Legacy of the Aldenata
Encyclopedia
The Legacy of the Aldenata, also known as the Posleen War Series is the fictional universe
of one of John Ringo
's military science fiction
series.
known as the Posleen
are attacking the Galactics. Since the Galactics are almost entirely unable to fight, they are appealing to the proven military abilities of humanity for aid.
However, things are rarely as simple as they seem, and humanity soon discovers that the Galactics are no friends at all. There are plots within plots, some going back to the dawn of humanity and beyond: plots that endanger the very survival of humanity.
The first four novels cover the Posleen War in which the Posleen invade Earth
. Another novel, Cally's War (and its two sequels), takes up the story a few decades later; The Hero is set nearly a thousand years later. Watch on the Rhine takes place immediately after Gust Front and extends until March 2008, with the very last chapter taking place at some unspecified point far after the end of Hell's Faire but prior to the beginning of The Hero.
A role-playing game
based on the d20 system
and the Legacy of the Aldenata universe will be published in the near future. An early version of this game is available on the free CD-ROM
included in the first hardcover
edition of Hell's Faire.
The fourth novel Hell's Faire includes some Sluggy Freelance
guest strips by Pete Abrams since the popular internet comic strip is featured somewhat prominently in a way. (A massive armored military vehicle is named after Bun-Bun the mini-lop from the strip.) Some of the strips are samples of the actual comic strip and others are an exclusive alternate timeline setting where the Sluggy characters have to deal with the Posleen invasion.
As the Posleen have yellow blood, the war song "March of Cambreadth
" ("Let their yellow blood run cold") becomes popular with the military. The song, its lyrics, and artist's bio is included in the Baen Free Library.
Darhel : Elf-like in appearance, they are the lawyer
s and bankers of the Galactic Federation and effectively control it, skimming wealth from the labor of others. Although vegetarian
, they have razor-sharp teeth. While smaller than humans, Darhel have far greater physical abilities—and some would say their mental abilities are just as advanced, particularly a subtle but potent ranged empathic ability. However, they are devout pacifists. These contradictions are the result of genetic tampering by a powerful and arrogant elder race, the Aldenata. Although the full extent of this tampering is not detailed, the most crippling is their pacifism—when Darhel are stressed, their bodies produce an epinephrine
analogue they call tal—which unlike epinephrine, augments both physical and mental abilities. The Aldenata altered Darhel biochemistry so that heightened tal levels induce a permanent coma-like state known as lintatai. This, in combination with their empathic ability, left them extremely inept at violent acts and physically incapable of taking any form of animal life. Their survival has thus become dependent on their ability to manipulate others to fight their battles for them. The Darhel are implied to be attempting to mold Humans into a race of Mamluk
es; recruiting the planet's most skilled warriors to fight the Posleen on Galactic worlds, preserving their bloodlines by moving family members to protected worlds—and permitting the Posleen to conquer Earth, thus leaving Humanity dependent on the Darhel as all other Galactic races. After the defeat of the Posleen on Earth, Humans discovered the extent of the Darhel duplicity, manipulation and actions against the Human Race, the majority of the Darhel are wiped out by Humans in the aftermath of the Posleen War, leaving them the underclass of Galactic civilization.
Indowy : Short and stocky with green fur (which is actually a photosynthetic
symbiote
), they are the engineer
s and technicians of the Galactic Federation. A rare and valued number are more precisely the organic central processing unit
s of the Galactic Federation's nanotech assemblers. Though the products of these assemblers are at least an order of magnitude more advanced than anything humans can produce throughout the Posleen war, the nature of the process means that each item is for all intents and purposes hand-crafted
—mass production is impossible. They live in enormous hives in massively overcrowded sweatshop
-planets and are effectively enslaved by the Darhel. Many are involved in a conspiracy to bring down the Darhel, called the Bane Sidhe.
Tchpth : Crablike in appearance, they are philosophers and scientist
s.
