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There Will Be War #10
There Will Be War Volume X: History's End
Created by the bestselling SF novelist Jerry Pournelle, THERE WILL BE WAR is a landmark science fiction anthology series that combines top-notch military science fiction with factual essays by various generals and military experts on everything from High Frontier and the Strategic Defense Initiative to the aftermath of the Vietnam War. It features some of the greatest military science fiction ever published, such Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" in Volume I and Joel Rosenberg's "Cincinnatus" in Volume II. Many science fiction greats were featured in the original nine-volume series, which ran from 1982 to 1990, including Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, Gordon Dickson, Poul Anderson, John Brunner, Gregory Benford, Robert Silverberg, Harry Turtledove, and Ben Bova.
25 years after the end of the Cold War and the publication of the ninth volume, Dr. Pournelle has revived his classic science fiction series with Castalia House. THERE WILL BE WAR Volume X continues the tradition of combining top-notch military science fiction with first-rate real-world analysis by military experts. The Cold War may have ended, but as recent events everywhere from Paris to Syria have demonstrated, war has not.
THERE WILL BE WAR Volume X is edited by Jerry Pournelle and features 18 stories, articles, and poems. Of particular note are "Battle Station" by Ben Bova, "Flashpoint: Titan" by Cheah Kai Wai, "What Price Humanity?" by David VanDyke, and the eerily prescient "The Man Who Wasn't There" by Gregory Benford. Volume X also includes timely essays on "War and Migration" by Martin van Creveld, "The 4GW Counterforce" by William S. Lind and LtCol Gregory A. Thiele, USMC, and "The Deadly Future of Littoral Sea Control" by CDR Phillip E. Pournelle, USN, which was awarded the 2015 Literary Award by the Surface Navy Association for "the best professional article in any publication addressing Surface Navy or surface warfare issues."
25 years after the end of the Cold War and the publication of the ninth volume, Dr. Pournelle has revived his classic science fiction series with Castalia House. THERE WILL BE WAR Volume X continues the tradition of combining top-notch military science fiction with first-rate real-world analysis by military experts. The Cold War may have ended, but as recent events everywhere from Paris to Syria have demonstrated, war has not.
THERE WILL BE WAR Volume X is edited by Jerry Pournelle and features 18 stories, articles, and poems. Of particular note are "Battle Station" by Ben Bova, "Flashpoint: Titan" by Cheah Kai Wai, "What Price Humanity?" by David VanDyke, and the eerily prescient "The Man Who Wasn't There" by Gregory Benford. Volume X also includes timely essays on "War and Migration" by Martin van Creveld, "The 4GW Counterforce" by William S. Lind and LtCol Gregory A. Thiele, USMC, and "The Deadly Future of Littoral Sea Control" by CDR Phillip E. Pournelle, USN, which was awarded the 2015 Literary Award by the Surface Navy Association for "the best professional article in any publication addressing Surface Navy or surface warfare issues."
414 pages, Paperback
First published December 18, 2015
54 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Pournelle
263 books546 followersDr Jerry Eugene Pournelle was an American science fiction writer, engineer, essayist, and journalist, who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte, and from 1998 until his death maintained his own website and blog.
From the beginning, Pournelle's work centered around strong military themes. Several books describe the fictional mercenary infantry force known as Falkenberg's Legion. There are strong parallels between these stories and the Childe Cycle mercenary stories by Gordon R. Dickson, as well as Heinlein's Starship Troopers, although Pournelle's work takes far fewer technological leaps than either of these.
Pournelle spent years working in the aerospace industry, including at Boeing, on projects including studying heat tolerance for astronauts and their spacesuits. This side of his career also found him working on projections related to military tactics and probabilities. One report in which he had a hand became a basis for the Strategic Defense Initiative, the missile defense system proposed by President Ronald Reagan. A study he edited in 1964 involved projecting Air Force missile technology needs for 1975.
