A Desert Called Peace

I haven’t read much science fiction in the last several years. I knew there must be some good sci-fi being published somewhere…I just hadn’t found any for quite a while. When I saw the cover for Tom Kratman’s The Rods and the Axe, I had to say, “Hmm…”

Someone advised me that I should read the Carrera series in sequence, and the first one in the series was free, so no risk, right?

Kratman sets out an alternate history post-9/11, but chose an interesting method to present it.

A space probe discovers a wormhole (or something like that) to another solar system, where there is a planet just as delicately balanced as Earth is (read that: able to sustain human life). Colonization begins. Then, partly by design, partly by accident (coincidence? Cosmic symmetry? The manipulation of Galactus?), the geopolitical landscape on Terra Nova turns out nearly identical to Earth’s in the 20th Century.

I think reading the series in sequence was good advice. By doing so it was easy to grasp that FSC=USA; Taurus=Europe; Volga=Russia; Balboa=Panama, the Great Global War=WWII, etc. I didn’t know whether to groan or to chuckle at references like “Operation Green Fork” and “Amnesty Interplanetary.”

Carrera (whose real name is Hennesey) is a veteran of Green Fork who remained in Balboa afterward. When his family is wiped out in the 9/11ish attacks, he is presented a unique opportunity for revenge. He builds a de facto private army in Balboa, and obtains a contract to assist the FSC in their War on Terror.

Much of the book focuses on the building of this army. The rank and unit structure is based on the Roman model–legions, cohorts, centuries, etc. The rest of the book illustrates a better way to have conducted the occupation of Iraq. This was interesting, and enough effort was put into Carrera’s character that it never devolved into a field manual.

While the average writer tends to highlight the use of torture to get information from terrorists, and use it to horrify the reader, a few writers take pains to justify the use of torture in interrogation. Kratman keeps justification to a minimum, but describes the methods just a bit too precisely for the more squeamish readers. Personally, I’ve never been remotely involved with a decision to torture or not; and I’m thankful for that.

The closest I came to irritation was with the sketch of future history on Earth. Specifically, the assumption that the USA as we know it will still exist into the late 21st Century, and will still be a superpower. If this was written soon after the 9/11 attacks, I guess the naive optimism among Neocons would lead to assumptions like this. But these days a person has to really be blind to make such a forecast.

Oh, and speaking of naivete`: the theatrical gimmick used to embarrass the bleeding-heart from Amnesty Interplanetary would have SOOOOOO backfired. I found the concept silly to begin with–like a plan hatched by the Little Rascals or something. And the success of the whole venture hinges on the integrity of the press. In other words: epic fail. Since when does the press let something as trivial as the truth keep them from pushing a narrative they endorse? And you just handed them video footage on a silver platter!

As a set-up to a series, Desert Called Peace was effective. I’ve already got the second book, Carniflex. I’ll see how things progress.

4 thoughts on “A Desert Called Peace”

  1. The similarity in land masses had to do with weather, Henry. Now I can explain that or you can just go with it. It wasn’t something I wanted to do but, given the purpose of the planet to the Noahs, something I was stuck with.

    So the press had the ability to cut off all transmissions from all cameras? No, they didn’t. And, whores that they are, they’d have kept broadcasting lest they be scooped.

    Not sure where you’re coming from as to the US’ power status in the late 21st Century. I don’t think I address it especially. Now you can make the claim that the US simply must disintegrate – many do – but the claim on its own is of little probative effect. Moreover, that’s a different story that wasn’t necessary to telling _this_ story.

    Otherwise, have fun.

  2. I appreciate you stopping by, Tom.

    I used the phrase “partly by design, partly by accident.” As I understood the colonization of Terra Nova, the demographic divisions were assigned areas which had similar climate and geography to their native countries on Earth (by design). But those assigned areas sound like mirror-images of those Earth nations (by accident)–Balboa being located on a narrow isthmus like Panama, for instance. I found it an interesting way to frame an alternate history/alternate reality story. Like you said, you’re stuck with it; but it’s really not a hindrance once the reader understands what is what–and it should become less noticeable as the series continues, I would think.

    A couple times during flashbacks and/or scenes in the United Earth Fleet, while globalists were pondering the international situation, reference was made to how strong the US still was. I remember this coming up in the narration rather than in dialog, so I took it as Carrera Series Gospel.

    I’m probably more sensitive to this subject than most sci fi readers. Every day I see more signs of our suicide as a nation and would be absolutely astounded if the USA as we know it survives to 2020.

    If there were a Terra Nova to escape to, I’d be one of the first colonist-volunteers.
    Henry Brown recently posted…Hollywood Wants a DictatorMy Profile

  3. Oh, yeah, where do I sign up?

    As for the US, as the wise man said, there a lot of ruination in a nation. In other words, it would be hard to wreck us, and not that easy for us to wreck ourselves. Will we do it? Maybe. But the rest of the world appears to me to be going to crap even faster. And China has maybe 20 years to start and win the war they need to become top dog, after which it will be too late. And if they try, they might just get nuked out of existence, so I doubt they will. Thus, in a kingdom of the blind sense, yes, we’ll probably still be number one in 60 or 70 years. Less than we are now, probably, but on a planet that’s less, too, and especially less as the Tranzis extend their baleful influence.

    It’s an arguable point, but that is the point. If it’s arguable, then it’s not a slam dunk.

    It was actually Panama that made me have to redesign the planet to look like Earth. A fan sent me an article, something to the effect of We’re all Panamanians, which insisted that the rise of the Isthmus so affected weather, hence evolution, that we’re all the result. I thought about that for a while and said, “Crap. That means that to keep the animals healthy and reproducing, the Noahs are going to have to make the weather close enough. That means a very similar surface. Fortunately, people who can link galaxies or universes can probably do that.”

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