Customer Reviews (25)

Overrated but good.
I have long wanted to read this and while I enjoyed it, it seemed fraught with the limitations of Fifties sci fi (cardboard characters, women on pedestals, a stilted style and labored right-wing views). The underlying premise is rather flawed too, since a few hundred years would not be sufficient to produce the differentiated human types described in the book. Donal, the protagonist, comes over as a mono-dimensional Jock and utterly lacks the personal 'weight' required to carry the story and emerge as the hope of humanity. The women who appear in Dorsai! are models of hysterical patrician tedium, as is usual for books of that era. The military perspective is the best part of Dorsai!, but there seem to be no interplanetary interception facilities (missiles, space fighters) to disrupt the deployment of ground troops (surely vacuum-based dogfights will be a major part of future war, among evenly matched combatants).

That said, it is clear to see the considerable influence of this book - in Zelazny particularly, but also in more recent material like Blade Runner and perhaps Iain M Banks.

Meet the leader of the humankind's destiny
Donal Graeme, young soldier, gets caught up with Anea Marlivana, a Select of Kultis, and her owner, Prince William of Ceta who is dangerous to all of human civilization. Donal isn't aware of his destiny, but powers of his intuition guides him to rise up the military rank to meet his to-be-opponent William.

The story goes beyond being just a soldier adventure and therefore offers only glimpses from the military angle. The gist of the red clew is to unwind Donal's purpose in the development of the humanity as a whole. The leverage used in the story is the girl, later matured woman, Anea, who only can match Donal's hidden abilities.

The events are set in a predictable pathway, which is engaging enough, but don't expect any dramatic tension. In the light of published year, 1959, the writer has been wise to concentrate on humanity in general to keep the story classic. Terseness helps to keep the book from seeming dated: there is little description, a good thing to keep imagination at work. The Dorsai-series is not about military but in par with the same feel as other classics like Asimov's Foundation series.

If you can keep in mind the publishing year, it's easy to forgive few dints that are typical to the era. Anea is an emotional woman which Donald can't understand; still the woman is facinated by this stronger male. The interactions between the two are shattered by bursts of conflicts and Donal is eager to prove her wrong by taking more challenges. This traditional love story in its lightness is somewhat dulcet and fits to the overall tone of the novel. Donal is designed to win every obstacle which can suck all the suspense right away from some of the readers. But that was pretty obvious from the start, so instead of expecting suspense this is more like modern prince, princess and fight against evil dictator to take his throne. A tale well told.

This is not the right book to start the series. Dickson's books are best read in internal order which is somewhat: 'Necromancer' (1962, not essential), 'Tactics of Mistake' (1971, essential), The Spirit of Dorsai (1979, essential), Lost Dorsai (1980, not essential), 'Dorsai' (1959, essential), 'Soldier Ask Not' (1967, not essential), 'The Final Encyclopedia' (1984). The books marked "not essential" complete the picture but do not carry the inertia with equal force like the rest of books in the series. Whatever you do, read 'Tactics of Mistake' because this book - Dorsai --is direct sequel.

Four (4) stars. Good, fast read, enough sweeping action and excitement, hints of romance which is sparkingly left in the shadows, female characters are used as catalysts. The story is left intriguingly open to see what is the course to follow this new genetic human, Donal.

The Childe Cycle at maturity--excellent military science fiction
This is the story of Donal Graeme, who is a soldier of the Dorsai world.This excellent story is set in the Childe Cycle at its peak, long after the Younger Worlds have achieved independence from Earth (Tactics of Mistake) but before the coming of the Others (The Final Encyclopedia).Donal Graeme descends from a long line of Dorsai solders, the first of whom was Cletus Grahame, the protagonist of "Tactics of Mistake."Childe Cycle fans know that the soldiers of the Dorsai are mercenaries, available to the highest bidder but efficient enough so that even the poorer of the Younger Worlds can afford to hire sufficient Dorsai to maintain their independence against stronger worlds.This is the backdrop of this novel, and Dickson's speculations in this regards are quite interesting.Incidentally, this novel is co-incident in time with "Soldier, Ask Not" which is another Dorsai novel.

