The Pacifists

by Kevin Carlin

After a chance meeting between a fierce warrior and a conscientious objector from opposite sides of a galactic conflict, the two rival spaceship pilots conclude that war is as pointless as arguing with an Orthodox Tautologist. Together they form the Pacifists, a "militant anti-war group" consisting of a perpetual teenager whose species was created in a botched attempt to overcome the aging process; a big rig pilot and former orbital race champion; and a pair of prankster twin brothers.

Of course, battling two galactic armed forces at once is all well and good. It's when you gain the ire of the military industrial complex itself that things really start to go sideways.

The e-book version is available for free on the Smashwords website.

Genres: Science Fiction

291 pages, ebook

Published February 16, 2021

About the author

Kevin Carlin is the host of the Moth StorySLAMs in Denver, Colorado. He has been featured on as well as guest hosted the Moth podcast, and loves all things to do with storytelling. His first novel, The Pacifists, is a lighthearted science fiction "space opera," which is about as far as you can get from the true stories he tells at the Moth.

Reviews

[Khira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and engaging read! The novel is a space opera in which a motley crew of various species, coming from the opposing sides of an enduring conflict, band together to put an end to the inter-species war. The story is told in a light-hearted, ironic tone that belies the seriousness of some of the themes. There is plenty of action and memorable, laugh-out-loud moments and images that will stay with me for a long time (I'm still trying to get rid of one involving a water slide.) And for philosophy buffs like me, there are secret giggles in the endnotes discussing the finer points of debate between Versimilitudists and Tautologists and other topics. This book is entertaining, funny and clever.

[R.J.G. McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" meets "Guardians of the Galaxy" meets "Star Wars." That's this book. And it's AWESOME.

I instantly loved the main characters, and became incredibly attached to each of them. The character development was outstanding. The origins of each of the species was interesting and presented well, and the world building was fantastic and imaginative. The pacing was excellent with the right amount of action, and I felt the full gambit of emotions--humor, excitement, sadness, anger....this book kept me on my toes.

I also appreciated how Carlin grappled with the topics of racism, war, and politics in the context of a space adventure. It was a unique take on some tough real-world subjects, and made for an interesting read that made one think.

Overall, this was an incredibly fun, well-written book, and I was very sad when I turned the last page. I mean...I wouldn't be opposed to a sequel.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to believe The Pacifists is author Kevin Carlin's first novel. He is a skilled and precise writer, wasting no time getting into the mood and pacing of this tale of rebels-with-a-cause who just can't stand all the infighting.

Readers are quickly given an opening scene of far-future interstellar society, with carefully constructed hard science fiction that describes the development of wormhole-based technology and how it could be used as a sort of all-purpose-cleanser stand-in for the nuclear power prevalent in Star Trek. We are asked to believe in wormhole-powered portals and engines as well as guns and toasters.
This heavy sci-fi opening is leavened by Carlin's Hitchhiker's Guide-influenced humor: dry and wry is the name of the game here, with lots of fourth-wall-breaking, tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating humor and other hyphenated adjectives. If you are a Hitchhiker's Guide fan, I must say I haven't seen a book that so clearly evokes that style other than the works of Tom Holt. And at time of writing, Tom Holt has spat out 57 books, and Carlin has given us just this one; so I'd say Kevin Carlin, pound-for-pound, is winning.

Characters in this novel are fairly distinct and, god help us, you can tell who's talking and what they are likely to do, because they have internal consistency and well-established characterization. I have to give points for including an interesting, dignified species/race of alien humanoids that are genderless, or what you could call nonbinary & asexual. Unexpected LGBT+ representation is often a bonus flavor crystal in science fiction, but it was really nice to see it here.
Like going to a family restaurant for the burgers, but ending up with a really decent dessert as well-- it's usually a 50/50 chance whether the brownie will be any good, but you can always hold out hope. Well, The Pacifists has a surprisingly chewy, sticky, fudgy brownie that it didn't even NEED. Nice.

