Causes of Separation

Aristillus #2

by Travis J.I. Corcoran

Earth in 2064 is politically corrupt and in economic decline. The Long Depression has dragged on for 56 years, and the Bureau of Sustainable Research is hard at work making sure that no new technologies disrupt the planned economy. Ten years ago a band of malcontents, dreamers, and libertarian radicals bolted privately-developed anti-gravity drives onto rusty sea-going cargo ships, loaded them to the gills with 20th-century tunnel-boring machines and earthmoving equipment, and set sail - for the Moon.

There, they built their retreat. A lunar underground border-town, fit to rival Ayn Rand's 'Galt's Gulch', with American capitalists, Mexican hydroponic farmers, and Vietnamese space-suit mechanics - this is the city of Aristillus.

There's a problem, though: the economic decline of Earth under a command-and-control economy is causing trouble for the political powers-that-be in Washington DC and elsewhere. To shore up their positions they need slap down the lunar expats and seize the gold they've been mining. The conflicts start small, but rapidly escalate.

There are zero-gravity gun fights in rusted ocean going ships flying through space, containers full of bulldozers hurtling through the vacuum, nuclear explosions, armies of tele-operated combat UAVs, guerrilla fighting in urban environments, and an astoundingly visual climax.

Causes of Separation is the second book in The Aristillus series - a pair of science fiction novels about anarchocapitalism, economics, open source software, corporate finance, social media, antigravity, lunar colonization, genetically modified dogs, strong AI…and really, really big guns.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Military Fiction, Audiobook

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Travis J I Corcoran is a Catholic anarcho-capitalist, a software engineer, and a business owner. He is an amateur at farming, wood turning, blacksmithing, cooking, throwing ceramic pots, and a few other things.

He lives on a 50 acre farm in New Hampshire with his wife, dogs, livestock, and a variety of lathes and milling machines.

Travis has had non-fiction articles published in several national magazines including Dragon, Make, and Fine Homebuilding.

The Powers of the Earth is his first novel.

Reviews

[Joe Pardue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this and the first book and can honestly say that despite the politics, I really enjoyed reading these books. The author is a self-professed Anarcho-Capitalist Catholic and preaches it through both books. I think that anarcho-capitalism is about as likely to succeed in the real world as communism and for exactly the same reason: they both, at their very core, have a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature. But rather than me preaching, I'll say that John-Galt-in-space turns out to be a silly fun premise. Like all science fiction, current events are taken to extremes and then left to battle it out. The battling is the fun part. And the Dogs... the Dogs are the best. But be warned if you are woke and infected by the PC virus - you are going to hate this book.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takes God's name in vain and uses absurd evolutionary time lines as part of the story.

[Jb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much narrative, thin on actual ideas.

This book is a step up from the first in the series and has some interesting themes. However, I find the author fails to make the story truly remarkable. Like book one, this book suffers from too much narrative in an effort to enhance world building. This leaves an abundance of characters relatively flat and overly simplistic instead of having fewer characters that truly develop over time and are multidimensional.

More importantly, the book tries to have a mix of sci-fy and political/sociocultural sci-fy but remains unremarkable. The author doesn’t really delve into the likely or interesting technologies that might impact society outside of the Dogs and Gamma. And these aspects aren’t deeply developed. The author has many characters strongly libertarian but doesn’t develop what this might look like if not a democratic state. How would power and force be kept in check in this libertarian society? What’s to prevent a tragedy of the commons, what about public goods and a legal arbitration system if there is no governance? How does the economic system prevent a focus on short term gain where the players are incentivized to strongly shuck externalized costs? What happens when Mike Martin’s spoiled rich grandchildren become greedy, powerful little turds? What’s to keep our corporate overlords from becoming even worse than our bureaucratic overlords? It is unclear.

I’d contrast this book to something by Kim Stanley Robinson. Both authors are heavy on narrative but Robinson takes the time to truly look at technology, sociology, economics, and governance. If the author want to get out of the middle of the pack, this might be someone to emulate.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is inspired by Heinlein (especially The Moon is a Harsh Mistress) and other great libertarian sci-fi books of the past 50 years, but stands on its own as a very good work itself. Essentially, the story of pro-business and pro-liberty entrepreneurs on the Moon and their fight against a corrupt government on Earth. The biggest problem is the Earth government is almost a caricature of socialist/corrupt/bureaucratic statism, but on closer inspection, isn't actually terribly far off the mark for realistic speculation and extrapolation. The Moon characters and setting are quite sympathetic without being two dimensional. The second of a 4-book series. (I accidentally read this one first (I have reviewer copies which aren't labeled as well), but it's actually a decent book on its own -- it was a bit of an in media res opener/cliffhanger from the first book, but it's not unreasonable.) I think book 2 is actually better than book 1.

