Citizens [Paperback]

John Ringo (Editor), Brian M. Thomsen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2010

Citizens is a new kind of science fiction anthology. The names appearing between its covers are not only veteran authors, among the very best in the field, they are military veterans as well. New York Times best-selling author John Ringo (a veteran of the 82nd Airborne) and Brian M. Thomsen, a Hugo finalist and one of the most respected editors in the field, have selected a treasure trove of gems written by writers who know first hand what it means to wear their country’s uniform. 

            Among the top writers appearing in Citizens are Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Elizabeth Moon, Gordon R. Dickson, David Drake, Joe Haldeman, Harry Harrison, Keith Laumer, Frederik Pohl, Jerry Pournelle, Gene Wolfe and more, nearly all authors of best sellers, and recipients of Hugo and Nebula awards. Citizens will have strong appeal to readers of military science fiction, as well as more general readers.

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Ringo is author of the New York Times best-selling series known by most as “The Posleen Wars” comprising A Hymn Before Battle, Gust Front, When the Devil Dances, Hell’s Faire, plus the tangential novels Calley’s War, Sister Time, and Honor of the Clan (all with Julie Cochrane), and A Watch on the Rhine and Yellow Eyes (both with Tom Kratman). He also co-authored—with David Weber—March Upcountry, March to the Sea, March to the Stars and We Few in the best-selling Prince Roger series. He had visited 23 countries by the time he graduated high school. A veteran of the 82nd Airborne, he brings first-hand knowledge of military operations to his fiction.

Brian M. Thomsen was an editor at Warner Books (where he was one of the founders of their Questar SF and fantasy line), then later at TSR, and finally did freelance editing for Tor Books. He was nominated for the Hugo Award for best editor, was the author of two novels (Once Around the Realms and The Mage in the Iron Mask), several nonfiction books, over forty short stories, and edited fifteen anthologies. He also served as a World Fantasy Award judge. He died of a heart attack on September 21, 2008.

 

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Baen; Original edition (May 11, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439133476
• ISBN-13: 978-1439133477
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #838,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Inside Story, May 5, 2010

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Citizens (Paperback)

Citizens (2010) is an SF anthology. It contains fifteen short stories, an introduction, and two afterwords. All the stories were written by those who have worn their country's uniform, some in combat.

- Nature and Nurture by John Ringo is an introduction to the stories.

- Field Test (Analog, 1976) by Keith Laumer relates the first use of a Bolo Mark XX Model B.

- Allamagoosa (Astounding, 1955) by Eric Frank Russell tells of the trials of a navy ship returning after a long voyage to find that the Inspector General will soon be visiting them.

- Exploration Team (Astounding, 1956) Murray Leinster concerns an illegal colony on a planet that receives an unexpected visit from a Colonial Survey officer.

- Superiority (F&SF, 1951) by Arthur C. Clarke considers the risks of new technology. This seems to be a recurring theme in military and naval SF.

- The Horars of War (Nova 1, 1970) by Gene Wolfe illustrates the comradery of war.

- Fireproof (Astounding, 1949) by Hal Clement shows the strange effects of a weightless environment.

- Peace with Honor (Analog, 1971) by Jerry Pournelle relates an incident in the history of the CoDominium.

- Under the Hammer (Galaxy, 1974) by David Drake presents an untrained recruit with a situation.

- Time Piece (If, 1970) by Joe W. Haldeman talks of Heaven and Hells in the Forever War.

- Neither Sleet, Nor Snow, Nor Alien Invasion... (first publication) by Dave Freer reveals the power of Political Incorrectness.

- Light (first publication) by Kacey Grannis recounts a mysterious intervention within Iraq.

- The Question (first publication) by Patrick A. Vanner gives the response to an innocent question.

- The Price (first publication) by Michael Z. Williamson examines the thoughts of a small group of dedicated warriors.

- Earth's First Improved Chimp Gets a Job as a Janitor (Cosmic Tales, 2004) by John Ringo introduces a genetically modified human to another -- but older -- genetic mod.

- The Long Watch (American Legion, 1949) by Robert A. Heinlein presents a serviceman with a conflict of loyalties.

