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beingshort's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jmkemp's review
5.0
I really loved this fantastic collection of short stories. They are well laid out with a set of general themes, and they cover a wide range of perspectives and points of view.
What first attracted me to this was that there was a short story by [a:Linda Nagata|578581|Linda Nagata|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1293931881p2/578581.jpg] set in the same universe as her [b:The Red: First Light|17605440|First Light (The Red #1)|Linda Nagata|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1363059827s/17605440.jpg|24561453] novel. I'd enjoyed that so much that I was keen to read more, hence funding the kickstarter.
Having read it I think I'll need to go look up some more of those authors and add them to my reading list. Not one of the stories in the collection seemed like it didn't belong there, and all of them had something novel and engaging about them.
Themes covered were wider than I would have expected as well. From memory these included dealing with the aftermath, deliberate commission of genocide, post-traumatic stress, genetic enhancement of people conscripted, wars fought at a distance with the civilian population at home unaware. Also the last one, which I only read on the way into work this morning was about cyber warfare, which I thought was particularly inspired, because it had a heavy psychological element.
Also many of the stories passed the Bechdel test, there were many female characters (perhaps even a majority of leads, but I haven't counted) and also a fair number of orientations and preferences on show. A handful of characters were identified as from ethnic minorities, and a fair number of others were ambiguous in that regard. So anyone looking for fiction that represents the population at large (and not purely the white male perspective) might find this worth a look on that respect. Although the excellent quality of the fiction should be enough on its own.
Overall I'd recommend this very highly to anyone that enjoys speculative fiction or military stories.
What first attracted me to this was that there was a short story by [a:Linda Nagata|578581|Linda Nagata|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1293931881p2/578581.jpg] set in the same universe as her [b:The Red: First Light|17605440|First Light (The Red #1)|Linda Nagata|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1363059827s/17605440.jpg|24561453] novel. I'd enjoyed that so much that I was keen to read more, hence funding the kickstarter.
Having read it I think I'll need to go look up some more of those authors and add them to my reading list. Not one of the stories in the collection seemed like it didn't belong there, and all of them had something novel and engaging about them.
Themes covered were wider than I would have expected as well. From memory these included dealing with the aftermath, deliberate commission of genocide, post-traumatic stress, genetic enhancement of people conscripted, wars fought at a distance with the civilian population at home unaware. Also the last one, which I only read on the way into work this morning was about cyber warfare, which I thought was particularly inspired, because it had a heavy psychological element.
Also many of the stories passed the Bechdel test, there were many female characters (perhaps even a majority of leads, but I haven't counted) and also a fair number of orientations and preferences on show. A handful of characters were identified as from ethnic minorities, and a fair number of others were ambiguous in that regard. So anyone looking for fiction that represents the population at large (and not purely the white male perspective) might find this worth a look on that respect. Although the excellent quality of the fiction should be enough on its own.
Overall I'd recommend this very highly to anyone that enjoys speculative fiction or military stories.
acrisalves's review
4.0
Esta enorme colectânea de contos reúne histórias em torno da guerra, que se centram desde as fases iniciais de preparação, até ao período pós-guerra, passando pela impersonalização ou pela recuperação, bem como por temas como os traumas físicos ou psicológicos que marcam os sobreviventes. Ou pela ocupação da área conquistada, e pela vontade de retornar à guerra, pelos ex-combatentes.
O livro começa com um conto de Joe Haldeman, um dos melhores do conjunto que explora uma das profissões mais ingratas e seguras numa guerra – a de coveiros. A história possui ainda alguns detalhes sobrenaturais – ou serão episódios proporcionados pela fracção oposta para instaurar o terror psicológico?
Um dos sentimentos bastante explorados nas histórias apresentadas é a culpa. Como resolver o trauma dos soldados que destroem vidas de inocentes no terreno? Bem, os drones que já conhecemos permitem o total afastamento físico e algum afastamento psicológico. Mas será o suficiente? Não sofrerá também quem os comanda? Porque não substituir os condutores dos drones por algoritmos capazes de racionalizar estratégias e de tomar decisões? A quem caberá a culpa, então, se um dos algoritmos falhar?
Outras das formas de minimizar os traumas passará por adormecer os sentimentos no campo de batalha através de capacetes. Mas que acontecerá aos soldados que os retiram em casa para regressar à vida doméstica? Que farão com as memórias visuais? Mas fácil e menos traumático, porque não substituir os soldados por robots, construídos para a guerra mas de aspecto humano? O que fazer findo o conflito, recolhê-los ou deixá-los abandonados? Aguardarão eternamente novos comandos ou serão capazes de abandonar o seu posto e integrar-se numa vivência humana – serão tão humanos quanto os corpos que habitam os fazem parecer?
