Review: The Ghost Brigades

February 23, 2015February 23, 2015 / rtrube54 / 2 Comments

John Scalzi’s first science fiction novel Old Man’s War was widely acclaimed. He created an interesting world where 75 year olds volunteer to fight for the Colonial Defense Force (CDF), defending colonists on other planets. They go thinking their bodies will be rejuvenated, only to find that what actually will happen is the transfer of consciousness into a robotically and genetically enhanced clone of themselves. We also learn of this shadowy group of Special Forces known as the “Ghost Brigades” because they are clones of volunteers who never made it to 75, trained from birth to fight. One of these was a clone of the wife of John Perry, the central character in Old Man’s War, named Jane Sagan. She plays a key role in this second novel, where The Ghost Brigades play a central role.

Sagan appear in the opening scene, capturing a Rraey by the name of Cainen working on an Eneshan base and through him the CDF learns of a triple alliance of Eneshan, Rraey, and Obin against the CDF. The news gets worse. Charles Moutin, thought to be killed, in fact has escaped to the enemies, with all his knowledge about consciousness transfer. It is urgent to discover what he knew, why he defected and how he is helping the enemy.

A copy of his consciousness exists in his lab. So in desperation, they decided to grow a clone into which they attempt to transfer the consciousness pattern. The clone has all the enhancements of a Special Forces soldier. But the consciousness doesn’t appear to “take”. He is like any other new born Special Forces clone with only a BrainPal to instruct him as his own consciousness develops. He is given the name Jared Dirac and turned over for training as part of the Ghost Brigades.

But there are some who are not so sure that he is just another Special Forces clone. So he is put under Sagan’s command and watch until the fateful day when on a desperate mission to kidnap the heir to the Eneshan throne, he loses a comrade he loves and witnesses a gruesome killing, and Moutin’s memories begin to emerge.

Meanwhile Special Forces crews have vanished with their ships on seven occasions in Obin space. It is suspected that Moutin has something to do with this as a prelude to war. So Jared/Moutin becomes an increasingly important part of the equation. But who, in the end, will he help? Will he have a choice, and if so, how will he choose?

Once again, Scalzi explores the brave new world of cloning, robotic and nanobotic enhancement, and consciousness transfer. The most interesting question to arise surrounds Jared and his fellow special forces: what are the ethics of breeding a race of soldiers trained from the moment they were conscious to be soldiers, and never given a choice? There are also larger issues of the justification of war on an interplanetary scale that parallels the wars of colonial expansion in our own history.

My one criticism of the plot was that I thought I saw from the get go what the nature of Boutin’s treachery would be, and I was right–but everyone in the story was clueless. Too many bread crumbs and not enough mis-direction it seemed.

That aside, Scalzi combines a riveting plot, the potential of a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde character in Jared Dirac that actually turns out quite differently, and an exploration of the implications of science going on in research labs around the world. Scalzi helps us explore a world that may not be the best of possible worlds.

The Month in Reviews: January 2015

February 3, 2015February 1, 2015 / rtrube54 / Leave a comment

January was the month of longer-than-usual books. I’m still working my way to the end of The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin. But I still managed to finish an assortment of books ranging from a Tolstoy classic to the first book of an Ohio sci-fi author (John Scalzi). Among the weightier books I reviewed an exploration of the relationship of God to the natural world and a thoughtful re-appraisal of the nature of power. And I reviewed a new book by young activist Ben Lowe that was followed by my first author interview with Ben. So, without further ado, here is my list for January:

1. Doing Good Without Giving Up by Ben Lowe. Lowe, a creation care activist, shares what he has learned about sustaining a life of activisim, particularly when progress is slow and opposition is real. My author interview with Ben is here.

2. Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy. What happens when you sit on a jury and the defendant is a prostitute whose life was shaped by a careless romantic dalliance resulting in a pregnancy years before. Tolstoy explores the spiritual awakening and deepening of Prince Nekhlyudov as he seeks to make restitution for his wrong.

