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Theodore Judson explores Military Science Fiction from a novel
perspective with “The Martian General’s Daughter”. His protagonist, the titular
character, never enlists in or is drafted by the military. The story is a
dystopian tale of a devoted daughter who watches the republic her father is
pledged to protect crumble and burn to dust and ashes. Using a
conventional flash-back flash-forward story structure, we follow the career of
General Peter Justice Black, the last honorable officer serving in the twilight
days of a globe-spanning empire. His daughter’s observations about the
nature of service and the dangers of corruption, in both the military and
political spheres, come across as fresh and unbiased since she has standing in
neither. Thankfully, all of this philosophical contemplation is couched
within a story rife with battles, intrigue and decadence.
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