Estas são apenas algumas das hipóteses que os contos vão explorando e desenvolvendo, formas de diminuir a perda humana que podem passar pela transferência de consciência para novos corpos clonados, ou pela selecção de seres humanos menos merecedores para integrarem batalhões de guerra. Claro que não basta responder a cada uma destas perguntas, até porque cada solução transporta consigo novos problemas morais e sociais, que fazem parte da complexidade humana.
Mesmo após a guerra propriamente dita, como controlar os dominados e como eliminar todas as possibilidades de uma revolução? Mas mesmo para a fracção que vence a guerra, como integrar todos os soldados que desconhecem outra ocupação, e que vivem antecipando a próxima batalha, a próxima injecção de adrenalina?
Como a maioria dos conjuntos de contos, existem alguns que são extraordinários e outros que são completamente esquecíveis. Este livro é bastante extenso e fica a sensação de que algumas histórias terão sido incluídas por trazerem uma perspectiva diferente e não por serem expectionais. Assim, apenas comentei isoladamente algumas. Aqui fica a compilação das histórias que escolhi referir isoladamente:
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/04/graves-joe-haldeman-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/in-the-loop-ken-liu-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/contractual-obligation-james-l-cambias-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/19/the-radio-susan-jane-bigelow-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/mission-suit-self-de-jake-jerr-vs-suits-de-james-l-sutter/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/war-dog-michael-barretta-war-stories/?preview=true
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/mission-suit-self-de-jake-jerr-vs-suits-de-james-l-sutter/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/in-loco-carlos-orsi-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/ghost-girl-rich-larson-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/invencible-jay-posey-war-stories/https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/23/mais-alguns-contos-war-stories/
O livro começa com um conto de Joe Haldeman, um dos melhores do conjunto que explora uma das profissões mais ingratas e seguras numa guerra – a de coveiros. A história possui ainda alguns detalhes sobrenaturais – ou serão episódios proporcionados pela fracção oposta para instaurar o terror psicológico?
Um dos sentimentos bastante explorados nas histórias apresentadas é a culpa. Como resolver o trauma dos soldados que destroem vidas de inocentes no terreno? Bem, os drones que já conhecemos permitem o total afastamento físico e algum afastamento psicológico. Mas será o suficiente? Não sofrerá também quem os comanda? Porque não substituir os condutores dos drones por algoritmos capazes de racionalizar estratégias e de tomar decisões? A quem caberá a culpa, então, se um dos algoritmos falhar?
Outras das formas de minimizar os traumas passará por adormecer os sentimentos no campo de batalha através de capacetes. Mas que acontecerá aos soldados que os retiram em casa para regressar à vida doméstica? Que farão com as memórias visuais? Mas fácil e menos traumático, porque não substituir os soldados por robots, construídos para a guerra mas de aspecto humano? O que fazer findo o conflito, recolhê-los ou deixá-los abandonados? Aguardarão eternamente novos comandos ou serão capazes de abandonar o seu posto e integrar-se numa vivência humana – serão tão humanos quanto os corpos que habitam os fazem parecer?
Estas são apenas algumas das hipóteses que os contos vão explorando e desenvolvendo, formas de diminuir a perda humana que podem passar pela transferência de consciência para novos corpos clonados, ou pela selecção de seres humanos menos merecedores para integrarem batalhões de guerra. Claro que não basta responder a cada uma destas perguntas, até porque cada solução transporta consigo novos problemas morais e sociais, que fazem parte da complexidade humana.
Mesmo após a guerra propriamente dita, como controlar os dominados e como eliminar todas as possibilidades de uma revolução? Mas mesmo para a fracção que vence a guerra, como integrar todos os soldados que desconhecem outra ocupação, e que vivem antecipando a próxima batalha, a próxima injecção de adrenalina?