Himmit : Resembling a sort of symmetrical frog
, they are extremely secretive and capable of camouflage to the point that they can effectively "disappear". Their stealth technology
is the finest in the universe. In Honour of the Clan it is revealed that they form the 'Himmit empire', which is apparently a muti-galaxy political body. They pretended to be a minor part of the galactic civilization in order to hide their actual power. The reason for this is hinted at several times in Eye of the Storm
. Apparently the Himmit have in the past been at war with an extremely powerful foe and can only survive by remaining hidden. This foe is so powerful that even the Hedren are in fact running away from them, which has brought them into contact with the galactic races. To give an idea of respective levels of power: The galactic races have to cooperate to stand a chance against the Hedren. The Himmit state that they themselves "can probably defeat the Hedren with minimal losses", but are reserving their true strength "in case a more powerful foe appears". Amongst each other they say that in fact the Hedren are fleeing this more powerful (and to the Himmit familiar) foe.
Posleen
: Resembling reptilian centaurs, they are rapacious conquerors who strip whole planets the way locust
s strip a field. They have been genetically engineered to be resistant to all known toxins, to have an incredibly short maturity time, and to have skills programmed into their DNA
. Only a small percentage are truly intelligent, while the rest are semi-moron
s emotionally bonded to an intelligent master, or God King.
Tslek : The "Blobs", they resemble giant amoeba
s, although they must have a more complex internal structure. They are a relatively late addition, appearing only in The Hero, while at war with Humans.
Hedren : The enemy of the Himmit Empire, they were introduced in the book Eye of the Storm as the new antagonists, succeeding the Posleen.
Aldenata : A mysterious elder race
, they created Galactic society and then vanished without a trace, apparently having transcended the need for material bodies. The glossary in "Yellow Eyes" describes the Aldenata somewhat disparagingly as "Galactic Tranzis
", largely disappeared from the Galactic scene in sheer funk and shame at the damage they had, despite all the best intentions, wrought." Elsewhere in the book they are described, similarly disparagingly, as "Galactic do-gooders". They were consummate masters of genetic engineering
, and had no qualms against modifying sentient species into what they felt were more "suitable"—both the Posleen and the Darhel were confirmed to have been modified in Yellow Eyes and The Hero, respectively. It is speculated that all sentient races in the Galaxy carry their "legacy" of genetic tampering. The implied author statement is that none of the factions encountered in the series are malicious, but merely forced into destructive acts by their modified natures—the Aldenata are the only true "evil" in their namesake fictional universe.
Hedren War
The technology made available includes rejuvenation
and life extension
. The desperate straits of the setting lead to the revival of the Waffen-SS
in The Watch on the Rhine. With the rejuvenations in full swing in Germany, many ex-SS officers have become young again. In the novel, the majority of the ex-SS were just soldiers; only a few are hardcore Nazi
s. This causes a lot of dissent in the German Parliament and citizenry. The Greens and the Reds (political parties within Germany) organize riots and protests; the re-integration of the SS officers and the choice of the Parliament and Chancellor to give to those officers control of the training of the young men of Germany.
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
of one of John Ringo
John Ringo
John Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
's military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
series.
Premise
The central premise is that in 2001, humanity receives greetings from a highly advanced, peaceable Galactic Federation. However, all is not well, for a species of aggressive aliensExtraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
known as the Posleen
Posleen
Posleen are a fictional alien race, created by the Sci-Fi author John Ringo for his Legacy of the Aldenata series of books. The Posleen are a race of genetically engineered reptilian centaurs, supposedly designed by the long lost race - the Aldenata - to be the ultimate warriors...
are attacking the Galactics. Since the Galactics are almost entirely unable to fight, they are appealing to the proven military abilities of humanity for aid.
However, things are rarely as simple as they seem, and humanity soon discovers that the Galactics are no friends at all. There are plots within plots, some going back to the dawn of humanity and beyond: plots that endanger the very survival of humanity.
