The Heirs of Babylon

by Glen Cook

The dystopian politics of 1984 meet the naval warship backdrop of The Last Ship in fantasy master Glen Cook’s reissued first novel, available for the first time in decades.

It is 2193, and still the war continues.

Two hundred years after nuclear and chemical weapons have nearly annihilated the global population, the last of mankind struggles on in isolated communities. Law and order is carried out by the Political Office, black-clad police who rule through fear and violence, commanding the world’s survivors how to think, how to act, and when to obey the call to the the ritual massing for war against an unknown and unseen Enemy.

Now the call has come, and all nations must pay tribute.

Kurt Ranke is a young man eking out an existence in the ruins of former Germany with his pregnant wife. But when the Gathering is called, he boards the decrepit destroyer Jäger—a once-mighty warship now more than two centuries old. Antiquated, broken-down, and running on steam, it wallows through uncharted waters carrying Ranke and a reluctant and ragtag group of soldiers en route to the Final a battle from which it’s rumored none have ever returned . . .

Night Shade Books is proud to reissue, for the first time and now with a brand-new foreword from the author, The Heirs of Babylon , Glen Cook’s long-unavailable debut novel, a dark blend of post-apocalyptic naval warfare, Orwellian political intrigue, and the intimate, war-correspondent prose the author is known for.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia, Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Military Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Glen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy and attended the University of Missouri. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He began writing with malicious intent to publish in 1968, eventually producing 51 books and a number of short fiction pieces.
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so bleak that it makes Bleak Seasons feel like a trip to Disneyland!



Quite, my dear. Quite.

Okay, so this story is set in a Post Nuclear Apocalypse-Type World (PNATW™), which of course helps in the bleakness department. And I have to admit that I've never been much of a post-apocalyptic thingie fan myself (mostly because 🥱🥱), but this is Glen Cook, so there. Oh, and those of you who are actually fans of post-apocalyptic thingies might think that this book being written in 1972 (it's even older than I am! How frightfully shocking indeed!) probably means that 🥱🥱. And in most cases, you would be (perhaps) right (maybe). But this is Glen Cook, so there.



Moving on? Moving on.

So. This book is about: war (yay!), the utter awesomeness of paper, pencils and ballpoint pens (I kid you not), tyrants of narrow limits, unbalanced ecological equations (believe it or not, this book was indeed written in 1972), extermination factions (tickled quite pink I am), fake news false history and contemporary insanities (written in 1972, I tell you!), sextant boxes as deadly weapons (note to self: tell Fleet Admiral DaShrimp to stock up), gruesome biological weapons (yum), treacherous bastards and undercover agents and Machiavellian plans, oh my (this is Glen Cook, after all), dangerous books, ritualized war (for spoiler spoiler spoiler reasons), men overboard aplenty (what good fun to be had on this cruise!), a most delicious body count (the reader is lucky to escape this one unscathed, if you ask me), hatred as the mother of all foolish decisions, smoking shrimps rats out, a need of the past becoming an end in itself, and last but bloody shrimping not least, evil has a matter of viewpoint (yep, this is most definitely Glen Cook 😬😎).

Shall we dance? Dance we shall.



P.S. Did I tell you that this book was written in 1972? I did? Oh well.



[Pre-review nonsense]

So this book has a 3.52 average star rating. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, they all read it wrong! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Oh, and by the way, Glen Cook is a god. In case you didn't know.



Review to come and stuff.

[Greg (adds 2 TBR list daily) Hersom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange nightmare mishmash of Das Boat, The Road, and Heart of Darkness (although I've never read Heart of Darkness). It drags you along through a hellish world of endless war in a dying world.

[AoC · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always interesting to go back to the origin story of your beloved authors, and The Heirs of Babylon is precisely that for Glen Cook as this is the very first novel credited to his real name. A lot of the style that came to define the man, whether you like it or not, is already here free of those latter grand trappings. His personal navy experience must have also been a determining factor in not only choosing the idea conceptually but bringing it to life on the pages as well. Is it any good for a debut novel, though?

