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High Justice
The Pacific Ocean is a gigantic protein pasture feeding earth's hungry billions. Monster icebergs towed from the Arctic irrigate the world's deserts. Vast agro-industrial complexes dot the globe.
Riding the technological tide wave, giant multinational companies eclipse the one-time 'super powers'. Governments and individuals jostle for position and power, love and money in the ever-expanding Corporations.
And when, at last, earth's resources are exhausted, the Corporations compete for the stars.
Riding the technological tide wave, giant multinational companies eclipse the one-time 'super powers'. Governments and individuals jostle for position and power, love and money in the ever-expanding Corporations.
And when, at last, earth's resources are exhausted, the Corporations compete for the stars.
222 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1977
11 people are currently reading
249 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 7, 2022
Corrupt politicians destroying the trust of the people they swore to serve, billionaire’s battling for ownership of the cosmos, and left behind an Earth ravaged for every last morsel. Jerry Pournelle’s High Justice read today seems more like modern history than science fiction. He accurately predicts modern technology and the escalatory manner in which it leads. The seven short story’s (1972-1975) are loosely intermingled with little nuggets of information being passed through each. Unfortunately once a story is reaching its climax it abruptly ends leaving you wanting more from these characters. Then you must continue onto another character’s journey through this world he has intellectually created, but the beginnings of these shorts can be a slow moving introduction that leaves you thinking about the previous story. They take time to unfold the ongoing narrative and right when your on board, it’s over.
Despite this book being dubbed science fiction, most of it takes place on Earth. The international politics and the battle for economic supremacy is interesting but the downside of these short stories being put together into one book is how they start and how they finish. The slow start and the abrupt end to each story leaves some what of a bad taste in your mouth but the juicy middle is what you comeback for. Overall a good read but if revisited I’d only skip to the shorts that felt the most complete. The short Extreme Prejudice sticks out to me as the most memorable. Underwater mining city, talking dolphins and corporate hitmen… what’s not to like.
Despite this book being dubbed science fiction, most of it takes place on Earth. The international politics and the battle for economic supremacy is interesting but the downside of these short stories being put together into one book is how they start and how they finish. The slow start and the abrupt end to each story leaves some what of a bad taste in your mouth but the juicy middle is what you comeback for. Overall a good read but if revisited I’d only skip to the shorts that felt the most complete. The short Extreme Prejudice sticks out to me as the most memorable. Underwater mining city, talking dolphins and corporate hitmen… what’s not to like.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2022
3.4 stars, I liked it, but not planning on re-reading it.
Pournelle, like many science fiction authors, envisions the future, and tries to maintain a consistent perspective through many novels. High Justice is a collection of seven, connected shorter stories that form a bridge between the 1970's and the more distant future in other novels. Yet they've held up surprisingly well - so much so that I thought it was written in the late 80's.
It also forecasts a future where the United States stumbles through internal corruption. It's eerily prescient of modern times, not that it is precise, but it is disturbing that echoes of present day figures and behavior can be found scattered inside.
Pournelle, like many science fiction authors, envisions the future, and tries to maintain a consistent perspective through many novels. High Justice is a collection of seven, connected shorter stories that form a bridge between the 1970's and the more distant future in other novels. Yet they've held up surprisingly well - so much so that I thought it was written in the late 80's.
It also forecasts a future where the United States stumbles through internal corruption. It's eerily prescient of modern times, not that it is precise, but it is disturbing that echoes of present day figures and behavior can be found scattered inside.
October 23, 2014
This is a group of short stories about the 'near' future in space. Most of the stories were written in the early 70's & push Pournell's bleak view of the US's future along with some top notch science that is the hallmark of his fiction. There is plenty of adventure & interesting scenarios both on earth & in space. A good read & worth keeping around.
July 20, 2022
Written between 1972-1975, Jerry Pournelle’s High Justice is an anthology of loosely connected short stories (some with overlapping casts of characters) that skywalks on a weak tether between the author’s libertarian tendencies and the author’s cautiously optimistic views of capitalism and technological advancement. High Justice, the title of the collection eponymously evokes the title of one of the short stories which forms something of a centerpiece for the collection, is fascinating for the potential scientific/technological applications of both ocean and space exploration. Both environments rich in potential but hostile without technology are handled as potential solutions for earth’s eventual (and current crises). Amazingly, these late 20th century stories which one would have hoped to have been near-future when they were initially published, have become far-future stories in the light of tunnel vision and missed opportunities of our recent history.