The first four novels cover the Posleen War in which the Posleen invade Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Another novel, Cally's War (and its two sequels), takes up the story a few decades later; The Hero is set nearly a thousand years later. Watch on the Rhine takes place immediately after Gust Front and extends until March 2008, with the very last chapter taking place at some unspecified point far after the end of Hell's Faire but prior to the beginning of The Hero.
A role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
based on the d20 system
D20 System
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
and the Legacy of the Aldenata universe will be published in the near future. An early version of this game is available on the free CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
included in the first hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
edition of Hell's Faire.
The fourth novel Hell's Faire includes some Sluggy Freelance
Sluggy Freelance
Sluggy Freelance is a popular, long-running daily webcomic written and drawn by Pete Abrams. The comic has over 100,000 daily readers and premiered on August 25, 1997...
guest strips by Pete Abrams since the popular internet comic strip is featured somewhat prominently in a way. (A massive armored military vehicle is named after Bun-Bun the mini-lop from the strip.) Some of the strips are samples of the actual comic strip and others are an exclusive alternate timeline setting where the Sluggy characters have to deal with the Posleen invasion.
As the Posleen have yellow blood, the war song "March of Cambreadth
March of Cambreadth
March of Cambreadth is the award-winning signature song of Alexander James Adams, previously known as Heather Alexander. The song is well-known in filk, Renaissance Fair and Society for Creative Anachronism circles. It has been featured in novels by Mike Shepherd, John Ringo and S.M. Stirling...
" ("Let their yellow blood run cold") becomes popular with the military. The song, its lyrics, and artist's bio is included in the Baen Free Library.
Aliens
There are several major races in the universe of the Legacy of the Aldenata.Darhel : Elf-like in appearance, they are the lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s and bankers of the Galactic Federation and effectively control it, skimming wealth from the labor of others. Although vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
, they have razor-sharp teeth. While smaller than humans, Darhel have far greater physical abilities—and some would say their mental abilities are just as advanced, particularly a subtle but potent ranged empathic ability. However, they are devout pacifists. These contradictions are the result of genetic tampering by a powerful and arrogant elder race, the Aldenata. Although the full extent of this tampering is not detailed, the most crippling is their pacifism—when Darhel are stressed, their bodies produce an epinephrine
Epinephrine
Epinephrine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. In chemical terms, adrenaline is one of a group of monoamines called the catecholamines...
analogue they call tal—which unlike epinephrine, augments both physical and mental abilities. The Aldenata altered Darhel biochemistry so that heightened tal levels induce a permanent coma-like state known as lintatai. This, in combination with their empathic ability, left them extremely inept at violent acts and physically incapable of taking any form of animal life. Their survival has thus become dependent on their ability to manipulate others to fight their battles for them. The Darhel are implied to be attempting to mold Humans into a race of Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
es; recruiting the planet's most skilled warriors to fight the Posleen on Galactic worlds, preserving their bloodlines by moving family members to protected worlds—and permitting the Posleen to conquer Earth, thus leaving Humanity dependent on the Darhel as all other Galactic races. After the defeat of the Posleen on Earth, Humans discovered the extent of the Darhel duplicity, manipulation and actions against the Human Race, the majority of the Darhel are wiped out by Humans in the aftermath of the Posleen War, leaving them the underclass of Galactic civilization.
Indowy : Short and stocky with green fur (which is actually a photosynthetic
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
symbiote
Symbiosis
Symbiosis is close and often long-term interaction between different biological species. In 1877 Bennett used the word symbiosis to describe the mutualistic relationship in lichens...
), they are the engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s and technicians of the Galactic Federation. A rare and valued number are more precisely the organic central processing unit
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
s of the Galactic Federation's nanotech assemblers. Though the products of these assemblers are at least an order of magnitude more advanced than anything humans can produce throughout the Posleen war, the nature of the process means that each item is for all intents and purposes hand-crafted
Indie design
The indie design movement is made up of independent designers, artists and craftspeople who design and make a wide array of products without being part of large, industrialized businesses....
