Star Carrier, Book 5
Dark Matter
Author: Ian Douglas
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publishing Date: 2014
Pgs: 370
Dewey: PBK F DOU
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
The United States of North America is now engaged in a civil war with the Earth Confederation, which wants to yield to the demands of the alien Sh'daar, limit human technology, and become a part of the Sh'daar Galactic Collective. USNA President Koenig believes that surrendering to the Sh'daar will ultimately doom humankind.
But when highly advanced, seemingly godlike aliens appear through an artificial wormhole in the Omega Centauri Cluster 16,000 light-years from Earth, President Koenig is faced with a tremendous choice: continue fighting the Sh'daar . . . or ally with them against the newcomers in a final war that will settle the fate of more than one universe
_________________________________________
Genre:
Science Fiction
Hard Science Fiction
Space Opera
Militaria

Why this book:
Fleet action, starships, space battles.
_________________________________________
Hmm Moments:
So the Shdaar and their universal and time-traveling empire weren't big enough so the author needed the Consciousness an even bigger multiversal threat. I get it. You want bigger and bigger villains. But at heart, this series is about aircraft carriers, fighter planes, and fleet actions. I'm trying to decide if this is a bridge too far and I've read my limit in the series. YMMV.

Isn't a little too on the nose for the virtual worm that is planting the memeplex and religion idea behind Starlight to be called Constantine when the Father AI on the Moon is named Konstantin?

WTF Moments:
And the whole idea of an AI creating a religion is chagrin-inducing anyhow. Especially when you consider what is going to happen when some fundamentalist evangelical fakir creates his own Virtual Jesus and sets it loose on the web.

Meh / PFFT Moments:
I love Hard Science Fiction. I like an explanation of the science. I'm not much of a fan of multi-page interrupters in the flow of a story to explain the science. It's okay to dumb it down a bit. AI Stephen Hawking, really? And 4 or 5 times over the course of a novel is a bit much. Stops down the story flow and is repetitive which is a trap that comes around in this series. All the characters seem to play the repetitive talk about aspects of the science when something new is about to happen, rather than having it flow more naturally in the course of the plot or conversations of the characters. Fails the show don't tell aspect of literature.

The end of the Confederation War came way too easily and offscreen. Meh.

The Omnipotent Aliens appear on the first couple of pages. And don't appear again until the very last few pages. Not interacting at all with any characters or story themes at all. Meh.

A Path I Can’t Follow:
If they make peace with the Grdoch considering what the Grdoch are doing and continue to do, that is a bridge too far and strain the credulity past the point of no return.

Afraid the author's politics showed in what he put in Koenig's mind and words right at the end. I hope that is an aberration as I've liked the stories despite the shortcomings of the series so far. But I will keep a jaundiced eye out for future hairballs.

________________________________________
Pacing:
Well paced.

Last Page Sound:
Kind of left the chess pieces scattered all over the board. I know that there are other books in the series, but I like a real end so that next time around, you get a real start.

Author Assessment:
Despite the shortcomings mentioned above, I do like this series and this author’s work. I will be back.

Editorial Assessment:
If the Confederation is in control of the space elevator, SupraQuito, as mentioned by President Koenig in the early chapters, how can the USNA CBG40 be docking there when a state of war exists between the two powers? Doesn’t track. This should’ve been caught by the editor.
======================================= ( )

Dark Matter, Star Carrier, Book 5
The Star Carrier series is one of the best examples of space opera, military fiction on the market. Each book in the series can be treated as a standalone story or part of the larger whole with equal satisfaction. Book 5 covers events from January 2425-March 2425. Where the prior stories in this series were mostly military science fiction with the politics and scientific explanations taking a secondary role,this story turns that formula on its head. The politics, philosophies are front and center with the descriptions of the battles and their tactics take a suffering for it. There are long passages dicussing political theory, quantum physics,and cosmology. For readers looking for traditional military science fiction this is book’s major weakness.
One of central conflicts of the story is the political and military struggle between the United States of North America and the European Confederation. The key question is, do you concede to the demands of aliens asking you to give up certain types of technology or do you continue to battle on when victory is a possibility but not a certainty? The readers of and actors in this book are faced with this intellectual dilemma. Another question that is raised is: What are you willing to do in order for your side win? The answer to this question is played out in space where one side chooses a dubious ally with negative consequences, and on earth where one side secretly uses an AI to create a religion to undermine a nation’s will to fight. Last but least what is the role of religion in a modern scientific society? Science fiction is often used to get the reader to contemplate larger issues in society. On that level I found the the story compelling. ( )