Vilcabamba, by Harry Turtledove, link goes to the free to read short story. Similar scenario to The War of the Worlds, excluding the deus ex machina ending.
Ugh, heaps of exposition in a vague point of view ladled at the beginning and throughout. This is far below Turtledove’s usual style. It’s also pretty heavy-handed. (Why do two characters stop pondering a diplomacy problem to say “My, the main themes of this story are colonization and doomed resistance!”?)
Stories of occupation, colonization, and life after defeat are always interesting and we need more of those. This story shows cultural assimilation really well. (The star above the left shoulder!)
On the one hand, I really like that the empire plot is done with aliens, who usually prefer mass murder to conquest. On the other hand, I can’t see what this adds; the Krolps are just humans in funny suits. Possibly it’s to make invasion of the US plausible. Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with soft SF.
The end keeps within the theme, but I find it unsatisfying, as if he tried to write a tragedy arc in a style that calls for suspense or something along those lines.
Vilcabamba, by Harry Turtledove, link goes to the free to read short story. Similar scenario to The War of the Worlds, excluding the deus ex machina ending.
If you want something more sophisticated on the subject, try William Tenn’s “The Liberation of Earth”.
Review:
Ugh, heaps of exposition in a vague point of view ladled at the beginning and throughout. This is far below Turtledove’s usual style. It’s also pretty heavy-handed. (Why do two characters stop pondering a diplomacy problem to say “My, the main themes of this story are colonization and doomed resistance!”?)
Stories of occupation, colonization, and life after defeat are always interesting and we need more of those. This story shows cultural assimilation really well. (The star above the left shoulder!)
On the one hand, I really like that the empire plot is done with aliens, who usually prefer mass murder to conquest. On the other hand, I can’t see what this adds; the Krolps are just humans in funny suits. Possibly it’s to make invasion of the US plausible. Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with soft SF.
The end keeps within the theme, but I find it unsatisfying, as if he tried to write a tragedy arc in a style that calls for suspense or something along those lines.
Overall, nice plot, not too well handled.