Como a maioria dos conjuntos de contos, existem alguns que são extraordinários e outros que são completamente esquecíveis. Este livro é bastante extenso e fica a sensação de que algumas histórias terão sido incluídas por trazerem uma perspectiva diferente e não por serem expectionais. Assim, apenas comentei isoladamente algumas. Aqui fica a compilação das histórias que escolhi referir isoladamente:
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/04/graves-joe-haldeman-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/in-the-loop-ken-liu-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/contractual-obligation-james-l-cambias-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/19/the-radio-susan-jane-bigelow-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/mission-suit-self-de-jake-jerr-vs-suits-de-james-l-sutter/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/war-dog-michael-barretta-war-stories/?preview=true
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/mission-suit-self-de-jake-jerr-vs-suits-de-james-l-sutter/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/in-loco-carlos-orsi-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/ghost-girl-rich-larson-war-stories/
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/invencible-jay-posey-war-stories/https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/23/mais-alguns-contos-war-stories/
thistlechaser's review
4.0
Usually when I read an anthology, I keep track of all the stories within it, then do a mini-review on each one. For some reason I didn't do that this time, but I wish I had.
While every story in this book wasn't a winner for me, the majority of them were. Of the maybe 20 stories, I didn't finish three of them. Maybe three more I finished but they didn't work for me.
Each story revolved around the theme of war, though few of them were directly about battles. Most of the stories were about relationships, which was a positive to me.
Sadly, the story I bought the whole book for (Karin Lowachee's Enemy State) was probably the worst one to me. She's the author who wrote one of the best books I've ever read (Warchild), but I'm starting to think that book was the exception. I haven't liked much of anything else she's written. The whole story was a stream-of-consciousness, first person narrative -- a person speaking to someone else who had gone off to war. That someone else wasn't there to hear it, respond to it, or react to it, so the first person was just speaking into nothingness. It just fell really flat for me, no connection to it at all. Sadly boring.
But man, there were some good stories in this book, too. Wardogs was especially interesting, about relationships and bonds. The last story, War 3.0, should have been a novel and I actually went "ARG!" out loud when it ended. There were a bunch of stories I wished had been longer.
Suits was good enough that I searched for and bought other books by the author (James L. Sutter). It was just so well written -- it did what I always say authors should do: Trust the reader. It dropped small hints here and there, slowly filling out the world setting and what was happening, without ever hitting us over the head with it. In it a tech (clone, so not considered a person), learns what the work he's doing is being used for -- he learns what war really is. Sutter writes for RPG games, and most of his work seems to be male/male stories, so I suspect his books should work for me.
All in all, even with the 'miss' stories, I recommend this book!
Note: The Amazon page is messed up. Apparently there's another book by this name, and the reviewed are mixed between the two books, and the Editorial Reviews section is for the other book.
Currently reading: Gilded Cage. I've been second-guessing myself about accepting it for review (I don't much like the responsibility that comes with that anymore), but it turns out that so far it's really good, so I made the right choice in accepting it. Set on a world where some people with magic, all the people without magic must act as slaves to the magic class for a period of ten years out of their life...
While every story in this book wasn't a winner for me, the majority of them were. Of the maybe 20 stories, I didn't finish three of them. Maybe three more I finished but they didn't work for me.
Each story revolved around the theme of war, though few of them were directly about battles. Most of the stories were about relationships, which was a positive to me.
Sadly, the story I bought the whole book for (Karin Lowachee's Enemy State) was probably the worst one to me. She's the author who wrote one of the best books I've ever read (Warchild), but I'm starting to think that book was the exception. I haven't liked much of anything else she's written. The whole story was a stream-of-consciousness, first person narrative -- a person speaking to someone else who had gone off to war. That someone else wasn't there to hear it, respond to it, or react to it, so the first person was just speaking into nothingness. It just fell really flat for me, no connection to it at all. Sadly boring.
But man, there were some good stories in this book, too. Wardogs was especially interesting, about relationships and bonds. The last story, War 3.0, should have been a novel and I actually went "ARG!" out loud when it ended. There were a bunch of stories I wished had been longer.
Suits was good enough that I searched for and bought other books by the author (James L. Sutter). It was just so well written -- it did what I always say authors should do: Trust the reader. It dropped small hints here and there, slowly filling out the world setting and what was happening, without ever hitting us over the head with it. In it a tech (clone, so not considered a person), learns what the work he's doing is being used for -- he learns what war really is. Sutter writes for RPG games, and most of his work seems to be male/male stories, so I suspect his books should work for me.
All in all, even with the 'miss' stories, I recommend this book!
Note: The Amazon page is messed up. Apparently there's another book by this name, and the reviewed are mixed between the two books, and the Editorial Reviews section is for the other book.