So why not five stars? The drawbacks of the novel for me might be a matter of taste or it might be the very normal sticky difficulties in a first novel-- editing and pacing.

I don't read a lot of hard sci-fi because heavy, serious science; political intrigue, military drama and movements of troops, descriptions of battles and ships/machines of war, are very very low on my list of interests. I understand (intellectually) the draw of the 'human element' in war and political dramas, but most political drama is just too... base. I'm not very interested in Machiavellian manipulations, backstabbing, trade negotiations or betrayals etc. Those are all highlights of human behavior that is rooted in the lowest passions and worst human impulses (greed, lust, tribalism, egotism, power, delusion and so on) and reading about them doesn't titillate me but makes me feel bored and grumpy. Yes, I gave up on Game of Thrones halfway through the first book. (Sorry, literally everybody in America.)

Carlin throws these scenes in because they are necessary; then battles this grimdarkness by upending the story and making it about *points at cover* a ragtag team of weirdos who come together to attempt to non-violently end political conflict, disable ships, confuse communications, and bring peace to their peoples. I support this, and I like this thesis a lot. It's a cry for communication and tolerance, a timeless theme. And yet the scenes with the conversations between the military personnel and the political and corporate goons lost my interest, and the space battles almost killed me. It's just not my bag, man.

As for construction of the book-- I found that at times I could zoom through 20% at a stretch, especially during dialogue scenes, clearly one of Carlin's specialties. Argument and banter in the Hitchhiker style is peppered liberally throughout, but there are some heartfelt and serious scenes where the gentle, passive main character faces difficulty. We watch this character's slow transformation from reluctant, isolated alcoholic to reluctant softspoken war hero. It's so faithfully rendered, and so clear that the author didn't even try to push the character into a bold, chatty, headstrong character, that I wonder if there isn't a little author insert going on in here?

Other scenes, as I mentioned, felt either rushed (the attack or battle on the ship's bridge, the beach scene) so fast that I didn't even see what happened, or so brief (the corporate entity arguing with her husband) that I wasn't even sure it happened at all. The ending also came upon me after a few chapters that felt long and stretched-out, so I sort of tripped over the edge of the sidewalk and it was suddenly over. But in short, the thesis and the purpose of has more strengths than weaknesses; judged against first novels, fanfic and self-published novels it is extremely strong; judged against established authors it has a solid base. I'd really like to see more of Kevin Carlin's work, and if I can make a request, let's do high fantasy next!

[Audrey Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a group of individuals who want to stop an endless war. It's didactic fiction, but done with such manic zest and mischievous glee that the message goes down easily.

The setting is a planetary system in the distant future. Much remains from the ancient world, though—fast food, surfing, the snappy repartee of comrades-in-arms. And toasters—except they're powered by Wormhole Inducing Devices (WIDs). There's a lot of nudging and winking, from references to the "peaceniks" of the (real) 1960s, to quotations from books with strangely familiar titles at the start of most chapters.

The characters belong to different strains of humanoids, some of which began as genetic engineering projects. Rivalries and enmities exist among these groups, but the main characters manage to overcome their differences for the cause of creating peace by becoming the common enemy of the two warring groups. Until a more serious enemy emerges, that is.

I found most of the characters sympathetic or at least interesting, and appreciated how each of them found something in common with the others. By the halfway point, there was almost an overdose of buddy-buddyness, but that meant when the fate of the galaxy was at stake (again), I actually cared whether everyone made it through or not.

The setting, although bizarre, is carefully thought out. There's a planet for every type, and everything is powered by WIDs. Zipping through hyperspace is hardly ever a problem, except when it is. I don't know enough about physics to argue with the premises behind all this, especially since I was often too busy laughing at lines like this: "…no one will be coming this way anyway. All the good brunch places in this system are on Planet NoChil(1)." Or trying to envision the gang at the bottom of an ocean tearing up bedsheets (on a spaceship, really?) for use as reverse parachutes to get to the surface.

