Through Struggle, The Stars
is the first part of a military-focued science fiction duology by John Lumpkin.
First up: is it good? I’m going to say yes. If you’re in the mood for a hit of mil-SF, this is going to hit a lot of good points for you. It has well thought out, well described space combat. It has kinetic, visceral ground engagements. The writer has clearly done their research, so there’s a lot of cool, plausibly defined tech on display. And we get to delve into a part of the military sphere that you see less often in the genre (Military Intelligence). There’s valour and duty and blood, hard actions and harder consequences. There’s a story that kept me interested and turning pages. That said, there’s some flaws, too. More on that in a minute.
Our protagonist, Neil, is a young graduate of the US military, in a world where the US is now a declining power in a space-diaspora universe, uncomfortably wedged below China and Japan in terms of political power. Still, the US is out there in a universe with systems connected by artificial wormhole,s colonising in the name of truth and democracy. Neil is a little introverted, perhaps, and a little unsure of himself, a man trying to shake off the trappings of his adolescence. This works pretty well most of the time - as Neil learns the ropes of his new role in the military, so do we. As he gets to know his commander and her officers, so do we. As he befriends his lower-decks colleagues, so do we. He’s an accessible everyman, with a precise, thoughtful intelligence which means that the reader is never that far ahead of him in uncovering mystery or considering consequences. I do find there’s a tendency to tell us about his insecurities, rather than letting internal dialogue or external circumstance highlight them; for me that felt a little narratively heavy handed, but its not a deal breaker, and you may prefer that style. Neil is smart, a little naive, a little rough-edged, pushed into a pond and trying to get his feet under him.
In this he’s aided by both those above him, and some of his friends. The latter are a good bunch, and we do occasionally get to see things from their viewpoint as well as Neil’s. I think when we look at them in isolation, they work - having thoughts and feelings and needs enough of their own to feel rounded. Some of the interactions with neil feel a little flat, though; I was particularly flummoxed by a romance which seemed like it lacked chemistry, one where the characters on the page were wondering why they were bothering as much as I was as a reader. But the friendships, the banter, the camaraderie, the pivots from the small joys to the higher duties, these all ring true.
If we diverge for a moment, we can talk about space battles. Occasionally, Neil, being part of the intel section of a ship of war, gets into some scrapes. And those are marvellously drawn. Well thought out, considered, but at the same time having a tension and a pressure to them that makes every kinetic strike at once a tragedy and a relief. It’s a ballet of equations and superior firepower. I can’t stress enough how much fun the battles are to read, how quickly you’re drawn in, and how real it feels. The conflict is marvellously done.
I’m not sure the same is true of the central antagonist. They’re, well, just a bit of a monster, really. Some of the secondary challenges that Neil and his ship face over the course of the story are people doing what they think is the right thing, but the central pillar is one of psite and malice and just, general awfulness. Which is fair enough, in its way, but it would be nice to see a more nuanced driver for some of the problems thrown in the path of our hero, beyond moustache-twirling baddie. That said, the villain is suitably entertainingly horribly villainous, so I can’t complain too much.
The story is all military engagement, politics, mysteries and mayhem. And it’s no bad thing. You can chew on it happily, and have a good, action-packed time.I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say it’s entertaining, and an adventure, and that you’ll have a good time reading it. There’s all the duty and honour you can shake a stick at, some good heroics, and some skulduggery and realities of war mixed in there, too. It’s a clever, entertaining read, so if you’re looking for some Mil-SF, give it a try.