- About the Authors is an afterword concerning the writers of these tales.

- About the Editors is an afterword concerning the compilers of these stories.

This anthology includes stories by some of my favorite authors. Although I have never previously read any works by Grannis or Vanner, soon I should be reading Ragnarok. Apparently Grannis has not yet published a novel or collection.

Of course, this is not the first SF anthology containing short works by veterans -- see Combat SF -- and these are only a few of the SF authors who have served in the armed forces. There is always the possibility of more volumes.

These tales often expose the quirks and follies of the armed forces. They are probably based on some of the best war stories in the memories of these authors. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys tales of armed forces by those who have served.

-Arthur W. Jordin

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Composition for a Military Sci-fi Fan, May 29, 2010

By 

Nickolas X. P. Sharps "Fleet Strike 13" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Citizens (Paperback)

As a whole this is an excellent collection for anyone who enjoys science fiction or military science fiction. There are a few stories I didn't enjoy but for the most part it was a roarin' good time.

Nature and Nurture by John Ringo is an introduction to the stories.

- Field Test (Analog, 1976) by Keith Laumer
I didn't quite like the layout of this story but I think it was a great way to start off the book.

- Allamagoosa (Astounding, 1955) by Eric Frank Russell
At first I thought this was going to be a boring story, but I have to admit it is one of the first times I have ever laughed out loud while reading.

- Exploration Team (Astounding, 1956) Murray Leinster
This story was decent but I can't say it really impressed me.

- Superiority (F&SF, 1951) by Arthur C. Clarke
I enjoyed this story, it has an ironic and plausible tone.

- The Horars of War (Nova 1, 1970) by Gene Wolfe
Eh, this one was alright. Can't say I was too blown away by it but I'd give it a 5/10.

- Fireproof (Astounding, 1949) by Hal Clement
This one was interesting but not exactly fun, it definitely high-lights the science in science fiction.

- Peace with Honor (Analog, 1971) by Jerry Pournelle
I enjoyed this story, even if the protagonist is a dirty politician.

- Under the Hammer (Galaxy, 1974) by David Drake
This was pretty good, a little too short but I may have to check out some of Drake's work.


- Time Piece (If, 1970) by Joe W. Haldeman
Also pretty good, it reminded me a good bit of Haldeman's Forever War.

- Neither Sleet, Nor Snow, Nor Alien Invasion... (first publication) by Dave Freer
Not as witty as Allamagoosa but every bit as funny.

- Light (first publication) by Kacey Grannis
This is probably the only story that I didn't like at all. I don't feel like it belonged but oh well.


- The Question (first publication) by Patrick A. Vanner
Pretty good, I'm looking forward to Vanner's Ragnarok due to come out sometime this Fall.

- The Price (first publication) by Michael Z. Williamson
I read Williamson's Freehold and Better to Beg Forgiveness, this tale is a good side story.

- Earth's First Improved Chimp Gets a Job as a Janitor (Cosmic Tales, 2004) by John Ringo
Ringo is above all my favorite military sci-fi author. Even if this story sucked I would have loved it, of course it didn't suck so I loved it even more.

- The Long Watch (American Legion, 1949) by Robert A. Heinlein
This is my favorite story in the entire collection. The hero isn't some elite super soldier, he's a weapons technician that dies to prevent a coup in the name of duty.

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Caveat emptor, May 16, 2010

By 

P. D. Lew "Books and Motorcycles" (Washington, DC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Citizens (Paperback)

If you look at the Jordan review above, you will see a table of contents in the review. Except for 4 stories, all were written in the mid-70's or earlier. These are extremely high quality stories and are highly recommended IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THEM BEFORE AND HAVE THEM ALL IN 30 DIFFERENT short story collections. I do. Thus, if you are 30 or younger this is a 4 or 5 star collection. If you are in your 40's+ you have probably read them all. Then you have to decide if this book is worth buying for the 4 new stories. You can't tell from the review or the blurb whether you would be interested. You have to go to a store and look at them. I highly resent the advertising and description which implies that these are all new and different. Personally, I don't think the new stories are worth the price of the book alone. That's why its 2 star for me.