Galactic Empires Books

Empire & Ecolitan (2001) is an omnibus edition of the first and second novels in The Ecolitan Matter series according to the internal chronology. It includes The Ecolitan Operation and The Ecologic Secession.

The United Confederation of Independent Worlds -- otherwise known as the Empire -- is an hegemony of over 190 worlds plus their colonies and other dependencies. The capital of the Empire is at New Augusta on Terra, although many support functions are based off-planet, particularly on Alphane.

The Emperor is the titular head of the United Confederation, but most power resides in the Senate. The Empire nominally includes about fifty semi-autonomous planets on the fringes. The largest principality in this region is the Conglomerate of Fuard, which is aggressively flaunting its military might.

The Empire has long ago ceased to work for the welfare of its member planets, but instead has strived for maintenance of the status quo and perpetuation of the institutions of the Empire itself. The dependent worlds have been hit the hardest with increased taxes and conscripted troops. Armed rebellions have occurred sporadically throughout the colonies.

In The Ecolitan Operation (1989), Major Jimjoy Earle Wright III is a Special Operative for the Imperial Space Service who manages to successfully complete the most difficult missions, but who displeases his superiors with the intemperate violence of his methods. They would prefer something more subtle, but Jimjoy does whatever must be done to achieve the objective. In his current mission, he causes a fusion plant explosion to kill off the Halstani High Command, but has a collateral kill count of over fifty thousand bystanders. His case officer sends him next to Accord to report on the Ecolitan Institute, but the Empire has a lethal surprise waiting for him on the planet.

In The Ecologic Seccession (1990), Jimjoy is now Ecolitan Professor James Joyson Whaler II, Senior Fellow of the Institute. The Empire believes that he is dead and hopefully they will continue to do so. Jimjoy has created a new department within the Institute -- Applied Ecologic Management -- which is actually the new Special Operations branch. It is clear to Jimjoy and to the Ecolitan Prime that the Empire will soon be imposing more stringent controls on Accord and that the planet must rebel to keep its liberty. As a first step, Jimjoy single-handedly destroys the System Control station at Haversol.

These novels are mostly about the ethics of violence, personal and social. All ethics are contingent upon survival; i.e., survival of yourself or your descendants or your group is a prime concern. However, certain methods of survival are wrong, for they destroy they very things you wish to preserve. These novels explore the ethical limits of defense of a society -- that is, a large group of people -- which is threatened by external forces. What types and degrees of violence are legitimate under those circumstances? Are civilians legitimate targets of violence and, if so, under what conditions? The author raises some interesting questions, but more importantly, he points out the uncertainties surrounding all such issues.

Highly recommended for Modesitt fans and for anyone who enjoys tales of political intrigue and special operations with a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This book was originally published as a duology (The Ecologic Operation and The Ecologic Secession...search under these titles for more reviews), but the transition between the two books is seamless so reprinting as a single book works well.

This book keeps you turning the pages with interesting characters, great action scenes, and a nicely tuned plot. If you are an avid book reader you will find similarities in style and plot to a number of other great series such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, Piers Anthony's Bio of a Space Tyrant, and Chris Brunch's Matador.

You might also want to check out The Ecologic Envoy which takes place 400 years after this book.

Isaac Asimov's universe is vast; beginning with the near-future Robot novels and ending with the far-future Foundation novels. These three stories that comprise the Empire novels sit inbetween.

Set many years after a nuclear holocost ravaged the Earth, the Empire novels trace Asimov's vision of mankind's civilisation of the galaxy and the empires that govern it for thousands of years prior to the revolution that was the Foundation.

The three stories are:

The Stars, Like Dust: A native of one of the backward planets conquered by the cruel Tyranni Empire, Biron Farrill is only days away from graduating from the University of Earth when someone tries to murder him in his sleep. As a resistance leader, his father was eliminated and so Biron decides to cast his lot with the freedom fighters. With treachery on both sides, Biron is caught between the woman he loves and the revolution his father died for.