Currently reading: Gilded Cage. I've been second-guessing myself about accepting it for review (I don't much like the responsibility that comes with that anymore), but it turns out that so far it's really good, so I made the right choice in accepting it. Set on a world where some people with magic, all the people without magic must act as slaves to the magic class for a period of ten years out of their life...
trike's review
4.0
This themed collection of stories is quite well done. The stories are placed in four groups: Wartime Systems (behind-the-lines or behind-the-scenes type of stories), Combat, Armored Force and Aftermath.
If we're using SF as a telltale for the zeitgeist, which actually works pretty well (for instance, look at all the global warming stories done in the 1970s and 1980s before it really got onto the radar of the general public), then the things we have to look forward to are institutionalized warfare, PTSD as part of everyday life and religious extremism of all stripes sweeping across the planet.
Women soldiers seem to rule the day, as well. I think the majority of these stories featured women as the protagonist, which is a sea change. Considering that the week I'm writing this (last week in November, 2014) there have been numerous stories about the US Marines testing women soldiers for acceptance into their ranks as well as stories about institutionalized harassment of women in the military, this aspect feels timely to me. Of course, other nations have had women serve in combat roles for generations, and the US is behind the curve on this, but I live in America so it feels fresh to me.
Overall the stories are terrific, and only starts to drag near the end. But that's actually true of real life, isn't it? Combat is very exciting, but dealing with the day-to-day realities of living with the consequences of battle are not. You've got to clean up, you've got to manage with less, and you have to care for those who have been wounded by war. Not just the soldiers but also those left behind.
Let's break it down:
GRAVES by Joe Haldeman, 5 stars -- this is a neo-classic short story by the master, concerning something being uncovered during the Vietnam War. (At first I thought the book was going to be all reprints like this, but the other 22 tales are original to this collection.) Although couched in terms of unleashing some supernatural something-or-other (it's not really clear what it is), this is pretty much a metaphor for PTSD. "Graves" is Haldeman at the top of his game, so it was risky of editors Gates and Liptak to put this first, as if throwing down the gauntlet. Fortunately the other stories mostly live up to it.
IN THE LOOP by Ken Liu, 4 stars -- This story is about the fog of war and how trying to minimize casualties never works. It's also about how PTSD affects not just the soldiers but also their families, resulting in a perpetual cycle that's potentially impossible to break. For the trifecta, he also has perpetual war. I've heard a lot about Liu but not yet read anything by him. I'm definitely looking forward to more. (I bough the collection [b:Upgraded|22591672|Upgraded|Neil Clarke|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403820257s/22591672.jpg|42072879], which has one of his stories in it, so that'll be my next exposure to his work.)
GHOST GIRL by Rich Larson, 4 stars -- This could have gone in the fourth section, as well, as it deals with the aftermath of war and the way it twists people and cultures. Stories like this make you wonder why the hell we go to war in the first place.
THE RADIO by Susan Jane Bigelow, 5 stars -- Some really solid storytelling here with a couple nice twists which really help fill out the world's backstory. Bigelow manages to cram a ton of stuff into a short amount of space, which is a feat that always amazes me. This story has a proper beginning, middle and end, a plethora of characters with diverse motives and personalities, solid worldbuilding and, despite taking place on a distant planet with high tech warrior cyborgs and the like, still manages to be a commentary on the current situation here on Earth.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION by James L. Cambias, 5 stars -- This one is dark and scary. Talk about perpetual corporate-driven warfare! Oof. This is one of the few space-based tales here, and it's pretty much about how war and greed makes any peace we find transitory and illusory.
THE WASP KEEPERS by Mark Jacobsen, 4 stars -- Written by a veteran who is currently making the Middle East his entire life, this has the terrifying feeling of inevitability, as if this is how war is going to look in the not-too-distant future. Despite the advances in technology we're still going to have the same problems and make the same mistakes, we'll just do it for different reasons. Also, utter loss of privacy as a bonus nightmare.
NON-STANDARD DEVIATION by Richard Dansky, 4 stars -- This one is about an AI programmed for war games so we can make better soldiers.
ALL YOU NEED by Mike Sizemore, 4 stars -- This was the first story that edged into the "literary" side of the equation, but managed to stay on my good side by being interesting and not overstaying its welcome. It also has a couple interesting characters which, although we've seen their like before, are intriguing enough to hang around with.
