visit the YouTube to fortify my spirit before continuing. This next was made possible by channels Doctor Who/Be Kind - Reality Genre Studios, NCMI, Supertanskiii, Biz, Bobbing Along, Lee Francis, Red Viburnam Song, Crow Caller, Emma Thorne, JohnTheDuncan, Owen Jones, The ritual Kitchen with Laura May, Reese Waters, Julie Nolke, Veritas et Caritas, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Boat Time, Cruising Crafts, Lynn Saga, Ragnarok, Naughty Nana DUZ, Engineering with Rosie, Geo Girl, Planarwalker, Alexis Donne, Female Warriors - Teresatessa, Icarus Games. Mia Mulder, Pike and Shot Channel, Ukraine Calling SOF USA, Kat Blacque, Dark Docs, Dark Seas, Kelly Loves Physics and History, SandRhoman History, Norse Witch, Octopus Lady, Chem Thug, Yarmak, Planet D, Kirkpattiecake, Roomies Digest, Kozak Siromaha, Verilybitchie, History of Everything, Queen Penguin, TIKHistory, IzzzYzzz, Ukraine News TV, Alex Fleev, No Justice, Raw News and Politics, Honest Ads, Jabzy, The Juice Media, GhostTime History, A Very Casual Librarian, Natasha's Adventures, The Kavernacle, Jay Exci, The Trans Atheist, Twinshangout, Claus Kellerman POV, Princess Weekes, Novara Media, Kings and Generals, Big Train, Guard the Leaf, FAFO, Roisin's Reading, Tale Foundry.
I now only look at the background universe of Amazon books, since without a context the rest is pointless. US publishers have well and truly degraded all fiction genres but speculative fiction most successfully. The lack of world building must be publisher required or every editor are obviously overpaid or horribly underpaid.
The libertarian fantasy is always the same. The deserving protagonists discover a small fortune, develop fantastic new connections, steal a fortune from criminals, suddenly inherent a fortune or something similar and our hero is off to fame, women and status as a result of his hard work, previously unrecognised genius or some other quality that raises him above the poor working class.
The new standards seem to be No Effort, Insulting and Abhorrent. I admit that for the first time, I no longer rely on print for most of my fiction. As for science fiction and the related, the streaming services are the better choice for a good story and better writing. Though there are some awful productions, none are as bad as US publisher choices. YouTube also provided some very interesting short film channels, such as DUST and Omeleto.
YouTube became my search site for useful science fiction commentary. The lifestyle, hobby, documentary and essayist channels were a pleasant surprise. The book channels were a real gift. 😍 These are communities of thoughtful, curious and sane readers in love with all bookish things. They are an environment far different to that of whatever Goodreads have become. Nebula with many BookTubers may be the most modestly priced of the dedicated educational video sites.
I looked at the writer for an explanation of his warped worldview. This writer produced a sequel and two other books all of which are horrible.
Ominous music begins. 😊 The above is not unusual for Goodreads member groups. US readers probably find the above normal, acceptable and or justified.
I suggest the following for safer exposure on this site. Remove all personal information from Goodreads profile and avoid messaging. Remove the Lurker, the friend who never posts. They are gang monitors, not admirers. Given the Goodreads penchant for Altering customer pages, the screenshot of the odd, ugly and threatening are valuable. These measures should suffice.
Kindle is a more dangerous exposure. Do Not use Kindle Files, Contacts, Calendar or Email. Amazon like Google read all emails without permission or notice. Unlike Amazon, I have no evidence for the Google employee generated vendettas. Do Not "purchase" Amazon e-books. You own only your device not downloads, which may be altered or deleted at Amazon's whim. When using Amazon Silk, searches must be innocuous and non-critical.
If certain you are a member of a protected class, please remember that your temporary immunity rests on the whims of the members and employees described. They are sociopathic, lack non-Randian morality or restraint and these snowflakes are US patriots with all that implies.
I have one request of the reader. If you should know in what agency Travis Corcoran was/is employed, anything about Claes Rees Jr aka cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr or whether Dr Susan Hamilton exists as anything other than a computer record at University of Tennessee, please contact me. I refer you to any of the one star reviews for a solid criticism of the book (I cannot call it a novel). For a list of people, you would rather not have to dinner, see any reviewer with a rating higher than one star. Ominous music ends. 😊
Be well and may we all find Good Reading! 🤗
Taken from the amended original.