The Currents of Space: Set thousands of years after The Stars, Like Dust, a man named Rik is wiped of his memories and dumped on the planet Florina. After he is adopted by a peasant girl his memories return and they are thrust into a game of interplanetary intrigue with high ranking officials and spies. For what Rik remembers could spell the end of an empire.

Pebble in the Sky: Modern day man Joseph Schwartz is inexplicably transported thousands of years into the future to a strange new Earth which is considered the least significant planet in the Galactic Empire. He undergoes treatment and discovers a conspiracy of scientists that are willing to do anything to return the Earth to its former glory - even with the use of bioweapons.

This 550 page book is a really nice edition; a normal hardcover book with dust-jacket - no special binding. Being the only omnibus that contains these three novels (they aren't published anymore!) it has filled a niche in my Asimov collection that was vacant. This, along with the quality of the book, is the reason for giving it 5 stars (the stories themselves are probably worth 4 stars each).

Although it is not his best work, I recommend this book to any fan that wants to link Asimov's superb Robot novels to his Foundation novels. A forward by the author, however, would have been a nice touch.

Then read this book. It is so in depth and fills many of the holes that left me wondering.

The only thing that I irked me about this book is it seems the author didnt use the information from the previous book Labrynth of Evil. In RotS the Republic is borderline collapse when in LoE which takes place righth before the Republic have pushed the Seperatist to the Outer Rim and victory is in reach.

Stop wasting time reading reviews and read this book.

This book is by far the best of all of the novelizations of the Star Wars movies. Mathew Stover is an exceptional writer and gives the reader just what is expected from a Star Wars book. Action, suspense, drama, and a great perspective of each of the major players in the George Lucas universe. I can say with great confidence that I was sucked right into this book and had a hard time putting it down. I really got a great feel for Anakin, Obi-Wan, Mace, and all of the other characters. When Anakin falls to the dark side I really pitied him. There is also a particular scene in the end when Palpatine confronts Anakin who had been rebuilt as Darth Vader and you could feel exactly what Anakin felt. Very powerful! The whole book was just fantastic, and I'm even tempted to pick up a copy to own. The last few lines were so perfect and tied the whole saga together nicely! This is an author who knows how to show, not tell! If you like Star Wars, you should read this!

I have only read a few Star Wars books, but I'm building my collection up pretty fast, and so far, this is the best one I have read. I really love the way the author breaks away to describe a character while a scene is heating up or something big is about to happen. The book was so good, and the story ( the parts that aren't really described in detail or simply not covered in the movie), even tho I knew its outcome and how things were going to happen still drew me in. I loved the Jedi order and I found myself, while reading the book hoping that somehow things would go differently. But of course they didn't. But thats just how much it draws you in. The ONLY downside I found in this book was the death of my favorite Jedi, Mace Windu. The fight scene with Palpatine was awesome and in depth, but at the end of the fight, we all know what happens and the author only chose to describe the death of arguably the most powerful Jedi in the order in only a few words. I think that part could have been written alot better. Other than that, this author is such a good book, that I have already told everyone I know ( Star Wars fan or not ) that they should read it.

I expect that most readers of this book will have already seen the film and will be familiar with the plot, If not, I suggest you read the book first and then watch the movie to see the incredible cinematic interpretation by George Lucas. The plot picks up right where Labyrinth of Evil left off. Chancellor Palpatine has been captured by General Grievous, and our heroes Obi-Wan and Anakin are coming to the rescue. They succeed in finishing off Count Dooku and force Grievous to flee to Utapau. Obi-Wan goes to Utapau to deal with Grievous while Anakin stays in Coruscant trying to decide between a future with the Jedi or a future with Darth Sidious and the dark side. We all know how that comes out with the final result being the introduction of Darth Vader and the twins Luke and Leia.