THE VALKYRIE by Maurice Broaddus, 3 stars -- This was the first story in the collection to talk about how religion extremism is sweeping through the Western cultures. The war here is against the heathens and atheists of Europe, as the righteous Americans come to deliver the message of God by the sword of the Lord. As someone who checked out of religion decades ago and has watched as seemingly-rational friends and family members become ever more radicalized, this is a terrifying future. The only reason I didn't give it 4 stars is because it felt a bit too extreme. But then I thought that about [b:The Handmaid's Tale|38447|The Handmaid's Tale|Margaret Atwood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1294702760s/38447.jpg|1119185] 30 years ago, and in some parts of America that thing is dangerously close to coming true, so who knows?
ONE MILLION LIRA by Thoraiya Dyer, 5 stars -- This is powerful stuff that feels like it could have taken place during the Siege of Stalingrad during WWII or could be happening today in Gaza. The sci-fi elements are completely secondary here, which isn't a bad thing, but it certainly makes its impact all the more devastating. Two snipers, the old mentor versus the former student, both the best at what they do, forced to make horrendous choices because of the stupidity of politics.
INVINCIBLE by Jay Posey, 4 stars -- I have Posey's novel [b:Three|17162150|Three (Legends of the Duskwalker #1)|Jay Posey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1371915477s/17162150.jpg|23985336] in my to-read pile, and if the writing is like this, I'll enjoy it. This is uncomplicated, straightforward stuff but takes a look at PTSD in a new way that's only possible through science fiction. Even when soldiers appear normal to the outside and are able to function normally, they can still be hurting.
LIGHT AND SHADOW by Linda Nagata, 3 stars -- This is a nice companion piece to the Posey story, and coming right after it they almost feel carved from the same idea-marble: PTSD that we bury under layers of technology. In Nagata's story it's via an emotion-controlling skullcap, whereas we do it today through prescription mood stabilizers. it's not hard to see the metaphor here. I also have Nagata's novel [b:First Light|17605440|First Light (The Red #1)|Linda Nagata|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1363059827s/17605440.jpg|24561453] in my to-read pile, so it's nice to know I at least like her writing going into it.
WARHOSTS by Yoon Ha Lee, 1 star -- This was the weakest entry for me. It was too vague, too literary, too sidelong. Once Lee circles around to her point, you pretty much already get it, and the style didn't do anything for me.
SUITS by James Sutter, 3 stars -- I'm kind of torn by this one, almost giving it 2 stars, but the writing is good enough to warrant the extra star. i like the worldbuilding and the idea of using the genetically engineered mechanics as stand-ins for losing our innocence about war, but it felt almost the polar opposite of the Lee story, which was too oblique; here it's all surface.
MISSION. SUIT. SELF. by Jake Kerr, 3 stars -- This does a nice job of detailing the second-guessing nature of one's choices in war, but I didn't really buy into the main character's solution.
IN LOCO by Carlos Orci, 3 stars -- This is kind of interesting idea of a Europe devastated by a broken economy and extreme weather, but it almost felt like too much of a throwback to me. The contrast between high tech and primitive society works because of the way Orci has constructed it, and the reveals and turnabouts play together nicely. Maybe I should rate it higher, I don't know.
WAR DOG by Mike Barretta, 5 stars -- Another story by a veteran with religious extremism front and center. There's a lot of religion among the military guys I know, but this is getting scary. Barretta also throws in a second American Civil War just for fun. There are so many scary things about this story and I suppose if you really wanted to you could find a ton of themed parallels with today's world (biological warfare, PTSD, the political polarization of the US, gays in the military as represented by the titular character), but it works so well on its own that you don't even need to do that. I'd actually love to read an entire book set in this world, despite the fact I know it'd be depressing as hell.
COMING HOME by Janine Spendlove, 2 stars -- Argh, so close to being great! Another veteran entry, this one deals with the trauma of PTSD front and center and it's so good right up until the too-pat ending. If Spendlove had simply left out the little coda at the end it would've been far more powerful. Although she struggles with the present-day stuff of portraying the problems that plague a soldier's subconscious, Spendlove does set up the combat parts of the story nicely to get us there. If only it weren't for that dumb sitcom ending where everything is wrapped up by the end of the 22 minutes.
WHERE WOULD WE END A WAR by F. Brett Cox, 3 stars -- This is not exactly PTSD but more like getting used to combat. The tech of the transporter works as the metaphor for war changing you, so we can talk about how some soldiers become addicted to the thing that scared them most, not unlike the message in the Oscar-winning movie The Hurt Locker.