There are plenty of issues we 21st century readers can relate to. Like what all those WIDs are doing to space-time, and do we want to leave our children a habitable galaxy? Or evil corporations for whom the profit motive is everything. Or whether real humans are superior to those descended from genetically modified ones.

The ending is satisfying in that there's an overall resolution, but with enough ambiguity to make one think. But it doesn't tell us what happens to some of the characters, which is a pity. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, because of the clever way it presents serious ideas in a zany matrix.

[M.A. Leon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Rarely do I enjoy sci-fi books. As I told my husband, if it's full of action like Ender's Game, sure, I'll love it, but I usually find that sci-fi books are about politics with little character development.

After you get through a vague beginning in this book, you come to see that the characters tie together. Not only that, but they have really amazing, creative, genius adventures. This book actually develops characters and relationships while sharing quite complex, yet remarkably clever facts about the galaxy and the war that's going on. I even felt at times that the story was like watching Battlestar Galactica and the scenes with all the pilots and fighters: witty banter, quick decision making, and overall familiarity.

I really appreciated this book because of its depth both in world building (ironic phrase considering it takes place in space and some planets) and characters. It's a super fun read that I'd recommend.

[Arriah Kiprujistho · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced and light-hearted space adventure that is worth a read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully crafted story. It has all the amazing elements that keep you hooked - character development, unique concept, writing, humour, action and adventure and a great message. Usually when it comes to reading action scenes, it’s not easy to imagine the whole sequence if it is not portrayed properly, but the author, Kevin Carlin, has done that job so well it was like I was watching a movie. It’s a perfect example of clever writing. Even though the worlds were imaginative, I could sense some reality behind it, and this is what connected me to the story. I would highly recommend it to sci-fi lovers.

[Stephanie Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say this is the best book I’ve read in over a year. It’s witty, clever, and has a message that isn’t preached. The plot is perfectly paced and the story unfolds into your mind in real time with no wasted words.

Each chapter begins with a quote and from here we get our first glimpse into the author’s sense of humor. Fast forward to an ending that just hangs there in front of you, so close you could almost reach out and touch it, but it’s an ending enmisted in the broadcast snow of conspiracy theory and just out of focus.

To find out what lies between, I’m afraid you’ll have to buy the book.

However, I will share one deceptively simple line that stood out to me: “The launch sirens continued to sing the song of their ancestors…” Here we get the sense of something better shown than explained: that the urgency of war is perpetual and cyclical, demanding every generation to man and woman their battleships in a process that never concludes and never resolves.

I absolutely loved this book.

[A. Claire Everward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was interesting. I have never read a space opera before. And I had no idea what to expect. All I can say it was surprising, fun and you should read the book. Seriously, if you’ve never read a space opera read it. And if you have – read it. The only thing close to it that I’ve read was the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Read it. It’s fast paced, it’s light, it’s full of adventures and once you get into it, you get into it.

[Diana Febry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very impressed with this clever debut novel.
If I'm going to read a book with a strong underlying social/political commentary is has to be fun. Well, this one is hilarious and fast-paced. The author has thrown the kitchen sink in from the arms race to conspiracy theories and every personality type you could think of but packaged it as an entertaining and exciting story that is easy to follow. The author is adept at both humour, action and character development.
Thoroughly enjoyed this race through space and will look out for his next book.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I've read written by Kevin Carlin.

This is a sci-fi book; the story line is interesting if you are into that type of reading. I really couldn’t get into it.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[PiGuy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm looking forward to more books by Kevin Carlin. He obviously has a monstrously creative mind. The first half of the book oozed with his imagination and was a joy to read. I wish the book continued this path rather than the detailed descriptions of battle in the last half.

[Jeremy Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the middle of a war between the Kadrrafian Mining Corporation and the Galactic Naval Corporation, a disillusioned fighter ace from a peaceful race of people decides to desert but ends up finding himself trapped on a dangerous planet with a member of the opposing army.
 