In the book of Revenge of the Sith, Mr. Stover spends a lot of time with the internal struggle Anakin has with feeling underappreciated by the Jedi while at the same time trying to grasp the possibilities of the dark side. He is desperately attempting to learn enough about the Force to be able to keep his nightmare from coming true and to keep Padme alive. Darth Sidious is unbelievably smooth and persuasive as he continually massages Anakin's mind and ego and hastens the turn to the dark side. Rather than just telling the story of the film, the author gets us to understand the thought processes of the main characters. I think that will be invaluable as I prepare to watch the film yet again.

We are also privy to a number of conversations among the Jedi masters - Mace Windu, Yoda, and Obi-Wan. They are confused by the Clone Wars. They do not understand the Senate's agreements to give Chancellor Palpatine increasing powers. They don't know what to do with Anakin. He is the Chosen One, but he is also dangerous and unpredictable. The deterioration of the friendship between Obi-Wan and Anakin is heartbreaking, but Anakin's turn to the dark side is handled in such a way that it makes sense. All in all, Mr. Stover has done a remarkable job in helping us to understand more clearly the Clone Wars, the demise of the Jedi, and the takeover by the Sith.

Read the book and watch the movie.

Matthew Stover, author of the excellent Mace Windu novel Shatterpoint, does not disappoint with his novelization of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Movie novelizations are often inconsequential by-products of a marketing push behind a big event picture, but in Stover's case, he strongly builds upon the film plot and adds meaningful substance to what was already a great story. Rather than give his readers a simple blow-by-blow recap of the screen action, he adds many sequences not in the film and cuts others entirely (fans of Yoda's visit to Kashyyyk will need to stick with the movie).

The novel spends significant time in the opening space battle, fleshing out the action sequences and delving into the participants' motivations. At first I found Stover's technique here slightly jarring. The story is clipping along and we are suddenly sidelined by a page or two that start something like this (for example): "This is how it feels to be Obi-Wan Kenobi." We then get a summary of who Obi-Wan is, what he's feeling, and what role he has played in the saga to date. However, as we read more of these entries, Stover's chance-taking really pays off: I found myself looking forward to the next one more and more, as the insights he provides illuminate certain story points brilliantly.

I especially enjoyed the time he spent taking us into Count Dooku's head. Dooku doesn't get much screen time in the saga; some choice moments at the end of Attack of the Clones and his duel at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith are about it. Why would this respected and powerful Jedi have any interest in sublimating himself to a Dark Lord of the Sith? Stover paints a realistic portrait of what Dooku hoped to get out of their twisted relationship and muses about what Dooku believed would be his role after the end of the Clone Wars. Of course, Dooku is sorely mistaken with his perception of his relationship with Darth Sidious.

Another place Stover excels is in subtly tinkering with some of the storylines to deepen both the motivations and the payoff. For instance, in the film, Anakin's lust to be elevated to Jedi Master and granted a seat on the Council is driven by his ego and inner demons. Stover adds an ingredient to the mix: Anakin also wants access to the Jedi Archives, which is only granted to Masters. He believes the Archives will contain Sith Holocrons with the forbidden knowledge Palpatine alluded to, including how to stop a person from dying. This small change greatly aids the believability of how furious Anakin is at being denied the Master rank when he claims his seat on the Council.

Near the end of the book there is a noticeable shift toward more economic storytelling, and the final duel on Mustafar is very similar to what we see in the film. This didn't bother me, as by this point events are rushing to their bitter climax and interjecting long character analyses wouldn't really work like it did early in the novel. The pacing of the book taken as a whole is spot-on and well considered.

Revenge of the Sith is a sweeping, dark, epic conclusion to the prequel trilogy, and Matthew Stover's novelization is more than worthy of the film. Kudos to him for not just cashing in a paycheck and writing a blow-by-blow account of the screenplay. He chose to take some chances and the results are quite rewarding.

