Where the Heroes Punch Above Their Weight

The Shattered Skies by John Birmingham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved the first book in this trilogy, and the second is just as good. Maybe better.

This is a very rich, well imagined universe that is profoundly real in the best science fiction way possible. It is weird and complex and beautiful and ugly, filled with extrapolations from the present that sure seem possible.

The story is a space opera staple, with star-traveling empires competing for survival in an all-out war, but like the best novels it's told from the perspective of about a half-dozen really engaging, well-developed characters with unique voices. They're all brilliant in their own ways, and hilarious, and super fun to follow.

The bad guys, who are clearly fascist and terrifying, are not entirely wrong, and the good guys, who emerge from somewhat freer societies that also include horrible slavers and noblemen and oligarchs who are crushing the common people, are obviously pretty horrible. There's hope, and there are many people fighting for better lives for people, but there's a lot that's pretty bleak. And I feel like this could represent exactly where we'll be someday--where the rich have infinite lifetimes and the poor are completely shackled by their superior tech.

This book ends with a nice conclusion, as did the first book, but it's the larger arc that brings me back, and I'm bummed that the final part was supposed to be out already and still isn't schedule a year later. I can wait, I guess, but I'm ready for it.

In many ways, this has a fantasy feel, with action and stakes like maybe Joe Abercrombie or someone like that, blended with a bunch of John Scalzi dialogue and humor. Highly recommended.

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Space Opera With a Sense of Humor

The Cruel Stars by John Birmingham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the most fun I've had reading in a while.

This is the first thing I've read by this author, and I'm psyched, because I enjoyed every page of this and there are more books out there for me to grab.

Set in a future where humanity has spread out among the stars, split into a handful of polities, the story follows several interesting POV characters. These include a royal young woman, a starship commander, an old hero, a group of pirates, and others. They introduce us to the setting at different levels of society and, fortunately, start to connect pretty early in the book, pretty much right when the enemy is set among them.

Most of the humans are genetically enhanced or aided by brain implants or both. People download and install software on a moment's notice to give them skills and knowledge in a much easier way than most of us acquire it. The enemy is made up of purists who despise these changes, and they exploit the vulnerabilities of the system to start a war with a devastating first blow.

I found the characters well-drawn and sympathetic, with no POV I didn't enjoy, and they're written in a hugely entertaining way, with big personalities and excellent dialogue. Not to compare, but it made me think of John Scalzi all the way through, like his Old Man's War series or maybe Redshirts, because this has a fantastic, exciting plot with fun characters and hilarious dialogue, set in a star-traveling future with a galaxy-spanning war. There are no jokes here--just really snappy dialogue and excellent SF action.

I've read some really good books this year in several different genres, but this really hit the sweet spot in the genre that first made me a reader. I haven't read near as much SF in the last couple decades as I used to, but this kind of book will definitely bring me back.

Highly recommended.

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