Metal Swarm, Kevin J. Anderson, Orbit Books, 2007
This book, part 6 in the series, takes place in the far future, after a brutal galactic war. Klikiss robots pretended to be humanity's friend, building soldier compies (battle computers) for the Earth Defense Forces in their war against the hydrogues. The compies were all programmed to turn against their human hosts at a particular moment, killing thousands and stealing many Earth battleships. Sirix, the leader of the robots, uses these Earth battleships to attack undefended Earth colonies.
The leader of Earth, Chairman Basil Wenceslas, is forced to abandon all of Earth's colonies, to concentrate whatever forces he has left on Earth's defense. The figurehead monarchy, King Peter and Queen Estarra, escape to a forest world called Theroc, to set up a rival confederation, which the former Earth colonies gladly join. Now that the war is over, Chairman Wenceslas wants those former colonies back under his leadership. He makes an example of an average, undefended farming colony, by sending a fleet with orders to flatten and destroy everything. The whole event is filmed, and is to be shown to all other former Earth colonies.
Meantime, the original Klikiss are a black, insectoid race that live in colonies (like a bee hive). They have an overwhelming desire to fight and destroy all other colonies, called breedexes. They attack breedexes on other planets through transportals, teleportation portals spread all over the galaxy. When there is only one breedex left, it grows until critical mass is reached, and that breedex spreads to other planets via the transportals, when the fighting resumes. The original Klikiss were thought to have been extinct thousands of years ago, leaving their mark on many, now inhabited, planets. They're back, and they want their planets back. The Klikiss have no problem at all with annihilating anyone, or anything, that gets in their way.
When reading a series, I am one of those who must do it in order, so the summary in the front of this book is a big help. It also helps because there is a lot going on in this book, perhaps too much. Having said that, if the rest of the series is as good as this volume, it is very much worth checking out. It is a very interesting story that will certainly keep the attention of the reader.
Showing posts with label anderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anderson. Show all posts
Monday, October 22, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Keeping the Masses Down: How to Escape the Vicious Downward Spiral of Poverty and Tyranny
Keeping the Masses Down: How to Escape the Vicious Downward Spiral of Poverty and Tyranny, August K. Anderson and Nola L. Kelsey, Tea Party Books, 2005
This workbook will help to prepare anyone, young or old, for success in an America with a rapidly shrinking middle class.
Do you have a wildest dream or a lifelong goal? If cost was no object, what would you like to do with your life? Why don't you start to do something about it? This does not mean abandoning your present life, all at once and starting over, but working, step by step, toward that Ultimate Goal.
No one can change the circumstances under which they came into this world; the only thing that can change is your attitude. Just because you weren't born a rich, white male, blaming Them (whoever Them is) because you are poor, overweight or a minority is a waste of time and effort. If you want your situation to change, you are the only one who can do anything about it.
This book also looks at several aspects of life in today's America that help keep the masses fat, lazy and dependent on the government. Some types of insurance are needed and a good idea, but most types are little more than a rip-off. Have you ever wondered why it is so easy to get into credit trouble, but almost impossible to get out of it? Many physical conditions can be improved, or actually cured, by a simple prescription: exercise and cut out the junk food. Joining a gym or buying one of those exercise devices shown on TV is not necessary; the first step is to shut off the TV (getting rid of the TV is a better idea), get out of your chair, and go for a walk.
If you are one of those who sit back and wait for Mr. Right (and Rich) to sweep you off your feet, and set you up for life, here is a news bulletin: women live longer than men. One day, hubby will be gone, either through death or divorce, and then where will you be? Don't count on lifelong alimony that will cover all your expenses. Having lots of children just to get the child support money is a similarly bad idea.
The rest of this book consists of a workbook for the reader to track their progress, day by day, toward that Ultimate Goal. The process described in this book is not rocket science; it's simple and easy to read. This book can be used by anyone, regardless of age or income. It's recommended.
This workbook will help to prepare anyone, young or old, for success in an America with a rapidly shrinking middle class.
Do you have a wildest dream or a lifelong goal? If cost was no object, what would you like to do with your life? Why don't you start to do something about it? This does not mean abandoning your present life, all at once and starting over, but working, step by step, toward that Ultimate Goal.
No one can change the circumstances under which they came into this world; the only thing that can change is your attitude. Just because you weren't born a rich, white male, blaming Them (whoever Them is) because you are poor, overweight or a minority is a waste of time and effort. If you want your situation to change, you are the only one who can do anything about it.
This book also looks at several aspects of life in today's America that help keep the masses fat, lazy and dependent on the government. Some types of insurance are needed and a good idea, but most types are little more than a rip-off. Have you ever wondered why it is so easy to get into credit trouble, but almost impossible to get out of it? Many physical conditions can be improved, or actually cured, by a simple prescription: exercise and cut out the junk food. Joining a gym or buying one of those exercise devices shown on TV is not necessary; the first step is to shut off the TV (getting rid of the TV is a better idea), get out of your chair, and go for a walk.
If you are one of those who sit back and wait for Mr. Right (and Rich) to sweep you off your feet, and set you up for life, here is a news bulletin: women live longer than men. One day, hubby will be gone, either through death or divorce, and then where will you be? Don't count on lifelong alimony that will cover all your expenses. Having lots of children just to get the child support money is a similarly bad idea.