Given the Star Wars name, don't let the title fool you. Reading this novel was a chore, and though the ideas behind the story were stronger than The Phantom Menace, aka the screenplay and film were much better, the writing of this book was downright terrible! How R. A. Salvatore is considered a good author is beyond me. I know that he is the author of many books, and perhaps I am being a bit harsh in my judgment, having not read any of his other work, but if this is what any of those others is like then I'll be sure to skip those too. To his defense I will say that the love story aspect of Anakin and Padme was poorly fleshed out. But as a writer he should have been able to make this work much more believably.

Taking no cues from what had been established before by the other authors of the novelizations, Salvatore's work seems like it was a chore to write only to collect a paycheck. Given many fan's dislike of him for killing off Chewbacca in the Expanded Universe, though to his defense he was approached by Lucasfilm to write that novel, he is not a very good writer. (Lucasfilm's attempt to sell more books by killing off a main character is a whole other topic of debate, and is partly what led myself and many fans to stop reading the Expanded Universe material.)

My biggest argument against this book is Salvatore's consistent use of every writer's mortal sin, telling and not showing. It is better to show your readers rather than tell them what is happening. By telling, you insult your readers intelligence by running on the assumption that they aren't smart enough to figure it out themselves. If you are a Star Wars fan and must read all the adaptations, then by all means read it. If you don't feel like wasting your time and forcing yourself to finish it, then don't be bothered.

Having read R.A. Salvatore's fantasy work, I came to the novelization of the familiar tale (thanks to the epic movie) of Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones with some higher expectations. Mr. Salvatore does an excellent job bringing the story to life and giving it greater emotional depth than the movie, adding cohesiveness even that was not there. We even come to feel for Boba Fett, and regret the ultimate demise he meets in Return of the Jedi. Anakin Skywalker's decent to the dark side is given greater weight in Salvatore's words, and we come to see Anakin for what he truly was, a remarkably gifted warrior, turned to darkness due to fear and anger. Perhaps there's a lesson for us all in that. At any rate, 5 stars for Salvatore's excellent work.

The novel opens with a prelude that features a nightmare of Anakin's on the way to mediate a border dispute with Obi-wan on Ansion. In Chapters 1, 2 and 3, we are introduced to the Lars homestead, so we get to see the interactions of Cliegg, Shmi, Owen, Beru and Threepio. We learn that Cliegg met and freed Shmi five years ago. Now Shmi silently honors Anakin's 20th birthday and it is cool to get inside her head. She misses Anakin and wonders about him, yet she feels comfort in knowing that he is much better adventuring around the galaxy than stuck on a desolate world where he wouldn't be content. Since Shmi's appearance in the movie is so brief, it's great to be able to see her as a fuller character of the story, as well as the whole extended Lars family. (This is exactly the type of thing a movie novelization is supposed to do.) We see mounting tension between the Tusken Raiders and the farming community leading up to the abduction of Shmi, and we see the rescue attempt in which most died and Cliegg lost his leg. He ironically refuses an artificial limb, thus the hover chair.

We also see an earlier introduction of Padme into the story, along with her sister Sola, her nieces and R2-D2. Sola scolds Padme for her selfless career of serving the Republic, and we begin to feel a hint of Padme's deeply hidden desire for love and children of her own. And in a nice stroke of continuity, Captain Panaka, still with Naboo security, introduces his nephew Captain Typho, who lost his eye as a teenager in the Battle of Naboo and will now serve as the Senator's security chief.

Chapter 4 features the opening of the movie. In addition to the above events that set-up the movie's story, the rest of the novel has several other elements not seen movie, some of which include and expand upon the deleted scenes. One other interesting thing I think worth mentioning here is when Anakin and Yoda hear Qui-Gon's voice, Yoda is truly puzzled at what seems like the departed Jedi Master's existence beyond death. Did Qui-Gon once discover a Jedi ability that his spirit will later teach or empower Obi-Wan, Yoda and Anakin to possess? Hmm. I felt this was better than the four previous movie novelizations. Read this book if you really loved Episode II and feel a strong desire to know a little more about the story.

