2019 Dragon Award Finalist, Best Military SF: "The Light Brigade"

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Greetings to all my internet friends and neighbors, and for those of you who are following the Dragon Race To Review, here is my promised second blog post/review review today. I have 9 days left to review 12 books; one of the finalists, “Sons of the Lion,” by Jason Cordova, I have already read and reviewed on Amazon. However, I've been holding that one close, saving the blog post to write on a day when my heart needs to be comforted. And to any of my family who have given today's post a look, I'm making BBQ leg quarters in the pressure cooker, mashed potatoes, and steamed squash. It's a feeble attempt to get out of the dog house, where I placed myself by tossing off a snotty remark instead of really listening as I should. Sigh. At least I'll have a nice last meal...

Yesterday was a reading marathon. I had started, JUST started, Larry Correia's “House of Assassins,” which is a finalist for the 2019 Dragon Award in the category “Best Fantasy Novel.” It was lovely, but long-ish. I think I finished it around 8:30, which is too early to go to bed, but I truly, truly was not interested in applying the mental resources necessary for a good blog post and review. So, I decided to start a new book, and chose the category Best Military Science Fiction/Fantasy Novel. I hope that no one who reads my blog, or my reviews, has any doubt that mil sf is my FAVORITE genre. True, I have even been compelled to review some romance novels, set in England among the misty moors, in the time of something something something, but for comfort food, I go to mil sf.

I had two choices left in the category: David Weber's massive (784 pages) “Uncompromising Honor,” or Kameron Hurley's “The Light Brigade,” about half the length at 368 pages. Although I have been familiar with Weber's worlds since the days when he and David Drake were confused often enough that it was a thing, and have enjoyed what I've read, I just didn't want to start a book that long at the end of the day. I knew, from past experience, that it was entirely possible that I'd get involved, and find it hard to turn the lights off, and I had PAPA-SITTING to do for Miss Evelyn on the morrow. Never go into a Papa-sitting experience fatigued!

So, the Hurley book it was. I'm not acquainted with the author's work, although the name seemed somewhat familiar. Still, it's military sci-fi, and I settled down for an engaging read.

Don’t just fight the darkness. Bring the light.
Hurley, Kameron. The Light Brigade . Gallery / Saga Press. Kindle Edition.

I do not have any idea what the author intended by starting her book with this wise advice. It IS wise advice, by the way, and something that I heartily wish we could find more of in the world. However, if there is any of this sentiment expressed in the book, anywhere, I utterly missed it.

Instead, the reader is immediately exposed to a bitter, cynical outlook in a world populated by mean-spirited people, who themselves are the target of heartless acts by giant organizations. It doesn't seem to matter if the organization is the military, or some manufacturing/distributing/mining concern; all of the people are treated as an expendable, easily replaced resource.

Dietz, the POV character, is a prime example. We never learn the character's first name. I'm not sure that we ever learn ANYTHING about the character, not hair color, eye color, gender, religious affiliation; nothing. We do learn that Dietz was a former quarterback, who was replaced by a more photogenic character, and that at one time, Dietz had a girlfriend. However, in this universe, that's not a reliable clue as to whether we are speaking of Angelica Dietz or Andrew Dietz. It's probable that the ambiguity is by design; she

made the Tiptree AwardHonor List "for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of gender." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kameron_Hurley

There is nothing to hold onto here, except that Dietz gets treated like dirt by anyone with more power.

The author goes out of her way to portray squalor. The brief glimpses we are given of Dietz's past life are filled with despair and hopelessness. Now, it is absolutely the case that many, many individuals have joined the military to exit a life of despair, and very often, it makes the difference for them. But for Dietz, it's just an exchange of one abusive situation for another.

My personal experience, and that of every veteran I've ever talked to about the matter, is that bonding takes place under duress. It doesn't have to be foxhole duress, either, with artillery rounds coming down all around. The simple task of surviving basic training is a bonding experience. This is not a book about bonding. This is a book about evil power:

The corps were rich enough to provide for everyone. They chose not to, because the existence of places like the labor camps outside São Paulo ensured there was a life worse than the one they offered. If you gave people mashed protein cakes when their only other option was to eat horseshit, they would call you a hero and happily eat your tasteless mash.
Hurley, Kameron. The Light Brigade (pp. 244-245). Gallery / Saga Press. Kindle Edition.

It's hateful wickedness, all the way around, with no escaping.

Here's the science hook: transporter technology has been developed, somewhat along the lines of the transporter in Star Trek. Troops can be transformed into light, and beamed elsewhere. And via handwavium, that permits time travel.

And that's all I could stand.

I am so glad to live in a society in which people can publish anything they want to. I don't have to understand their reasons. Based on my reading of “The Light Brigade,” I conclude that Hurley hates the military science fiction genre, and wishes to destroy it. Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

Her second trilogy, the Worldbreaker Saga, is grimdark epic fantasy that aims to subvert the genre's tropes such as the hero's journey. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kameron_Hurley

Yes, it is a GOOD thing that people are able to write, and to publish, and to PURCHASE works that are subversive. But that doesn't mean that those works are good reading.

And with respect to The Question: Is “The Light Brigade” a worthy candidate for the 2019 Dragon Award for Best Military Science Fiction Award?

Absolutely, positively not. I do not understand how this book has readers. I do not understand why this book was nominated. And if this book wins the Dragon Award, then the Dragon Award system is broken enough to be discarded, and replaced with something that will treat the field with respect.

Peace be on your household.