Short Book Reviews: Walter Jon Williams's "Praxis" Homerun

 Imperium Restored (A Novel of the Praxis), by Walter Jon Williams (Harper Voyager)

This was my first “Praxis” novel, and it’s a tribute to the author that although I could not always follow the intricacies of the backstory, I was so caught up in the action that I simply didn’t care. Imperium Restored works on so many levels, each of them fascinating. Star-crossed lovers are separated by a colossal misunderstanding that spews forth confusion, mistrust, and crushing hurt (but does nothing to erase the fundamental attraction between them). There’s also a bang-up battle in space, one of the smartest and most inventive I’ve read, enough to convince me that any spacemil science fiction Williams writes will be superb. Life in a vast star-spanning spaceforce is filled with rivalries, jealousies, boredom, ill-fated sexual encounters, interspecies friction, and what-do-we-do-with-ourselves once the war is over. A lesser writer might have focused on the war itself. While the battle scenes are pure bravura, Williams keeps enlarging the lens to look at the ramifications, not just during the conflict but also afterward. The resulting peace offers as many opportunities for tension, betrayal, alliances made and broken, assassination attempts, revenge, and general chaos as the actual fighting did.

There’s also a mystery.

What more could a science fiction fan want?

Short Book Reviews: Romantic Military Science Fiction

The Rush's Edge, by Ginger Smith (Angry Robot)

Is there such a thing as romantic military science fiction? If not, Ginger Smith is inventing the field. In this dystopic, far-flung star empire, human soldiers are too costly to waste in battle, so technologically enhanced vat-grown troops have become the era’s cannon fodder. With accelerated growth, limited life expectancy, and nearly unbreakable psychological conditioning, they’re considered expendable during their term of service and disposable afterward. One such retired vat soldier, Hal, has found sanctuary in a salvage ship captained by his former CO, Ty. Hal, like other vats, is addicted to the overwhelming adrenaline rush of combat, which will rapidly burn him out, but Ty has been able to talk him down from the worst episodes. Into this tight ship family comes Vivi, a young tech expert fleeing an abusive relationship. As her mind and body heal, she and Hal grow closer, although Hal is still subject to being triggered into the “rush,” and each bout shortens his already fast-shrinking span. Various adventures ensue, pitting this small crew against the Coalition Powers That Be (and their fear of the growing power of vat-grown soldiers). The gradually developing love story is interwoven throughout, neither hijacking the action nor feeling like a pasted-on element. It’s integral to how humans bond to another, how trust and devotion not only heal the past but form the foundation of hope. It’s a lovely tale, at times page-turning drama, at times heartfelt, always reflecting what makes a person and what are the limits of personal autonomy.