In Death Ground
OCLC 36781354 | | |
Preceded by | Crusade | |
---|---|---|
Followed by | The Shiva Option |
In Death Ground is a 1997 military science fiction novel by American writer David Weber and Steve White. The story is completed in the novel The Shiva Option.
The title is taken from a passage in Chapter 11 of Sun Tzu's The Art of War: "In difficult ground, press on; On hemmed-in ground, use subterfuge; In death ground, fight." The original text is "圮地則行;圍地則謀;死地則戰"。
Plot summary
The novel is set in a distant future. Following the accidental discovery of interstellar travel via '
Following a series of three interstellar wars (ISWs 1–3) with different species (warlike felinoid Orions and their centauroid Gorm associates, birdlike Ophiuchi, the genocidal Rigelians, and the Thebans (explored in a prequel novel Crusade), humanity has experienced a seventy-year "vacation from history", i.e. seven decades of peace.
A survey squadron travels through a previously uncharted warp point and encounters a hive-like species referred to derisively as the '
Satellites left behind monitor the conquered planets and reveal that Bugs regard other sentient life forms as food sources; indeed the Bugs prefer to consume their prey alive. It is later revealed that the Bugs raise ranches of conquered species.
The alternative being "equal opportunity genocide", Terrans, Orions, Gorm, and Ophiuchi form a Grand Alliance, with Terrans and Orions as the senior members. The novel features long and very detailed space and ground battle sequences, detailed discussions of tactical doctrine, the ongoing arms race between the Alliance and the Bugs, and the development of interpersonal relations between military people of different background and species.
The universe and novels are based on the
External links
- In Death Ground title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- The Starfire Series series listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- An excerpt of In Death Ground is available for download or reading online at the Baen Free Library here.