3. American Saint: The Life of Elizabeth Seton by Joan Barthel. Seton is the first native-born American to be canonized a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Barthel narrates the tragedy of widowhood that led to conversion, and formation of the first community of women religious in America.

4. The God of Nature: Incarnation and Contemporary Science by Christopher C. Knight. Knight responds to the alternatives of a supernaturalist/naturalist divide by proposing an incarnational naturalism, a position akin to panentheism (all of nature in God).

5. Faith and Reason: Three Views edited by Steve Wilkins. Wilkins and three contributors explore the relationship of faith and reason under the rubrics of faith and philosophy in tension, faith seeking understanding, and the synthesis of reason and faith. Each contributor critiques the other two views yet with a spirit of grace and respect.

6. Playing God by Andy Crouch. The author re-appraises the common view that power is corrupt and corrupting. He considers God’s intention for us as image bearers to use power well to reflect being image bearers, that is “playing God.” He explores both the corrupting effects on power of sin and the redemption of power.

7. Contagious Disciple Making by David Watson and Paul Watson. The authors contend that modelling and teaching obedience to truth discovered in the scriptures and then shared with others resulting in the same obedience is critical to planting Discovery Groups and churches. A very practical book with clear descriptions of practices the authors believe are biblically rooted to build multiplying church plants.

8. Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters. This is the fifth in a series of “Vicky Bliss” mysteries involving a Nile voyage, an ingenious and huge theft of antiquities, and a hair-raising chase across Egypt.

9. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. Imagine the possibility of human colonies in space defended by an army of seventy five year olds promised rejuvenated bodies. John Perry is one such enlistee and the book explores the surprises Perry will encounter beginning with his own body as well as the unknowns of the cosmos that can kill you before you even recognize the danger. Perhaps the greatest surprise is who he encounters after being rescued as the lone survivor of a military disaster.

I have described myself as a reading omnivore. This list probably gives you a taste of that, ranging from philosophy and theology, to activism, and to mystery and sci-fi thrillers. I hope there might be something here to pique your interest.

You can now find of all my “The Month in Reviews” posts by clicking on the link with this title at the top of this page, or in the “Categories” list on the left side of my home page. You will find monthly review summaries beginning with February 2014, with links to individual reviews.

Review: Old Man’s War

January 31, 2015 / rtrube54 / 1 Comment

“Growing old isn’t for sissies.” Usually this is the complaint of those who simultaneously battle the bureaucracy that doles out benefits to elders and struggle with a body that served well for decades until reflexes slow, joints ache, teeth crack, and a myriad of other things start going wrong. Meanwhile there are other losses–meaningful work, and sometimes those nearest to one that you’ve shared a life with.

Imagine signing up to be in the infantry at age 75. If enlistment came with the promise of a rejuvenated body and you are facing the battles and losses I’ve described, you might just enlist–even if you’ve no clue what lies ahead. This is the premise of John Scalzi’s first science fiction novel and the first of a four part series based on this premise.

John Perry and his wife Kathy both agreed to sign on at age 65. Only Kathy didn’t make it. At 75, the enlistment age in the Colonial Defense Force, John is inducted, which means leaving Earth never to return. He will fight to defend colonists from Earth on distant planets. And so begins a journey of discovering a cosmos he could never imagine, and that what you can’t imagine could kill you before you knew what hit you.

But the first surprise is a strange and delightful one. Enlistees are not repaired and rejuvenated versions of their former selves, but in fact transferred into new green versions of themselves in the prime of life cloned from their genetic material with significant biological and robotic enhancements including an onboard computer wired into their brains, aptly named BrainPal. Of course these people quickly discover that they are sexual athletes with incredible endurance who are incapable of getting pregnant.

Things get serious quickly enough with a drill sergeant that fits all the stereotypes. Recruits are told that most of them will be dead in two years. Survival depends on recognizing what can kill you before it does, including in one instance an intelligent and malevolent slime. Somehow Perry manages to lead a squadron and gain Ruiz’ reluctant admiration, a recurring pattern as he exercises quick, out of the box thinking in devising a novel firing solution in a battle against the Consu and even manages to be the lone survivor (barely) at Coral when the Rraey succeed at destroying a whole force by being able to pinpoint where ships will appear when they come out of skip drive.