[Rick · Rating 1 out of 5]

If TMIAHM and Atlas Shrugged got married and had a baby it would be this book of ‘isms and ‘ists. Clearly this was a labor of love on the part of the author and I really wanted to love this book(s) but the rant, didactic, preachy tone of the “I’m pissed off and want to be in charge of everything” tone was disappointing. In the end, I finished the book(s) for 2 reasons. One, I don’t start reading a book or series of books without finishing. Although this book really challenged my commitment. Second, I wanted to find out what happened to the Dogs, and was dismayed! An editor might help this mish-mash, but I doubt the author would listen, as hubris is a bitch.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. This installment is much better written and better edited than the first. It isn't perfect but better. I call it and installment because it takes up right where the first portion ended. The invasion begins and the action doesn't stop until the very end. The style and pacing is quick and intense. It makes for a good read but I don't think someone who picked up this book first would be able to catch up.

A couple other problems I had with the book were inconsistencies in some of the characters and the 'dues ex machina' ending. It brought on such a rapid change in the story that it almost felt like a different book. Not all that it could be, but a promising start for a new author. I look forward to seeing more.

If you want to see my voluntarist rant about the Aristillus universe, see the 'spoiler' section below.

There is a difference between governance and government. Life on the frontier (any frontier) is always full of rugged individuals. Whenever those individuals gathered however, it was usually under some form of governance. Even “Galt’s Gulch” had a judge. The majority of Voluntariest or Anarcho-Capitalist authors have always highlighted two key factors for any society without a government; arbitration and insurance. Corcoran dives deep into private roads and private security but completely ignores any aspects of how these might be governed.

In the first book; the dispute over property damage between Mike and Mark should have been easily solved. Mike, as the representative of the security firm made a claim against Mark. Mark should have then paid or disputed the finding. Once there was a dispute the next step should have been binding arbitration. If Mark still didn’t pay damages after the arbitrator ruled against him, he would then be “outlawed’. Outlaw in the most classic sense is to be outside the law. In a practical sense this would mean that none of Mark’s contracts either existing or future could be enforced by Mark and he would lose all protections for his properties and possibly even his life. In a society based on integrity most people would still honor agreements they had already made but if they didn’t there would be nothing Mark could do and insurance of any sort for Mark or his property would also be impossible.

Insurance plays a vital role in any voluntary society going all the way back to the Icelandic Free State where surety was guaranteed by the Chieftain. Corcoran seems to mention insurance in passing a couple times but completely disregards the implications in any part for Aristillus. Who is insuring the ships or their cargos? What precautions against piracy were put in place by the owners to obtain lower rates? What precautions against piracy were mandated by the insurance provider? Who insured all the surface structures around Aristillus? What protections were encouraged or demanded by those insurers to protect against stray shipping or even falling rocks? Why weren’t any insurance providers weighing the risks of invasion and either demanding better protections or providing them for a fee?

Corcoran does a satisfactory job highlighting the difficulties of arranging a “national” defense for a stateless society. His solution might have worked given more time to prepare. Others authors have suggested it will be the role of insurers to offer protection. Maybe neither would work. The author also does a good job of rationalizing the need to avoid a direct attack against the U.S. After this the military aspects of the story fall to pieces. Lai docks also handles traffic control for local space. With the lack of atmosphere why does their radar not track all the way back to earth? As a service provider, wouldn’t it be more efficient to track all the traffic coming and going between Earth and the Moon? Unless each invading vessel was completely stealthed, Aristillus should have had at least 24 hours warning before each attack. While a direct attack against the U.S. would cause serious blow-back; indirect attacks against the illegal space based weapons or against the U.N. could have been both effective and had a lower risk of retaliation. Aristillus isn’t exactly holding “the high orbitals” but the gravity differential makes it pretty close. Why was this advantage never even considered?

[Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A melding of modern and future technology into a sci-fi epic!

