The Myriad (Tour Of The Merrimack #1)

The Myriad (Tour of the Merrimack #1) by R.M. Meluch. Originally published by DAW in 2005. Approx. 310 pages (hardcover).

A few years back, I was intrigued by the cover of a book called "The Sagittarius Command" by R.M. Meluch (I was not familiar with her books at the time). I realized that it was the third book in the series, but going back, the cover of the first book kind of put me off from starting the series (puerile as it may be, I will admit that a cover will often make or break my purchase. Isn't that what it's there for?). Fast forward to now, and I did a search of my local library system for book one. Figuring that I can't go wrong reading a book with a bad cover as a loaner, I dove right in. 

Suffice to say, it has been a unique journey. The Myriad is one of the most original sci-fi works that I have ever read, bar none. It is a work that juggles classic (arguably antiquated) character tropes with theoretical astrophysics. Meluch juggles with skill, though; skill and deft prose.

Here's an example of some of Meluch's spot-on wordsmithing, as she describes one girl's lowborn roots:

"Trailer park. An idyllic name for a slum where the landless lived in their mobile shelters stacked three high in the unpretty part of town with hard men, slutty women, and mongrel dogs."

The Myriad follows the adventures of the USS Merrimack, a space-borne U.S. battleship (at this point, the United States is the dominant world power) on its mission to destroy the Hive; an all-powerful, all-consuming, collective minded alien entity. To assist them in this mission, the Roman Empire attaches a "patterner" to the Merrimack.

Wait a minute....Patterner? Roman Empire? In the future? What's going on here?

I will probably mention again and again, Meluch has infused this tale with a good deal of interesting, clever, and fun ideas. One of these is the Palatine Empire (Rome). It turns out that all the intelligentsia of Earth which still used Latin in their professions (lawyers, doctors, etc.) were all along perpetuating the next rise of glorious Rome. Taking off from Earth, they colonized their own planet (as well as a few others). And for the next 150 years, Rome and Earth were at war; that is, until the arrival of the Hive. Rome, suffering great losses to this alien threat, sued for a tenuous peace.

Back to the Merrimack and her crew, interesting mix that they are. The Mack is led by one Captain John Farragut, the kind of stalwart, dashing, brave, good ol' boy that people can't help but fall victim to the charms of. A large focus also falls upon the company of Marines stationed on the ship, led by Lt. Col. Steele. Another character of note is Flight Sergeant Kerry Blue, a promiscuous young beauty with a tender heart. Added to the mix is the Roman patterner Augustus (just to clarify, a patterner is an augmented human with the ability to "plug in" and solve complex data problems of a wide spectrum. Their physical attributes are enhanced as well. All the tinkering is apparently quite traumatic on the patterned, though). Augustus is far and away the most dynamic character in the story; beneath his condescending veneer, he is obviously quite troubled. He has his ingrained, unquestionable fealty to Rome, and yet he lives his life knowing that they mercilessly tinkered with him as no more than a commodity. He is then attached to this crew of intellectual inferiors, knowing that these mental midgets are the ones that Rome essentially surrendered to. 

Ok, that's the gist of the backstory. So what is this book about, and what is "The Myriad"? Well, early on, the crew of the Merrimack comes across something of an anomaly; a cluster of three planets bearing intelligent, humanoid life. This is odd since this group of planets was overlooked by the Hive, even though they were in their path. This group of planets is known as The Myriad, and the humanoids are led be an Archon named Donner; a prideful, yet benevolent dictator. Farragut establishes a rapport with him; neither side wanting to show all of their cards, yet both greatly respecting each other. It's just that there are some happenings going on involving the Myriad that goose normal conceptions of space and time.

One initial mystery involves the modes of transit and communication available to the aliens. They are something of a low-tech species, with most of their ships only attaining sub-light capabilities. And then there are the kzachin. Surrounding the planets of the Myriad are portals, similar to wormholes (except they do not collapse after usage). These transit tubes are what defies all known logic, and as the crew attempts more and more to dissect their import, they realize the potential for trouble; a real time paradox. 

Around this time, the action really gets moving. A troublesome ship full of talking head dignitaries from Earth shows up, promising to undo all the goodwill established with their incessant meddling. Farragut is compelled to continue on his original mission, to hunt down the Hive. There is some decent human vs. alien action, and then, well, new problems arise.

This is all just a basic summary. I cannot do justice in this review to the scientific romping that Meluch experiments with, but it involves tweaking notions of spatial distance, as well as distance measured in time. There are interesting takes on technology, blending elements of low-tech concepts (Battleships and swordfights in space. Ships that conduct broadside assaults with projectile weapons in deep space) with legitimate discussions on gravitational pulls, faster than light travel, uses for antimatter, etc. Point being, there is a lot of thought put into the scientific aspects of this work.