This story deals with Donal's ascension to become the outstanding military general of his day.This piece features some of Dickson's best writing, and this is a fairly short, snappy novel which moves at a brisk pace towards a somewhat startling conclusion.This novel also sets the stage for The Final Encyclopedia, although this will not be evident to readers until they actually read that novel.In fact, this one ties "Necromancer" (the first "Childe Cycle" novel) and "The Final Encyclopedia" together in an interesting way.

An interesting story and satisfying read.Recommended for fans of good military SF or Dickson's Childe Cycle series.

Super Reader
One of the elite Dorsai mercenary officers, after a lot of successful military campaigns, and plenty of showing up both on the battlefield and in the political arena, of his opponents realises that he is definitely more than human, and growing beyond his colleagues.

He is an 'intuitive superman', with his mind working in ways that are beyond normal humans.

A Man of Mere Intuition
Dorsai! (1959) is the third SF novel in the Child Cycle, following Tactics of Mistake.In the previous volume, Cletus Grahame sent all his available troops out to protect his gains.Before leaving Dorsai, Cletus appointed Arvid Johnson as Vice-Marshall and William Athyer as Battle Op and charged them with the defense of the planet using only the civilian population.After the forces under Dow DeCastries infested the Dorsai, Cletus returned and then Johnson and Athyer took back their world from the invading troops, employing the same battle plan that Grahame himself would have used.

In this novel, one hundred and fifty years have passed since the events of the previous volume.The family name has changed somewhat -- Graeme instead of Grahame -- but Donal Graeme is a true Dorsai.His record in the academy is outstanding, but everyone says that he is a little odd.Maybe it comes from his Maran mother and Grandmother, but he doesn't look at situations in quite the same way as everybody else.

On his way to the Friendlies, Donal encounters Anea Marlivana, a Select of Kultis, in the passageways of his spaceliner and offers to help her.She wonders what he means, but Donal explains the obvious to her.She asks him to destroy her contract, but Graeme knows that such contracts are indestructible with the resources available on the liner.He introduces himself to Marshall Hendrik Galt and later asks his advice about the situation.Eventually, Donal returns the contract to the owner, Prince William of Ceta.

Putting on a veneer of venality and foolishness with William, Donal gains a position as Force Leader in the mercenaries troops on Harmony under Commandant Hugh Killien.Despite the scuttlebutt that the advance will be a cakewalk, Donal insists on maintaining tight security measures in the advance upon Faith Will Succour. He becomes thoroughly unpopular among his own troops.

However, Donal anticipates an attack by Orthodox elite troops in time to set up an ambush with his own command.The other commands, however, are severely mauled.Commandant Killien is tried and convicted under Article Four of the Mercenaries Code.

In this story, Donal goes on to become Aide to Marshall Galt, then Staff Liaison, and later Subpatrol Chief.Despite his growing friendship with Galt, Graeme continues to have differences of opinion with Anea.She is hung up on her misunderstanding of the term mercenary and uses it as a weapon against him.

The previous volume was concerned with Tactics, the actions required to gain an objective.This novel, however, is mostly about Strategy, the overall conduct of a campaign.Of course, tactics are required to implement any strategy, but strategy dictates the tactics.Of course, both Cletus and Donal consider both aspects, but Donal plans further ahead than Cletus.Neither work covers the third component of military operations:Logistics.

This novel was the last novel by internal chronology in the initial trilogy, following Necromancer and Tactics of Mistake.Yet it was actually the first one published.Others have been written since then to fill in the gaps and even extend the plotline, but the basis of the entire series is found within these three novels.