The Insane Brigade have arrived. Ably led by Claes Rees Jr aka cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr (formerly Colonel of the 7th Bitter Mail Order Brides). Their flanks were well protected by the legendary Corcoran (hero of overt racism) and Andrew (of the twisted childhood).
They demonstrated bravery worthy of Arnhem and Islawanda in their repeated assaults against a foe, who well entrenched in university education, social norms, years long personal study of various histories and a wide range of reading interests, strongly supported by both decency and a knowledge base which would in comparison to that of our heroes, might well count as that of a polymath. Yet over the walls did these intrepids attempt again and again. The Polish Hussars and Crimean Light Horse would count them brothers, having heard their tale.
Claes Rees, Jr aka Cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr opened the assault with the probe "you're not as smart as you think you are". I was stunned but recovered with a sharp "Pardon, have you written a review". I then parried both Andrew and The Corcoran simultaneously when they declared intent to purchase the book with "I am glad that I was of help". I sighed and considered the matter closed. I was so naive in those long ago days of 2020. And then the siege began in earnest. If only interested in the popular, have at it but do not judge all speculative fiction by the measure of Amazon.
I wish you a wonderful morning, a splendid afternoon, a brilliant evening, a pleasant night and may we all continue to learn.
Allow Another to speak in your name, adopt Another's sins.
My Grandmother
January 20, 2018
Exciting, well done libertarian science fiction about about rebellion of colonists on the Moon (the book explicitly name-checks Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress." Cliff hanger ending, so apparently you have to go on and read the sequel. Really should be rated at three and a half stars, however, as the book has a lot of mistakes in the text -- names spelled more than one way, wrong words, that sort of thing. It needs to be cleaned up.
September 7, 2017
I was gifted this book by a friend who backed it on Kickstarter and thought I would dig it. I did not. I can only describe this as 600+ pages of Atlas Shrugged In Space. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then this is the book for you.
February 23, 2018
I hated this book
I can't explain why it just made me so frustrated and ended on such a cliff hanger. I have read a ton of near future sci-fi and and this just made me angry. Editing is fine but the characters are always in such peril it's like an inverse Mary Sue.
I can't explain why it just made me so frustrated and ended on such a cliff hanger. I have read a ton of near future sci-fi and and this just made me angry. Editing is fine but the characters are always in such peril it's like an inverse Mary Sue.
March 9, 2018
A great ride!
Just got through with this book and I loved it! Keeps the pace moving and characters that interest you. Can't wait for the next in the series.
Just got through with this book and I loved it! Keeps the pace moving and characters that interest you. Can't wait for the next in the series.
December 26, 2024
I started this book as one of my Kindle Unlimited binge reads, which usually I DNF after a few chapters. This one held my attention, though, and I read it through to the end.
Not gonna lie, it was the doggos that hooked me.
This book is absolutely a love letter, and a response, to Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. If you are not familiar with TMIAHM, it's widely considered one of Heinlein's most libertarian novels. (The degree to which Heinlein himself was actually a libertarian remains debatable.) It's about lunar colonists rebelling against tyrannical Earth authorities, with lots of moralizing, an AI deux ex machina, and railguns dropping big rocks on the planet at the wrong end of the gravity well.
The plot of The Powers of the Earth is essentially the same: freedom-loving expats have fled the authoritarian nation-states of Earth to set up a colony on the Moon. Eventually Earth decides to put a boot on them, and the lunar colonists must fight for their liberty.
Travis Corcoran includes Moon's free-wheeling libertarian frontier society aesthetic, and an AI who's more interesting than Heinlein's, but adds uplifted dogs that several people smuggled to the moon years ago to prevent the Bureau of Sustainable Research from euthanizing them all. The dogs are now genius hackers and engineers, but mentally they are teenagers. And they are still cursed with a lack of thumbs.
The story skips between multiple POVs. The main lunar characters are John Hayes, a former US soldier who led the team that rescued the uplifted dogs from Earth and took them to the moon, and Mike Martin, the misanthropic founder of Aristillus. The chapters are mostly split between John, on a long hike/camping trip to the dark side of the moon with four dogs, and Mike, trying to run Aristillus and deal with legal and business shenanigans and the looming threat of an Earth invasion. We also occasionally get chapters from the POV of Earth "NPCs." John, with his dogs, was actually my favorite part. The dogs are hilarious, from Duncan, the super-nerd who turns their hike into a Tolkien-themed MMORPG, to Max, the Angry YoungManPup who wants to start a race war against humanity ("present company excepted, of course," he says to John).