The rest of this book consists of a workbook for the reader to track their progress, day by day, toward that Ultimate Goal. The process described in this book is not rocket science; it's simple and easy to read. This book can be used by anyone, regardless of age or income. It's recommended.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Pledge of Honor
Pledge of Honor, Lori L. Anderson, Xlibris Corp, 2003
Jamie McGivens and Tony Stone are among a group of humans who have been kidnapped and taken to the planet Elos, by a humanoid race called the Berloff. The men are to be slaves, and the women are to be used for breeding. Jamie becomes the property of Locom, the leader of the Berloff.
Keenu is the grown son of the leader of a race of native Elosians, who have suffered constant Berloff slave raids. His quest is to find Dolan, his grandfather, who left their home village many years before. Using Dolan's wisdom (and experience living on Earth), the plan is to get themselves arrested by the Berloff (the easy part), and somehow free all the slaves from the "inside" (the hard part), to stop the whole slave system, permanently.
The breakout happens, and the four flee into the jungle. While in Locom's possession, Jamie was forced to let Locom have his way with her, and she is having a hard time dealing with it. Back on Earth, she was the sole caregiver for her sick mother, and the last thing she remembers before her abduction was finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. So Jamie is not appreciative when told that Keenu had to establish a mental Link with her (sort of a permanent Vulcan Mind Meld), that is not easily broken, when she is injured in the breakout.
Tony falls prey to one of the many deadly creatures of Elos, and Jamie almost joins him. She is brought to Keenu's home village to recover. Dolan was thrown out of the village years before, under very unpleasant circumstances, and little has changed. Damar, the Elosian ruler, and Dolan's son (and Keenu's father) does not want Dolan there, and the fact that he has brought an. . . alien with him makes it that much worse. After she recovers, Dolan brings Jamie back to an Earth that holds nothing for her. Her mother died a couple of days previously, the police want to know where she has been for the last month, and her ex-boyfriend really wants to get back together with her, to the point of being obnoxious. Jamie also discovers that she has some pretty strong feelings for Keenu.
This works best as a story about the human spirit and about bonds between very different people, that happens to take place mostly on an alien planet. The reader could do a lot worse than to read this novel; it is very much worth the time.
Jamie McGivens and Tony Stone are among a group of humans who have been kidnapped and taken to the planet Elos, by a humanoid race called the Berloff. The men are to be slaves, and the women are to be used for breeding. Jamie becomes the property of Locom, the leader of the Berloff.
Keenu is the grown son of the leader of a race of native Elosians, who have suffered constant Berloff slave raids. His quest is to find Dolan, his grandfather, who left their home village many years before. Using Dolan's wisdom (and experience living on Earth), the plan is to get themselves arrested by the Berloff (the easy part), and somehow free all the slaves from the "inside" (the hard part), to stop the whole slave system, permanently.
The breakout happens, and the four flee into the jungle. While in Locom's possession, Jamie was forced to let Locom have his way with her, and she is having a hard time dealing with it. Back on Earth, she was the sole caregiver for her sick mother, and the last thing she remembers before her abduction was finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. So Jamie is not appreciative when told that Keenu had to establish a mental Link with her (sort of a permanent Vulcan Mind Meld), that is not easily broken, when she is injured in the breakout.
Tony falls prey to one of the many deadly creatures of Elos, and Jamie almost joins him. She is brought to Keenu's home village to recover. Dolan was thrown out of the village years before, under very unpleasant circumstances, and little has changed. Damar, the Elosian ruler, and Dolan's son (and Keenu's father) does not want Dolan there, and the fact that he has brought an. . . alien with him makes it that much worse. After she recovers, Dolan brings Jamie back to an Earth that holds nothing for her. Her mother died a couple of days previously, the police want to know where she has been for the last month, and her ex-boyfriend really wants to get back together with her, to the point of being obnoxious. Jamie also discovers that she has some pretty strong feelings for Keenu.
This works best as a story about the human spirit and about bonds between very different people, that happens to take place mostly on an alien planet. The reader could do a lot worse than to read this novel; it is very much worth the time.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Sensible Justice
Sensible Justice, David C. Anderson, The New Press, 1998
Alternatives to prison, for small-time and first-time criminals, are explored in this book. Amidst an exploding prison population, some cities and states, including so-called law and order states, are trying other programs in place of jail. Among the "alternative sanctions" considered are: restitution programs, military-style boot camps, electronic monitoring, drug treatment, coomunity service, sex offender treatment, and day reporting.
Anderson points out that no program has a perfect success rate, and the money saved or crimes prevented may be small because only those who are thought to have the best chance of success are let into the programs. On the other hand, many judges, at sentencing time, appreciate an alternative to prison. An important determinant of a program's success is careful planning in advance, and the right people in charge, something that doesn't happen all the time.
This is an important and concise book that should be read by everyone, no just those in the criminal justice system and the state legislature when faced with calls for more prisons.
Alternatives to prison, for small-time and first-time criminals, are explored in this book. Amidst an exploding prison population, some cities and states, including so-called law and order states, are trying other programs in place of jail. Among the "alternative sanctions" considered are: restitution programs, military-style boot camps, electronic monitoring, drug treatment, coomunity service, sex offender treatment, and day reporting.
Anderson points out that no program has a perfect success rate, and the money saved or crimes prevented may be small because only those who are thought to have the best chance of success are let into the programs. On the other hand, many judges, at sentencing time, appreciate an alternative to prison. An important determinant of a program's success is careful planning in advance, and the right people in charge, something that doesn't happen all the time.
This is an important and concise book that should be read by everyone, no just those in the criminal justice system and the state legislature when faced with calls for more prisons.
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