Perusing some other reader reviews of this book, a lot of people take jabs at the dialogue and character interaction. The biggest complaint is that it is somewhat hokey, a throwback to the pulp novel era (as if that would be a bad thing). Trust me, Meluch is an intelligent writer, and every word in this book is purely intentional. The situations are reminiscent of a novelization of a popular sci-fi show or movie, from the accessible characters to the easy, snappy banter. The technology of "beaming up and down" and the "nearly human" aliens have a real Star Trek taste to them, and Farragut and Augustus give off a nice Kirk and Spock vibe, even if Farragut is more lethal than lothario and Augustus' aloofness is a by-product of tinkering, not birth. His sarcasm is 100% genuine, though. All the supporting cast fares well too; they may be trope, but Meluch fleshes them out well beyond the cardboard cutout realm. Exceptions to this include the character "Cowboy", who serves more as a metaphor for self-destructive machismo than anything else. His baseness, in the end, only serves to make him into an intentional running joke.

There isn't much that can be said that does not work well in The Myriad. Once affairs start on planet Arra, they feel as though they drag a bit, but not too much. Also, as enjoyable as the characters and technical aspects are, the alien battle scenes were a little lackluster. The descriptions of them are decent enough, but there is no tension, no blistering, edge of your seat effect in either the space battles or boarding scenes (in fact, the best action sequence involves an ambassador being assaulted with a muffin. Yes, you read that correctly). Again, the technical aspect is what makes the aliens interesting; such as the fact that they can "insinuate" through force fields, and how they home in on human "resonance". Another issue that I've seen being raised is perceived misogyny, or sexism. There are some pretty cold jokes made at the expense of Kerry Blue's ah.....promiscuity. It didn't rub me the wrong way, but if you have tender sensibilities, I guess you can consider yourself warned.

Some spoiler-y stuff below.

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Captain Farragut! Incoming spoilers!

I'll be honest, I hadn't realized that I had grown so attached to these characters until Act III (aka the last chapter), where Meluch essentially hits the reset button (trust me, there is a reason). It is at this point that we lose Augustus, the most compelling character by far (who had just, in a heartbreaking scene, revealed himself as a homosexual in love with Farragut). Meluch also throws some subtle emotional jabs regarding Farragut and his first love in that chapter. But she also shows that even though things change, certain aspects remain cyclical. Is it enough to bring me back for book two? I don't know; I am pretty emotionally spent right now.

End Spoilers

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Here's what it is:

R.M. Meluch returns from a multi-year hiatus with a bold series that entertains and twists logic into pretzels (you'll get that reference after reading the book). Easy dialogue, spiffy science, and an emotional wallop at the end.

Final Score:

87/100

Cover Score:

As mentioned in the opening, this cover is what deterred me from reading this book for so long. Even while reading it now, I wouldn't carry this book in public. The color scheme is ok, the rendition of the gorgons (the aliens) is fairly nice, but I really don't like the portrayals of Farragut (or is that supposed to be Steele), Augustus, or the girl that I am assuming is Kerry Blue.

On a bright now, they've bundled the first four books into two book omnibuses. So you can now get the first two books with this neat cover:

I'd go this route.

Cover Final Score:

25/100

Distant Echoes Of Old Night

Distant Echoes Of Old Night by Rob Sanders. Originally published in the 2012/2013 Black Library Games Day Anthology Chapbook (Limited Run). Now available for direct download from The Black Library. Approx. 21 pages.

Distant Echoes Of Old Night is a Horus Heresy short by the very talented Rob Sanders, which centers around the XIV Legion, the Death Guard. In Echoes, Death Guard Brother-Chaplain Morgax Murnau is charged with guaranteeing that no survivors remain on the felled Imperial Fists ship Xanthus, which has been shot out of orbit and now lays sinking in the mire of the blighted planet of Algonquis. Well, to be exact, it is a portion of the ship, however, any amount of Imperial Fists in a fortified area makes for an extremely tough nut to crack.

Purge the ship of survivors. A seemingly impossible task. But Murnau has a trick up his sleeve. In fact, it is the dirtiest trick in all the Legiones Astartes. He is set to deploy a group of Destroyers to finish off the Fists. These Destroyers bring a horrifying array of weapons to bear, most of them high-radiation, or chemical in nature. And not just your run of the mill biochemical warfare, these are tools usually deemed too harsh for most Space Marines to use, and remember, the Spaces Marines are an elite fighting force bred to bring entire systems to compliance. The game is set: the universe's greatest defensive players versus the most nefarious plague marines around. Murnau's instructions: no survivors.

