Sergeant Kendra Pacelli is innocent, but that doesn't matter to the repressive government pursuing her. Mistakes might be made, but they are never acknowledged, especially when billions of embezzled dollars earned from illegal weapons sales are at stake. But where does one run when all Earth and most settled planets are under the aegis of one government? Answer: The Freehold of Grainne. There, one may seek asylum and build a new life in a society that doesn't track its residents every move, which is just what Pacelli has done. But now things are about to go royally to hell. Because Earth's government has found out where she is, and they want her back. Or dead.
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Product ReviewI regret to say that I had to put this book down after the first half-dozen or so chapters; this rarely happens to me, and I'm giving a second star for the benefit of the doubt.
There is a long science fiction tradition of plucky libertarian space colonies being resented by grumpy, government-encrusted welfare-state homeworlds, with an equally long tradition of fish-out-of-water characters moving from one to the other. (Your libertarian paradise has no nudity taboo, and its tiny, wise, efficient government thinks that prostitution is perfectly acceptable employment? Shocking!) Heinlein offered us this TANSTAAFL vision three or more decades ago. It's not necessary to laboriously explain and contrast the two political systems, or to lecture the reader (through various dreadfully earnest author-surrogate character voices) about the evils of Big Government and the superiority of the Free Market. This author is talking down to his readers, wasting our time *telling* us what a utopian world he has built instead of *showing* us.Posted on
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Product ReviewFolks! It's the attitude of the society that allows this kind of "Utopia" to possibly exist outside of a work of fiction. In our society a corporations officers are required to make decisions based upon greatest profit, The bottom line is the ONLY criterion, not service, not fairness, not even the obvious one that if you take care of your (people, customers, clientele) own they will take care of you. Hence the need for a monopoly, wherein you have to pay their price because they ain't no one else. (they got rid of or bought 'em out)
Small populations can help create the feeling like family towards ones neighbor.
A frontier society where you naturally pitch in to aid your neighbor so that your neighbor will be around to aid you when YOU need it. I didn't like some of the things my older brothers did to me as a child, but if my brother needs help I will help, sometimes without being asked.
Too bad that the rough translation of 'Utopia" from the Greek is: No Place.Posted on
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Product Reviewexcelent book,utopian,?no not realy,the UN?useless like any other political group
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Product ReviewAuthor never explains one thing: How did the human nature change that much to produce that libertarian utopia? There's a reason my country (USSR) failed with Socialism
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Product ReviewThis book is awesome! I have reread it twice.
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Product Reviewit was great
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Product ReviewAn awesome story and well written. I've read it twice so far, and I've bought e-book versions of all the Freehold series so far, including the latest tome!
Mr. Williamson... KEEP IT UP! GREAT!
I'd like to see more that takes place within the Freehold, though. Thanks for the great books!Posted on
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Product ReviewA good read because of appealing characters and fast-moving plot. The utopian society is not just idealistic, but unrealistic, taking no account of human behaviours, the selfish gene, the tendency we have to look after ourselves and our own first... but at the same time it's meant to be fiction and so I don't mind that too much. Enjoyed it!
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