Teaser

Famed mercenary Don Slade has fought his way through many battles, but there may be no battle so fierce as the one to return home in time to protect his birthright . . .

Review

Like many of the best military SF authors, David Drake’s work is heavily influenced by his time serving in the armed forces. Specifically, Drake served during the Vietnam War. His Hammer’s Slammers series, comprised of numerous novels and pieces shorter fiction, draws directly on that conflict with its depiction of tank-driving mercenaries. Redliners is also a fantastic examination of how war affects the human psyche. Later on, his RCN series would draw heavily from classical history, transposing conflicts of the ancient world into far-flung future battles. Cross the Stars is an interesting hybrid of the two approaches. It features Don Slade from the Hammer’s Slammers series, but the plot is lifted almost verbatim from Homer’s Odyssey.

There might not be monsters or witches in Drake’s version of the story, but in his journey home Slade does come into contact with a weird little paradise world that would make Gene Rodenberry proud, but naturally has a darker side. Here we also read the thoughts of a group mind, bringing with it the feel of a Greek chorus. There are battles and escapades aplenty, and when Slade does make it to his destination, he finds a legion of men lining up to become the new master of his house. Familiar?

Coming from fairly early in Drake’s career, the writing is rough. I’m not sure if this is one of his fix-up novels, but it definitely has the feel of a book stitched together from different parts. In each scene, however, the rough edges enhance the prose. There’s a rawness to Drake’s writing that adds honesty to his characters. Slade and his cohorts speak like real people, and the conniving schemers are as nasty as certain real-life examples of their kind. There are no suave Machiavellians here, just people out for themselves. And so what if he is riffing on Homer throughout? Those ancient stories have persevered for a reason. They are still, thousands of years later, good stories. Good stories that can be morphed and melded to fit modern audiences. On a personal note, I also think Drake is at his best when he has a pre-existing structure to follow. There’s a reason the RCN series works so well, and that’s because there is an underlying truth to the intricate plotlines. Cross the Stars may be simpler fare, but all the Drake hallmarks are here.

One thing that can’t be denied is that Drake’s world is stereotypically masculine one. Women are daughters, wives, and seductresses. Later books do not show this trend, so we an put it down to the book and not the author. At the same time, men do traditionally manly things. They are soldiers, warriors, mercenaries. Don Slade is a violent man, as characters frequently comment. Indeed, his nickname is Mad Dog. Yet his violence is justified by the ext. When Don Slade does battle, he wins. Violence achieves every goal, is the message written here. Yet there are also times when the mere threat of violence is enough to do the same. Don Slade knows violence, and David Drake knows how to write it.

Cross the Stars may be tropey and rough around the edges, but these facts work in its favour. It’s a simple read, but still manages to have depth. Hammer’s Slammers is a foundational text of military SF, and Cross the Stars shows Drake writing what he knows best.

Book Stats

• A Hammer’s Slammers Spin-Off
• Published in 1984
• 342 Pages