Dr. Pournelle would always tell would-be writers seeking advice that the key to becoming an author was to write — a lot.
“And finish what you write,” he added in a 2003 interview. “Don’t join a writers’ club and sit around having coffee reading pieces of your manuscript to people. Write it. Finish it.”
Pournelle served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1973.
From the beginning, Pournelle's work centered around strong military themes. Several books describe the fictional mercenary infantry force known as Falkenberg's Legion. There are strong parallels between these stories and the Childe Cycle mercenary stories by Gordon R. Dickson, as well as Heinlein's Starship Troopers, although Pournelle's work takes far fewer technological leaps than either of these.
Pournelle spent years working in the aerospace industry, including at Boeing, on projects including studying heat tolerance for astronauts and their spacesuits. This side of his career also found him working on projections related to military tactics and probabilities. One report in which he had a hand became a basis for the Strategic Defense Initiative, the missile defense system proposed by President Ronald Reagan. A study he edited in 1964 involved projecting Air Force missile technology needs for 1975.
Dr. Pournelle would always tell would-be writers seeking advice that the key to becoming an author was to write — a lot.
“And finish what you write,” he added in a 2003 interview. “Don’t join a writers’ club and sit around having coffee reading pieces of your manuscript to people. Write it. Finish it.”
Pournelle served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1973.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
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July 14, 2016Like others, even if items did not end up on the Hugo nominee list fairly, I figure I'll read them and give an honest opinion.
** What Price Humanity? - David VanDyke
There's a germ of a good idea in this story. The ending is actually really well-presented. I could see a 12-year-old boy with a serious video game obsession thinking that this story was absolutely devastating.
However - I've already read 'Ender's Game.' I saw that ending being telegraphed to me loud and clear from quite early on. The set-up? A space soldier comes to consciousness in a medical-type setting which he realizes quite soon, is a VR simulation. He assumes that he's been injured and that he's in recovery. But soon, he's joined by a number of other soldiers - all acquaintances that he's served with, and even one old girlfriend who, he's quite certain, was dead. They're asked to participate in a number of simulated training exercises involving new tech against humanity's alien enemies.
The main problem with the story is that the characters feel like they were imagined by the aforementioned 12-year-old boy. The mentality is very juvenile and limited-feeling, and a scenario that had a ton of potential just doesn't achieve what it could have.
Also - a note: When South Park called a lone black character "Token" it felt like a pointed bit of social criticism. When VanDyke does it here, it doesn't.
** What Price Humanity? - David VanDyke
There's a germ of a good idea in this story. The ending is actually really well-presented. I could see a 12-year-old boy with a serious video game obsession thinking that this story was absolutely devastating.
However - I've already read 'Ender's Game.' I saw that ending being telegraphed to me loud and clear from quite early on. The set-up? A space soldier comes to consciousness in a medical-type setting which he realizes quite soon, is a VR simulation. He assumes that he's been injured and that he's in recovery. But soon, he's joined by a number of other soldiers - all acquaintances that he's served with, and even one old girlfriend who, he's quite certain, was dead. They're asked to participate in a number of simulated training exercises involving new tech against humanity's alien enemies.
The main problem with the story is that the characters feel like they were imagined by the aforementioned 12-year-old boy. The mentality is very juvenile and limited-feeling, and a scenario that had a ton of potential just doesn't achieve what it could have.
Also - a note: When South Park called a lone black character "Token" it felt like a pointed bit of social criticism. When VanDyke does it here, it doesn't.
January 3, 2016
I have a rule not to let the politics of a person determine whether or not I do business with them. Vox Day, owner of Castalia House, tends to test that rule to the fullest. Having said that, I've been a fan of Jerry Pournelle for a long time, and am glad to see the "There Will Be War" series back on the shelves, if only electronically.
