Freehold

If the first two titles are proof that 1987 was a very good year for science fiction, William C. Dietz’s Freehold is proof that the year also included some pretty average work. A military space brigade wants a home. Under their commander, Colonel Stell, they go to Freehold, where a group of settlers is late on the rent to the mega-galactic corporation that hold the deed to Freehold. See, there’s a rare mineral (like unobtainium!) on the planet, and the settlers need protection, and Stell’s men are just the guys to do it. In short, it’s The Magnificent Seven and every other Western ever, set in space.

That said, it’s well done, with characters that go beyond stereotype and plenty of action.

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Meh. Mil-SF brigade want a home, so they defend a planet in return for citizenship but have to overcome a bunch of pirates and corporate issues to do so. MccAffery did it much better with Freedom's Landing, but it remains a weak idea to hang a central plot around.

This lot are ex-Marines and the planet is the sole source of a rare mineral. But it's owned by a corporation who discovered it and the present tennents are close to failing to meet their rent. The Brigade steps in to help. Kills a bunch of people, attacks various companies and generally raises havoc before returning to their new home.

Very very flat. One dimensional characters. You can tell the author was trying to inject some personality but it just didn't work at all. There show more was also several instances of particular dislike of mine - cutting away to the big enemy and revealing all his plans to the reader when the characters don't know them. This is just annoying and unnecessary, doesn't aid characterisation unless a lot more time is spent with the bad side, breaks the suspension of disbelief, and is just generally poor plotting.

Meh. show less