The Art of War by Peter Cawdron (and more)
Ride into the danger zone
The Art of War is one of the latest additions to Peter Cawdrons “First Contact” series, a set of otherwise unconnected novels and short stories exploring the many ways first contact might happen between humans and an extraterrestrial species. On earth or in space, friendly or hostile? Cawdron has it all for you and while all of these stories share a common theme, they vary widely in setting and style. You can read them in any order, you can take breaks in between, but also - because they are so different - read several of his books in short order without getting bored.
In The Art of War, Peter Cawdron takes earth to war against an extraterrestrial ship that has taken position in a lunar orbit and has begun attacking earth. Massively outgunned, earth has to smarten up to survive.
While this is all entertaining, it also feels familiar: A bit of “The Martian” ingenuity, a global production pipeline to assemble defensive spaceships (but nowhere near what Claire Holroyde describes in her planetary defense novel “The Effort”), and quite a bit of Top Gun or Independence Day heroism to save the day.
What is a bit more unique is the addition of another sub-plot: China and the US appear at the brink of war after China opens fire on an American navy ship in the Taiwan Straight and a lone US Navy analyst is trying to piece together what is happening in the Pacific arena and trying to remain calm as the militaries of both countries appear to be gearing up for battle on earth.
It is nice that this books brings together a truly international cast: America and China feature heavily (with neither side being cast as clear heroes or villains) and India plays a big role as well. However, the characters - especially when seen as representatives of their countries - appear quite flat. We have our American cowboys. Brothers serving NASA and the Air Force: “Look at the Alamo. We have never considered the odds when in a fight. For us, duty and honor demand sacrifice. We will protect our world.” Or: “Michael’s not afraid of dying. He’s afraid of not being good enough when needed. […] He’s afraid of letting his country and his family down.” The Chinese? They base their entire strategy on a book from two and a half thousand years ago - and of course that book serves them well. And India? Well, its hot. And humid. and chaotic. Cawdron is never condescending, but there is a lack of depth to his characters and a lack of surprising elements in their characterization.
That said, this is still a very entertaining read and an - although more conventional - good addition to the first contact series.
A few other highlights in the “First Contact” series:
Jury Duty: When a seeminly ancient alien spaceship is discovered under the ice of Antarctica, a multinational recovery effort is started overseen by a jury of citizens from each security council member. This is both an adventure on earth (even getting to the location of the space ship takes time) as well as a fascinating exploration of a very alien artefact.
Cold Eyes: Probably my favorite in the series so far. When earth receives a signal from another solar system, it sends a manned mission. But when the mission arrives, the target planet appears silent. Also, waking up hasn’t gone well for all of the cloned crew: When Dali wakes up, he doesn’t remember his mission, his training, or that he is married to another participant on the mission. This is a very colorful journey of space exploration and an interesting exploration of (almost human) extra-terrestrial civilization.
Apothecary: What if aliens arrived in medieval England? In the late 16th century, a pair of aliens lives in England to observe humanity. But when they see Anthony, an apprentice at an Apothecary, being sentenced to death for no real reason, they decide to make a move. A very interesting setting for a first contact story.
As you can see, these novels have little in coming other than being explorations of first contact. So far, they have all been worth reading.