Review – Imperial Stars, Vol. 2: Republic and Empire by Jerry Pournelle and John F. Carr

The stars are mankind’s! But do they represent freedom, or tyranny?

What is the difference between a Republic and an Empire? Is an Empire the only type of government prone to corruption and destruction, or is every type of régime susceptible to it? What does tyranny actually look like – and what does freedom actually mean?

The Story

This collection includes a variety of sci-fi stories and several essays. The first tale is “Outward Bound” by Norman Spinrad. It follows the titular Outward Bound, a generational freighter, as the crew travels between Terra’s colony worlds. Space travel takes centuries of Earth time, so the crew must be put into cryostasis to preserve their lives during the long years of travel. Rather than use hard currency, the Outward Bound trades technology and scientific models with the colonies they visit.

Their latest customer has nothing of equal value to trade except for a fugitive scientist from Earth. Since the Terran government almost never chases a man this far out into the colonies, whatever knowledge he has must be extremely valuable. After a little haggling, the captain trades the knowledge he has for the scientist, who does indeed have something that will be a game-changer for the galaxy. The question is, how can they get it to the people who need it with the Terran Navy breathing down their metaphorical necks?

Eric Frank Russell’s “Minor Ingredient” follows young Warner McShane when he enters the Space Training College as a pilot-navigator. Unfortunately, he soon finds he has an unwelcome accessory: He has a batman named Billings to assist him. McShane does not want a “nanny” and so dismisses Billings, who is not at all happy to be sent away.

Soon, McShane learns that if he wants to stay in the college, he needs to have Billings at his side. The officer in charge of his dorm points out that the school has serious etiquette requirements – all of which Billings knows intimately and which McShane does not. Despite his anger, McShane has to take Billings back…and thus is a great man made out of an upstart cadet.

“Minor Ingredient” is the best story in the collection, though there are other good ones, such as Philip K. Dick’s “The Turning Wheel.” On an Earth that has been blasted almost to the Stone Age, the ruling caste of Bards run the remaining civilization according to a strange admixture of Christianity and Buddhism. They are feeling threatened by the heresy of the Tinkers, who are made up of the lowest caste – the Caucasians. Bard Sung-wu, more concerned about atoning for past sins than dealing directly with the heresy, soon finds it might be better for him to listen to the Tinkers than to try to take them down.

“Custom Fitting” by Vernor Vinge is a fun, thought-provoking piece about a tailor hired to make a suit for an alien, while “Conquest by Default” looks at how an anarchic government would lead to tyranny. D.C. Poyer’s “Into the Sunset” has a happier ending than Orwell’s 1984, but unfortunately, the main characters do not get to see the world they saved.

All these and more await in Republic and Empire: Imperial Stars, Vol. 2. What is an Empire? What is a Republic? Read the volume to find out!

The Characters

The characters in each story are well drawn and, while they are not always likeable, they are believable. Norman Spinrad’s hero in “Outward Bound” is one of the most enjoyable of the group, being an elder spacer who likes staying out from under Terra’s thumb yet still wishes for more freedom. Something of a Daniel Boone-style character, he feels he does not have enough “elbow room” even on a generational trading ship. When he has the opportunity to make sure others have that freedom, then he becomes a truly heroic character.

Warner McShane of “Minor Ingredient” is particularly memorable for showing up to school as something of a self-assured brat. Following him as he learns humility in school from his batman is thus both a great character study and a fine illustration of how people improve in such an environment. It takes a lot to make an officer, and Billings knows just how to do it! There are other characters as or more likeable, but these are two that stand out to memory.

The World

Every world is memorable, if not precisely pleasant to visit. No two are alike and all illustrate the difference between tyranny and freedom poignantly. They are not didactic or pedantic but visceral and alive in their own ways, taking a reader on a serious journey and leaving them with much to contemplate.

Politics

There are no politics to speak of in this book.

Content Warning

Some stories have content – sex, gore, etc. – that would not be good for immature readers.

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants good sci-fi which tackles tough themes and is still entertaining will want this collection on their shelf. The essays in the book are worth reading as well, and they all leave their mark on a reader. Not every story has a happy ending, so those who prefer such tales should treat this anthology with caution. The episodes are not all of triumph, as the dividing line between freedom and tyranny is thin – and easily crossed, to the detriment of those who fight.

Why buy it?

It asks important questions and looks the answers straight in the face. How many other science fiction anthologies or novels do that these days?