Year in question is 2193 and it's been two centuries since the Great War began. It continues still albeit in different fashion - remaining nations of the world, much of which has been turned into a wasteland after that cataclysmic conflict, still maintain and operate war ships they're compelled by the secretive Political Office into sending to the Gathering in Gibraltar so they can wage the Final Battle against the demonic Australian empire. Needless to say, such Gatherings have happened before yet no one remembers any ships or survivors. Such is the state of things for our protagonist Kurt Ranke as he's torn between duty for his once-Germany, now Littoral, and love for his newlywed wife Karen. Why? Because he's just enlisted on battleship Jager as she answers their generation's own call for the Gathering. Retrofitted US warship now running on steam power preying on forests to refuel, seamen recruited from people on a cultural level of the 16th or 17th century and Political Officer who seems to know so much and shares none of it.

Almost to spite my usual interests in these things you get little bits of world building. Appropriate considering A) this is Cook we're talking about and even here you can already see his terse "we came, we conquered" approach to writing and B) crew of Jager knows so little beyond their immediate surrounding naval neighbors and old maps mostly in English they can't even read beyond nautical figures. Latter is mostly Kurt's domain, despite enlisting as Quartermaster, due to his experience with the fishermen in Denmark, for example. Without spoiling it should be pointed out our protagonist does discover what apparently happened in the past, knowledge intentionally kept hidden, and even then don't expect major turns. I was surprised by how it doesn't all fall on Kurt's back to be the lone hero you'd think the story would go for. His crewmates and other characters do have a role to play. Speaking of...

Kurt Ranke is the kind of balanced protagonist with just the right traits to facilitate the story. He's not the only one inclined towards thinking before acting as that's most of the officers on Jager, but the way he's torn between his wife and duty does eat at him. Should he have gone with her to Telemark? After all, as we find out, he enlisted for a very stupid reason going against character. He is also someone whose straightforwardness and loyalty can be used against, though. As she's quickly written out of the picture we don't see or hear much from Karen. Wife does have a major role as she's not only the motivator, but also establishes pivotal rivalry between Kurt and Hans. Childhood friend who very nearly ended up married to Karen. As the son of a Political Officer Hans wasn't necessarily the most popular guy around and circumstances lead to him and Kurt becoming rivals. Not in that annoying YA way, but rather as two professionals who are often willingly putting aside their childhood friendship and you can tell there's lingering bitterness there even if neither entirely understands why. Written by someone else Hans could've been entirely insufferable which makes the ending all the more of a letdown for me.

All of the above, I believe, paints a rather neutral picture. So what is my actual opinion on The Heirs of Babylon? Put simply - it's solid.

Pacing is just right to not bog you down in details and keep events moving, but every aspect of the novel gets just enough attention. It's part-time post-apocalyptic quest, resurrected naval warfare and political intrigue with lethal stakes. I would've taken more from each category. They all mix together in pleasant manner, though. One element that stood out to me was how believably Cook conveys the idea of people not used to espionage or politicking get caught up in, and are woefully unprepared for the outcome. This doesn't come from a place of being disappointed by the ending because for a while it had me going. Hell, I thought I'd figured most of it out by the half-point only to turn out I was both right and wrong due to a last second reveal. Was more planned?

[Jason Waltz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, can't recommend this to anyone. What I read is the soul weary cry of a battle survivor too spent to do anything or be anything other than a dreamer denier slipping through a world of fear and regret and naivety and ineffectualness. A story told about a world of hopelessness. And yet a story foretelling where we're heading, where humanity is allowing itself to be manipulated. Dreary, wearisome, and dismaying.

[Ted Wenskus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming to this book after years (decades!) of reading The Chronicles of the Black Company, it was very interesting to see the genesis of so many themes and even characters that would later populate Mr. Cook's novels--down to a character named Otto and a record-keeper who waxes poetic about finding paper and writing materials in the post-apocalyptic world. Yup, familiar territory.