After this book, I recommend the following 5-star novel for more of the mystery that began in Episode II:

Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)

Better than the movie? Yes! Then again most books are! But if your a big Star wars fan and espically an Anakin fan then this is a must read. This book will take you deeper into the story of the man/machine Anakin providing you a glimpse into the shadows of his soul. Be prepared to feel intense sorrow and sense of victory throughout this novel. So scary what someone can become...well told Salvatore.
*This review has been moved from my old to my new account.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Ten years after we left Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi, we meet up with them again. Anakin is fast proving his abilities as a Jedi Apprentice, surpassing Obi Wan even. Now they have a new mission. Senator Padmé Amidala is in danger with attacks on her life. She is crucial to a coming vote to form an Army of the Republic and someone will do anything to prevent her decision.

Anakin discovers upon once again meeting up with Padmé that his feelings for her have not faded, but only grown more intense over the years, putting him in a relationship forbidden to Jedi. The more time they spend together, the more dangerous to the Force his position becomes, causing him to cross the line into the unacceptable range.

Meanwhile, Obi Wan is sent on a mission to a distant planet to investigate rumors of a huge army being formed at the request of the Jedi. As he looks deeper in to the matter, he finds many mysteries that defy explanation. Who commissioned a clone army and why? Who is so desperate to stop Padmé's vote at any cost? What will become of the forbidden love between Anakin and Padmé?

Having watched the movie immediately upon its release, I just this year finally found the time to sit down and read the novelization of the story. Having done so, I found the novel to be quite enjoyable, going in to even greater depth on various plot threads in the movie. Of course nothing can compare to the visualization of the creative genius of George Lucas, but the book adds to the sometimes sketchy elements of the movie's storyline.

In the book, we get a deeper understanding of what exactly drives Padmé. We get to meet her family, characters never even mentioned in the movie. Seeing this side of her personality, she comes even more alive with warmth and compassion. We also get to spend far more time with Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother, and what has happened to her in the years since Anakin left her to train as a Jedi. We see her happy and comfortable in her life, to which only glimpses are granted in the movie itself. We also experience her terror and agony at the hands of the Tusken raiders who stole her away, eventually causing her death. This is of grave importance as Anakin's reaction to her kidnapping is the first huge step pushing him on his way to the Dark Side of the Force.

Much of George Lucas' brilliance is lost in a novelization however, since he is known for the stunning visual effects in his movies. For example, Obi Wan's journey to the distant planet where the army is being grown and the events that follow pale significantly in the novel without the scenery. This is to be expected however when movies are put into words in a book. We are however, privy to the wonderful sound effects throughout the story. We get to experience the light saber battles through sound and R2D2 and C3PO would not be given justice without hearing them. Jonathan Davis is an absolutely brilliant performer, perfect for the Attack of the Clones. He does such an incredible job of bringing the characters to life through his voice. The Star Wars saga has a huge cast of characters to keep straight. I don't know how he did it, but Davis's abilities to transform himself through the mouths of all the players. Every single one of them is very distinct. That in itself is a testament to Davis' ability.

Though Attack of the Clones in novel form will not give a full vision into the Star Wars story, between the novel and the movie itself, fans will get a better concept of George Lucas' dreams than should they limit themselves to one or the other, book or movie.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, November 2006. All rights reserved.

This book is very detailed and gives a lot of useful information and backround history for those who are die-hard fans of star wars and the empire. It is also a great tool for those who play the role playing game also.

This is a great book for any true Star Wars fanatic. I love the detail that they put into the ships of the empire. Being a fan, I thought this was a great addition to my collection.

This book is one which ALL Star Wars diehard fans must own. It is a complete systematics of the various starships of the Rebel Alliance. Basicly it is the blue prints and scientific explanations that are best. However i gave it a 7/10 because for most of thos with no previous Star Wars experience or no scientific knowledge, this book is cryptic.