Part 2 of the Aristillus series delivers a fun initial closure to the first half of the 4 part series. Travis's ability to take interesting concepts in real life and apply them in a simple way throughout the book really sells the science fiction throughout the novel. Filled with futures betting markets, 3D printing, AI, Physics, VR, economics, politics, and of course, Dogs, really do stoke the imagination of the reader. A well rounded cast of characters combined with a multiple point of view writing style makes it a great read filled with tension. This is a practical engineer's take on hard Sci Fi and it really pays off.

There are plenty of plot threads still waiting to be resolved which makes me eager to see the next two books come out. Kudos to Travis, I am more than thrilled that I backed the paperback copies of this series!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable

I really enjoyed this book and loved how it concluded far more than the first book (though the first book is still great). The characters are great and so is the action for the most part. I did have a few more questions about how the society functioned on a practical level mostly on crime and punishment. The author explores that in relation to minor crimes but not major ones until he starts talking about what to do with POWs. Will definitely buy the next book when it comes out.

[BJ Mumford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enrapturing story!

Love this series, captured my attention and held it, which as an infrequent reader of fiction is very rare. I really couldn’t put it down, and at the end of Powers it the Earth I immediately bought the Kindle version of Causes of Separation to keep reading. I love the subtle and yet not so subtle implementation of libertarian principles, the mix of idealism and real life pragmatism encountered by the characters, and an ending that surprised me!

[Anthony A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel

So this book isn't really a sequel, it's the second half of a book the author ripped in two at a cliffhanger point.

You could call it a remake of Heinlein's "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress", with the technology updated - extrapolating from 2015, not 1950. But Heinlein's book is the high school level introduction to anarcho-capitalism, and this book, with "Powers of the Earth", is the college course. But much more entertaining than most colleges courses.

[Adrian Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

More fun SciFi with unexpected plot twists.

The author brings more political thought & some moral dilemmas into this action packed tale. A group of refugees from oppressive governments gathered together on the moon discover that they aren't far enough from Earth to be safe. They work to solve their problems in unique ways.
I enjoyed reading this series and hope it will be continued.

[Wes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, really I have to give this Novel a 4.5, but it builds upon the prior novel and takes the ideas laid out therein to their logical extremes (emphasis on *extreme*) and surpasses the already impressive potential. And yet if I continue to compare it to Heinlein's "Harsh Mistress" then I can't quite bring myself to call them equals.

No matter, though, as it seems like Corcoran here set out to achieve different goals and largely hits the bullseye. He sets up a thrilling mix of political intrigue, hi-tech military tactics, and unique and interesting character interactions that sucks you in from the start.

So standing as a work of its own with different aspirations than "Harsh Mistress," the Aristillus series deserves serious accolades and hence the 5 star rating.

To break it down further:

Characters: 10/10 Whatever weaknesses remained from the last book were patched, smoothed over, and the new characters introduced are seamlessly (almost) integrated into the plot and form the foundation that the story builds on. The uplifted dogs are back and in top form as mentioned in my review for the last book, so I won't spill too many bits on them. Gamma is less prevalent for most of the story, until he eventually becomes REALLY important, but he is largely the same as well, with less analysis of his status as an AI.

The reason this outing works so well is the inclusion of other PoV characters who play small roles but serve to show the breadth of humanity and likewise the broad impact that the prior books' events (and the first act of this book's) had on the universe. And while they don't tend to have a large impact on the plot, their stories are brought into the large events at opportune times so as to increase the stakes and hopefully deepen their impact. Suffice it to say that every character, even the one who *SPOILER* Burns up horribly on the trip to the Moon *END SPOILER* serves a role in the story.

Plot: 9/10. Picks up exactly where the last book ended and plops you right in the middle of the first Battle for the City of Aristillus, which shows just how unprepared said city is for an invasion. Luckily, the story spends a lot of time lingering on how unprepared *earth* forces are for an invasion, and how crippling Bureaucracy has robbed the Earth military of its edge.

And while we are treated early on to an awesome scene of Tanker ships crashing to the Lunar Surface under heavy infantry fire and a vivid depiction of shattered solar collectors and that is just the first Act. This book ups the pace but is long enough that every thread that needs to develop receives ample attention and still leave a lot of pages for action sequences.

Most importantly, however, Corcoran sticks the landing, bringing us in to a conclusion that is simultaneously surprising, awe-inspiring, satisfying, and completely logical given the information laid out in the previous two novels and the direction the story was taking. Rather than settling or a cheap cop-out with a sequel-baiting cliffhanger or stinger, we get a storyline that is neatly wrapped up while the world as a whole is opened up for more adventures.