The Powers of the Earth did several things right. It made me keep reading when I usually DNF KU books at 8-25% of the way in. It also made me want to reread The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (I haven't read it in many years). Finally, it made me want to read the next book. This is part one of a duology, and unfortunately it ends on a cliffhanger; I think it's really a single two-volume novel.
It's not perfect, though. There is a lot of soapboxing, though it mostly stops short of being a one-sided polemic. Except when the main character, the founder of the Aristillus moon colony, who to be fair is portrayed as a sort of ADHD asshole with aspergers who keeps needing to be reined in by his more sensible friends, is going off on polemics. And ye gods, self-published authors, do some proofreading. Once again I started marking every typo and grammatical error, and I found over a dozen just with my casual read.
This is a very libertarian book by a very libertarian author (Travis Corcoran describes himself as a "Catholic anarcho-capitalist") and like Heinlein, Corcoran has lots of characters arguing and debating the merits of governments vs. no government, justifications for war, personhood (there are both uplifted dogs and a self-aware AI hashing this out), and other philosophical issues in Heinleinian style. (The AI even preemptively quotes Heinlein back at one of the dogs.) It is somewhat soapboxy; while interrogating the assumptions of anarcho-capitalism, and exposing some of the weaknesses of the ancap society built in Aristillus, the Earth characters are almost all flat caricatures, from the vacuous Oprah-like President of the United States to the scheming, power-hungry Senator who is her frenemy, to amoral ladder-climbing military officers and other apparatchiks. All of them blindly accept the collectivist, innovation-suppressing tyranny of the government. The U.S. is fading and broke, but still more or less top dog; China seems to have gone through Mao II Electric Boogaloo, there is a Caliphate in the Middle East, and at some point Sudanese terrorists nuked Baltimore and now US troops are occupying much of Africa.
This is not hard SF; the technology and economics are handwaved a lot. The lunar colonists somehow acquired an "Anti-Gravity drive" which the Earth governments don't have, which is how they got to the moon. The US is in a half-century depression but still has the resources to maintain its global army (and pretty easily seizes some AG ships once they decide to do it). The lunar economy and industrial base seems surprisingly robust for being only a decade old. And fully sentient, talking dogs and a self-aware AI are things that would radically change the world, but for now they are also, conveniently, confined to the moon.
Not gonna lie, it was the doggos that hooked me.
This book is absolutely a love letter, and a response, to Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. If you are not familiar with TMIAHM, it's widely considered one of Heinlein's most libertarian novels. (The degree to which Heinlein himself was actually a libertarian remains debatable.) It's about lunar colonists rebelling against tyrannical Earth authorities, with lots of moralizing, an AI deux ex machina, and railguns dropping big rocks on the planet at the wrong end of the gravity well.
The plot of The Powers of the Earth is essentially the same: freedom-loving expats have fled the authoritarian nation-states of Earth to set up a colony on the Moon. Eventually Earth decides to put a boot on them, and the lunar colonists must fight for their liberty.
Travis Corcoran includes Moon's free-wheeling libertarian frontier society aesthetic, and an AI who's more interesting than Heinlein's, but adds uplifted dogs that several people smuggled to the moon years ago to prevent the Bureau of Sustainable Research from euthanizing them all. The dogs are now genius hackers and engineers, but mentally they are teenagers. And they are still cursed with a lack of thumbs.
The story skips between multiple POVs. The main lunar characters are John Hayes, a former US soldier who led the team that rescued the uplifted dogs from Earth and took them to the moon, and Mike Martin, the misanthropic founder of Aristillus. The chapters are mostly split between John, on a long hike/camping trip to the dark side of the moon with four dogs, and Mike, trying to run Aristillus and deal with legal and business shenanigans and the looming threat of an Earth invasion. We also occasionally get chapters from the POV of Earth "NPCs." John, with his dogs, was actually my favorite part. The dogs are hilarious, from Duncan, the super-nerd who turns their hike into a Tolkien-themed MMORPG, to Max, the Angry Young
The Powers of the Earth did several things right. It made me keep reading when I usually DNF KU books at 8-25% of the way in. It also made me want to reread The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (I haven't read it in many years). Finally, it made me want to read the next book. This is part one of a duology, and unfortunately it ends on a cliffhanger; I think it's really a single two-volume novel.
