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A review by gmvader
Space Viking by H. Beam Piper
3.0
H. Beam Piper did not write a lot of books. Little Fuzzy was the height of his short career that ended abruptly when he shot himself.
I've read several of his books, when I can find them, and I've enjoyed all of them. Some more than others. They all have a certain kind of 1940's feel to them.
There are a lot of men, very heroic men, who also know a lot of things and have a lot skills. Piper believed in the very capable man. There are usually women, though not many of them. They are always side characters.
Space Vikings takes place after the fall of the great Terran Federation that left whole planets without fissionables or iron or other essential metals and materials. Many of these planets reverted to barbarism in truth and many reverted to much the same level as our current technology. Those worlds that were able to maintain their technological level refer to any world without nuclear weapons and contragravity as uncivilized.
On a group of worlds called The Sword Worlds named after legendary swords (Gram, Excalibur, Durandal) a feudal society develops that also happens to be 'civilised'.
Lucas Trask of Traskan is a young Baron preparing for his wedding to Elaine, daughter of Duke Angus of Wardshaven. As they are leaving the wedding to get into their vehicle a jealous suitor, Andray Dunnan, does a drive by and shoots them all killing Elaine and severely wounding Trask.
Dunnan then steals the new ship that Duke Angus spent his fortune building and flees into space. When Trask recovers he gives up his barony and all his lands in exchange for another ship to pursue Dunnan.
The problem is that space is immense and it takes so long for news to travel through space that by the time Trask hears about Dunnan being in a place the news is already months old.
In order to facilitate his search Trask conquers a planet of 'uncivilized' barbarians in the hunter-gatherer stage and sets up base as a “Space Viking,” raiding other uncivilized planets and building a fleet so that he can have more people helping him search.
This book is a revenge story, plain and simple. Trask is not concerned with any of the consequences that might arise from his singleminded pursuit of Dunnan. He frequently has conversations with his dead wife, thinking that she wants him to pursue Dunnan.
Nothing gets in his way either, when faced with raiding 'civilized' worlds in order to get some information he doesn't hesitate to pound the planet with nuclear weapons until they submit to his demands.
H. Beam Piper uses this book to offer some interesting discussions on governments. Trask and an associate from the democratic world of Marduk debate at length the virtues of each of their governments. Trask sees no reason, being a baron, to change their feudal lifestyle. He claims that if the people are not cared for by the royalty then they will rise up against their lord until they get what they want. This seems to him to be the best way to do thing. Conversely he is appalled that the democratic Mardukans allow their people to vote for their political leaders. He is even more appalled that the Mardukan police force is unwilling to open fire on a civilian mob to quell a riot. On the sword worlds the mob would be mowed down, indiscriminately.
The strange thing about this whole debate, as misguided as Trask appears to most modern readers, is that he turns out to be right. The Mardukan democracy is overthrown in a political coup almost exactly mirroring Hitlers rise in Germany, proving that 'soft' governments fail eventually.
What Trask fails to notice is that his own Sword Worlds have been under one form of civil war or another basically since they were founded.
Dunnan is insane and devious. It's arguable whether Trask is firing on all cylinders as well.
Space Vikings is an interesting commentary on governmental styles, basically proving that no government is perfect. As Thomas Jefferson pointed out, as soon as people learn that they can vote themselves money, democracy will fail.
Fallible human beings must be governed, however, and democracy is the best choice we have. The will of the people usually skews towards intelligent decisions that are better for everybody.
Trask is not concerned with the morals of raiding less technologically advanced worlds for money and neither is H. Beam Piper. He treats it as though it is just what happens, and, given the universe these people live in he's probably right.
Perhaps the most unfortunate thing about this book is that the cover looks like it belongs on a Masters of the Universe comic book.
I enjoyed Space Vikings. It lacked the intensity of Little Fuzzy, one of the best science fiction books ever written and possibly one of the best courtroom dramas. It lacked the pacing of The Cosmic Computer and Oomphel in the Sky. However, saying that it was one of H. Beam Piper's weaker books is like a weaker Pixar film. It's still better than most of the dross out there and quite enjoyable in it's own right.
The second most unfortunate thing about H. Beam Piper is that his books have been out of print for nearly twenty years. If you're willing to sell your soul to the devil you can get his complete works for a couple of dollars on the Amazon Kindle, but otherwise you're out of luck, unless you know of a good used book store.