But putting that aside for the newcomer, this is a stand-alone, post-nuclear war novel with bleak Orwellian overtones, told from the soldiers' point of view. Caught in an endless war, the reasons of which have been lost to time, it traces the journey of a rag-tag fleet cobbled together from the world's remaining technology to go to a Meeting--a recurring battle fought at set intervals throughout the years. Intrigue, political maneuvering, and opportunistic backstabbing are balanced out by a strong anti-war message, captured well in the main characters' war weariness and apathy. It may not be your cup of tea, for sure, but it is a solid first novel from one of the great F&SF writers of the field.

[Terence · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe this was Cook's first published novel; if not, it was one of the first and it shows.

You can see glimpses of what would make Cook a good author in later books and the cynical worldview that informs his work but the writing's awkward and derivative, and it's just not very good.

If you're an absolutely die-hard Cook fan who can't live without reading everything he writes, you should read this book. If you're a less fanatic fan of his fiction, this is one novel you can and probably should avoid.

[Connor K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book introduced me to Glen Cook. I found his writing style very interesting, you are tossed right into the story with little explanation, letting the reader fill in the gaps themselves.

I found myself feeling for Kurt as a soldier far from home who wondered why he had ever made this decision to begin with. The ending goes from 0-100 really fast and gives the book title some meaning. Incredible read, would recommend for any science fiction fan who also wants that gritty novel of a future that seems more likely every day.

[Kim Hoag · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never explored Cook before, but I have heard of him as a very good science fiction author. I thought I’d try his first published book (always a chancy thing unless the author is Thomas Mann).
In a not too far distant dystopian future…a future devastated by war…technology is rusting away unable to be replaced. The political hierarchy is mysteriously omnipresent—we only see its tentacles—but it may be participating in, or coordinating, the continuing “world wars” with these aging technologies. No reasons are suggested for this, it just is. Kurt, a German, non-violent youth, leaves his pregnant wife to join the next great Gathering, which is the continuation of the war.

A two-century old battleship is their vehicle for the journey to the war. Kurt Struggles to maintain a neutral position between the anti-political underground and the political forces (think Brown Shirts or SS). A position that becomes increasingly difficult to maintain on the long journey, and it eventually turns deadly. Who are the agents, and who can you trust? There are a lot of interesting elements here (reminding me of Sand Pebbles in feel, but not in plot), but like many another first novel, this one is rife with gaping holes and unsubtle writing. Attempts to keep you guessing who the Political assassin might be are okay, but fumble toward the end. Still, it was an interesting read.

[David Haddon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book, written 50 years ago, foreshadows some of Mr. Cooks later great writing. But it also reflects major weaknesses from a first-time author. Reprinting this long out of print story struck me as a money grab, not justified by the quality of the work product.

Mr. Cook wrote a three page forward in the 2018 reprint edition i read. If he was engaged enough to write the forward, i wish he had taken the time to do some major editing, applying a lifetime of experience. Alternatively, doing a rewrite around the engaging premise of the story could develop into a strong read.

Glad I read because Mr. Cook is one of my favorite authors, but definitely not going into the reread pile. Unless you are a rabid Glen Cook fan, I recommend passing on this one.

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally titled "Fallen, Fallen is Babylon," this post-apocalyptic military (naval) story is Glen Cook's first published novel and while it is pretty rough compared to his later series, like The Black Company and The Dread Empire, it does have much of the same feel - combining a soldier's eye view of a massive conflict with intrigue and betrayal. I did enjoy it but it didn't blow my socks off. I also found the concept of eternal war in this book reminded of the generations-long war in the background of Cook's Garrett, P.I. books, where the sons of Karenta and Venageta depart for war in the Cantard with few ever returning - although the "ritual war" in his first book has an infinitely more sinister backstory. 3 stars.