Although Echoes is technically a Horus Heresy story, it, like most recent entries, can be read independently. This is, indeed, more a Warhammer 30K work than a HH tale. Now, I am not up to date on all the Heresy books, so if there are any clever Easter eggs, story arc progression, or hints about certain events, please let me know in the comments section. So yes, if you are not up to date on your Heresy reading, you can still sit down and enjoy these 21 pages of Death Guard/Imperial Fist action.

And enjoy it I did. Sanders brings a flair for vivid imagery to the fore in Echoes. A good chunk of the earlier pages give us a stark picture of the plague that has been unleashed upon the former forest planet of Algonquis by the Death Guard. Where once lush green foliage and tall trees defined the landscapes, all is swamp and insects. "Syrupy waters" lap against Mark III armor, and the buzzing of filthy fauna pervades all. Later on, the descriptive prose gives us an "in-your-face" look at the effects of the Destroyers' devious toys.

It is a good thing that The Black Library finally put this short into general release. I've been wanting to read it since it was announced for the chapbook, and I am sure many others have been champing at the bit to get a crack at it. Like most shorts, 21 pages for $2.99 pages is pretty lean, but Sanders makes it worth it. Here's hoping he gets a crack at a full-length Heresy novel soon.

Here's what it is:

A nasty little tale of of dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Space Marine specialists ask the age-old question, if an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, who will win the day? Can anyone win?

Final Score:

90/100

Cover Score:

Here we have a swampy-green background with the stylized Pre-Heresy Death Guard pauldron sigil. The sigil has some nice staining on it. Not the worst short story cover, but hey, it's just a sigil. What can I say?

Cover Final Score:

30/100

Cover Score: Part Deux

In case you haven't seen it, here's the original chapbook cover, rendered by the amazing Clint Langley:

Now that's a cover!

Final Chapbook Cover Score:

100/100

Flashback Book Reviews - Armor

HachiSnax Note: As it is taking a bit longer than expected to finish up Double Eagle, I am re-posting another old review. Today's is for Armor, by John Steakley. This is a book that always seems on the periphery when people discuss military sci-fi classics, but there is some great stuff in here. Alas, Armor 2 will never see the light of day in its entirety, as Mr. Steakley passed away on November 27th, 2010. I posted this review originally on August 18th, 2010, and I hope you like it. Maybe one day I can get a chance to read Vampire$ and put up a review on that as well. Cheers, Hach.

Armor, by John Steakley. Originally published 1984. Approx. 432 pages.

Armor, by John Steakley. Originally published 1984. Approx. 432 pages.



Armor



Armor was the second book read this year, after the W40K pulpy masterpiece Gunheads.



When you are looking for good military SF to read, certain names and books invariably pop up. Orson Scott Card's Ender Books, Heinlen's Starship Troopers, Haldeman's Forever War, Scalzi, Weber, Drake, Abnett, Zahn, etc. And sure enough, if you check any Amazon Listmania! list of Military SF, you'll see a little book called Armor by John Steakley. Read some of the reviews, you see some serious accolades, a few claiming 'overhyped', and, a few "eh"'s. Some people claim that that battlefield depictions are the most realistic they've ever read. Let's see what all the hype and hate is about.



Steakley is a good writer, no doubt about it. He only has two published books, Armor and Vampire$, upon which the supposedly shitty John Carpenter's Vampires movie was based. Also, Armor 2 is rumored to be in the works.



Armor is primarily billed as the story of Felix, a talented grunt in Earth's battle against 2-meter tall ant-like aliens named, creatively, Ants. Be forewarned, the book actually has two completely separate storylines, with two protagonists as different as night and day, linked by one suit of armor. More on that later. As it is, Armor is broken down into 4 basic parts; the first records of Felix, our introduction to Jack Crow, the last records of Felix, and Jack Crow's stand to defend Sanction.



Sorry, can't complete this review without some spoilers. I'll try to keep it minimal.



Armor opens with Felix, a seemingly typical grunt, preparing for his first 'jump' onto a hostile, Ant-infested planet called Banshee. Banshee is named so for it's howling winds, poisonous, frigid atmosphere, and acidic waters. Not a nice place to say the least. Earth soldiers going into battle go wearing battle armor, with formidable blaster, high explosive grenades and an additional, nasty, last-resort goody. Felix has apparently performed so well in tests that his superiors want to put him on officer duty. When he declines, they stick him with an even more dangerous duty, that of a scout; a lightly armored, recon unit. (Personally, I imagined the battle armor as looking like Halo armor, and the black scout armor as looking like Dr. Calico's henchmen in the movie Bolt). When the soldiers land, there is of course more resistance than they expected. At times Felix finds himself alone, other times, he finds himself the most capable of his peers.