BLACK BUTTERFLY by T.C. McCarthy, 4 stars -- The brutality of war is writ large here, but even worse is how we treat our returning veterans.
ALWAYS THE STARS AND THE VOID IN BETWEEN by Nerine Dorman, 3 stars -- Again, similar to The Hurt Locker in that we have a soldier who finds she no longer fits in at home and is unappreciated, despite the fact it's her paycheck that actually allows the home to function.
ENEMY STATES by Karin Lowachee, 2 stars -- When stories start veering too close to the literary my eyes start to glaze over. I was disappointed by this tale, since it hits the same note as Lowachee's excellent installment in [b:Armored|12377899|Armored|John Joseph Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336572773s/12377899.jpg|15029479], but doesn't do it nearly as well. The characters are gay, I think, but it's not explicit. I don't see the need to be coy about this topic.
WAR 3.01 by Keith Brooke, 5 stars -- Big finish! This feels like what a real Information War would be like: over in microseconds and tailored to each person. Not just because it's set in London (but that didn't hurt), I'm rather reminded of The Who lyric, "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss/Won't get fooled again!" But they do. Kind of like falling for the most impressive phishing email ever. Also: religious war.
If we're using SF as a telltale for the zeitgeist, which actually works pretty well (for instance, look at all the global warming stories done in the 1970s and 1980s before it really got onto the radar of the general public), then the things we have to look forward to are institutionalized warfare, PTSD as part of everyday life and religious extremism of all stripes sweeping across the planet.
Women soldiers seem to rule the day, as well. I think the majority of these stories featured women as the protagonist, which is a sea change. Considering that the week I'm writing this (last week in November, 2014) there have been numerous stories about the US Marines testing women soldiers for acceptance into their ranks as well as stories about institutionalized harassment of women in the military, this aspect feels timely to me. Of course, other nations have had women serve in combat roles for generations, and the US is behind the curve on this, but I live in America so it feels fresh to me.
Overall the stories are terrific, and only starts to drag near the end. But that's actually true of real life, isn't it? Combat is very exciting, but dealing with the day-to-day realities of living with the consequences of battle are not. You've got to clean up, you've got to manage with less, and you have to care for those who have been wounded by war. Not just the soldiers but also those left behind.
Let's break it down:
GRAVES by Joe Haldeman, 5 stars -- this is a neo-classic short story by the master, concerning something being uncovered during the Vietnam War. (At first I thought the book was going to be all reprints like this, but the other 22 tales are original to this collection.) Although couched in terms of unleashing some supernatural something-or-other (it's not really clear what it is), this is pretty much a metaphor for PTSD. "Graves" is Haldeman at the top of his game, so it was risky of editors Gates and Liptak to put this first, as if throwing down the gauntlet. Fortunately the other stories mostly live up to it.
IN THE LOOP by Ken Liu, 4 stars -- This story is about the fog of war and how trying to minimize casualties never works. It's also about how PTSD affects not just the soldiers but also their families, resulting in a perpetual cycle that's potentially impossible to break. For the trifecta, he also has perpetual war. I've heard a lot about Liu but not yet read anything by him. I'm definitely looking forward to more. (I bough the collection [b:Upgraded|22591672|Upgraded|Neil Clarke|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403820257s/22591672.jpg|42072879], which has one of his stories in it, so that'll be my next exposure to his work.)
GHOST GIRL by Rich Larson, 4 stars -- This could have gone in the fourth section, as well, as it deals with the aftermath of war and the way it twists people and cultures. Stories like this make you wonder why the hell we go to war in the first place.
THE RADIO by Susan Jane Bigelow, 5 stars -- Some really solid storytelling here with a couple nice twists which really help fill out the world's backstory. Bigelow manages to cram a ton of stuff into a short amount of space, which is a feat that always amazes me. This story has a proper beginning, middle and end, a plethora of characters with diverse motives and personalities, solid worldbuilding and, despite taking place on a distant planet with high tech warrior cyborgs and the like, still manages to be a commentary on the current situation here on Earth.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION by James L. Cambias, 5 stars -- This one is dark and scary. Talk about perpetual corporate-driven warfare! Oof. This is one of the few space-based tales here, and it's pretty much about how war and greed makes any peace we find transitory and illusory.
THE WASP KEEPERS by Mark Jacobsen, 4 stars -- Written by a veteran who is currently making the Middle East his entire life, this has the terrifying feeling of inevitability, as if this is how war is going to look in the not-too-distant future. Despite the advances in technology we're still going to have the same problems and make the same mistakes, we'll just do it for different reasons. Also, utter loss of privacy as a bonus nightmare.
