Grimmer Than Hell

This is a good collection of militaristic David Drake short stories. Most of the stories were written in the 90's, and most of them (but not all) are future science fiction. The first three stories are about THE FLEET, and cover the exploits of a company of Space Marines, who go on a lot of interdiction missions, and none of which expect to die of old age. The middle of the book contains a wide variety of different shorter stories, most of which are memorable. The last three stories are about a futuristic 22nd century cop "from the south", who lives in a world where cameras are as common place as in Orwell's 1984... but with super recording and playback + computer search technology that Orwell couldn't even have begun to imagine.

An absolutely great read, very little in the way of redeeming qualities, but very fast and interesting. It does extoll the virtues of loyalty, duty and honor. With that in mind, it is an excellent action book set in the far future. Those future Marines had ancestors at Belleau Wood and Tarawa.

If you love Drake's "classic" combat science fiction, and you missed one or more of these short stories the first time around; get the book. Each story measures up to the high standards that Drake sets for himself and which his fans have come to expect. You'll love this one, too. If you do not know Drake's work yet, and "space operas" do not thrill as much as they once did, maybe you should try something stiffer. Drake deserves your attention, and this volume is as good a place to start as any. Not everyone loves Drake's future nightmare documentaries. If you prefer Drake's softer side (or just plain don't care for hard core "realistic" combat science fiction), you won't find much pleasure here; route your attention elsewhere.

In a series of short stories, author David Drake explores the dark side of war and a dystopic future. Drake is a Viet Nam veteran and that experience gives his stories a gritty realism that shows through even in the more space-opera stories of 'the Fleet.' In his world, battles never go well, the enemy doesn't miss all the time, and commanding generals, admirals, back-room intelligence, and civilian 'suits' don't have a clue what they're asking for. GRIMMER THAN HELL is an apt title for this set of dark stories. Whether set in the futuristic universe of the Fleet, the monitored and dying world of Lacey, or even the wars of Hell itself, Drake chooses to show humanity at its best and worst--in deadly action. If you're looking for a light and upbeat read, stay well away from GRIMMER THAN HELL. But in a world where politicians continue to order soldiers into harms way, GRIMMER is a brutal and useful reminder that harms way can be very harmful indeed--not just for the physical violence that warfare brings, but also for the emotional damage done to soldiers and, at a more hidden level, to those sending young warriors into battle. GRIMMER delivers a few enjoyable twists, a couple of intriguing characters in Captain (Major) Kowacs and Jed Lacey. If you're looking for the kind of SF that makes you think, GRIMMER is a great choice.

I would usually read a book like this in one or two sittings, but had to break this one up in daily readings over a week due to the relentlessly "Grimmer Than Hell" tone of the stories. Not that I didn't enjoy the book but just found I enjoyed it better in smaller doses. I mainly know David Drake's work through "The General" series, so it was interesting to see the darker side of his writings. Be sure to read the author's introduction for background on why the stories are so much more cynical than his more recent work.Although this is a collection of previously printed stories, the only one I had read previously was the Draka story. I especially enjoyed the first set of stories (The Fleet series) and the last set (Lacey series).