Highly recommended for Dickson fans and for anyone else who enjoy tales of military tactics, paranormal talents, and a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin ... Read more

Product Description
Hour Of The Horde by Gordon R. Dickson: The voracious and merciless Horde roved the galaxies, stripping whole star systems of all life. As they advance on the Milky Way, a galaxy-wide force is hastily arrayed to stop them. But Miles Vander, the warrior sent by Earth to join the defence, must first convince his alien crewmembers that he is just as good a soldier as they. Wolfing by Gordon R. Dickson: Earth was only a primitive outpost, its people dubbed primitive "wolfings" by the rulers of the galactis empire. Jim Kell was sent to the High-Born rulers' Throne World, with orders only to observe - until he cast away his orders from Earth and proved himself a Wolfling indeed. Gremlins Go Home by Gordon R. Dickson and Ben Bova: Suppose that elves, gremlins, and leprechauns are really tiny aliens marooned on Earth for hundreds of years. They want to go home, and human technology finally can make it possible - it they can get aboard NASA's Mars rocket and hijack it! Pity the poor human who has to help them with the big heist... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I bought it for 2 of the 3 titles included in this collection
I purchased this to get "Wolfling" and "Hour of the Horde".These were both stories that I had read some time ago and wanted to re-read them.For whatever reason, both stories made enough of an impact that I remembered them and wanted to find them again.They're fun to read, pretty short and although somewhat light they have some interesting ideas.I very happy that these out of print stories were put into this collection and reprinted.

3 novels under 1 cover
This is in fact an omnibus of 3 novels, not a sequel to the earlier collaboration of Dickson and Bova (called "Gremlins Go Home")

Here's a brief summary of what we're treated to here:

"Gremlins Go Home", a novel by Dickson and Bova, which explores the concept that aliens have been living here for hundreds of years (under the appearance of leprechauns, elves, etc.) and that they want to go back to their home... now made possible because of a NASA mission that finally reaches beyond the moon; will they have to hijack the rocket?

"Hour Of The Horde", by Gordon Dickson (1970), is about an alien race that cruises galaxies to "deplete" all life, and their latest target is our solar system.An army of races from our system is put together to show resistance, including representation from Earth: an eclectic crew (to say the least!) from various planets is put together... will Earth prove that it is worthy?

"Wolflings", also by Gordon R. Dickson (1968), is about an intergalactic empire ruled by aliens MUCH superior to Earth, which they consider "little primitive beings".Earth sends one of its best to the aliens' "homeworld", with orders to "observe" the situation.But he cannot simply see what he sees and do nothing...

The 3 novels are COMPLETELY UNRELATED (other than the fact that Dickson wrote/co-wrote them), but are quite entertaining each in their own way.Some themes will now appear "deja vu", but considering they were written decades ago, years before TV shows started to put together interplanetary crews "à la Star Trek", those books are quite interesting.

And because all 3 novels are quite good but out-of-print, I suggest this reasonably priced purchase, whether you're a Dickson fan or not.You'll get hours of entertaining sci-fi! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not as entertaining as Special Delivery..go bears
In 1961 Gordon R. Dickson wrote a very entertaining novel titled "Spacial Delivery".The narrative of that story concerned the planet Dildia an "earth-type" world that is an object of diplomatic contention for both the humans and their space faring adversaries the Hamnoids. Unfortunately Dildia is inhabited by fully intelligent beings, the bear like Dilbians. This results in elaborate protocols being enforced preventing the introduction of technology or direct interference in the local economy or governing bodies. Both the humans and the Hamnoids employ diplomatic skullduggery and various intrigues in order to curry favor with the Dilbians in order to obtain trading rights.

In 1969 author Dickson returned to Dildia with his novel "Spacepaw". Since I read both book in quick succession I was familiar the "Spacial Delivery" plot. I was very disappointed that "Spacepaw" utilized almost the identical story line. The names have been changed but the plot is almost a carbon copy. I am not refering to the backdrop landscape summarized in the above paragraph but the actual story.

Interestingly the page count for "Spacepaw" is 258 while "Spacial Delivery" was 138. The extra pages just add more fluff to a story that was told better the first time.

My recommendation is to skip "Spacepaw" and read "Spacial Delivery" or read them both and you decide.

