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5.0 out of 5 stars
An Earlier Look at the Future, August 6, 2008
This review is from: Exile-and Glory (Hardcover)
Exile-And Glory (2008) is an omnibus edition of the Hansen Enterprises stories, including
High Justice and
Exiles to Glory. They are set in a future in which the US government -- and the other nations -- have managed to create a condition of high unemployment and inflation. The People's Alliance has taken control of both houses and the presidency in the USA with a promise of reform. The new reform government promises much, but delivers little.
Much of the population is receiving welfare and the free colleges are flooded with students attracted mostly by the free lunch. Many college graduates immediately go on welfare or find themselves working at meaningless jobs without any future.
High Justice (1974) is a collection of short stories about the role of international corporations in an increasingly socialistic world. The first few stories aren't even about Hansen Enterprises, but are about the major corporations in an environment where their home governments are the enemy.
A Matter of Sovereignty tells of the cooperation of a minor nation with a major corporation to their mutual benefit.
Power to the People shows the fate of a transplanted socialist in Southern Africa.
Enforcer illustrates the role of International Security Systems in the enforcement of contracts.
High Justice conveys the story of a dedicated populist who finds himself the scapegoat of political machinations.
Extreme Prejudice depicts the agonies of a CIA assassin who is ordered to kill a traitor within his organization.
Consort relates the political deals of Hansen Enterprises to establish a foothold of the Moon.
Tinker reveals a scheme to strike back at the major corporations and the consequences.
Exiles to Glory (1977) is a novella about two young people -- Kevin Senecal and Ellen MacMillan -- and their experiences together in space. Kevin is fleeing Earth to avoid a group of homicidal kids and to find a useful career. Ellen is paying her own way to Ceres in hopes of finding a meaningful job. Yet they aren't being fully truthful with each other.
These short stories and novella are tales of politics and high finance as well as technological advances. They portray the same view of dedicated space entrepreneurs as
Firestar, but were published two decades earlier. Of course, the same wrongheaded ideas about profits and technology existed in the 1970s as today.
The corporate world can be rapacious as any alley mugger, but governments are institutionalized theft. Unfortunately, governments seem to be necessary to put down the robber barons. Yet the USA was built on the concept of government as a great experiment. It will never be perfect, but it can be changed in the direction of more perfection.
These tales expose the vices of both corporations and governments, but the governments herein are the greater evil. They describe a socialist USA in great -- and hideous -- detail. Despite the failure of the Soviet Union, many diehard leftwing liberals still advocate taxing their way to a bright future. Read it and weep for our species!
Highly recommended for Pournelle fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of political intrigues, corporate advances, and true love.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad, even considering when it was written., August 11, 2008
This review is from: Exile-and Glory (Hardcover)
First off, I need to point out that this book, though released this year, is actually a compendium (and reprint) of "High Justice" and "Exiles to Glory." Those are books that were originally written before 1977. The world was something of a different place then. The Soviet Union was still in charge of the Warsaw pact, and considered a Super Power. The United States was reeling from the OPEC crisis and Watergate. Science Fiction was still in a phase prior to the Star Wars Sci-Fi that followed. Nevertheless, I feel that Jerry Pournelle did a very good job with the story, though it lacks something of the polish of more recent science fiction.
If you are looking for a high action book with running fights, fighter battles using lasers and massive ships that dominate in war, you will be disappointed. This is much more down-to-earth. If that is the case, I would recommend the Rogue Squadron series, the Star Wars books, the Legacy of the Alldenata series, or even the Battletech books.
This is really a story that deals with the sociology of the time period. Its focus is on personal action against overwhelming odds, heroic, yes, but not Herculean. The science is well thought out, based on theories of the day. I think I spotted an unnamed reference to Project Orion.
Most of the story concerns economic clashes between the ideology (which in my opinion seems to mirror socialism) and the large businesses (which are concerned with profit). The science used is the tool to bring the conflict into play. This is also the crux of the discussion of the morality of big business and the role of government.
The book is really broken down into three main parts. The intro chapters use different people in the stories to try and give the reader a backdrop. Two of the final three chapters of the first part deal specifically with three characters, each representing one aspect of the conflict I mentioned; business, government, and morality.
The second book, which really seems to be the third part, is a novel or novelette, which is one continuous story. It is set a few decades after the first book, and we have an opportunity to see how the world has developed. Again, we have a conflict between businesses, though the main conflict seems to be between the characters following along with society and getting by or by the characters being willing to rise above.
Overall it was an interesting book. If you are a fan of David Weber or John Ringo, you might appreciate the book more. It seems to reflect a "Conservative" perspective. The emphasis is on the businesses providing opportunity to the people (Free Trade/Mercantilism) and the impact of individuals rather than the ability of a government to provide for its people.
The author does seem to have a dislike of lawyers and unions.
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