The concept of the anthology is a collection of short stories and short non-fiction about future war. It includes a lot of original stuff and some reprints, and tends to be quality stuff. Here are a few of the specific items I found noteworthy:
The Man Who Wasn't There by Gregory Benford is a near-future reflection on anti-terrorism. Gripping and plausible.
The 4GW Counterforce is a non-fiction discussion of the type of troops needed to fight 4th Generation Warfare. It was interesting, although I will eventually write my magnum opus on 4th GW which (spoiler alert) will say it's just a rehash of fighting the Plains Indians of the 1800s.
Battle Station by Ben Bova - one of the tropes of old-school SF is a World Government, controlling by threat of orbital nuclear annihilation. The question is who controls the bombs? Bova has a gripping answer.
The War Memorial by Allen M. Steele is a short and poignant piece, and reminds us that war is always terrible.
War and Migration by Martin van Creveld is a cranky little piece of non-fiction arguing that every migration of people in history was the same as warfare. It's notable in that Creveld, a migrant to Israel writing for an American audience, exempts from his review certain migrations.
Flashpoint: Titan by Cheah Kai Wai is refreshing in that the heroes of the story aren't primarily Americans.
The Fourth Fleet by Russell Newquist I found irritating for a couple of reasons. The first, which jumped out at me immediately, was the "United States Space Navy" - an entity with no historical explanation or support. The second, which to be fair was a bit of fridge logic, had to do with the big surprise at the end regarding the number of pirates.
Among Thieves by Poul Anderson is a reprint, but a classic of the genre. Essentially, two planets, call them Army Planet and Space Fleet Planet, have been at war for centuries - a war neither can fully win. Earth has been content to let them fight each other to the last of their men. Then an Army Planet leader has a better idea.
The concept of the anthology is a collection of short stories and short non-fiction about future war. It includes a lot of original stuff and some reprints, and tends to be quality stuff. Here are a few of the specific items I found noteworthy:
The Man Who Wasn't There by Gregory Benford is a near-future reflection on anti-terrorism. Gripping and plausible.
The 4GW Counterforce is a non-fiction discussion of the type of troops needed to fight 4th Generation Warfare. It was interesting, although I will eventually write my magnum opus on 4th GW which (spoiler alert) will say it's just a rehash of fighting the Plains Indians of the 1800s.
Battle Station by Ben Bova - one of the tropes of old-school SF is a World Government, controlling by threat of orbital nuclear annihilation. The question is who controls the bombs? Bova has a gripping answer.
The War Memorial by Allen M. Steele is a short and poignant piece, and reminds us that war is always terrible.
War and Migration by Martin van Creveld is a cranky little piece of non-fiction arguing that every migration of people in history was the same as warfare. It's notable in that Creveld, a migrant to Israel writing for an American audience, exempts from his review certain migrations.
Flashpoint: Titan by Cheah Kai Wai is refreshing in that the heroes of the story aren't primarily Americans.
The Fourth Fleet by Russell Newquist I found irritating for a couple of reasons. The first, which jumped out at me immediately, was the "United States Space Navy" - an entity with no historical explanation or support. The second, which to be fair was a bit of fridge logic, had to do with the big surprise at the end regarding the number of pirates.
Among Thieves by Poul Anderson is a reprint, but a classic of the genre. Essentially, two planets, call them Army Planet and Space Fleet Planet, have been at war for centuries - a war neither can fully win. Earth has been content to let them fight each other to the last of their men. Then an Army Planet leader has a better idea.
January 2, 2016
Reminded my of how much I enjoyed this anthology back in the day. Well worth the time.
December 30, 2017
This is the last volume in the late Jerry Pournelle's long running series, There Will be War. Volume IX was published in 1990. Jerry said that the series had originally ended when the Cold War did, but the return of great power politics with Russia and China made it relevant again. It has sold well over the years, if Jerry had lived longer, I imagine more volumes would have been forthcoming.