Star Wars books are the best in general, And this is a really good one. It tells about another chapter in the rebel alliance. characters are well developed and interesting. with a good plot and several sub plots.

I thought that Bill Smith did a good job taking people inside an imperial ship. It gives people thought about what technology can advance to on Earth. The book was also very good at informing me, a Star Wars fan, what makes the ships of the Empire fascinating. Bill Smith also has done well with other Star Wars books such as Star Wars The Essential guide to Weapons and Technology. I enjoyed The Galactic Empire: ships of the fleet because it is one of the many things that makes the Star Wars Universe so interesting to so many people.

Part of a series of books supposedly looking at lighter adventure type stories, and in particular Galactic Empires, of course, even if again, Aldiss doesn't manage to hold to that particularly rigorously.

He also claims to want to rescue magazine stories, as anthologists only look at other anthologies!?

Neither of which makes sense when you see what he has done. Of all people you would list as needing to be rescued from obscurity, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke would probably be last and second last on the list. Even more so in 1976.

Some other decent choices here though, and he divides the book up into a few sections, the last being on medicine in space.

Galactic Empires 1 : Been a Long Long Time - R. A. Lafferty
Galactic Empires 1 : The Possessed - Arthur C. Clarke
Galactic Empires 1 : Protected Species - H. B. Fyfe
Galactic Empires 1 : All the Way Back - Michael Shaara
Galactic Empires 1 : The Star Plunderer - Poul Anderson
Galactic Empires 1 : Foundation [short story] - Isaac Asimov
Galactic Empires 1 : We're Civilized - Mark Clifton and Alex Apostolides
Galactic Empires 1 : The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal - Cordwainer Smith
Galactic Empires 1 : The Rebel of Valkyr - Alfred Coppel
Galactic Empires 1 : Brightness Falls from the Air - Margaret StClair
Galactic Empires 1 : Immigrant - Clifford D. Simak
Galactic Empires 1 : Resident Physician - James White
Galactic Empires 1 : Age of Retirement - Mal Lynch
Galactic Empires 1 : Planting Time - Pete Adams & Charles Nightingale


Or hopefully will be, before another monkeys and Shakespeare story.

2.5 out of 5


Swarm mind search lemming poor pick.

3.5 out of 5


Old ape hunt.

3.5 out of 5


Aggressive sleepers may be waiting.

3.5 out of 5


"I don't fancy life as the slave of a barbarian outworlder."

4 out of 5


Encyclopedia Empire re-establishment fraud.

3.5 out of 5


Not as much as those guys in the ships though.

3 out of 5


Lost planet female cancer transs3xual aggression solution is timeslip cat kill cull.

4 out of 5


"Against the mighty forces of the assembled star-kings, the army of Valkyr counted for almost nothing; but the savage fighting men of the Edge carried with them their talisman -- Alys Imperatrix, uncrowned sovereign of the Galaxy, Heiress of the Thousand Emperors..."

3.5 out of 5


Bird people buried.

3 out of 5


Back to kindy, genius earthboy.

4 out of 5


Immortal cannibal local doctor obstacle cure.

3.5 out of 5


Mandatory early no kid Space Patrol kickout.

3 out of 5


Flower girl bordello monopoly.

3 out of 5




3.5 out of 5

I enjoyed the wit of the stories in this book immensely and hope that you do also. The possibilities are trulely endless for the human existance.

I picked this book up at a used book sale intending to hold it in reserve for when I ran out of "better" reading material. Was I ever mistaken! This book is excellent! It consists of almost two dozen highly imaginative and downright mind-jarring tales of science fiction from mainly the 1950s and 60s. The first five are especially excellent. There isn't a bad one in the bunch and yet many of the authors have apparently become obscure since its publication. They do not deserve such a fate

This book is aimed at younger readers. THE PHANTOM MENACE is the only STAR WARS movie many young fans know about. Therefore, many of them will find the book extremely informative, even though the most basic mature STAR WARS fan probably knows most of the information contained within the book. However, there are a lot of great pictures from the first three films that almost any fan will enjoy. Overall, a nice little scrapbook.

