A review by brynhammond
Soldier, Ask Not, by Gordon R. Dickson
4.0
Unfortunately I found the first half much stronger than the second. The first half was Ideas SF driven by an emotional story -- than which I ask for nothing more in life. The personal story of our protag flagged in the second half, and I had less incentive to follow the convolutions of politics without it.
I was wary of the big evolutionary scenario which is always a worry (lucky SF writers are not in charge of world policy such that they can perpetrate their scientific experiments upon us). It wasn't too bad though, if not believable either.
Good concentration on the psych of his characters, even while he gets too ev-psych in the plot as a whole.
Example of what a short novel can do, and how.
I was wary of the big evolutionary scenario which is always a worry (lucky SF writers are not in charge of world policy such that they can perpetrate their scientific experiments upon us). It wasn't too bad though, if not believable either.
Good concentration on the psych of his characters, even while he gets too ev-psych in the plot as a whole.
Example of what a short novel can do, and how.