This volume is just as good as any of the previous installments. One major change is that China is featured as the bête noire instead of Russia, but otherwise the basic structure remains the same: short science fiction with a military focus is interspersed with non-fiction essays on military topics, all of it woven together with short introductions by Jerry.
There were some great stories in this volume. Standouts for me were "Flashpoint: Titan" by Cheah Kai Wai, "The Fourth Fleet" by Russell Newquist, "Among Thieves" by Poul Anderson, and '"Fly-by-Night"' by Larry Niven. All the stories in this volume were good, which makes it hard to pick my favorites, so I go by the ones that stick in my memory the best.
In particular, Larry Niven's contribution astonished me with how dense it was. Larry managed to pack so much detail into every sentence that I had a little trouble keeping up. I found myself scanning back every so often to make sure I hadn't missed something interesting. I often had. I hadn't previously considered getting into Known Space or the Man-Kzin Wars, but now I want to.
I've found a number of great authors via their contributions to this series, for example Gordon Dickson. In this case, I was already familiar with Larry's books with Jerry Pournelle, but I only kind of liked The Magic Goes Away, the only solo Niven book I've read. Looking back at my review, I wrote it up better than I remember it. Thanks to this collection, I'm willing to give Niven's other books a chance. Which is after all the point of short stories; they give you a chance to try authors out rapidly, and see who you might like to read more.
I think this volume continues a great tradition, and it has some great stories in it. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes any of the authors who contributed, fans of military science fiction, and anyone who likes a cracking good yarn. You should be able to find something you like.
This volume is just as good as any of the previous installments. One major change is that China is featured as the bête noire instead of Russia, but otherwise the basic structure remains the same: short science fiction with a military focus is interspersed with non-fiction essays on military topics, all of it woven together with short introductions by Jerry.
There were some great stories in this volume. Standouts for me were "Flashpoint: Titan" by Cheah Kai Wai, "The Fourth Fleet" by Russell Newquist, "Among Thieves" by Poul Anderson, and '"Fly-by-Night"' by Larry Niven. All the stories in this volume were good, which makes it hard to pick my favorites, so I go by the ones that stick in my memory the best.
In particular, Larry Niven's contribution astonished me with how dense it was. Larry managed to pack so much detail into every sentence that I had a little trouble keeping up. I found myself scanning back every so often to make sure I hadn't missed something interesting. I often had. I hadn't previously considered getting into Known Space or the Man-Kzin Wars, but now I want to.
I've found a number of great authors via their contributions to this series, for example Gordon Dickson. In this case, I was already familiar with Larry's books with Jerry Pournelle, but I only kind of liked The Magic Goes Away, the only solo Niven book I've read. Looking back at my review, I wrote it up better than I remember it. Thanks to this collection, I'm willing to give Niven's other books a chance. Which is after all the point of short stories; they give you a chance to try authors out rapidly, and see who you might like to read more.
I think this volume continues a great tradition, and it has some great stories in it. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes any of the authors who contributed, fans of military science fiction, and anyone who likes a cracking good yarn. You should be able to find something you like.
Read
May 31, 2016This is probably not something I would have read on my own, but I'm working my way through the Hugo nominees and I want to give everything a fair shot. I will hopefully get through the whole thing eventually (as Jerry Pournelle is nominated as an editor), but I'll start with the stories that specifically made it on the ballot.
"Seven Kill Tiger", Charles W. Shao one star
This? This was nominated for a Hugo? I just can't see anything exceptional about it. The writing is poor, the plot is derivative and not all that interesting, the characters are bland. I mean I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either.
Flashpoint: Titan, Cheah Kai Wah two stars
This one at least told a fairly entertaining story, even if the action was a bit bogged down by incomprehensible (to me) discussion of vectors and maneuvering. (Physics is not my strong suit). But again, there's just nothing to really distinguish this story from every other fairly competent and entertaining story written last year.