If you like Star Wars at all, you should buy this book. It is a great colection book. It is like a small version of the encyclopidia. Defenitly worth it.

I am a really big Star Wars fan, and I try to get everything that relates to Star Wars. When this book came out, I bought it without a second thought. It was a better book then I thought! All of the pictures inside and the text are really neat.

The second Galactic Empires anthology is comprised almost all from stories of the 1950s. There are two sections.

Maturity or Bust, broken into 'You Can't Impose Civilization by Force' and 'The Other End of the Stick' and Decline and Free Fall : 'All Things are Cyclic' and 'Big Ancestors and Descendants'.

A fairly reasonable group of stories (3.42), with some interesting intros. There are a few Olaf Stapledon quotes scattered throughout.

Galactic Empires 2 : Escape to Chaos - John D. MacDonald
Galactic Empires 2 : Concealment - A. E. van Vogt
Galactic Empires 2 : To Civilize - Algis Budrys
Galactic Empires 2 : Beep - James Blish
Galactic Empires 2 : Down the River - Mack Reynolds
Galactic Empires 2 : The Bounty Hunter - Avram Davidson
Galactic Empires 2 : Not Yet the End - Fredric Brown
Galactic Empires 2 : Tonight the Stars Revolt! - Gardner F. Fox
Galactic Empires 2 : Final Encounter - Harry Harrison
Galactic Empires 2 : Lord of a Thousand Suns - Poul Anderson
Galactic Empires 2 : Big Ancestor - F. L. Wallace
Galactic Empires 2 : The Interlopers - Roger Dee

Rebel leader Era adjustment trap.

4 out of 5


Perfect robot disguise.

3.5 out of 5


Coworker introduction.

3.5 out of 5


Spook space tricks and tech of time communication.

4 out of 5


New alien overlord color.

3 out of 5


Meat efficiency.

2.5 out of 5


Can't see the monkeyboys for the monkeys.

3 out of 5


Space pirate vs Diktor.

3.5 out of 5


All Man.

3 out of 5


Sharing with a galactic emperor is nasty.

3.5 out of 5


Slugs, bugs, it is only now that matters.

3.5 out of 5


Successor test.

4 out of 5




3.5 out of 5

An omnibus edition of the two Brian Aldiss Galactic Empires anthologies.


Part of a series of books supposedly looking at lighter adventure type stories, and in particular Galactic Empires, of course, even if again, Aldiss doesn't manage to hold to that particularly rigorously.

He also claims to want to rescue magazine stories, as anthologists only look at other anthologies!?

Neither of which makes sense when you see what he has done. Of all people you would list as needing to be rescued from obscurity, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke would probably be last and second last on the list. Even more so in 1976.

Some other decent choices here though, and he divides the book up into a few sections, the last being on medicine in space.

Galactic Empires 1 : Been a Long Long Time - R. A. Lafferty
Galactic Empires 1 : The Possessed - Arthur C. Clarke
Galactic Empires 1 : Protected Species - H. B. Fyfe
Galactic Empires 1 : All the Way Back - Michael Shaara
Galactic Empires 1 : The Star Plunderer - Poul Anderson
Galactic Empires 1 : Foundation [short story] - Isaac Asimov
Galactic Empires 1 : We're Civilized - Mark Clifton and Alex Apostolides
Galactic Empires 1 : The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal - Cordwainer Smith
Galactic Empires 1 : The Rebel of Valkyr - Alfred Coppel
Galactic Empires 1 : Brightness Falls from the Air - Margaret StClair
Galactic Empires 1 : Immigrant - Clifford D. Simak
Galactic Empires 1 : Resident Physician - James White
Galactic Empires 1 : Age of Retirement - Mal Lynch
Galactic Empires 1 : Planting Time - Pete Adams & Charles Nightingale


Or hopefully will be, before another monkeys and Shakespeare story.