Bears in space
If you are looking for strong ethical questions woven into your novel look elsewhere. What SpacePaw does give you is a alien world populated by large/talking walking bears.Dickson does a good job of creating humor isthe introduction of a "more advanced" human into this quirkyculture.A short and easy read. ... Read more

Product Description
The Universe is not a nice neighbourhood, and the neighbours may be downright hostile - but you can't keep a good human down! Gewtting along in the universe can be pretty tricky, but those monkey-boys and girls from Earth can be pretty tricky themselves when the situation requires it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

And Now for my next trick
The Human Edge

The Human Edge (2003) by Gordon R. Dickson is a collection of short stories selected by Hank Davis which includes:

Danger-Human (1957)

Sleight of Wit (1961)

In The Bone (1966)

3-Part Puzzle (1962)

An Ounce of Emotion (1965)

Brother Charlie (1958)

The Game of Five (1960)

Tiger Green (1965)

The Hard Way (1963)

Jackal's Meal (1969)

On Messenger Mountain (1964)

The Catch (1959)

Highly recommended for Dickson aficionados

GunnerMay,2007

Great Science Fiction Shorts...
This is a great compilation of stories envolving Humans interacting with alien races.The overall theme of this book is that humans have an ingrained advantage over aliens.In each story takes a unique aproach to this overall theme.I highly recomend this book, it's a great book to read when you have a little time to kill as it's not to heavy a read, and you can finish a story in one sitting fairly easily.I won't go into any of the stories as I don't want to spoil it.In summary, you should buy this, the stories are memorable and well written.A great addition to anyones library of SF...

A Short Introduction to Various Facets of Gordon Dickson
The Human Edge (2003) is a collection of twelve stories of various lengths by the author.The subject and title were initially suggested by Jim Baen, but the selections were made by Hank Davis.These twelve stories were originally published during the period from 1957 to 1969, but I have read (and enjoyed) most to them in anthologies or in the author's previous collections.However, insofar as I am aware, none are currently in print elsewhere.

The first story sets the theme, for "Danger - Human" (1957) vividly points out that there is more to mankind than meets the eye."Sleight of Wit" (1961) is a classic con game in strange circumstances."In the Bone" (1966) gets down to the basics."3-Part Puzzle" (1962) teaches a lesson about stereotyping."An Ounce of Emotion" (1965) refutes the idea that advanced technology instills rationality. "Brother Charlie" (1958) continues the lesson on intelligence versus rationality.

"The Game of Five" (1960) is a companion piece to the novel Spacial Delivery, where a Consul drafts someone to complete a task and gets more than he expected."Tiger Green" (1965) is a story of a terrible misunderstanding on the part of an alien society."The Hard Way" (1963) is actually a longer story and has been published as a short novel;the story is another variant of the theme of "3-Part Puzzle", but this time the aliens have never found any peers."Jackal's Meal" (1969) recapitulates a theme by Kipling."On Messenger Mountain" (1964), the longest story, is about versatility and instrumentality."The Catch" (1959) is about the perils of competency.

The author is chauvinistic about humanity and more than a litte mystical in these stories.Of course, you should know these tendencies if you have read his works.While aliens herein are mostly used as foils for the competent humans, the author has also created a few alien characters in other works that were worthy partners, and sometimes mentors, for humanity.

The author often portrays human characters whose performance exceeds their accepted limits.He contends that genetics can strenghten human talents and introduce new ones and that such talents can be better trained.However, the author usually extends this argument beyond reasonable bounds and then presents various reactions that such superior abilities might produce in human (and alien) society.

Highly recommended for Dickson fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of daring and cunning exploits, with occasional humor.

-Arthur W. Jordin

100%, 24-Karat, Gordon R. Dickson -- One of the Best
The first review of this book is written by somebody who obviously hasn't read or even seen the book, breaking the first rule of reviewing. "Kkahle" also breaks the second rule of reviewing by not knowing what he or she is talking about. Specificially: The Human Edge is a collection of short stories by Gordon R. Dickson, all with the theme of human/alien conflict, with the humans coming out on top, often against overwhelming odds, and all the stories were written well before the author's Death in January 2001. Furthermore, Gordon R. Dickson had no wife, so none of his books were finished by his (non-existent) wife after his death. (Is this reviewer thinking of some other writer?) Kkahle closes his/her non-review with the words "Be careful." Anyone who reads any other review by Kkahle definitely should follow that warning--but about Kkahle's reviews. As for the book, it is a generous helping of stories by a science fiction master, and the longest of them, "On Messenger Mountain," is, in my opinion, one of the best stories Dickson ever penned. If you're a Dickson fan, or just an sf fan, unless you have managed to collect the magazines in which these stories originally appeared, this book is a must-buy.