At all times, during battle, Felix, who normally appears apathetic about the war's cause and his life in general, allows his natural skills and instincts to take over. All independent thought stops, as he terms it, the "Engine" takes over. This engine mode carries him through the first jump, and all the subesequent jumps. Even though all laws of probability dictate he should die, he keeps surviving jump after jump, sustaining broken limbs, getting patched up and sent right back out.



Through this all, Steakley's prose shines. You feel like you are running behind Felix, desperately trying to find safety, not knowing where the next group of Ants will appear from, knowing that even if you survive you are still just a battlefield commodity to your superiors. Honestly, it's mentally exhausting.



Part 2 of Armor introduces us to Jack Crow, a smooth pirate rogue type. Actually, he's what Han Solo would have been if George Lucas could write worth a damn. Jack's portions of the book are written in first person, and he is a clever, funny, interesting character. So just prepare yourself as a reader, since it's such a jolting 180 fromthe tone of the first part. We meet Jack as he is breaking out of a prison mining planet. Aiding his escape is the notorious space pirate Borglyn, who 'insists' on Jack's help with a mission. Borglyn's ship is in the vicinity of a privately-owned planet called Sanction, which the military finances and runs a research center, as well as providing living facilities for refugees. Jack is to go to Sanction, meet Borglyn's contacts, made buddy-buddy with the military folk so that he can lower the shields for Borglyn to gas up and go.



As payment for his help, Borglyn gives Jack an abandoned ship he found, as well as some cash. On the ship however, Jack finds a suit of black scout armor, which he gives to the head military scientist, Holly, as he works to make buddy-buddy. Holly becomes obsessed with finding the secrets of this armor, and finally, he finds a way to link himself, his girlfriend, and Jack into the armor's archives. It should be a surprise to no one that this was once indeed Felix's armor.



This brings us to part 3, which shoots us back to Banshee and Felix. The Earth forces are getting confident now, and have gone so far as to create a bunker type base of operations on Banshee. Also, a ghost from Felix's past arrives, and we finally learn his backstory. In the end, overconfidence on the part of the Earth Forces and a crop of new recruits and scientists start poking around in places they shouldn't touch, and guess what happens. Part 3 ends as Felix's suit recording ends.



Part 4 brings us back to Sanction. Jack & Co. are understandably psychologically numb, they've been living Felix's memories through the suit. It affects every facet of their day to day lives. Finally, in the end, Jack has to help resolve issues with Borglyn, who is still hovering outside of Sanction with his plans. All the loose ends are wrapped up nice and tidy, and concluding with a few of the corniest lines I have ever seen in print.



But is it good? Yes, well, part by part, I'd say it's great, very good, very good and good.



Criticisms: Felix's backstory, first and foremost. The man you are reading about in part one is someone you can relate to. You feel his pain, his fear, his hesitance to connect to others, the notion that instinct takes over in horrid situations. After they shoehorn his backstory in, it turns him from a sympathetic character into an action figure. Big fumble. Second, the edition I got has a lot of typos, so not Steakley's fault, it's just annoying. Plus, if you like extensive backgrounds and explanations, look elsewhere. When they say the lakes on Banshee are acid, that's it. No reason, no contributing factors, nada. That's acid, don't swim there.



Overall: Like I said before, Steakley can write. The verbal exchanges are believable never corny or forced. People are flawed and fucked-up. They are scared, insecure, just like real people in wartime. Jack Crow is a hoot. Over the course of the book, his personal regard for different characters changes, and Steakley keeps his perspective constant. It just works. Like most said, a better ending would've been nice. Actually, I think the ending worked, except for the last few lines. You decide for yourself.



Armor. One suit of armor unites two different story threads.



For what it is: 3.5 out of 5 stars ***1/2




Here's what it is: The military sci-fi book that coulda' been a contender. If only Steakley hadn't dropped the ball with Felix's history. Still a solid read with some of the most jarring battle scenes I have ever read. R.I.P. Mr. Steakley.

Final Score:

72/100

I know I am being a bit harsh with that, but the low points of Part 3, some corny dialogue, and even the typos took their toll.

The Cover:

There are at least three covers for Armor that I have seen floating around. The original fashions the suit like a medieval knight about to bash an ant. I like that one. The most recent is more stylized, and in tune with today's technique. The one I got (pictured above), was from that awkward stage when cover artists hadn't mastered drawing tough military types without making them into 'roided monstrosities. This picture of Felix looks more like Guile from Street Fighter after a few too many trips to the Chinese buffet. The suit looks more like an astronaut suit, and the gun is an ungainly beast that is even a stretch as a design for a 99-cent store water gun.

Cover Final Score:

43/100