Working together to survive they realize the destruction and misery this pointless war causes. Together, the two gather others and form the Pacifists, a rag-tag group of misfits committed to ending the war and saving the galaxy and having a bit of fun while they do it.
 
Overall, I dug it.
 
The Pacifists was a fun, light-hearted space adventure that was less about a distant future and more about where we are now. From climate change, racial and political divisions, and, of course, endless warfare, the world the author builds is a rather clever satirical reflection of our own. But in the same style as Terry Pratchett, The Pacifists manages to step far enough away to give the reader a perspective on their own world if they have the eyes to see.
 
The different humanoid species was my favorite touch. From blue-skinned warriors, to perpetual teenagers and even actual Sheeple, the different species are, again, less a commentary on where we are going than where we are now. If there is a central theme to the book it is that, despite our cultural, or physical differences, we are all human and stuck together whether we like it or not.
 
The part I did struggle with was that, for me, a lot of the humor fell flat. While it had a few moments where I got a little chuckle, overall I felt it lacked some cleverness or just strayed into being a bit too silly. Though I think this tone added an extra layer of light-hearted fun to the book, it didn’t hit for me. But, of course, humor is subjective. I might be a grumpy curmudgeon. Your mileage may vary.
 
Overall, enjoyable and well written. A fun tale about a wacky group saving the galaxy by very occasionally causing more trouble for the rival armies than they cause for themselves.

[Hayleigh Sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copernicus (callsign Monk) and Freeda are fighting on opposite sides of a war, the former an ace pilot who never shoots to kill and the latter determined to kill the ace known in her world as The Monk. After saving each other’s lives and reuniting Copernicus with his brothers, the foursome band together to stop, or at least slow down, the ongoing war. They’re joined by two more pilots and, together, form the Pacifists, a group that employs unique technology to disable the weapons of each side in the conflict. Will the Pacifists achieve their goal and stop the war or will they die trying?

This is Kevin Carlin’s first novel, which I discovered through the Karma Reviewing Program. It’s a humorous space opera with a similar tone to those of Lindsay Buroker (which I really enjoy). While the characters and story itself seem to take a lighthearted approach to war, religion, race and other politically and emotionally charged topics, the ways in which each of these is presented make the reader pause to reflect. A nugget I particularly enjoyed, and reread more slowly a second time to fully take in: “Factual reports...turned into rumor, conjecture, speculation, approval, disapproval, miscomprehension, outrage, and all other manner of opinion that arises when people think they know everything about a topic they found out about mere minutes ago.” Indeed.

Character development, world building and pace were all excellent. I highly recommend The Pacifists and will look for Carlin’s next book.

[Scott Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read! I really enjoyed this book, and the whole dynamic universe created by the author. It was one of the better books I've read in awhile and I read it slowly because I was enjoying being in the world. There are so many creative elements, from the technology to the way humans have colonized the galaxy--what they've forgotten about their past and how they've modified themselves in order to survive on harsh planets. It all feels very organic and natural, which made it so fun.

In addition to the world having a very real, tactile feel, the characters were well drawn and came to life as interesting individuals. There were factions and stakes, and enemies setting aside differences to fight common goals. At only one moment was I somewhat thrown out of the story at around the 20% mark when we meet a pair of twins that transported me into what felt like Harry-Potter-land-in-space. But once I got beyond that, the story settled back down and sucked me back in.

I'm not sure what makes books get found or not, but this one deserves more readers--seriously, this book is great! I hope it gains a larger following. Anyone who loves galactic sci-fi with a humanistic bent would love this. I think it would also really appeal to readers of Ready Player One due to its cultural references and current feel.

Highly recommended. Check it out!