Clarification- not a rating.I haven't read it.
Just to clarify the above review, if you check the Baen Books website, you will find that this title is a reprint of short stories originally published in the 50's and 60's in various SF magazines.It is not written by a ghost writer but is a chance for readers to enjoy old favorites or find new ones if they weren't around back then.Unfortunately, this program requires me to rate the book and I haven't read it yet.I just didn't want it to die on the vine because of previously given faulty information. ... Read more

Product Description
Shane, a gifted linguist, has spent his life learning the language of the old and powerful alien race that has conquered Earth. He has learned it so well that the interstellar masters, old hands at enslaving planets, regard him as a valuable servant.

But Shane has a secret. One day, in a rebellious moment, he invented The Pilgrim: a mysterious figure who incites rebellion and vanishes unseen, leaving a distinctive icon behind him.

Now the human underground is preparing to rebel. Shane knows how hopeless their rebellion will be. He knows, as well, that he will be unable to keep himself from taking part.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Good
Book came in the condition advertised.I had read this book a long time ago and wished to reread it.The story itself is pretty thought provoking.

Just as broken as we are
Way of the Pilgrim is a good example of the value of hard sci-fi. The core of a good hard sci-fi story is built around some insight into how the world really works. Sometimes the plot is an afterthought to this, and sometimes not. This insight need not actually be from physics or engineering, although that is standard. The core insight in Way of the Pilgrim is all about language, and how hard it is to conceive things for which your language does not even have a word.

Way of the Pilgrim turns the typical sci-fi story on its head, both for its setting, the utter conquest and subjugation of humanity by a foe, the Aalaag, that is ridiculously superior, and for its relative uninterest in the technology of the conquerors, which is so advanced as to be indistinguishable from magic. Resistance really is futile. There will be no grand revolution of the oppressed masses. Merely eternal servitude.

While there is action and intrigue here, the real meat of the book centers on extensive dialogue and psychological deductions.Ultimately everything turns on a moral question. The problem the book posits: what is the value of a human being? The conquerors refer to us as cattle, because they are superior to us in every way: bigger, stronger, faster, smarter, healthier, longer-lived, more rational, more moral. The Aalaag are simply better than us, and they know it.

The climax of the book leaves the tension between Aalaag and human unresolved. There is simply too little common ground to come to any kind of satisfactory resolution. The ending is quite startling in its refusal to settle the issue at hand. Perhaps even more interesting than the bleak setting and inconclusive conclusion is what remains unsaid throughout the book.

The Aalaag stand as a rebuke towards any instrumental view of human nature that seeks to define us as worthy of moral respect because of what we do rather than who we are.The Aalaag's view of humanity is disturbing because it is correct. The Aalaag really are superior to us. If what makes us worthy of respect is our behavior, or our consciousness, or our ability to make free choices, we have no hope of standing as equals. Yet, for all that, the Aalaag are ultimately just as broken as we are. It is just less obvious from a modern point of view why this is so, because a clean, orderly, crime-free, egalitarian society is what we all really want, right?

OK, but far from Dickson's best work
This alien occupation story makes an interesting read, but lacks the depth of character development found in many of Dickson's other books.It begins well, but seems to fade as it goes on, until the somewhat unsatisfying ending seems welcome.All in all, worth reading, but not in the same league as Dickson's better works.

The Moses Story Revisited?
The hero myth didn't begin with the Moses story of the Israelites' slavery and liberation from Egypt, and it won't end with Way of the Pilgrim. Humans have been telling this story since the beginning of time, and let's face it, we love the tale. If you want to read a riveting story about enslaved humans and a flawed hero who finds that his true mission in life is to free his people, bad guys who get their come-uppance from one they have "adopted" and trained, all woven into a science-fiction tale complete with 9ft tall aliens, this is your book. Be patient -- you will have to weave your way through a lot of words, but I think it will be worth your while.