The idea of a Solicitor General of the U.S. who uncovers all sorts of corruption all the way up to and through the Oval Office seems all too close to home in the recent political environment. The idea of a mega-corporation “blackmailing” a President and vice-versa seems virtually topical. I’m sure Pournelle himself would shake his head in sad acknowledgement if he were to revisit his stories today. But the technology he posits in these stories would still be interesting; it’s simply unfortunate that today’s quarter-by-quarter capitalism wouldn’t even begin to take the risks that some of the corporations have taken in these stories.
The stories are filled with both attempts and successes at assassination, betrayal, blackmail, covert operations, mutiny, and sabotage. I won’t spoil which are the former and which are the latter; that’s part of the conflict that keeps you reading. But the bulk of the volume is filled with Pournelle’s illuminating descriptions of possible (but unlikely to be implemented) technologies spiced with occasional political-philosophical observations. Indeed, one line in the eponymous “High Justice” perfectly describes the state of anomie which has ground the kind of progress Pournelle was preaching to the pace of a sea slug. “We have no goals beyond comfort, The people are decadent and expect corruption. You have to rub their faces in the dirt before they get upset. Then, of course, then they demand blood; but how much of their righteous indignation comes from guilt? How much is sorrow because no one every offered them a price?” (p. 89) Not a bad summary of either post-Watergate when published or post-Trump when I read it! Indeed, does the following observation from the second story, “Power to the People,” ring as true to others as it does to me? “That’s when people usually riot, when they’re getting more but not as much as they expected.” (p. 50)
If you want an ideal martini of politics, technological possibility, and intrigue, shaken in lesser gravities and not stirred, High Justice should fit the bill. Even with connections, I personally prefer novels to short story anthologies, but High Justice is much like Keith Laumer’s “Retief” collections in that I’m willing to make an exception.
The idea of a Solicitor General of the U.S. who uncovers all sorts of corruption all the way up to and through the Oval Office seems all too close to home in the recent political environment. The idea of a mega-corporation “blackmailing” a President and vice-versa seems virtually topical. I’m sure Pournelle himself would shake his head in sad acknowledgement if he were to revisit his stories today. But the technology he posits in these stories would still be interesting; it’s simply unfortunate that today’s quarter-by-quarter capitalism wouldn’t even begin to take the risks that some of the corporations have taken in these stories.
The stories are filled with both attempts and successes at assassination, betrayal, blackmail, covert operations, mutiny, and sabotage. I won’t spoil which are the former and which are the latter; that’s part of the conflict that keeps you reading. But the bulk of the volume is filled with Pournelle’s illuminating descriptions of possible (but unlikely to be implemented) technologies spiced with occasional political-philosophical observations. Indeed, one line in the eponymous “High Justice” perfectly describes the state of anomie which has ground the kind of progress Pournelle was preaching to the pace of a sea slug. “We have no goals beyond comfort, The people are decadent and expect corruption. You have to rub their faces in the dirt before they get upset. Then, of course, then they demand blood; but how much of their righteous indignation comes from guilt? How much is sorrow because no one every offered them a price?” (p. 89) Not a bad summary of either post-Watergate when published or post-Trump when I read it! Indeed, does the following observation from the second story, “Power to the People,” ring as true to others as it does to me? “That’s when people usually riot, when they’re getting more but not as much as they expected.” (p. 50)
If you want an ideal martini of politics, technological possibility, and intrigue, shaken in lesser gravities and not stirred, High Justice should fit the bill. Even with connections, I personally prefer novels to short story anthologies, but High Justice is much like Keith Laumer’s “Retief” collections in that I’m willing to make an exception.
May 13, 2019
Today’s review is for an “old” science fiction collection of short stories written by Jerry Pournelle. Most of the stories were originally published in “Analog: Science Fiction And Fact” magazine. Analog has been around since the 1930’s and has published a whole lot of “pulp” SciFi over the years.
Pournelle (and his partner – in many other works – Larry Niven) is one of the “greats” of SciFi. I have my standard of SciFi “demi-gods”: Robert Heinlein, Arthur Clark and Isaac Asimov. Pournelle (and Niven) rate just below this level. He is definitely amongst the historically significant writers in SciFi from the last century.
Pournelle is considered a “polymath”, that is, a person who is accomplished in more than one scientific / technical field. After many years in the aerospace field, he changed career and concentrated on writing. He created a number of SciFi (actually military / paramilitary SciFi) novel series which I’ve enjoyed over the years. The series I have most enjoyed (of his) was his “John Christian Falkenberg” series. I purchased this book thinking it might be a prequel to that series. It isn’t. Well, it kind of is, but not really.
(The Falkenberg series is a similar vein to the “Hammer’s Slammers” military SciFi series by David Drake which I also like. But that’s for another post…)
Anyway, this set of stories is not “really” about military SciFi. It’s more or less a precursor book to what has come to be know as Pournelle’s “CoDominium Future History” series.
