Fall of the Republic (Chronoplane Wars, No. 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Crawford Kilian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 12, 1987

Jerry Pierce, a colonel barely out of his teens, is fighting to preserve all Mankind and planet Earth itself from a government of martial law and last-minute solutions.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Crawford Kilian has been around. He's explored Western Canada and even lived in China, but when it comes to writing, he does his homework the new-fashioned way.online. A professional writer and educator, Kilian spends much of his "writing time" in research. For Icequake alone, he put in thousands of hours learning everything he could from a variety of resources about Antarctica and its denizens. The author estimates that he spent six to eight months "getting it right." However, Kilian is quick to assure you that the research is part of the pleasure of writing. It brings believability to the work and a real relationship with the subject matter. From his snowy enclave in Vancouver, Kilian does his research from the comfort of his cozy home using the Web. But, it hasn't always been that way. In the early '80s, this full-time college English professor realized that the Internet was the wave of the future...for writers, teachers, and students. So, he took up his department's challenge to develop writing courses that integrated technology. What started with some phone conferencing is now an expertise in distance education that takes him to numerous speaking engagements each year. Like many educators, Kilian feels that the Web is a good supplement to the classroom, not a replacement for it. He says, "It's not just a valuable tool for research. It also forces us as educators to examine what works and doesn't work in our teaching...in both areas, the real and the virtual classroom." Kilian is also sold on the latest technologies in publishing and has republished most of his out-of-print classics with toExcel. He says, "I thought the books could find a new audience in a new generation, and toExcel offered that opportunity." toExcel is pleased to add this terrific writer/educator to it's stable of republished authors! ************************** Crawford Kilian's writing career has included a decade as regular weekly columnist for the Vancouver Province, eleven novels, two ch --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Del Rey; First Edition edition (August 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345342739
• ISBN-13: 978-0345342737
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,125,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthy Effort, June 16, 2004

By 

Matt B. (Ann Arbor) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fall of the Republic (Chronoplane Wars Trilogy) (Paperback)

Really, this was a satisfying read. It is much better than Kilian's Empire of Time, I think. The characterization is solid, dialogue natural and believable, and the plot was compelling.

This novel is set in the mid-1990's and the world is on the verge of collapse. Several nations have already descended into chaos and the US is now only months away from anarchy. The old nationalism no longer works. But the discovery of "Trainables" - a select portion of the teenager population who can be trained to read, comprehend, and remember vast amounts of data like a computer - staves off disaster for a little longer. The Trainables are placed in vital government jobs - security, analysis, etc. With these "human computers" in place, the government has a finger in the dyke.

The characters are interesting and believable. Jerry Pierce as the quiet, eminently resourceful CIA paramilitary field man. And his boss, Eric Wigner, is a treat to watch develop on the pages. I've never read a book about the CIA, but this character Wigner is precisely how I would imagine such a man to be. Wigner is ambitious, brilliant, and amoral. Wigner is out to save the world from itself - he believes the only way to do that is to let Trainables take over and abolish nationalism in favor of a one-world government. It turns out he's right too. And he uses every trick to accomplish his goal. People who get in his way he either goes around, blackmails, befriends and rewards, or even murders, using Pierce as his enforcer. I could forgive Wigner his sins because he is trying to save mankind from itself. And because he was right.

I would recommend this book to any sci-fi fan, and even those who are not. Kilian gets it done in this one.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Crawford needs an editor, November 2, 2009

By 

Xtreme (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fall of the Republic (Chronoplane Wars Trilogy) (Paperback)

I have recommended "Empire of Time" to my sci-fi friends. It has a few inconsistencies (When exactly did Ishigawa die - different parts of the book mention he died at different events). However, overall "Empire of Time" is bursting with energy, great ideas, and leaves you wanting more.

"Fall of the Republic" is basically a poor book. It was published in 1998 and clearly suffers from the lack of an editor. The pace of the book is plodding and the quality of writing is substandard.

If Crawford finds a good editor who is willing to be critical, this book could be great in a revision. Right now it feels like a first draft and an embarrassment to "Empire of Time."