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Some bad ideas go back a long way and this one goes all the way back to the original home planet: Someone's god told them they had a right to more territory-so they figure they can take what they want by divine right. In the far future among the colonized worlds of the galaxy there's a war going on between the majority of civilized worlds and a colonial theocracy. Trystin Desoll grows up fighting against religious fanatics and becomes a hero, a first-class pilot, then, amazingly, a spy. What show more do you do if you're a relatively humane soldier fighting millions of suicidal volunteers on the other side who know that they are utterly right and you are utterly wrong, with no middle ground? Trystin Desoll has an idea. show lessTags
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Modesitt, L. E., Jr. The Parafaith War. 1996. Parafaith No. 1. Tor, 2010.
I usually enjoy L. E. Modesitt’s novels, but The Parafaith War is a near miss. Modesitt’s Tangible Ghosts series is an original alternate history with some inventive technology. The Imager fantasy series has characters we can care about and some careful world-building. The Parafaith War has some laudable goals. It wants to be a novel of ideas set in a space opera universe. It features an endless interstellar war between a religious autocracy and a secular society that uses implant technology to make efficient warriors. On the sidelines, is a society of humanoid aliens with a philosophical bent, who offer plenty of natural occasions for characters to have show more serious conversations. Such conversations happen, but there are too many long chapter epigraphs that I wish were incorporated in the conversations. Some of the issues are indeed intriguing: do all sentient species have an imperative to protect themselves by wiping out competing species; do some body modifications make us less human; and do all species tell lies about themselves? Unfortunately, Modesitt also feels compelled to include some military action scenes to set the stage for all the philosophizing, and his heart is just not in them. Most annoying is the use of corny sound effects words like ping and crump to describe the sound of artillery and ricochets. Finally, our hero drinks enough tea with some kind of upper—maybe just caffein—that we wonder if Modesitt has stock in Celestial Seasonings or Twinings. 3.5 stars for ambition. show less
I usually enjoy L. E. Modesitt’s novels, but The Parafaith War is a near miss. Modesitt’s Tangible Ghosts series is an original alternate history with some inventive technology. The Imager fantasy series has characters we can care about and some careful world-building. The Parafaith War has some laudable goals. It wants to be a novel of ideas set in a space opera universe. It features an endless interstellar war between a religious autocracy and a secular society that uses implant technology to make efficient warriors. On the sidelines, is a society of humanoid aliens with a philosophical bent, who offer plenty of natural occasions for characters to have show more serious conversations. Such conversations happen, but there are too many long chapter epigraphs that I wish were incorporated in the conversations. Some of the issues are indeed intriguing: do all sentient species have an imperative to protect themselves by wiping out competing species; do some body modifications make us less human; and do all species tell lies about themselves? Unfortunately, Modesitt also feels compelled to include some military action scenes to set the stage for all the philosophizing, and his heart is just not in them. Most annoying is the use of corny sound effects words like ping and crump to describe the sound of artillery and ricochets. Finally, our hero drinks enough tea with some kind of upper—maybe just caffein—that we wonder if Modesitt has stock in Celestial Seasonings or Twinings. 3.5 stars for ambition. show less
There are two civilizations space faring civilizations of man; a theocracy with a population problem & a technocratic society with a resource problem. They have limited contact, generally through attacks of the theocracy to take over planets which the technocrats have mostly terraformed. Told from the point of view of a soldier of the technocrats, a cyborg, we see a small portion of the war & the moral decisions he faces. There is an alien race to highlight the moral dilemma.Well done & a pretty quick read. Typical Modesitt character & setting. The technocratic society is very 'green'. It's not great literature, but entertaining & interesting. While there is a lot of technology, he doesn't get bogged down in details & leaves a lot to show more the reader's imagination. show less
A thought-provoking read that I've enjoyed a couple of times now: http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.com/2011/06/parafaith-war-le-modesitt.html
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Character-driven SF
59 works; 1 member
Author Information
181+ Works 41,546 Members
Leland Exton Modesitt, Jr., was born on October 19, 1943 in Denver to Leland Exton and Nancy Lila Modesitt. He was educated at Williams College and earned a graduate degree from the University of Denver. Modesitt's career has included stints as a navy lieutenant, a market research analyst, and a real estate sales associate. He has also held show more various positions within the U.S. government as a legislative assistant and as director of several agencies. In the early 1980s, he was a lecturer in science fiction writing at Georgetown University. After graduation, Modesitt began to write, but he did not have a novel published until he was 39 years old. He believes that a writer must "simultaneously entertain, educate and inspire... [failing any one of these goals], the book will fall flat." A part-time writer, he produces an average of one book per year, but he would eventually like to write full-time. The underlying themes of many of his science fiction novels are drawn from his work in government work and involve the various aspects of power and how it changes the people and the structure of government. Usually, his protagonist is an average individual with hero potential. Much of his "Forever Hero Trilogy"--Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, and In Endless Twilight--is based on his experiences working with the Environmental Protection Agency. He made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2012 with his title Princeps. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- The Parafaith War
- Original publication date
- 1996-02
- People/Characters
- Trystin Desoll; Elsin Desoll; Nynca Desoll; Nynca Desoll; Ulteena Freyer; James Sasaki (show all 8); Rhule Ghere; Carson Orr
- Important places
- Planet Mara
- Important events
- Planet Orum
- Dedication
- To and for Carol Ann
- First words
- Trystin Desoll shfted in the control seat of East Red Three and tried to ignore the acrid smell of plastic decaying under the corrosive assault of Mara's atmosphere and the faint hint of ammonia that lurked in the corners of ... (show all)the perimeter station.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"I would have found you - this time," he answered, taking her hand firmly as they stood in late fall and the long twilight.
- Original language
- English
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 590
- Popularity
- 49,393
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.69)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 6