What Price Humanity?, David VanDyke three stars
Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Entertaining, competently written, and with a cool premise/twist. The gradual unfolding of the central 'mystery' kept me engaged, even if I was pretty sure I knew where we were headed. It's a concept that's been done before, and done better, in Ender's Game, but I liked it here too. I would never have nominated this myself (it's fun, but doesn't say 'award-worthy' to me), but I might actually rank it above "No Award".
"Seven Kill Tiger", Charles W. Shao one star
This? This was nominated for a Hugo? I just can't see anything exceptional about it. The writing is poor, the plot is derivative and not all that interesting, the characters are bland. I mean I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either.
Flashpoint: Titan, Cheah Kai Wah two stars
This one at least told a fairly entertaining story, even if the action was a bit bogged down by incomprehensible (to me) discussion of vectors and maneuvering. (Physics is not my strong suit). But again, there's just nothing to really distinguish this story from every other fairly competent and entertaining story written last year.
What Price Humanity?, David VanDyke three stars
Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Entertaining, competently written, and with a cool premise/twist. The gradual unfolding of the central 'mystery' kept me engaged, even if I was pretty sure I knew where we were headed. It's a concept that's been done before, and done better, in Ender's Game, but I liked it here too. I would never have nominated this myself (it's fun, but doesn't say 'award-worthy' to me), but I might actually rank it above "No Award".
January 22, 2016
A nice mix of non-fiction essays by some very knowledgeable men and some fiction that cranked my imagination up to eleven. About half way through this I realized it was going to end soon and I did not enjoy that feeling. I'll be going back to the original series and reading those as well. Mr Pournelle knows his stuff.
January 5, 2016
Probably the best military sci fi collection published in years. A well curated selection of nonfiction and fiction.
January 3, 2016
This is an excellent collection of thought-provoking Military SF stories and essays. Ranging from speculation upon future capabilities and tactics to scenarios that exercise the reader's ability to think strategically, this collection of well-written entries is a must-have. Of note, all of the stories can be read without placing too much thought into the military implications that they address (meaning you don't have to be of a "military mindset" to appreciate), and stand alone well just on plot and writing style. As an example, my favorite story is "The War Memorial" which does not touch upon any greater theme other than ... well, I will not include any spoilers; read for yourself! Very worthwhile collection.
November 7, 2016
The bulk of the stories in this collection are classic military SF, along with a few non-fiction articles about the near future of warfare, and the bulk of the material would have earned a fourth star. There were a couple of fairly weak stories, though, bringing the average down to three stars.
The non-fiction articles were above average, although because they were about near-future warfare, they had less of an SF connection. Still, the concepts discussed would have been SF just a couple of decades ago, so I guess that qualifies, since some of the reprint stories were older than that.
The collection was worth reading, but be prepared for a couple of bumpy spots.
The non-fiction articles were above average, although because they were about near-future warfare, they had less of an SF connection. Still, the concepts discussed would have been SF just a couple of decades ago, so I guess that qualifies, since some of the reprint stories were older than that.
The collection was worth reading, but be prepared for a couple of bumpy spots.
January 12, 2016
Quite possibly the best anthology I've read. Thought provoking articles and stories, all written by amazing talent. Don't miss this, the last two stories alone are worth it. Ok, each story is worth it, the value is ridiculous.
April 29, 2016
A nice collection of military SF and complementary essays. My favorite fiction were Flashpoint: Titan (Wai), What Price Humanity (Van Dyke), Last Show (Harrington), and Seven Kill Tiger (Shao). Congratulations to Pournelle and company for four 2016 Hugo nominations.
August 15, 2018
Jerry Pournelle never disappoints. His curation of stories for this series is top-notch. I acquired and read the entire series in paperback back in the '80s when it first came out, so when I saw he had added another volume, I had to read it. And it was good. Very thought provoking. A great read!
January 6, 2016
An anthology with some excellent parts, some retelling of old story lines. Best part was the essay by Martin Van Crivald(sp?). Would definitely recommend to anyone who loves real science fiction.