—mass production is impossible. They live in enormous hives in massively overcrowded sweatshop
Sweatshop
Sweatshop is a negatively connoted term for any working environment considered to be unacceptably difficult or dangerous. Sweatshop workers often work long hours for very low pay, regardless of laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage. Child labour laws may be violated. Sweatshops may have...
-planets and are effectively enslaved by the Darhel. Many are involved in a conspiracy to bring down the Darhel, called the Bane Sidhe.
Tchpth : Crablike in appearance, they are philosophers and scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s.
Himmit : Resembling a sort of symmetrical frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
, they are extremely secretive and capable of camouflage to the point that they can effectively "disappear". Their stealth technology
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
is the finest in the universe. In Honour of the Clan it is revealed that they form the 'Himmit empire', which is apparently a muti-galaxy political body. They pretended to be a minor part of the galactic civilization in order to hide their actual power. The reason for this is hinted at several times in Eye of the Storm
Eye of the Storm (Ringo novel)
Eye of the Storm is a novel by John Ringo, as part of the Legacy of the Aldenata series. It is set after the defeat of the Posleen on Earth, and introduces a new threat from outside the galaxy - the Hedren.-Plot:...
. Apparently the Himmit have in the past been at war with an extremely powerful foe and can only survive by remaining hidden. This foe is so powerful that even the Hedren are in fact running away from them, which has brought them into contact with the galactic races. To give an idea of respective levels of power: The galactic races have to cooperate to stand a chance against the Hedren. The Himmit state that they themselves "can probably defeat the Hedren with minimal losses", but are reserving their true strength "in case a more powerful foe appears". Amongst each other they say that in fact the Hedren are fleeing this more powerful (and to the Himmit familiar) foe.
Posleen
Posleen
Posleen are a fictional alien race, created by the Sci-Fi author John Ringo for his Legacy of the Aldenata series of books. The Posleen are a race of genetically engineered reptilian centaurs, supposedly designed by the long lost race - the Aldenata - to be the ultimate warriors...
: Resembling reptilian centaurs, they are rapacious conquerors who strip whole planets the way locust
Locust
Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...
s strip a field. They have been genetically engineered to be resistant to all known toxins, to have an incredibly short maturity time, and to have skills programmed into their DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
. Only a small percentage are truly intelligent, while the rest are semi-moron
Moron (psychology)
Moron is a term once used in psychology to denote mild mental retardation. The term was closely tied with the American eugenics movement. Once the term became popularized, it fell out of use by the psychological community, as it was used more commonly as an insult than as a psychological...
s emotionally bonded to an intelligent master, or God King.
Tslek : The "Blobs", they resemble giant amoeba
Amoeba
Amoeba is a genus of Protozoa.History=The amoeba was first discovered by August Johann Rösel von Rosenhof in 1757. Early naturalists referred to Amoeba as the Proteus animalcule after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his shape...
s, although they must have a more complex internal structure. They are a relatively late addition, appearing only in The Hero, while at war with Humans.
Hedren : The enemy of the Himmit Empire, they were introduced in the book Eye of the Storm as the new antagonists, succeeding the Posleen.
Aldenata : A mysterious elder race
Elder race
An elder race in science fiction, fantasy, or horror fiction is a fictional alien race that preceded humanity. Occasionally they are a more advanced version of humanity instead of aliens . Elder races generally have abilities and technologies that generally far surpass that of humanity...
, they created Galactic society and then vanished without a trace, apparently having transcended the need for material bodies. The glossary in "Yellow Eyes" describes the Aldenata somewhat disparagingly as "Galactic Tranzis
Transnational progressivism
Transnational progressivism is a term coined by Hudson Institute Fellow John Fonte in 2001 to describe an ideology that endorses a concept of postnational global citizenship and promotes the authority of international institutions over the sovereignty of individual nation-states.-Overview:Fonte...