2.5 out of 5


Swarm mind search lemming poor pick.

3.5 out of 5


Old ape hunt.

3.5 out of 5


Aggressive sleepers may be waiting.

3.5 out of 5


"I don't fancy life as the slave of a barbarian outworlder."

4 out of 5


Encyclopedia Empire re-establishment fraud.

3.5 out of 5


Not as much as those guys in the ships though.

3 out of 5


Lost planet female cancer transsexual aggression solution is timeslip cat kill cull.

4 out of 5


"Against the mighty forces of the assembled star-kings, the army of Valkyr counted for almost nothing; but the savage fighting men of the Edge carried with them their talisman -- Alys Imperatrix, uncrowned sovereign of the Galaxy, Heiress of the Thousand Emperors..."

3.5 out of 5


Bird people buried.

3 out of 5


Back to kindy, genius earthboy.

4 out of 5


Immortal cannibal local doctor obstacle cure.

3.5 out of 5


Mandatory early no kid Space Patrol kickout.

3 out of 5


Flower girl bordello monopoly.

3 out of 5


The second Galactic Empires anthology is comprised almost all from stories of the 1950s. There are two sections.

Maturity or Bust, broken into 'You Can't Impose Civilization by Force' and 'The Other End of the Stick' and Decline and Free Fall : 'All Things are Cyclic' and 'Big Ancestors and Descendants'.

A fairly reasonable group of stories (3.42), with some interesting intros. There are a few Olaf Stapledon quotes scattered throughout.

Galactic Empires 2 : Escape to Chaos - John D. MacDonald
Galactic Empires 2 : Concealment - A. E. van Vogt
Galactic Empires 2 : To Civilize - Algis Budrys
Galactic Empires 2 : Beep - James Blish
Galactic Empires 2 : Down the River - Mack Reynolds
Galactic Empires 2 : The Bounty Hunter - Avram Davidson
Galactic Empires 2 : Not Yet the End - Fredric Brown
Galactic Empires 2 : Tonight the Stars Revolt! - Gardner F. Fox
Galactic Empires 2 : Final Encounter - Harry Harrison
Galactic Empires 2 : Lord of a Thousand Suns - Poul Anderson
Galactic Empires 2 : Big Ancestor - F. L. Wallace
Galactic Empires 2 : The Interlopers - Roger Dee

Rebel leader Era adjustment trap.

4 out of 5


Perfect robot disguise.

3.5 out of 5


Coworker introduction.

3.5 out of 5


Spook space tricks and tech of time communication.

4 out of 5


New alien overlord color.

3 out of 5


Meat efficiency.

2.5 out of 5


Can't see the monkeyboys for the monkeys.

3 out of 5


Space pirate vs Diktor.

3.5 out of 5


All Man.

3 out of 5


Sharing with a galactic emperor is nasty.

3.5 out of 5


Slugs, bugs, it is only now that matters.

3.5 out of 5


Successor test.

4 out of 5




3.5 out of 5







3.5 out of 5

It is really an enormous tragedy that so many of Isaac Asimov's great Science Fiction works remain out of print. The three `Empire' novels by Asimov are a great example. All three books are wonderfully written and fill the gap between The Robot novels and the Foundation series beautifully. These novels also give us a glimpse at the state of science in the fifties. If you are an Asimov fan and see any of the Empire novels available for loan or purchase please do so. You will not be sorry. To clear up some confusion on the part of some, the reason these novels are called `Empire' novels is because they take place just before the Empire referenced in the Foundation series began, during its infancy and during its peak. Very much fun indeed.

If you want to read them in order read The Stars Like Dust First, which takes place before the birth of the Foundation referenced Empire. Then read The Currents of Space which takes place during the infancy of the Foundation referenced Empire. Lastly read Pebble in the Sky which takes place during the peak of the Foundation referenced Empire.