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_Contact with Chaos_, Michael Z. Williamson
By Nicoll's Suggestion, the author ought to be known as M. Zenobia* Williamson, because the series of which this book is the third features an advanced Libertopia which is beplagued by the awful, tyrannical, authoritarian United Nations.
This novel is the best so far, in the sense that it is a competent First Contact novel with a few amusing and original twists; the characters generally resemble real people, and the difficulties in communicating with the aliens are only moderately glossed over in favor of getting to the good stuff. Also, in the sense that it does not take place on Libertopia, and the UN Marines are treated as normal competent soldiers rather than bloodthirsty incompetent cowards. Libertopian soldiers, especially Special Ops, of course, are Better Than Anyone Else.
Pretty much stands alone. Contains minimal references to the Wholly Justified nuclear bombing of Earth, by Libertopia, that killed six billion people or so. They had to do it, you know. Fully justified.
*I don't know what the Z stands for and the author is apparently Not Telling. Zenobia is a figment of my imagination.
By Nicoll's Suggestion, the author ought to be known as M. Zenobia* Williamson, because the series of which this book is the third features an advanced Libertopia which is beplagued by the awful, tyrannical, authoritarian United Nations.
This novel is the best so far, in the sense that it is a competent First Contact novel with a few amusing and original twists; the characters generally resemble real people, and the difficulties in communicating with the aliens are only moderately glossed over in favor of getting to the good stuff. Also, in the sense that it does not take place on Libertopia, and the UN Marines are treated as normal competent soldiers rather than bloodthirsty incompetent cowards. Libertopian soldiers, especially Special Ops, of course, are Better Than Anyone Else.
Pretty much stands alone. Contains minimal references to the Wholly Justified nuclear bombing of Earth, by Libertopia, that killed six billion people or so. They had to do it, you know. Fully justified.
*I don't know what the Z stands for and the author is apparently Not Telling. Zenobia is a figment of my imagination.