[Joachim Boaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...

"Glen Cook’s first novel, The Heirs of Babylon (1972), is one of a handful of science fiction works in his extensive catalog. He’s best known for two fantasy sequences, Chronicles of the Black Company and Dread Empire. Operating in standard post-apocalyptic territory (wrecked landscapes created by nuclear and chemical warfare), Cook weaves a disturbing tale of the power of militaristic fantasies and traditions. While suffering [...]"

[Trey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite book from Cook but it was a unique and interesting story that shares a lot with his later works. The writing is often confusing, the dialogue clunky and unclear but the main theme is pretty similar to a lot of his works. Average soldiers (sailors in this case) trying to make sense of the world through their view from the ranks.

There's a lot we dont know and don't learn about this world he has created. It felt like for every piece that clicked into place, a few more would jiggle loose. The ending was kind of a bummer though

[Christian Freed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, this was ok, but nothing to make me want to read it again. Interesting take on what happens after the nuclear apocalypse though and the twisted ways we try to retain control and power. Still, for a first book, it flowed well. My only real gripe is the story just sort of stopped instead of having a proper ending.

[No one of consequence One · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very good mystery thriller that kept me interested. Sadly the ending was very dissatisfying. I’d recommend it but with a warning of be prepared to be unhappy with the ending. Otherwise a good quick read.

[Claudette Gabbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was interesting, yet weird. Different. Odd ending.

[Nikita Yurovski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good story. Quick read.

[Janus · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5

[Rodney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read Cook’s first book after reading so many of his other novels. It was raw and not quite as refined as his future books. You could see his style…really good.

[Pumpkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

father of grimdark

A lot of things make better sense to me now, after reading the introduction…Glen’s outlook, why it resonates in my head…this is real deal grim dark

[Solim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great debut. Writing style was an adjustment but I like it. One tip for anyone reading Cook’s novels is, dont miss a word. It all matters. No filler.

[ทixi৳ท · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was a pleasant disappointment for me, because I have never read anything like it. I think this is my second book this year that is out of my comfort zone. It had everything, excitement, action and mysterious murders. And betrayal, the usual situation, when someone we wouldn't think of commits the murders.

“Maybe, maybe not. You might be surprised. But, win or lose, they’ll’ve set an example by trying— which is more than anyone’s ever done. Gives an old man hopes of seeing the War die before he does. Word of this gets out, maybe nobody’ll answer the call to the next Gathering.”

But then the question is, why did I give it 3 stars? Unfortunately I was very unhappy with the ending of the book. I think it was unfinished. The plot started more towards the end of the book, until then it was only about the investigation and speculations. And of course it was about internal fights.

[Anthony Giordano · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Heirs of Babylon is an interesting little novel. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world, two hundred years after nuclear and chemical warfare has annihilated almost the entirety of the global population. And yet, for some reason, maybe the inherent madness of man, the war continues. Every few years, there is a Gathering; where the remaining territories must cobble together a Tribute: man and naval power, and trudge off the the "Meeting", and do battle with the phantom enemy. Few, if any, ever return.

Our protagonist, Kurt Ranke, is a young man that lives in the Littoral, the ragged remnants of Germany. Impulsive action and obstinate pride have committed him to participation in what High Command (the ruling force for the West) has deemed the "Final Meeting". We meet him as he is bidding farewell to Karen, his new wife. Before leaving, she hits him with two curveballs; one, that she is possibly pregnant, and two, she is contemplating absconding to Telemark, Norway, to join a pacifist faction up there. She begs him to join, but he commits to duty. And so, he boards his ship, the Jager, and sets off on his appointment with destiny.

For the most part, the book details life aboard the ragtag destroyer. This is what Cook has always excelled at; taking something seemingly normal, and adding fantastic elements to it. Due to the loss of the technology of two centuries past, those attending the Gathering can still put mighty ships in the water, but they are often patchwork craft, often running on steam power.