Dialogue: 9/10. The story and exposition thrives on two, sometimes three characters having intimate conversations about big issues. Unlike the first book, you start to feel that each character DOES have their own voice and their background and personality are less generic and interchangeable. This is particularly true for Gamma and the dogs, and a few of the human characters as well.

And because there are a larger spread of viewpoints discussed here, there's a lot of discussion of hopes, dreams, fears, and fantasies. A bit more grounding for a story that takes place mostly on the moon.

One aspect that is somewhat lacking is any true interaction between ideological opponents where each argues their side and presents their best critiques of the other. The conflict betwixt Mike and Mark gives a taste but is more just bickering and not a logical debate between intellectual opponents.

Science: 9/10. One of the few sci-fi Novels I can recall that makes direct and fairly extensive use of Pscyhology, Economics, and a touch of Computer Science to provide real (in that they could easily happen in the real world) solutions to the Novels' conflict and obstacles. This is *definitely* the first full-length novel that uses prediction markets as a plot device that I've read and it fills me with geeky glee AND serves as a great framing device to the battle, where the flow of money follows the flow of battle and helps obviate the need for different viewpoint characters to explain the events. Although, as mentioned above, we are given viewpoint characters to follow the most important developments.

So as before, this follows the Heinlein tradition of hard science with a couple liberties taken with the tech but all the implications of the technology considered and observed.

This novel (along with its companion) made me want to, in no particular order:

start a business, colonize the moon, punch a politician in the nuts, design and manufacture a large-bore rifle, hug a dog, learn to program, and basically throw off the yoke of oppression.

its one of those books that fills your head with ideas and spurs you to action.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Once I started reading, I had trouble stopping. A few grammatical errors withstanding, both this book and the first, are some of the best books I've read in many years. I'm eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

[Larry Card · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second of ???

I really enjoyed this second installment of the series and would like to see more. There are many possibilities left wide open, I am sure by design, and I hope the author takes full advantage of them.

[Maggie Nikkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a good thing

Having grown up, way to many years ago,reading the greats of sci-fi and political idealism such as Hienlen and Asimov, it was refreshing and exciting to read this short series,hopefully more is in the works

[Brian Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic science fiction series.

Great book. Great series. The plot twists are not predictable, which I found refreshing. Anyone who enjoys hard sci-fi will love these books. A definite must read.

[Edward E Eilenfeld Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Sreies

I highly recommend this book, good plot, good character development, a;though it is similar to the moon is a harsh mistress, it is different enough to being a very good read

[Michael Jarrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Causes was a good sequel to the first book. Corcoran did a good job with this one. It is also filled with Easter Eggs for any fan of libertarian SF. Well worth the read. I'm looking forward to the inevitable 3rd title that gets set up.

[Kevin Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Enjoyable reading. Thought-provoking when when I don't favor his thoughts. Needs better copy editing. Other than an antigravity drive, and some ludicrously exaggerated digs at the GOP, it's all fairly plausible.

[Daniel Malcor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining and thought-provoking

These two books are gonna be on my “quick to recommend” list for quite a long time. They are compelling read, interesting characters, and thought provoking political ideas.

[Julia Mattucci-clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

The author paints a picture of an interesting world where he extrapolated a future US. His depiction of the moon colony is both technologically interesting, but doesn't bog down the story. Great characters, all with their own personalities.

[Bernard Dunne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although ordinarily not a sci-fi fan I really enjoyed both books in this series. Truly had trouble putting then down.

[Ken Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great follow up to the first book. Really enjoyed the concept and the characters.

[michael w rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Well written second novel. Throughly enjoyed the events, people and action in this book. Please keep writing fiction like this

[John C Lapinel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book

Great follow-up to the first book, once I started reading, I had trouble stopping. An excellent mixture of ancap politics and moon colony sci-fi.

[Keith Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great conclusion

Awesome conclusion to the story. Looking forward to seeing if the Dogs can save John and how far Max will take them. Great books.

[John Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This was another great book from an interesting author. Would recommend this book to anyone. Good character development and plot line.

[Leif Hendrickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, overly drawn out at points

[robert bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to put down

Great story line. Read books 1 & 2 back to back
Reminded me of historical events and current events o
In one great story line

[Ed Brault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heir apparent to Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Well written homage to many of the great freedom and liberty at novels
A good read, well paved and thought provoking