It's not perfect, though. There is a lot of soapboxing, though it mostly stops short of being a one-sided polemic. Except when the main character, the founder of the Aristillus moon colony, who to be fair is portrayed as a sort of ADHD asshole with aspergers who keeps needing to be reined in by his more sensible friends, is going off on polemics. And ye gods, self-published authors, do some proofreading. Once again I started marking every typo and grammatical error, and I found over a dozen just with my casual read.
This is a very libertarian book by a very libertarian author (Travis Corcoran describes himself as a "Catholic anarcho-capitalist") and like Heinlein, Corcoran has lots of characters arguing and debating the merits of governments vs. no government, justifications for war, personhood (there are both uplifted dogs and a self-aware AI hashing this out), and other philosophical issues in Heinleinian style. (The AI even preemptively quotes Heinlein back at one of the dogs.) It is somewhat soapboxy; while interrogating the assumptions of anarcho-capitalism, and exposing some of the weaknesses of the ancap society built in Aristillus, the Earth characters are almost all flat caricatures, from the vacuous Oprah-like President of the United States to the scheming, power-hungry Senator who is her frenemy, to amoral ladder-climbing military officers and other apparatchiks. All of them blindly accept the collectivist, innovation-suppressing tyranny of the government. The U.S. is fading and broke, but still more or less top dog; China seems to have gone through Mao II Electric Boogaloo, there is a Caliphate in the Middle East, and at some point Sudanese terrorists nuked Baltimore and now US troops are occupying much of Africa.
This is not hard SF; the technology and economics are handwaved a lot. The lunar colonists somehow acquired an "Anti-Gravity drive" which the Earth governments don't have, which is how they got to the moon. The US is in a half-century depression but still has the resources to maintain its global army (and pretty easily seizes some AG ships once they decide to do it). The lunar economy and industrial base seems surprisingly robust for being only a decade old. And fully sentient, talking dogs and a self-aware AI are things that would radically change the world, but for now they are also, conveniently, confined to the moon.
December 1, 2018
Surprisingly good! Well written with great world-building and interesting characters. Already have book 2 loaded up.
September 15, 2020
Made it aprox 3/4 of the way through it when my desire for it to just end won over the desire to finish reading it. DNF
January 20, 2024
Does a satire need to be aware it’s satire to be satire?
Like if Ayn Rand had a weird love orgy with the Prometheus Awards nominees and later birthed an egg with a sci fi novel inside
Like if the Cato Institute kidnapped and Manchurian Candidated a Star Wars screenwriter
This is like if Robert Heinlein wrote less story in favor of just beating you about the head with hamfisted libertarian political science dialogue.
I say these as bad things. If these analogies get your juices flowing in a positive way, run to go get this book. If your biggest criticism about “the Moon is a harsh mistress“ is that there wasn’t enough stilted conversation about political theory, hooooo boy, is this the book for you.
There are some interesting bits and I usually enjoy space exploration/colony stories. Some of the concepts were neat and I thought some of the characters (dogs) really shone. I liked the “introvert AI” and some of the more subtle bits around that were my favorite parts.
Sadly the interesting parts of the story and characters were overshadowed by the need to assault the reader with political monologues and clunky world building every few pages. Really, super-toll-roads? Digressions into the morality of blackmail. Weird convoluted ideas to make “lol too woke” punchlines. I felt like the book should have come with a laugh track.
Combine that with a feeling of haziness around when and why things were happening. We jump back and forth. Nothing seems to get done on the moon. But lots happens on earth. We follow the dogs around for a long time (again highlight of the book) but while we’re doing that, there’s no throughput on what else is going on. It’s a weird combination of trying to be space opera and super friends.
I’m a fan of sci-fi world building, but in this the characters consistently told us how things were, (or rather, criticized government somehow at every turn) instead of us ever actually seeing how anything happened or didn’t happen. It’s all “I came to the moon because the government was bad” times 20. Thanks.
The book would have been better with less. I wish the culture war punchlines had been left out in favor of real world building, and some of the later parts of the book were organized better. I found myself cringing anytime the main character did anything. Because every time he tried to do something, he did it poorly and ineffectually. He’s supposed to be a great businessman, but he can’t communicate, he can’t delegate, he can’t even get along with others on a basic level. He punches an annoying young reporter at one point? Why?
