Teaser

Humanity marches to the stars, intent on claiming its rightful place as ruler of the galaxy. Yet there are those who would oppose humanity. Those who may have a greater claim to supremacy . . .

Review

If you’re a fan of science fiction films, there’s a good chance you’ve seen or are at least aware of a film by the name of ‘Enemy Mine.’ I fall solidly in the latter category. I’ve never seen the film, but I have seen its many imitators, with Star Trek: Enterprise‘s ‘Dawn’ immediately springing to mind, as well as Stargate SG-1‘s ‘Enemy Mine,’ which played on the title by having a literal mining operation involved. What I did not know until this month is that the film is based on a novella. This I only learned by virtue of picking up the book which contains it. Barry B. Longyear is a notable name in science fiction, so I thought I’d start with one of his short story collections. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across one of the best known titles in the genre.

‘Enemy Mine’ is the centrepiece of this collection, but it’s only one of four novellas, alongside a framing narrative comprised of speeches and voting records. Together, these stories tell of a humanity reaching out into space with a colonial intent, coming into frequent conflict with other denizens of the universe.

Though ‘Enemy Mine’ is the second novella in the collection, I’ll tackle it first. It is every bit as good as its legacy would suggest. I knew going in that it was about two pilots from opposing side of a war, abandoned on an isolated planet and forced to work together in order to survive. This is, however, only the start of the story. ‘Enemy Mine’ goes far beyond simple survival, chronicling not only the unlikely alliance, but the longer-lasting effects of it. It is a work of stunning empathy, showing the full human cost of war. As a bonus, it also features some wonderfully imaginative aliens, with both biology and culture treated with care and devotion. It’s not often that a novellas takes the time to think out the long-term ramifications of an inciting incident, which makes Longyear’s story a pleasant surprise. It absolutely deserves to be remembered for the classic it is.

The other stories in the collection are a mixed batch. ‘Savage Planet’ and ‘USE Force’ are both fine, if unremarkable, but ‘The Jaren’ is almost on the same level as ‘Enemy Mine.’ Tackling the colonial theme head-on, it shows us the war between humanity and an alien race known as the Shikazu. Longyear’s depiction of the Shikazu openly evokes pre-colonial Africa and Native American life, with the recognition that traditional ways of life seldom survive an encounter with an aggressive and better-equipped invader. It’s a stark and poignant story of loss and defeat.

When put together, these stories pain an unflattering image of humanity. The eighties were a decade in which the shine veneer of science fiction was wearing thin, and darker themes were creeping in, but Longyear goes a step further. His future Earth is effectively the villain of the first two stories, and only over time is change effected. His humans are flawed creatures, but so too are the aliens. They are by turns brutish and cruel, noble and sympathetic. They are, in short, just as well-drawn as the humans. Longyear’s stories are short, but he does not shy away from weighty topics, and is unafraid to leave the reader to interpret their own moral lessons from the words on the page. It’s exactly what science fiction should be.

Book Stats

• A Fix-Up of 4 Novellas
• This collection first published 1980
• 285 Pages