(6/10)
I've read several of his books, when I can find them, and I've enjoyed all of them. Some more than others. They all have a certain kind of 1940's feel to them.
There are a lot of men, very heroic men, who also know a lot of things and have a lot skills. Piper believed in the very capable man. There are usually women, though not many of them. They are always side characters.
Space Vikings takes place after the fall of the great Terran Federation that left whole planets without fissionables or iron or other essential metals and materials. Many of these planets reverted to barbarism in truth and many reverted to much the same level as our current technology. Those worlds that were able to maintain their technological level refer to any world without nuclear weapons and contragravity as uncivilized.
On a group of worlds called The Sword Worlds named after legendary swords (Gram, Excalibur, Durandal) a feudal society develops that also happens to be 'civilised'.
Lucas Trask of Traskan is a young Baron preparing for his wedding to Elaine, daughter of Duke Angus of Wardshaven. As they are leaving the wedding to get into their vehicle a jealous suitor, Andray Dunnan, does a drive by and shoots them all killing Elaine and severely wounding Trask.
Dunnan then steals the new ship that Duke Angus spent his fortune building and flees into space. When Trask recovers he gives up his barony and all his lands in exchange for another ship to pursue Dunnan.
The problem is that space is immense and it takes so long for news to travel through space that by the time Trask hears about Dunnan being in a place the news is already months old.
In order to facilitate his search Trask conquers a planet of 'uncivilized' barbarians in the hunter-gatherer stage and sets up base as a “Space Viking,” raiding other uncivilized planets and building a fleet so that he can have more people helping him search.
This book is a revenge story, plain and simple. Trask is not concerned with any of the consequences that might arise from his singleminded pursuit of Dunnan. He frequently has conversations with his dead wife, thinking that she wants him to pursue Dunnan.
Nothing gets in his way either, when faced with raiding 'civilized' worlds in order to get some information he doesn't hesitate to pound the planet with nuclear weapons until they submit to his demands.
H. Beam Piper uses this book to offer some interesting discussions on governments. Trask and an associate from the democratic world of Marduk debate at length the virtues of each of their governments. Trask sees no reason, being a baron, to change their feudal lifestyle. He claims that if the people are not cared for by the royalty then they will rise up against their lord until they get what they want. This seems to him to be the best way to do thing. Conversely he is appalled that the democratic Mardukans allow their people to vote for their political leaders. He is even more appalled that the Mardukan police force is unwilling to open fire on a civilian mob to quell a riot. On the sword worlds the mob would be mowed down, indiscriminately.
The strange thing about this whole debate, as misguided as Trask appears to most modern readers, is that he turns out to be right. The Mardukan democracy is overthrown in a political coup almost exactly mirroring Hitlers rise in Germany, proving that 'soft' governments fail eventually.
What Trask fails to notice is that his own Sword Worlds have been under one form of civil war or another basically since they were founded.
Dunnan is insane and devious. It's arguable whether Trask is firing on all cylinders as well.
Space Vikings is an interesting commentary on governmental styles, basically proving that no government is perfect. As Thomas Jefferson pointed out, as soon as people learn that they can vote themselves money, democracy will fail.
Fallible human beings must be governed, however, and democracy is the best choice we have. The will of the people usually skews towards intelligent decisions that are better for everybody.
Trask is not concerned with the morals of raiding less technologically advanced worlds for money and neither is H. Beam Piper. He treats it as though it is just what happens, and, given the universe these people live in he's probably right.
Perhaps the most unfortunate thing about this book is that the cover looks like it belongs on a Masters of the Universe comic book.
I enjoyed Space Vikings. It lacked the intensity of Little Fuzzy, one of the best science fiction books ever written and possibly one of the best courtroom dramas. It lacked the pacing of The Cosmic Computer and Oomphel in the Sky. However, saying that it was one of H. Beam Piper's weaker books is like a weaker Pixar film. It's still better than most of the dross out there and quite enjoyable in it's own right.
The second most unfortunate thing about H. Beam Piper is that his books have been out of print for nearly twenty years. If you're willing to sell your soul to the devil you can get his complete works for a couple of dollars on the Amazon Kindle, but otherwise you're out of luck, unless you know of a good used book store.
(6/10)