As he loses friends and survives by killing many others he encounters the war weariness and questions faced by every infantryman. But in his near death experience on Coral, he encounters something else when rescued by Special Forces, the mysterious “Ghost Brigades” who fight separately from the rest of the Colonial Defense Force. One of the rescuers has the reconstituted body of his wife Kathy. The intersection of these two lives will determine the outcome of the war with the Rraey, who have become their most dangerous enemy.

In a first novel, John Scalzi manages to combine the exploration of perennial themes such as the Faustian bargains we make to extend our lives, the justifications of war and the toll fighting takes on even the victors. Scalzi portrays the human race’s perpetual propensity to colonize, to take from others, and justify this as defense. He weds this to an imaginative exploration of the implications of biotechnological developments already foreshadowed in university labs. In a plot that literally jumps to parallel universes, Scalzi holds up a mirror that makes us take a look at our own “brave new world.”

What If We Sent Old Men To War?

January 23, 2015August 26, 2025 / rtrube54 / Leave a comment

That’s the premise of John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War, which I’ve just started reading. Scalzi envisions a time in the future when people from earth have colonized distant world, and presumably have encroached on the space of others, precipitating wars in space. The colonists, whose technology is far in advance of those living here on earth have a unique recruiting strategy. You cannot enlist until you are 75, and if you do, you can never return to earth. You have died and gone to the heavens. Why then do people do it? It is because the colonists have figured out how to rejuvenate the old bodies who have nothing and maybe no one left on earth to live for and are tired of living in old bodies.

I’m really liking the book so far, and not just because of the author’s Ohio roots and references. It raises all kinds of questions for me. Will old people, who become more their own people as the years go by, be able to live under military discipline? Will the reprieve from aging make them more or less courageous in the face of death? Will they have more or less to lose? Can we have the potential for endless life without entering into some form of Faustian bargain?

Why would a government want old people in young bodies to fight it wars–all kinds of people, not just the intelligent ones? I could see that this might be a great alternative to Social Security and Medicare.

What is more interesting yet is that this explores the fear so many of us have in growing old. Sooner or later, we face the losing battle of failing bodies or minds. Better to risk a battle one might win than battles that we always in the end lose, and often in great pain, or in utter embarrassment to our sense of dignity.

The question this book raises above all is whether there might be good reasons to warrant the choice not to pursue a rejuvenated body–to accept the indignities of physical or mental decline with grace. Grace indeed, I wonder, the grace that in John Newton’s words “has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.”

I’m looking forward to seeing how Scalzi works this out. At any rate it is a fascinating alternative to old men and women deciding to send young men and women to fight and to die. Should not the old die for the young?

I’ll keep you posted.

Am I Reading the ‘Wrong’ Books?

November 5, 2013 / rtrube54 / 3 Comments

Goodreads opened up its annual reader poll for Best Books of 2013. I discovered in going through the poll that I had not read a single title on the list! Kind of makes me wonder if I am reading the ‘wrong’ books. At very least, I am not reading the books that are currently popular.

I can think of several reasons for this:

1. I read a number of books that would fall under the category of “religious” which was not included in the poll. That is pretty central to my identity and work, so I will probably go on reading a number of those books, and I find there are those in this “niche” who seem to appreciate what I have to say about these books.

2. I tend to pick up lots of my books at second hand stores and so am reading things that have been out for a while, usually longer than a year.

3. It also tends to take me a while to work through the stack of books unless something is of such current interest and importance to me that I make it a priority to read.

4. I do read some books in the categories that are polled, but usually those that have stood the test of a few years and have been recognized as significant books–“so many books, so little time” is a mantra for me.

Still, it was valuable to go through the lists and in some categories I cast votes for the books I would like to read, for example I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. I also voted for a book by John Scalzi in science fiction since my son has recommended him. I do want to pick up some of his stuff.

What is your experience when it comes to reader polls like this or other best-seller lists? Do you find yourself reading what lots of others read, or do you tend to choose “the road not taken” by others?