This part of the story works because of the authenticity of the naval portrayal. As Cook even mentioned recently in an interview, a lot of what was written here was drawn upon from his Naval service a few years prior. So, if the day to day actions of a Quartermaster don't appeal to you, a good chunk of this novel won't work.

Now, as these things are wont to happen in a militaristic system of government, High Command has a sort of "propaganda police bureau" known as the Political Office, to make sure that everyone keeps marching in step. These feared agents are clad in black, and inspire fear and command respect wherever they go. Think SS officers or Warhammer 40K Commissars.

In such a totalitarian society, it comes as no surprise that the undercurrents of dissent are evident on a broader spectrum than those fleeing to Telemark. On the Jager, and, we find later, most other ships participating in the Gathering, there is an underground movement. The seeds of mutiny that they sow create an intense amount of tension on the ship.

Our protagonist, Kurt Ranke, finds himself smack dab in the middle of this ideological maelstrom. Cook has, in Kurt, presented us with a very real, human lead. He is a young man who is not non-violent, but simply not violent. He is not anti-war; he just cannot quantify hating an "enemy" that he has never seen. He is not pro-High Command, but he understands that life is much easier when one follows a set path (even though in the back of his mind he realizes that this path is probably a one-way trip). He also recognizes the goals of the resistance; he even finds excitement in them, and a desire to help bring about change. Of course, he ends up committing again to the path laid out for him, and hating himself for his laziness. Kurt is very much like us in this way; we can rage over political and social issues in the news and on social media, then finish our coffee and head off to our work pods.

Even though Babylon borrows from other anti-war and anti-totalitarian works, it is not a propaganda piece. It is, like so many of Cook's other works, a story seen from the everyday soldier's point of view.

Towards the middle, Cook borrows a page from 1984 and has Kurt visit a small shop, where upon him is bestowed a book which illuminates some of the mechanics of the current societal structure. He picks up some rudimentary English skills, and sets about translating the tome.

As the rickety armada trudges off to its final rendezvous, the clamps from High Command are tightened, and the seeds of mutiny truly begin to blossom. At this point, it all becomes a matter of time...."

You can read my full review here:

http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

First let me say that I am a fan of Glen Cook. However, this is definitely a freshman effort. The story is interesting but nonetheless I felt the author was not sure where he wanted to go with the story so it ended up being somewhat confused and derivative and uninspired. The moral comes down to War is Bad which seems kind of lazy. Furthermore, the motivations, while derivative of 1984, is not handled convincingly... why these beat up nations continue to participate in the gathering did not seem convincing. Nonetheless you can see some of the potential latent in the author.
One pet peeve that also is a negative to me is when nuclear weapons are inaccurately described and used as a plot device to add gravitas to a story. I think this is another case of being lazy. The fact that a nuclear weapon is used centuries after a original war is strike one.... radioactive material decays and nuclear weapons only have a few decade shelf life. The technology of this future civilization is clearly not up to building there own nuclear weapon so this one we are supposed to believe is leftover from the original war. Lazy research. The other negative is the size of the explosion...this one cause a fairly large tidal (or, or if you will, nuclear) wave... that just would not happen... the amount of energy released as a shock wave is not large enough unless they built an absurdly sized bomb (100 megatons+ anyone?). Lazy research again.

[Joshua Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This book surprised me. I'm a huge Cook fan, but since this was his first published novel in sci-fi/fantasy, I expected it to be a bit rough. However, the idea and plot drew me in as did the characters which were pretty well developed. Action at the end was also top notch.

My biggest complaints were that the last 10 pages were a bit confusing. I felt they were a little rushed and it wasn't clear who was where and in some cases how they got there. Also, I would have liked more info about High Command.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

an early book by Cook, if not the earliest. I liked it. The writing is powerful. I think his best work has been done in fantasy, though.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cook's first book certainly had the dark time of his future books. No happy endings here.