NON-STANDARD DEVIATION by Richard Dansky, 4 stars -- This one is about an AI programmed for war games so we can make better soldiers.
Spoiler
Like the classic 1983 movie WarGames where the computer learns that "The only winning move is not to play," the AI here comes to the same conclusion. Sadly, humans find a way to pervert that to their own ends to continue war.ALL YOU NEED by Mike Sizemore, 4 stars -- This was the first story that edged into the "literary" side of the equation, but managed to stay on my good side by being interesting and not overstaying its welcome. It also has a couple interesting characters which, although we've seen their like before, are intriguing enough to hang around with.
THE VALKYRIE by Maurice Broaddus, 3 stars -- This was the first story in the collection to talk about how religion extremism is sweeping through the Western cultures. The war here is against the heathens and atheists of Europe, as the righteous Americans come to deliver the message of God by the sword of the Lord. As someone who checked out of religion decades ago and has watched as seemingly-rational friends and family members become ever more radicalized, this is a terrifying future. The only reason I didn't give it 4 stars is because it felt a bit too extreme. But then I thought that about [b:The Handmaid's Tale|38447|The Handmaid's Tale|Margaret Atwood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1294702760s/38447.jpg|1119185] 30 years ago, and in some parts of America that thing is dangerously close to coming true, so who knows?
ONE MILLION LIRA by Thoraiya Dyer, 5 stars -- This is powerful stuff that feels like it could have taken place during the Siege of Stalingrad during WWII or could be happening today in Gaza. The sci-fi elements are completely secondary here, which isn't a bad thing, but it certainly makes its impact all the more devastating. Two snipers, the old mentor versus the former student, both the best at what they do, forced to make horrendous choices because of the stupidity of politics.
INVINCIBLE by Jay Posey, 4 stars -- I have Posey's novel [b:Three|17162150|Three (Legends of the Duskwalker #1)|Jay Posey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1371915477s/17162150.jpg|23985336] in my to-read pile, and if the writing is like this, I'll enjoy it. This is uncomplicated, straightforward stuff but takes a look at PTSD in a new way that's only possible through science fiction. Even when soldiers appear normal to the outside and are able to function normally, they can still be hurting.
LIGHT AND SHADOW by Linda Nagata, 3 stars -- This is a nice companion piece to the Posey story, and coming right after it they almost feel carved from the same idea-marble: PTSD that we bury under layers of technology. In Nagata's story it's via an emotion-controlling skullcap, whereas we do it today through prescription mood stabilizers. it's not hard to see the metaphor here. I also have Nagata's novel [b:First Light|17605440|First Light (The Red #1)|Linda Nagata|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1363059827s/17605440.jpg|24561453] in my to-read pile, so it's nice to know I at least like her writing going into it.
WARHOSTS by Yoon Ha Lee, 1 star -- This was the weakest entry for me. It was too vague, too literary, too sidelong. Once Lee circles around to her point, you pretty much already get it, and the style didn't do anything for me.
SUITS by James Sutter, 3 stars -- I'm kind of torn by this one, almost giving it 2 stars, but the writing is good enough to warrant the extra star. i like the worldbuilding and the idea of using the genetically engineered mechanics as stand-ins for losing our innocence about war, but it felt almost the polar opposite of the Lee story, which was too oblique; here it's all surface.
MISSION. SUIT. SELF. by Jake Kerr, 3 stars -- This does a nice job of detailing the second-guessing nature of one's choices in war, but I didn't really buy into the main character's solution.
IN LOCO by Carlos Orci, 3 stars -- This is kind of interesting idea of a Europe devastated by a broken economy and extreme weather, but it almost felt like too much of a throwback to me. The contrast between high tech and primitive society works because of the way Orci has constructed it, and the reveals and turnabouts play together nicely. Maybe I should rate it higher, I don't know.
WAR DOG by Mike Barretta, 5 stars -- Another story by a veteran with religious extremism front and center. There's a lot of religion among the military guys I know, but this is getting scary. Barretta also throws in a second American Civil War just for fun. There are so many scary things about this story and I suppose if you really wanted to you could find a ton of themed parallels with today's world (biological warfare, PTSD, the political polarization of the US, gays in the military as represented by the titular character), but it works so well on its own that you don't even need to do that. I'd actually love to read an entire book set in this world, despite the fact I know it'd be depressing as hell.