[G.J. Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kevin Carlin’s humorous and very fast moving sci-fi novel is pretty impressive as a first book. It includes quite a range of different characters and the author is adept at conveying each of their very different personalities, even the various aliens. The plot involved saving the galaxy of course, but a group of fighter astro-pilots with a peaceful mis-fit, Monk, amongst them look like having a serious problem. When he fakes his own death and teams up with Freeda, an ace from the enemy the story really starts to develop. They eventually join up with another group, including Monk’s brothers, and form the group from which the book gets its title. To achieve their aim of ending the war they need to utilise a range of fascinating technology, the ideas of which I found both amusing and curious in their originality. Carlin is to be commended for that, particularly in my case as I was starting to find the endless descriptions of the space ‘dog-fights’ just a bit too tedious and boring; ‘Star Wars’ here we come again. Much of the futuristic ‘science’ was a little too far-fetched for me without sufficient explanation, but it is fiction after all! It was an enjoyable read for fans of comical space opera.

[Alex Canna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Battlestar Galactica meets The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: lots of cool ideas and relatable characters.
The central technology, the WID drive, lets you open up targeted, temporary wormholes on the fly to navigate the galaxy – or just run your toaster.
Kevin Carlin brilliantly shows that, until now, SF has mostly ignored the potential of wormhole manipulation to facilitate - and complicate – space wars in very entertaining ways.
But while the tech provides structure and plot twists, it’s the sparky characters that drive things along. And while some of them appear to be lifted from Battlestar Galactica – and Rowling’s Weasley Twins appear to have been reincarnated into space-tech pranksters – they’re all wonderfully entertaining.
Regular explainers – which in some SF can make arduous reading – are inserted in the form of a running joke that gets better and better as things progress.
Quibbles? Some odd paragraphing that often includes both sides of a conversation in one paragraph. And some inconsistencies in the explainers. There’s also quite a lot of bloodlust for a novel with the core theme of pacifism, but (a) it’s quite satisfying, and (b) it leaves us readers with something to think about.

[Gina Karasek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and intelligent adventure through space!

This was not what I was expecting at all- and I loved it! If you enjoy space adventures with a very witty bend to them- this is the book for you. I loved the "excerpts" from books at the beginning of the chapters. At first I thought I was going to get some political agenda pushed on me, but this book was entirely politically agnostic, with hilarious tongue-in-cheek descriptions of the depth of the belief systems and the evolution of the people of the universe. The non-stop adventure will have you on the edge of your seat, and the antics of the "Loomies" will have you laughing at every turn. I truly enjoyed this book.

[Karl Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters, good plot, not too heavy on social commentary (but definitely present), allegory (is it allegory if it's that blatant?), and just a lot of fun. Clever all over in the style of Douglas Adams or John Scalzi.

Everyone felt real - I would gladly spend more time with any of the main ones, either in a sequel or a prequel.

If you want details... yes, it's a star battles story, with lots of pew-pew and crazy futuristic physics. And at the same time, it's against all of that. Start from a simple premise: can non-lethal weapons end an armed conflict?

Totally recommended for fans of the genre... and even if you're not.

[Alexis Lantgen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is one of the most unique and interesting science fiction books I've read in a long time, and I loved it. It's funny, action-packed, heart-warming, and philosophical in a way I loved. If Douglas Adams had written "Star Wars," it might have looked like this.

It also had great characters and a very interesting take on human genetic evolution/modifications in the future. Honestly, if you like scifi but always wonder about the constant warfare that's depicted in the future, this is the book for you. It's the antidote to grimdark. I'd read it again for sure.

[Willow Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun romp of a science fiction read. The characters, the settings and the alien races are quirky and the snippets of history are hilarious. The story manages to include a non violent theme which is right up my alley. It somehow does this without shirking on the space battles and hard science.

[Lynn I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pacifists is an intriguing read.

I really enjoyed the language and the parallelism to Earth in 2023--e.g., the prejudices that are inherent to us all. Carlin has a very vivid imagination and is very creative.

[Mark Ciemcioch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlin’s science fiction comedy is engaging, especially with the satirical jabs at ideological dogma and anti-intellectualism.

[Stephanie Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god, this was *hilarious*. Perfect for someone who loves Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett - similar humor, but also modern and clever. I really enjoyed this book.