Tue 9 Jan 2024
SF Diary Review: MACK REYNOLDS – Computer War.
Posted by Steve under Diary Reviews , Science Fiction & Fantasy[5] Comments
MACK REYNOLDS – Computer War. Ace Double H-34; paperback original, December 1967. Previously serialized in Analog SF, June & July 1967. Reprinted as half of Ace Double 11650, paperback, February 1973.
Economic reasons lead the government of Alphaland to go to war with the second planetary power Betastan. Computer predictions are that a two-month conflict will be enough for [an Alphaville] victory, but the Betastani have read Ho Chi Minh (page 62) and retaliate with sabotage, high-level infiltration and other forms of standard guerilla warfare.
The result is predictable. The excuse for a hero is needed only to have everything explained to him; enough of nerdy cloddy flats! The subversive Karlists have good ideas — it might be more interesting to see how they succeed in victory.
Rating: *½
January 9th, 2024 at 4:16 pm
I don’t believe this review is one of my better ones — it’s far too short to best describe what sounds to me now as a rather complicated story That it was meant to be an allegory of sorts of the Vietnam War is obvious, but who the Karlists were, I have no idea,
January 10th, 2024 at 10:59 am
I’m going to guess that if the Karlists are seen as mostly good or good enough, the Socialist Labor Party’s own Dallas McCord Reynolds was name-tagging some Marxists in this context, only presumably with tongue in cheek given that the Carlists of Spain were a vital part of the fascist forces (including more purely Fascist) taking charge in Spain to install Franco, as the Soviet-backed Communists were as busy trying to quash/backstab their theoretical allies among the anarchists, Trotskyists (Eric “George Orwell” Blair in that cache), and liberals of the government the fascist forces were openly trying to overthrow. Hemingway, as a Stalinist dupe, was, of course, among those romanticizing their behavior, while the various fascists, neo and otherwise, active today are more indicative of who’s currently Winning, and we are indeed tired of their Winning.
January 10th, 2024 at 3:12 pm
Well, you’ve put more thought into this than I have. Karlists = Marxists is not that big a jump, and perhaps the Chinese Communists might have a role to play in that regard. I’d have to read the story again to hazard a guess more than that, and hopefully that I’m a whole lot older know might be an advantage. But given the low rating I gave the story (one and half stars) I’d have to say that means an equally low priority.
I do admit to being curious, though.
January 12th, 2024 at 10:04 pm
Reynolds was always better at concept than execution. Interesting ideas, but I never felt like any of them paid off as story particularly well.
January 13th, 2024 at 9:00 am
David, I’d suggest “Pacifist” is a good example of Reynolds hitting on all cylinders, though I have a certain nearly lifelong affection for it that might make me nostalgic; he came up to that level at least several other times, I’d suggest.