COMING HOME by Janine Spendlove, 2 stars -- Argh, so close to being great! Another veteran entry, this one deals with the trauma of PTSD front and center and it's so good right up until the too-pat ending. If Spendlove had simply left out the little coda at the end it would've been far more powerful. Although she struggles with the present-day stuff of portraying the problems that plague a soldier's subconscious, Spendlove does set up the combat parts of the story nicely to get us there. If only it weren't for that dumb sitcom ending where everything is wrapped up by the end of the 22 minutes.
WHERE WOULD WE END A WAR by F. Brett Cox, 3 stars -- This is not exactly PTSD but more like getting used to combat. The tech of the transporter works as the metaphor for war changing you, so we can talk about how some soldiers become addicted to the thing that scared them most, not unlike the message in the Oscar-winning movie The Hurt Locker.
BLACK BUTTERFLY by T.C. McCarthy, 4 stars -- The brutality of war is writ large here, but even worse is how we treat our returning veterans.
ALWAYS THE STARS AND THE VOID IN BETWEEN by Nerine Dorman, 3 stars -- Again, similar to The Hurt Locker in that we have a soldier who finds she no longer fits in at home and is unappreciated, despite the fact it's her paycheck that actually allows the home to function.
ENEMY STATES by Karin Lowachee, 2 stars -- When stories start veering too close to the literary my eyes start to glaze over. I was disappointed by this tale, since it hits the same note as Lowachee's excellent installment in [b:Armored|12377899|Armored|John Joseph Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336572773s/12377899.jpg|15029479], but doesn't do it nearly as well. The characters are gay, I think, but it's not explicit. I don't see the need to be coy about this topic.
WAR 3.01 by Keith Brooke, 5 stars -- Big finish! This feels like what a real Information War would be like: over in microseconds and tailored to each person. Not just because it's set in London (but that didn't hurt), I'm rather reminded of The Who lyric, "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss/Won't get fooled again!" But they do. Kind of like falling for the most impressive phishing email ever. Also: religious war.
macthekat's review
4.0
This was a really powerful story! A story about how costly war is for everyone involved. It is also clearly social commentary on drone warfare.
It was underplayed which added to the power of the story.
To qoute my self on twitter: "wow powerful shit! ❤"
It was underplayed which added to the power of the story.
To qoute my self on twitter: "wow powerful shit! ❤"
mburnamfink's review
4.0
War Stories knows precisely what it is. This is an anthology of infantry stories: bleak stories about mud and dust and void, moral ambiguity, and psychological trauma. Grouping the stories into Wartime Systems, Combat, Armored Force, and Aftermath is a wise editorial choice. The usual technological suspects are all here: drones, powered armor, combat drugs and cyborg soldiers. However, the stories are of universally high quality and each of them manages to say something interesting about the technology of warfare. This is military science fiction at its most thoughtful. When reviewing an anthology, I always like to lift out a couple of exceptional stories, and I loved "Warhosts" by Yoon Ha Lee and "War Dog" by Mike Barretta as eerie, imaginative, biopunk inspired meditations on combat, surviving, and winning.
That said, thematic coherence is a two edged sword, and while I agree with the stance that this anthology takes towards warfare, by the end I wanted a little more diversity. Jaym Gates and Andrew Liptak aimed to deconstruct the Starship Troopers/Baen machismo typical of the genre, but I think there's still space for a little humor, absurdity, even glory in the future of war. And if you don't like the politics I've laid out at the top of this review, you'll hate this collection. Forewarned is forearmed. My second criticism is that while the grunts are the heart of war, they aren't the only people who fight. We could've used a little more on pilots, sailors, officers, strategists, diplomats, and drill sergeants. Don't let these minor gripes turn you away: this is a amazing book, and a worthy companion to The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century.
That said, thematic coherence is a two edged sword, and while I agree with the stance that this anthology takes towards warfare, by the end I wanted a little more diversity. Jaym Gates and Andrew Liptak aimed to deconstruct the Starship Troopers/Baen machismo typical of the genre, but I think there's still space for a little humor, absurdity, even glory in the future of war. And if you don't like the politics I've laid out at the top of this review, you'll hate this collection. Forewarned is forearmed. My second criticism is that while the grunts are the heart of war, they aren't the only people who fight. We could've used a little more on pilots, sailors, officers, strategists, diplomats, and drill sergeants. Don't let these minor gripes turn you away: this is a amazing book, and a worthy companion to The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century.
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