It’s the year 2075. Earth has already has it’s butt kicked once. Nearly to extinction. For that matter, Earth is still getting it’s butt kicked even though the enemy—a race known colloquially as sceeve—left a number of years before.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about today, Captain Courageous”

page 66

Since the sceeve left, Earth’s defense forces have been attempting to figure out how to communicate—intercept, really—sceeve communications. Many left on Earth question the decision to pursue the sceeve believing they have left after their failed extermination.

The Extry has intercepted what appears to be a unique voice within the sceeve. A possible defector? Captian Coalbridge must track down this possible defector and defend Earth against an imminent sceeve attack.

Why is this on our bookshelf?

Tony Daniel spoke on behalf of Baen Books at Norwescon and we were able to subsequently get a complementary copy of his book. At the convention he described it as ‘hard science fiction, with explosions and fancy technology.’ It sold me.

Rating (4 stars)

This is a feel-good “humans do the right thing” type of novel with actions, explosions, and fun technology thrown in for good measure. Daniel has done a great job at researching the technology aboard his spacecraft and what that means for human-computer interaction. He does an equally great job at realizing a complicated alien species.

At times however, the story line seems rather predictable: Humans will be honorable, if a little cocky. Evil aliens will continue to be evil… and then die. Good aliens will be consistently nice and gracious. And of course, Earth will win.

Doesn’t matter, it makes for a good read.