Psychology over Technology
Dickson writes very well indeed, though I didn't pick up any quotes from this book.Its plot is very simple and the ending less than inspiring IMHO.But, there are VERY significant psychological factors (besides the obvious linguistic ones) for both aliens (Aalag) and humans.The protagonist, Shane, starts out as very distant, pessimistic, & self-centered.But, Dickson addresses the Pilgrim within (unconscious) which disallows Shane's passivity & instigates transformations within Shane, in Shane's relationships with others (e.g. Maria, Peter, & the Aalag), & in human--Aalag relations.The key to removing the Aalag from Earth is psychological not technological.Indeed, the Aalag are psychologically wounded; unable to accept losing their homeworlds to the Bee creatures, they stagnated culturally.Yet, they continued to display overweening narcissism (esp. regarding their "cattle")!"My mind is made up, don't bother me with facts."Rather than a foil for humanity, they are a left handed insult to humanity.But the ending is a more direct criticism as people revert to selfishness, pettiness, & disorder--seeming to have learned little from the Aalag either as good or as bad examples of behavior.The ultimate foolishness, however, is the Aalag commander's explanation of their intentions & total misunderstanding of the nature of humans & the nature of freedom--highly reminiscent of human "benevolent" dictators.This book is a sad commentary on humanity (consciousness) in parallel with its inspiring view of the human (unconscious) spirit. ... Read more

Product Description
On the planet Arcadia, a young man and woman and a swamp otter join together to haul the otter's eleven hundred pound statue overland to meet the deadline of a prospective buyer from another planet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Otters Have It
The premise of this short old SF novel from Dickson is a little silly and not quite strong enough to carry a large story, but the theme and moral are effective and thought provoking. Humans have colonized an alien world with an advance guard of rugged settlers who have taken to a backwoods lifestyle, while waiting for industrialists and corporate interests who will implement a development plan to turn the world into a profitable economic outpost. The natives of the planet are bear-sized, semi-intelligent otters who accidentally create works of art while gnawing on stone to keep their teeth in shape. The action of the story concerns a settler who plans to sell a native statue to the business interests, but befriends the otter who made it and in turn starts a popular rebellion, as he and the statue come to symbolize the purity of the world to the first wave of rugged colonists. Hence we have a pretty enlightening treatise on the pernicious effects of colonialism and globalization, and the ruination of native environments and cultures by money-obsessed interlopers who are blindly convinced by their own destructive dogma. And this is all in an enjoyable little novel that is worth picking up if you happen to see it at a library or used book store. [~doomsdayer520~] ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Description Back Cover.
What's a father to do with a son like Jamie? Good-hearted, hot-blooded, quick to make both friends and enemies, he was too much of a firebrand to stay at home. The King's heart almost broke when he banished his favorite son... but Jamie the Red's adventures were only beginning! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must for Dorsai fans
If you haven't been introduced to this book, find it.It is a combination of Lost Dorsai and the Spirit of Dorsai with a lot of extra material on the Dorsai and the Childe Cycle as well.I think they are re-releasing Lost Dorsai with the extra information, but I'm not sure, as it's being billed as a new release- or, at least an unpdated version.Having come out in 1986, before Young Bleys or the other latter novels, that is most likely the case.Perhaps it would be wiser to purchase Lost Dorsai with the new info and get Spirit seperately. At any rate, the short stories are still first rate, and they are all about the Dorsai.What more can you ask for? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A deep and fascinating look at the future.
A deep and fascinating look at the future through the eyes of a man twice dead. Follow the hero as he is pulled deeper into the web of a group of revolutionaries determined to change forever the way mankind exists. The characters are rich and well developed, and the surprise ending is definitely not seen coming. Dickson is bang on with his technology, and the world of tomorrow is so believable that it is hard to believe the book is so short (just over 200 pages). Overall, an excellent read ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Breaking Barriers and Following a Rising Star
It was a common practice for Ace Books to saddle their novels with absolutely awful titles-- even when the novel was originally known under a much superior title. This was the case with _Time to Teleport_ and _The Genetic General_, both by Gordon R. Dickson (1960). The first novel appeared in _Science Fiction Stories_ under the title "No More Barriers" in 1955. The second was serialized in _Astounding_ as "Dorsai!" in 1959. _Time to Teleport_ is a passable but routine piece. _The Genetic General_, in spite of some minor flaws, is a real classic.