", largely disappeared from the Galactic scene in sheer funk and shame at the damage they had, despite all the best intentions, wrought." Elsewhere in the book they are described, similarly disparagingly, as "Galactic do-gooders". They were consummate masters of genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
, and had no qualms against modifying sentient species into what they felt were more "suitable"—both the Posleen and the Darhel were confirmed to have been modified in Yellow Eyes and The Hero, respectively. It is speculated that all sentient races in the Galaxy carry their "legacy" of genetic tampering. The implied author statement is that none of the factions encountered in the series are malicious, but merely forced into destructive acts by their modified natures—the Aldenata are the only true "evil" in their namesake fictional universe.
Main Series storyline
Posleen War- A Hymn Before BattleA Hymn Before BattleA Hymn Before Battle is the first book in John Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata series. Earth is introduced to extraterrestrial life by the Galactics, who tell the leaders of the World that an invasion by another alien race, the Posleen, is coming...
(2000) (ISBN 0-671-31941-8) free online edition
With the Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the peaceful and friendly races of the Galactic Federation offer their resources to help the backward Terrans—for a price.
- Gust FrontGust Front (novel)Gust Front is the second book in John Ringo'sLegacy of the Aldenata series. Earth has had some time to prepare for the Posleen invasion, but it may not be enough to stop the onslaught....
(2001) (ISBN 0-671-31976-0) free online edition
Our choice was simple: we could be cannon fodder, or we could be ... fodder. We could send our forces to fight and die (as only humans can) against a ravening horde that was literally feeding on its interstellar conquests, or remain as we were: virtually weaponless and third in line for brunch.
We chose to fight.
- When the Devil DancesWhen The devil dancesWhen the Devil Dances is the third book in John Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata series. It follows the exploits of Michael O'Neal and other members of humanity as they defend Earth against an alien invasion by the Posleen....
(2002) (ISBN 0-7434-3540-0) free online edition
After five years of battling invaders, human civilization prepares a strike to drive the aliens from the Earth. But the Clan-Lord of the Sten has learned from the defeats human have dealt him, and has his own battle plan. When he squares off against Major Michael O'Neal, the only winner will be Satan himself...
- Hell's FaireHell's FaireHell's Faire is the fourth book in John Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata series. Earth has been fighting the Posleen invasion, and suffered tremendous casualties. New weapons and tactics are being employed by the humans, but the Posleen are adapting as well....
(2003) (ISBN 0-7434-3604-0) free online edition
With the defenses of the Southern Appalachians sundered, the only thing standing between the ravening Posleen hordes and the soft interior of the Cumberland Plateau are the veterans of the 555th Mobile Infantry.
Hedren War
- Eye of the StormEye of the Storm (Ringo novel)Eye of the Storm is a novel by John Ringo, as part of the Legacy of the Aldenata series. It is set after the defeat of the Posleen on Earth, and introduces a new threat from outside the galaxy - the Hedren.-Plot:...
(2009); ISBN 1-4391-3273-9 Free Online Edition
Posleen War sidestories
- Watch on the RhineWatch on the Rhine (book)Watch on the Rhine is the seventh book in John Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata series, co-authored with Tom Kratman. The book, which is a spin-off of the main series, focuses on the Posleen invasion of Europe, with an emphasis on Germany...
(2005) (with Tom KratmanTom KratmanTom Kratman is a United States science fiction author specializing in the subgenre of military science fiction.His works are published by Baen.-Biography:...
; ISBN 0-7434-9918-2) free online edition - Yellow EyesYellow EyesYellow Eyes is a novel in John Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata series, co-authored with Tom Kratman. The book, which is a spin-off of the main series, focuses on the Posleen invasion of Central America, with an emphasis on Panama...
(2007) (with Tom Kratman; ISBN 1-4165-2103-8) free online edition - The TuloriadThe TuloriadThe Tuloraid is a novel by John Ringo and Tom Kratman, as part of the Legacy of the Aldenata series. It is set after the defeat ofthe Posleen on Earth, and follows the struggle of that race to survive....