July 31, 2016
Stories and essays on the military. Usual high quality edited by Jerry Pournelle. Great short by Larry Niven included.
August 31, 2023
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/two-books-i-didnt-finish-drawing-boundaries-and-there-will-be-war-x/
This was one of the infamous Puppy submissions for the Hugo ballot in 2016, a collection of essays building on a previously successful series from the 1980s. I read the first four pieces and then gave up because there was really too much racism (and also the obsessions of the alt right in 2016 turn out not to be what actually happened in 2022).
This was one of the infamous Puppy submissions for the Hugo ballot in 2016, a collection of essays building on a previously successful series from the 1980s. I read the first four pieces and then gave up because there was really too much racism (and also the obsessions of the alt right in 2016 turn out not to be what actually happened in 2022).
May 8, 2019
Least of the series
When this anthology series started, I was impressed & enjoyed it. It's faded over the years. There are no anthologies where I've liked every story, but this one, I found barely any enjoyable. I'll leave it up to other readers to make up their minds.
When this anthology series started, I was impressed & enjoyed it. It's faded over the years. There are no anthologies where I've liked every story, but this one, I found barely any enjoyable. I'll leave it up to other readers to make up their minds.
August 28, 2018
First of these I've read. I Very much enjoyed it. Very thought provoking.
August 26, 2024
The essay on immigration and war alone made this worth the read!
September 29, 2016
I received this book as part of the 2016 Hugo voters packet. Principally I have read the three stories in the collection which were slated onto the finalist ballot for the 2016 Hugo award.
1. Seven Kill Tiger: Charles Shao
The Chinese are attempting to develop 'Africa'. it is not going so well, and Zhang Zedong fears for his career. The problem is the 'Africans'. They just don't seem to understand what is good for them. But Zhang concieves a cunning plan, and with the assistance of scientis Gao Xing proposes it to his superiors. And surprise, surprise, they concur. What is a little genocide amongst colleagues?
A nasty little pustule of a story, written flat, without emotion or craft. The characters are cardboard cutouts and stereotypes, their actions entirely predictable and unsurprising, for all the horror associated with them.
I don't award any stars for this story which does not deserve to be on the ballot.
2. Flashpoint: Titan Cheah Kai Wai
This is a space navy story, which sadly is too heavy on description of weapons systems, and lacking is justifications for the scenario on which it relies. Put simply, there is no attempt to justify the economics of vast battlefleets patrolling the outer solar system for territorial or resource advantage.
That issue aside, the Chinese seem to have greedy eyes on the resources of Titan. They attempt a stealth attack, which is repelled by the heroics of the Japanese patrol ship Takao. Commander Hoshi however, suspects this is not the end of the intrigue. Soon enough, the dastardly Chinese are at it again, in much greater force. Key in this encounter are the terse exchanges between Captain Huang Wei of the Chinese assault carrier Guangdong and Commander Hoshi, where the adage 'truth is the first casualty' gets a workout. These are the best passages of the story, which inevitably degenerates once more into discussions of missile yields and weapons porn. Boring. The conclusion is suitably and predictably uplifting.
I give it 2 stars. Not a complete waste of time
3. What Price Humanity - David Van Dyke
The best of the three stories, and one which might almost have made it as a finalist without slate tactics. It is a well written if slightly obvious puzzle. The Solar System and humanity is under threat from the lurking and strategically superior Muse. Vango Markis wakes after what must have been a particularly bad battle encounter. He suspects that he has been placed in a VR simulation as part of his recovery therapy. Must have been badly hurt then. And then he encounters compatriots, who he is pretty certain he remembers have long since died. His dead girlfriend among them. He, and they, then encounter battle simulators. With no alternative, they play along with the scenarios as presented, battling increasingly difficult encounters with the Muse. But without fear of conseqences because they 'know' they are in VR. It is a rather Ender's Gamey trope, and the twist, when revealed, comes as no surprise. I enjoyed the story, but do not rate it above others I nominated this year. It gets 3 stars.