The sort of convoluted politics of the moon barons seemed mostly meaningless except to put forward various political ideas. Military leaders on Earth complaining about being hamstrung by “diverse” soldiers, who do nothing but get killed immediately in every squabble. Which again, if that sounds fun, run to go get this book, because you are the target audience.
And by the end, the whole book is sort of undermined by the fact that the moon people all literally shoot themselves in the foot at every opportunity in favor of more monologuing. The main character gets less done than the overly-bureaucratic-as-a-punchline earth government who manage to effectively engage in espionage, make and promote propaganda, reverse engineer advanced technology, build rocket ships, and launch military forces in the time it takes the moon people to argue about their theory of government, complain, and fail to train a militia.
The only effective agents on the moon in this whole book are the dogs and the AI. All of the other moon people seem like they’re larping. If you came out and told me that this is in fact, a satire of of an anarcho capitalist libertarian state. I would think it’s quite well done, and probably just needs a light editor. As a standalone book, I found it frustrating.
Like if Ayn Rand had a weird love orgy with the Prometheus Awards nominees and later birthed an egg with a sci fi novel inside
Like if the Cato Institute kidnapped and Manchurian Candidated a Star Wars screenwriter
This is like if Robert Heinlein wrote less story in favor of just beating you about the head with hamfisted libertarian political science dialogue.
I say these as bad things. If these analogies get your juices flowing in a positive way, run to go get this book. If your biggest criticism about “the Moon is a harsh mistress“ is that there wasn’t enough stilted conversation about political theory, hooooo boy, is this the book for you.
There are some interesting bits and I usually enjoy space exploration/colony stories. Some of the concepts were neat and I thought some of the characters (dogs) really shone. I liked the “introvert AI” and some of the more subtle bits around that were my favorite parts.
Sadly the interesting parts of the story and characters were overshadowed by the need to assault the reader with political monologues and clunky world building every few pages. Really, super-toll-roads? Digressions into the morality of blackmail. Weird convoluted ideas to make “lol too woke” punchlines. I felt like the book should have come with a laugh track.
Combine that with a feeling of haziness around when and why things were happening. We jump back and forth. Nothing seems to get done on the moon. But lots happens on earth. We follow the dogs around for a long time (again highlight of the book) but while we’re doing that, there’s no throughput on what else is going on. It’s a weird combination of trying to be space opera and super friends.
I’m a fan of sci-fi world building, but in this the characters consistently told us how things were, (or rather, criticized government somehow at every turn) instead of us ever actually seeing how anything happened or didn’t happen. It’s all “I came to the moon because the government was bad” times 20. Thanks.
The book would have been better with less. I wish the culture war punchlines had been left out in favor of real world building, and some of the later parts of the book were organized better. I found myself cringing anytime the main character did anything. Because every time he tried to do something, he did it poorly and ineffectually. He’s supposed to be a great businessman, but he can’t communicate, he can’t delegate, he can’t even get along with others on a basic level. He punches an annoying young reporter at one point? Why?
The sort of convoluted politics of the moon barons seemed mostly meaningless except to put forward various political ideas. Military leaders on Earth complaining about being hamstrung by “diverse” soldiers, who do nothing but get killed immediately in every squabble. Which again, if that sounds fun, run to go get this book, because you are the target audience.
And by the end, the whole book is sort of undermined by the fact that the moon people all literally shoot themselves in the foot at every opportunity in favor of more monologuing. The main character gets less done than the overly-bureaucratic-as-a-punchline earth government who manage to effectively engage in espionage, make and promote propaganda, reverse engineer advanced technology, build rocket ships, and launch military forces in the time it takes the moon people to argue about their theory of government, complain, and fail to train a militia.
The only effective agents on the moon in this whole book are the dogs and the AI. All of the other moon people seem like they’re larping. If you came out and told me that this is in fact, a satire of of an anarcho capitalist libertarian state. I would think it’s quite well done, and probably just needs a light editor. As a standalone book, I found it frustrating.
December 21, 2018
A good first effort. Two and a half stars. There are many flaws and I'm not just speaking to the editing. The biggest problem I had was with the protagonist Mike. He is supposedly the leader of a huge exodus to start a city on the moon and yet in every scene he acts like a petulant child. Which is it? Later in the story he tries to act like a leader and simply can't pull it off.
I did like the segments with John and the Dogs they provided a much more sane dialogue on the history and times of the world Corcoran created. The only problem I had with these segments, Dogs don't have thumbs. There is a lot you can't do without a thumb but that doesn't stop these characters.