(2009) (with Tom Kratman; ISBN 978-1439133040) sample chapters
Cally's War spinoff series
- Cally's WarCally's WarCally's War is a novel by John Ringo and Julie Cochrane, and is partof the Legacy of the Aldenata series. It follows Michael O'Neal's daughter Cally, who, raised from an early age by her paternal grandfather to be familiar with weapons and tactics, becomes a professional assassin....
(2004) (with Julie Cochrane) (ISBN 0-7434-8845-8) free online edition - Sister TimeSister TimeSister Time is a novel by John Ringo and Julie Cochrane, and is partofthe Legacy of the Aldenata series, specifically a spin off that features Michael O'Neal's...
(2007) (with Julie Cochrane) (ISBN 1-4165-4232-9) free online edition - Honor of the ClanHonor of the ClanHonor of the Clan is a novel by John Ringo and Julie Cochrane, and is part of the Legacy of the Aldenata series, specifically a spin off that features Michael O'Neal's daughters Cally and Michelle. Michelle has been raised off planet by the Indowy race, and has been trained in highly advanced...
(2009) (with Julie Cochrane) (ISBN 1-4165-5591-9) free online edition
Spinoff books
- The HeroThe Hero (novel)The Hero is a novel by John Ringo and Michael Z. Williamson, and is partof the Legacy of the Aldenata series. It is set in the future after the defeat of the Posleen, and features a Darhel named Tirdal who is the first of his race to be assigned to a military team. The Darhel have a genetically...
(2004) (with Michael Z. WilliamsonMichael Z. WilliamsonMichael Z. Williamson is a science fiction and military fiction author. Born in Birkenhead, England, he and his family emigrated to Canada, then the United States in 1978. Williamson frequently utilizes the pen names "Mad Mike", and "Crazy Einar". He is retired from the United States...
; ISBN 0-7434-8827-X) free online edition
Future books
According to John Ringo's website, two more books in the series are planned, titled Beneath the Avalanche and Master of the Winds.Fanon
Two electronic books have been created by a fan and are considered canon by Baen Barflies, but the canonical status of such works is uncertain. The titles are "The Yeomen of England" and "Holy War" set in England and Saudi Arabia respectively written by Christopher Nuttall. Copies have been floating around the Baen forum and a request to Mr. Nuttall will obtain copies of the two books.Military forces
The series premises total mobilization of the human population of Earth. The human forces in the service of the Galactic Federation are divided into the Fleet (the space navy), and Fleet Strike (the air/ground forces component, combining marines, special forces, and aviation units). In the books written thus far, Fleet Strike has had the lion's share of attention.The technology made available includes rejuvenation
Rejuvenation (aging)
Rejuvenation is the hypothetical reversal of the aging process.Rejuvenation is distinct from life extension. Life extension strategies often study the causes of aging and try to oppose those causes in order to slow aging...
and life extension
Life extension
Life extension science, also known as anti-aging medicine, experimental gerontology, and biomedical gerontology, is the study of slowing down or reversing the processes of aging to extend both the maximum and average lifespan...
. The desperate straits of the setting lead to the revival of the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
in The Watch on the Rhine. With the rejuvenations in full swing in Germany, many ex-SS officers have become young again. In the novel, the majority of the ex-SS were just soldiers; only a few are hardcore Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
s. This causes a lot of dissent in the German Parliament and citizenry. The Greens and the Reds (political parties within Germany) organize riots and protests; the re-integration of the SS officers and the choice of the Parliament and Chancellor to give to those officers control of the training of the young men of Germany.
External links
- Fleet Strike—John Ringo's Homepage
- Series listing at SciFanSciFanSciFan is an online database for fans of science fiction and fantasy books.The site provides detailed bibliographies, linking books together into series' where appropriate and, in turn, grouping series by universe...
- Bibliography—Fantastic Fiction