Teaser

The Antares supernova has reshaped the galaxy. The foldlines used for faster-than-light travel have been twisted and severed, leaving entire worlds cut off from civilisation . . .

Review

The obvious way to start this review is with a confession. This is the middle book of a trilogy, and I haven’t read the first. Yes, I’m that kind of a reader. The secondary confession is that I saw the first book (Anatres Dawn) on the shelf alongside Antares Passage when I picked it up in Hay-on-Wye back in March. The problem with a lot of books, however, is that they don’t make it clear which book is the first in the series, so I read the two blurbs and made a snap judgement. Evidently, I guessed wrong, but that turned out to not matter all that much. Not only does Antares Passage open with a scene-setting prologue, the story itself is relatively standalone. I don’t know if I’d recommend reading the books in the order I have so far, but if this middle volume is all you come by, it can be done.

That’s the good news. The better news is that Antares Passage is a really good book. With its story of a ragged fleet jumping along lines from one star to the next, not sure if they’ll find a route home or great danger, it reminded me a lot of Jack Campbell’s The Lost Fleet. I wouldn’t put McCollum’s work on the same lofty pedestal as Campbell’s, but the fundamental idea is reminiscent. Or rather, prescient, given the near twenty years Antares preceded The Lost Fleet by. Foldines, jumplines, or whatever you want to call these space roads are far from the most realistic idea of space travel out there, but it’s an idea I adore nonetheless. It allows for a tactical look at the wars of the far future, while also making it much easier to visualise the long journies undertaken by the characters.

Another point Antares Passage has in its favour is the aliens. The Ryall, being reptilian centaurs, are firmly non-human, and one of the things McCollum does well is give them an inhuman point of view. Yes, they are impossible to negotiate with and want to wipe out humanity, but with a good reason. Not because humanity is evil or in need of destruction, but because the Ryall are evolutionarily and culturally predisposed toward competition. It’s a brilliant yet simple basis for what is ultimately a man-versus-monster narrative.

This was published in the late 1980s, roughly concurrent with Roger MacBride Allen’s Aliens and Allies series, and so I was surprised to see a similar pairing of characters. Once again, we have a married couple being sent on a dangerous mission. here though, it makes more sense. The couple are not in the same chain of command, indeed only the husband is in the military. Also unlike Allen’s work, both husband and wife play full roles in the story. Hardly an impressive feat nowadays, but a strong display of equal representation for a book nearly forty years old.

The ending is a little abrupt, with the third book not published until 2002, but it’s still a satisfying place to finish the book. That, and a few other rough edges here and there, can’t dim my enthusiasm for a fun little piece of 80s military SF. And if you need any more convincing, the Chris Foss cover is here to entice you in. I know it worked for me.

Book Stats

• Book Two of the Antares Trilogy
• Published in 1987 by Grafton
• 351 Pages