Let us start with _Time to Teleport_. The original magazine title had multiple meanings. The first meaning is the obvious one. Once the characters succeed in finding a way to master teleportation, there will be no physical barriers. But Dickson is concerned with efforts to remove other barriers as well. The novel is set in a future in which the barriers of nationalism have been removed. Political organization is now built around services-- Transportation, Communication, Undersea, Plastics, Atomics, Metals, and so on. This ridding of national barriers has-- so far-- kept the world at peace. Reason: You don't fight a service that you desperately need. Finally, the novel is concerned with the downfall of personal barriers between family, friends, and even political rivals.

The plot involves the speaker for Transportation who wants to Take Over, the speaker for Undersea who is abruptly (and somewhat selfishly) resigning, a band of medical technicians, an underground movement that wants to create a race of supermen, the head of security for the Undersea politician, and an unknown assassin. Most of the action takes place by or under the sea.

At least one contemporary reviewer (who shall remain nameless) dismissed this novel as a "miserable piece of hackwork." Well, it's not great. But it's not that bad either. It is reasonably well crafted and intelligent. I give it a three star rating.

_The Genetic General_ is part of Dickson's _Childe_ sequence of stories. Briefly, the stories are set against a background in which mankind has spread throughout the galaxy and has evolved into a number of "splinter cultures"-- the religious Friendlies, the scientific Newtonians, the philosophical Exotics, and the militaristic Dorsai.

The novel opens with the line, "The boy was odd." The boy is a young Dorsai named Donal Graeme. He knows that others think him odd, but he is not quite sure why. Yet the novel is essentially an account of his upward rise, partly from military genious and partly from some other characteristics that Donal himself considers of minor importance. At one point, when he shows some talents of the exotics, he shakes them off and insists: "I am a Dorsai." At the close of the novel, it is clear that he is still denying the existence of his full powers.

Dickson gets a lot of things right. The dynamics of a family at the table when Donal comes of age, the customs and rituals of the military, the way that people would talk in a political or military staff meeting, the battle scenes on alien planets or in deep space. These are all totally believeable, as is Donal's growth from boyhood to man.

The problem with the novel is Dickson's treatment of Anea, the heroine. For roughly nine-tenths of the novel, she persists in misunderstanding the hero and practically spits in his face every time that they meet-- a period of time covering a little over five years. Then in the last few pages of the novel, she has a change of heart and decides to marry him. In spite of some hugger-mugger about genetic programming, the change is not convincing.

Dickson implies that much of the misunderstanding has to do with the immaturity of Anea-- as indeed it does. But if I were in Anea's position-- a kind of indentured servant to a powerful and ruthless prince-- I can't say that much of Donal's behavior would inspire confidence in me. There is a faintly patronizing attitude toward women-- a sense that men are just so much more reasonable-- that weakens the novel.

Still and all, an excellent novel. There was another science fiction novel with military subject matter that was published in 1959-- Robert A. Heinlein's _Starship Troopers_. It won the Hugo for best science fiction novel of the year. For my money, _The Genetic General_ is the better novel. I give it a five star rating.

_Time to Teleport_ has an excellent cover by Ed Emshwiller. _The Genetic General_ has a rather horrendous cover in the style of Ed Valigursky. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting Book
Forward! is a collection of short stories about humanity set in a fairly wide variety of general sci-fi situations, with varying degrees of cohesion.The story I recall the best was about a colonized planet in the human sphere of influence.Details were somewhat sketchy, but humans had settled onto it, but there was a native, aboriginal-stage civilization living in the forests, while the settlers planted fields and subsistance farmed.As an unintentional consequence of their growing slash-and-burn tactics, a large force of adolescent natives attacked a settlement.A lone boy, the only survivor of the initial attacks, fought for days against tens of thousands of the natives from inside a fort, in an Alamo-style defence.It was a mournful story, well-written and engaging.The overall quality of the stories was decent, and the book is worth reading. ... Read more