The 'anarchist' society that Corcoran creates isn't without it's flaws either. No system of arbitration or dispute resolution. No system for protecting property rights. No real insurance. History has shown time and again that all these elements are necessary to forming a society especially on the frontier. That is why in the absence of government these are always the first things settlers created on their own.
Lastly I really dislike books that don't end. What is the point of writing a story without any conclusion. If this story needs 1000 pages, write a book that's 1000 pages. If you want to write a sequel or a trilogy, break into distinct parts so that each has a complete story arc.
I did like the segments with John and the Dogs they provided a much more sane dialogue on the history and times of the world Corcoran created. The only problem I had with these segments, Dogs don't have thumbs. There is a lot you can't do without a thumb but that doesn't stop these characters.
The 'anarchist' society that Corcoran creates isn't without it's flaws either. No system of arbitration or dispute resolution. No system for protecting property rights. No real insurance. History has shown time and again that all these elements are necessary to forming a society especially on the frontier. That is why in the absence of government these are always the first things settlers created on their own.
Lastly I really dislike books that don't end. What is the point of writing a story without any conclusion. If this story needs 1000 pages, write a book that's 1000 pages. If you want to write a sequel or a trilogy, break into distinct parts so that each has a complete story arc.
September 6, 2018
Libertarians in space, Galt's Gulch on the moon, a splicing AI and sentient dogs because why the hell not?
Pros: Great at tension, conflict, give&take, some really cool intermingling storylines, and tech ideas. Lots of it reminded me of the best parts of Andy Weir's lunar and Martian sci-fi.
Cons: lotta profanity, and out of a large cast of characters only a few of them weren't total scumbags, including the protagonist. The monologues and diatribes got old fast, and littered the text all throughout.
Plus there was a brutal torture scene with an ambiguous ending that most likely resulted in sexual violence...I get that it's a war story, but it was beyond the pale. Maybe that's just my tastes but it stuck in my craw the rest of the book.
The book lives up to the promise of being "Atlas Shrugged in space" but that probably only works if you're a huge fan of Atlas Shrugged. (I generally enjoyed the book, though it deserves some criticism.) But I digress.
What it ultimately boils down to is that I dislike right-wing propaganda fiction for the same reason I dislike it on the left-wing side: propaganda is stupid and it's not why I read fiction.
Still, Corcoran shows an adept hand at the technical elements of storytelling, and is a good writer in general.
Pros: Great at tension, conflict, give&take, some really cool intermingling storylines, and tech ideas. Lots of it reminded me of the best parts of Andy Weir's lunar and Martian sci-fi.
Cons: lotta profanity, and out of a large cast of characters only a few of them weren't total scumbags, including the protagonist. The monologues and diatribes got old fast, and littered the text all throughout.
Plus there was a brutal torture scene with an ambiguous ending that most likely resulted in sexual violence...I get that it's a war story, but it was beyond the pale. Maybe that's just my tastes but it stuck in my craw the rest of the book.
The book lives up to the promise of being "Atlas Shrugged in space" but that probably only works if you're a huge fan of Atlas Shrugged. (I generally enjoyed the book, though it deserves some criticism.) But I digress.
What it ultimately boils down to is that I dislike right-wing propaganda fiction for the same reason I dislike it on the left-wing side: propaganda is stupid and it's not why I read fiction.
Still, Corcoran shows an adept hand at the technical elements of storytelling, and is a good writer in general.
January 26, 2020
The implicit contract that the author would tell me a good story in exchange for coin was not kept.
The good:
The theory of the singularity, AI, and political theory showed thought and effort.
The pacing is fast and it keeps the tension going. It hurtles from one disaster to the next.
The bad:
This book did not end. It stopped. In the middle on a huge cliff hanger. If it were billed as "part 1" I would not be upset. I don't like oily salesmen that over promise, under deliver, and use bait and switch tactics.
The AI was overly technical. It gave it a unique voice but it came across as a clueless professor instead of a very intelligent being. I know how many of my friends I can talk about game theory with. None of them.
The main character is so clueless it's annoying instead of endearing. He's dating a good woman but I can't see why. There's no affection between them and they're almost never together. He treats her badly or ignores her. When asked why she is dating him she says "He's a force of nature." WTF? I guess it's bad tactics to admit out loud "He's too stupid to ask for a prenup."