Pournelle’s personal politics leans to what is known as “paleoconservative” and this is reflected in this anthology. Basically, think Ayn Rand “lite”: government’s are welfare traps, society is going to hell in a hand-basket, corporations will save the world (if we get out of the way and let them), and, (of course) unions are bad.
Putting aside the politics, Pournelle has some insightful views of where the world is headed over the “next” 50 to 100 years – basically, where we are now. Or, where we soon could be. (Remember, these stories were written back in the 1970’s.)
The stories deal with clean power, corporate greed, political corruption, increasing food production, space based manufacturing (and asteroid mining), and rights and laws in space, in general.
So, are the stories any good? Yes! Once I finally got the hang of his theme, I quite enjoyed all of the stories. Pournelle is considered a “hard” science SciFi writer. This means he goes into some detail about the science behind the technology discussed in each story. If you lean more to the fantasy (“horror, dragons or magic”) SciFi, you may not care for his writing. I found the technology being proposed (like using icebergs to get fresh drinking water) interesting. They are definitely BIG engineering ideas which would take governments or very large corporations to fund.
Final recommendation: Strong to Highly recommended. Not the “action” SciFi I normally prefer, but I enjoyed it and look forward to looking back at more of his future histories.
Pournelle (and his partner – in many other works – Larry Niven) is one of the “greats” of SciFi. I have my standard of SciFi “demi-gods”: Robert Heinlein, Arthur Clark and Isaac Asimov. Pournelle (and Niven) rate just below this level. He is definitely amongst the historically significant writers in SciFi from the last century.
Pournelle is considered a “polymath”, that is, a person who is accomplished in more than one scientific / technical field. After many years in the aerospace field, he changed career and concentrated on writing. He created a number of SciFi (actually military / paramilitary SciFi) novel series which I’ve enjoyed over the years. The series I have most enjoyed (of his) was his “John Christian Falkenberg” series. I purchased this book thinking it might be a prequel to that series. It isn’t. Well, it kind of is, but not really.
(The Falkenberg series is a similar vein to the “Hammer’s Slammers” military SciFi series by David Drake which I also like. But that’s for another post…)
Anyway, this set of stories is not “really” about military SciFi. It’s more or less a precursor book to what has come to be know as Pournelle’s “CoDominium Future History” series.
Pournelle’s personal politics leans to what is known as “paleoconservative” and this is reflected in this anthology. Basically, think Ayn Rand “lite”: government’s are welfare traps, society is going to hell in a hand-basket, corporations will save the world (if we get out of the way and let them), and, (of course) unions are bad.
Putting aside the politics, Pournelle has some insightful views of where the world is headed over the “next” 50 to 100 years – basically, where we are now. Or, where we soon could be. (Remember, these stories were written back in the 1970’s.)
The stories deal with clean power, corporate greed, political corruption, increasing food production, space based manufacturing (and asteroid mining), and rights and laws in space, in general.
So, are the stories any good? Yes! Once I finally got the hang of his theme, I quite enjoyed all of the stories. Pournelle is considered a “hard” science SciFi writer. This means he goes into some detail about the science behind the technology discussed in each story. If you lean more to the fantasy (“horror, dragons or magic”) SciFi, you may not care for his writing. I found the technology being proposed (like using icebergs to get fresh drinking water) interesting. They are definitely BIG engineering ideas which would take governments or very large corporations to fund.
Final recommendation: Strong to Highly recommended. Not the “action” SciFi I normally prefer, but I enjoyed it and look forward to looking back at more of his future histories.
May 7, 2021
This is a fix-up of stories published in the 1970s, all but two of which were in the notorious ANALOG SF&Fact under Bova and Schmidt. They are mainly about the career of Aenaes Mackenzie, ex-Solicitor General to a once heroic and later found to be corrupt POTUS by the name of Tolland, with several large corporations working in the field of agri-industry; The idea of using an industry and its byproducts to power and encourage agriculture as a profitable and/or socially useful farming sideline. This has been an approach that has rather fallen by the ways ide, mostly due to no-one ( Except maybe the French) to utilize nuclear power and other technologies safely and reliably enough to do so.
Pournelle, who was involved in discussions with real world groups about the politics of advanced technology and space habitation and industry, wrote these with a Heinlein sort of approach to dealing with opposition, well-meant or otherwise, to such things; On the whole, these stories are simply problem stories with the problems being in politics, law or even economics rather than purely science or technology.