The remaining stories are a mixture of the reprints (including a Poul Anderson Polysotechnic Leauge story from 1957!, one by Ben Bova and another by Allen Steele) and essays by military enthusiasts, which were not thrilling to me. The newer stories are the weakest, so perhaps that is why there why there has been such a long break between drinks for this series
1. Seven Kill Tiger: Charles Shao
The Chinese are attempting to develop 'Africa'. it is not going so well, and Zhang Zedong fears for his career. The problem is the 'Africans'. They just don't seem to understand what is good for them. But Zhang concieves a cunning plan, and with the assistance of scientis Gao Xing proposes it to his superiors. And surprise, surprise, they concur. What is a little genocide amongst colleagues?
A nasty little pustule of a story, written flat, without emotion or craft. The characters are cardboard cutouts and stereotypes, their actions entirely predictable and unsurprising, for all the horror associated with them.
I don't award any stars for this story which does not deserve to be on the ballot.
2. Flashpoint: Titan Cheah Kai Wai
This is a space navy story, which sadly is too heavy on description of weapons systems, and lacking is justifications for the scenario on which it relies. Put simply, there is no attempt to justify the economics of vast battlefleets patrolling the outer solar system for territorial or resource advantage.
That issue aside, the Chinese seem to have greedy eyes on the resources of Titan. They attempt a stealth attack, which is repelled by the heroics of the Japanese patrol ship Takao. Commander Hoshi however, suspects this is not the end of the intrigue. Soon enough, the dastardly Chinese are at it again, in much greater force. Key in this encounter are the terse exchanges between Captain Huang Wei of the Chinese assault carrier Guangdong and Commander Hoshi, where the adage 'truth is the first casualty' gets a workout. These are the best passages of the story, which inevitably degenerates once more into discussions of missile yields and weapons porn. Boring. The conclusion is suitably and predictably uplifting.
I give it 2 stars. Not a complete waste of time
3. What Price Humanity - David Van Dyke
The best of the three stories, and one which might almost have made it as a finalist without slate tactics. It is a well written if slightly obvious puzzle. The Solar System and humanity is under threat from the lurking and strategically superior Muse. Vango Markis wakes after what must have been a particularly bad battle encounter. He suspects that he has been placed in a VR simulation as part of his recovery therapy. Must have been badly hurt then. And then he encounters compatriots, who he is pretty certain he remembers have long since died. His dead girlfriend among them. He, and they, then encounter battle simulators. With no alternative, they play along with the scenarios as presented, battling increasingly difficult encounters with the Muse. But without fear of conseqences because they 'know' they are in VR. It is a rather Ender's Gamey trope, and the twist, when revealed, comes as no surprise. I enjoyed the story, but do not rate it above others I nominated this year. It gets 3 stars.
The remaining stories are a mixture of the reprints (including a Poul Anderson Polysotechnic Leauge story from 1957!, one by Ben Bova and another by Allen Steele) and essays by military enthusiasts, which were not thrilling to me. The newer stories are the weakest, so perhaps that is why there why there has been such a long break between drinks for this series
June 26, 2016
Read some of the stories for the 2016 Hugos.
I'll review each story I read individually here, and then maybe give an over-all star rating.
Seven Kill Tiger - 2 stars
This story is based on a cool idea. It seems like the bones of a Michael Creighton book. Unfortunately, this story didn't live up to its own premise. It took me several days to read a fairly short story because I just didn't find it compelling. Characters are just sort of there. Not really any actual characterisation to speak of. Honestly, I can't even remember characters' names, even though I just finished the story a few hours ago. The last couple of scenes were interesting, and the whole thing might have been better if I'd read it in one sitting. Too bad it just didn't grab me.