The author knows technology reasonably well but doesn't write people I care about. I won't read any more of this series.
The good:
The theory of the singularity, AI, and political theory showed thought and effort.
The pacing is fast and it keeps the tension going. It hurtles from one disaster to the next.
The bad:
This book did not end. It stopped. In the middle on a huge cliff hanger. If it were billed as "part 1" I would not be upset. I don't like oily salesmen that over promise, under deliver, and use bait and switch tactics.
The AI was overly technical. It gave it a unique voice but it came across as a clueless professor instead of a very intelligent being. I know how many of my friends I can talk about game theory with. None of them.
The main character is so clueless it's annoying instead of endearing. He's dating a good woman but I can't see why. There's no affection between them and they're almost never together. He treats her badly or ignores her. When asked why she is dating him she says "He's a force of nature." WTF? I guess it's bad tactics to admit out loud "He's too stupid to ask for a prenup."
The author knows technology reasonably well but doesn't write people I care about. I won't read any more of this series.
June 13, 2024
What a book! I haven't felt this way since I read The Martian. And like the Martian, Forces is idiosyncratic in a way you wouldn't see in mainstream science fiction. There are two stories, one about an exiled soldier hiking on the moon with a pack of illegal uplifted dogs, the other about the libertarian misanthrope who helped found the moon colony and must now overcome his antisocial nature to build his home's defenses against an upcoming invasion from Earth. The novel doesn't do what you'd expect. It neither begins nor ends where an agent or editor or writers' workshop instructor would recommend. It's just utterly enthralling. Not because of its message or its use of tropes or language, but because it's a labor of love. Corcoran loves Brin and Heinlein. He loves engineering and dogs. He loves playing with the toys he's made, and he's sharing them with you. This is everything fiction should be. Endless thanks to Jane Psmith* for recommending this book.
*https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-t...
*https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-t...
July 22, 2019
I've read this and the second book and can honestly say that despite the politics, I really enjoyed reading these books. The author is a self-professed Anarcho-Capitalist Catholic and preaches it through both books. I think that anarcho-capitalism is about as likely to succeed in the real world as communism and for exactly the same reason: they both, at their very core, have a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature. But rather than me preaching, I'll say that John-Galt-in-space turns out to be a silly fun premise. Like all science fiction, current events are taken to extremes and then left to battle it out. The battling is the fun part. And the Dogs... the Dogs are the best. But be warned if you are woke and infected by the PC virus - you are going to hate this book.
April 26, 2019
Interesting and enjoyable take on the lunar rebellion theme
When I began reading, I expected a near clone of Heinlein’s classic “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.” Libertarian lunar colony? Check. Oppressive Earth government(s)? Check. Self-aware AI? Check.
It’s not a clone. It’s a very different take on the theme. Characters were well fleshed out, the action was good, and it kept me turning pages.
I bought the second book the moment I finished the first.
When I began reading, I expected a near clone of Heinlein’s classic “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.” Libertarian lunar colony? Check. Oppressive Earth government(s)? Check. Self-aware AI? Check.
It’s not a clone. It’s a very different take on the theme. Characters were well fleshed out, the action was good, and it kept me turning pages.
I bought the second book the moment I finished the first.
June 21, 2019
Not a bad book. Just seems a bit silly to use ocean going ships to convert to spaceships and genetically altered dogs that are smarter than humans. Not to mention they pick up rocks, fire weapons, and use tablets. The dogs didn't even really move the plot along. Going to read the next one but not the best book I've ready this year.
January 30, 2018
A great sci fi novel which is clearly inspired by Heinlein and other masters, but which stands on its own as another strong libertarian moon-politics adventure. Strongly recommend (although book 2 is even better.)
April 8, 2019
Very dry
It took me quite a while to power through this book. I found the characters dry and flat. I think I would have enjoyed a prequel to this book more. There were too many unanswered questions.
It took me quite a while to power through this book. I found the characters dry and flat. I think I would have enjoyed a prequel to this book more. There were too many unanswered questions.
December 22, 2018
Nice story, but the worse editing
The typos are so bad, not just a little, we are talking pathetic level word negligence. It is sad as the story is solid, and writing s not bad.
The typos are so bad, not just a little, we are talking pathetic level word negligence. It is sad as the story is solid, and writing s not bad.
July 23, 2020
Generally I like hard science fiction, by scientists. This is not that. This is Atlas Shrugged On The Moon, with typos. Meh.
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