The Steel, the Mist, and the Blazing Sun

Rating:
Summary: Truncated plot
Review: I find it inexplicable that this edition omits the first part of the story, which was published in Analog as "Ideology Counts" and introduced Arakal, General Brusilov and the rest. Taking them up in media res could easily confuse readers who did not have the background laid out gradually.

Rating:
Summary: Dated but still a good read
Review: Written by one of Campbell's Analog "golden age" authors, this is a tale of US/Russian conflict that continues in the remnants of civilization. It is good old fashioned space opera-a little neive and dated but full of action with a sprinkling of humor. This story has an "aw shucks", hillbilly flavor, that is a nice constrast to many of the "angst" ridden novels written today.

To my mind, this is the least of Anvil's works. His Horsip (Pandora's Planet)and Space Patrol (Strangers in Paradise and Worlord's World) stories are much more enjoyable and would appeal to readers of James Schmidt, H. Beam Piper, or Sharon Lee/Steven Miller.

Rating:
Summary: Dated but still a good read
Review: Written by one of Campbell's Analog "golden age" authors, this is a tale of US/Russian conflict that continues in the remnants of civilization. It is good old fashioned space opera-a little neive and dated but full of action with a sprinkling of humor. This story has an "aw shucks", hillbilly flavor, that is a nice constrast to many of the "angst" ridden novels written today.

To my mind, this is the least of Anvil's works. His Horsip (Pandora's Planet)and Space Patrol (Strangers in Paradise and Worlord's World) stories are much more enjoyable and would appeal to readers of James Schmidt, H. Beam Piper, or Sharon Lee/Steven Miller.