(Note - I also have this review for the story itself: Seven Kill Tiger)
What Price Humanity - 3 stars
Finally, a compelling story. I actually found myself wanting to come back to this one. The characters aren't all that interesting or deep, but the situation is intriguing. It's got a decent mystery going on, so that is what kept me coming back. There are really clumsy spots in the writing, but mostly it was pretty good. Then the ending is...interesting.
Flashpoint: Titan - 4 stars
This is mostly a couple of outer space fight scenes. There's some politics in there, just enough to explain the fights and why they matter. But the key scenes are the actual battles. So, the question is, are they good and do they matter? In short, yes and yes. The battle scenes are good. There's a lot of talk with a lot of numbers - speed, distance elevation, etc - that stuff went in one ear and out the other, but I could still track what was happening. It reminded me of the fights in "Hunt For Red October". Then, there were moments of "No no no no no that can't happen!" and "Phew, that was close" - sure signs that I was really into the story.
I'll review each story I read individually here, and then maybe give an over-all star rating.
Seven Kill Tiger - 2 stars
This story is based on a cool idea. It seems like the bones of a Michael Creighton book. Unfortunately, this story didn't live up to its own premise. It took me several days to read a fairly short story because I just didn't find it compelling. Characters are just sort of there. Not really any actual characterisation to speak of. Honestly, I can't even remember characters' names, even though I just finished the story a few hours ago. The last couple of scenes were interesting, and the whole thing might have been better if I'd read it in one sitting. Too bad it just didn't grab me.
(Note - I also have this review for the story itself: Seven Kill Tiger)
What Price Humanity - 3 stars
Finally, a compelling story. I actually found myself wanting to come back to this one. The characters aren't all that interesting or deep, but the situation is intriguing. It's got a decent mystery going on, so that is what kept me coming back. There are really clumsy spots in the writing, but mostly it was pretty good. Then the ending is...interesting.
Flashpoint: Titan - 4 stars
This is mostly a couple of outer space fight scenes. There's some politics in there, just enough to explain the fights and why they matter. But the key scenes are the actual battles. So, the question is, are they good and do they matter? In short, yes and yes. The battle scenes are good. There's a lot of talk with a lot of numbers - speed, distance elevation, etc - that stuff went in one ear and out the other, but I could still track what was happening. It reminded me of the fights in "Hunt For Red October". Then, there were moments of "No no no no no that can't happen!" and "Phew, that was close" - sure signs that I was really into the story.
July 17, 2016
“Seven Kill Tiger” by Charles Shao. 30 pages.
Hugo Award Short Story Finalist
This may be a scientifically inaccurate story that is fraught with racism, but it's redeemed by bland characters no one cares about. Ugh - 1 star.
“Flashpoint: Titan” by Cheah Kai Wai. 69 pages.
Hugo Award Novelette Finalist
The space battles would undoubtedly be exciting in a video game or movie, but the character stereotypes and gimmicky plot undermine any interest in what happens. Infodump overload - 2 stars.
“What Price Humanity?” by David VanDyke. 59 pages.
Hugo Award Novelette Finalist
If you've read Ender's Game there's no real reason to read this shallow shadow. And why would members of a world military force have the whitest possible names, except for the one black guy nicknamed Token - 2 stars.
Hugo Award Short Story Finalist
This may be a scientifically inaccurate story that is fraught with racism, but it's redeemed by bland characters no one cares about. Ugh - 1 star.
“Flashpoint: Titan” by Cheah Kai Wai. 69 pages.
Hugo Award Novelette Finalist
The space battles would undoubtedly be exciting in a video game or movie, but the character stereotypes and gimmicky plot undermine any interest in what happens. Infodump overload - 2 stars.
“What Price Humanity?” by David VanDyke. 59 pages.
Hugo Award Novelette Finalist
If you've read Ender's Game there's no real reason to read this shallow shadow. And why would members of a world military force have the whitest possible names, except for the one black guy nicknamed Token - 2 stars.
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