Some people claim that they are outdated; that unions would never be voluntarily abandoned by workers through high pay and good conditions, that environmentalists would ever compromise for long-term gains in ecological protection if profits were being made, and that large corporations would never settle for short-term losses in order to create a long term social positive. Then again, the lack of terrorist activity in the stories is another glaring issue for today's readers, maybe more so than corporate leaders fascinated with space industry just because they can afford to try it, the welfare state being considered a bad idea by a majority of the populace, or moving away from oil-driven technologies to electricity based tech. However, the final tale "Tinker" describes a tale of interplanetary commerce that is certainly realistic still; Even if the jarring idea that the "independent" asteroid miners would be willing to commit basically sabotage and murder, and the corporations working through international agencies might actually be the heroes would stick in some people's craws. And if the proceeding of the L5 society are correct records, the title story is a situation also likely to arise if more people work in orbit, and the current laws are not improved.
Not a great example of Pournelle's work though an interesting read. Especially if you remind yourself that Bill gates and Elon Musk exist in our world.
Pournelle, who was involved in discussions with real world groups about the politics of advanced technology and space habitation and industry, wrote these with a Heinlein sort of approach to dealing with opposition, well-meant or otherwise, to such things; On the whole, these stories are simply problem stories with the problems being in politics, law or even economics rather than purely science or technology.
Some people claim that they are outdated; that unions would never be voluntarily abandoned by workers through high pay and good conditions, that environmentalists would ever compromise for long-term gains in ecological protection if profits were being made, and that large corporations would never settle for short-term losses in order to create a long term social positive. Then again, the lack of terrorist activity in the stories is another glaring issue for today's readers, maybe more so than corporate leaders fascinated with space industry just because they can afford to try it, the welfare state being considered a bad idea by a majority of the populace, or moving away from oil-driven technologies to electricity based tech. However, the final tale "Tinker" describes a tale of interplanetary commerce that is certainly realistic still; Even if the jarring idea that the "independent" asteroid miners would be willing to commit basically sabotage and murder, and the corporations working through international agencies might actually be the heroes would stick in some people's craws. And if the proceeding of the L5 society are correct records, the title story is a situation also likely to arise if more people work in orbit, and the current laws are not improved.
Not a great example of Pournelle's work though an interesting read. Especially if you remind yourself that Bill gates and Elon Musk exist in our world.
November 3, 2017
A collection of loosely related short stories first published in the 1970's predominantly in 'Analog' Magazine. All the stories are set in the same fictional universe. They are presented in original publication order and, generally speaking, they do get better as they go on.
However, I rated this as "OK". Not a bad set of stories, not great either. Not really how I enjoy my SciFi. For the most part the stories are too short and a lot of question are left unanswered. You're dropped straight in the action and need to work out whats going on.
However, I rated this as "OK". Not a bad set of stories, not great either. Not really how I enjoy my SciFi. For the most part the stories are too short and a lot of question are left unanswered. You're dropped straight in the action and need to work out whats going on.
November 8, 2021
Most of the stories in this volume present a concretely envisioned future landscape where individuals run up against macro socio-economic, political and environmental issues. It is the first solo Pournelle piece I have read and it is clearer to me what Pournelle adds to the wonderful Pournelle/ Niven joint novels. Personally I would have preferred the two sets of interlinked stories in the set to have been presented as novellas.
February 14, 2018
I've not stopped reading many books in my life, but this is one of them. It's a collection of semi-connected short stories all set in the same universe. I found them mostly dull and filled with a barrage of interstellar corporate politics that just isn't very interesting.
March 31, 2018
A compilation of short stories that have more staying power than most science fiction of its era.
May 22, 2015
A series of linked short stories set against the backdrop of the time when we finally leave the planet and establish colonies and travel within the solar system. I usually enjoy Jerry Pournelle's writing and this book is no different. The stories are short enough to each one in a single read (Especially if you're travelling a lot)
November 21, 2010
A collection of rambling short stories, none of which interested me much except the last, "Tinker", about a space rescue. I am a long time fan of Jerry Pournelle but sure glad I didn't start out with this one. Forgettable.
March 23, 2012
Reasonably good selection of short stories in Jerry Pournelle's Future History. I would only highly recommend for those who wish to read more prior to The Mote In Gods Eye and the Falkenberg novels. For others there are better works available (like the aforementioned).
April 8, 2008
and I *liked* his Falkenberg books. Well, some of them. There I cared about the characters, here...
August 2, 2009
A good book. Not as good as Janissaries.
June 10, 2011
It was an okay book. Not disappointing, but I will not read it again.
May 11, 2012
Good read but dated now
Read
January 9, 2010baen ebook
Read
August 25, 2010AMERICAN EDITION 'THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL'
Read
May 10, 2011ANTHOLOGY.
January 28, 2017
Couldn't finish.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews