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Lone Star Planet
Lone Star Planet
The story of a junior diplomat and his first posting to a planet of Texans whose dinosaur-sized cattle have to be herded with tanks, and whose system of government derives its character from Mencken's 1924 essay "The Malevolent Jobholder," -- a system under which the killing of a practicing politician is considered justifiable homicide!
Book Excerpt
killed trouble."
So he was a bodyguard ... and I wondered what else he was. One thing, it would take him forty-two years to send a radio message back to Luna, and I could keep track of any other messages he sent, in letters or on tape, by ships. In the end, I transcribed my own tape, and settled down to laying out my three weeks' study-course on my new post.
I found, however, that the whole thing could be learned in a few hours. The rest of what I had was duplication, some of it contradictory, and it all boiled down to this:
Capella IV had been settled during the first wave of extrasolar colonization, after the Fourth World--or First Interplanetary--War. Some time around 2100. The settlers had come from a place in North America called Texas, one of the old United States. They had a lengthy history--independent republic, admission to the United States, secession from the United States, reconquest by the United States, and general intransigence under the United States, the United Nations a
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A solid 4-star story. A bit silly on the Texas emulation side of things, and I didn't care for some of the foul language used. Other than that, a solid read.
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When Texas got fed up with government interference in state business, the entire state left Earth (taking the Alamo with them) and settled on New Texas. The Solar League would like New Texas to join to help defend against the encroaching z'Straff, but the planet likes its independence. When the League's ambassador is murdered, the League sends an out-of-favor jr. diplomat, hoping for another murder and a pretense for taking over the planet.
Any time an author manages to create a wacko culture and keep everything straight while telling an interesting story, I have to rate the story high.
Any time an author manages to create a wacko culture and keep everything straight while telling an interesting story, I have to rate the story high.
03/30/2015
Ich ware dafur, dass wir die Rotationsgeschwindigkeit der Erde ein wenig drelsosn, so dass wir velcliieht statt 24h den Tag auf 36h verlangern Damit sollte ein entsprechender Zeitgewinn fur alle herausspringen. Damit das Ganze dann arbeitnehmerfreundlich wird, kurzen wir im Gegenzug die Woche um 1 Tag, womit z.B. der Montag wegfallen konnte (den ja eh niemand mag).Im Schnitt denke ich, ware eine solche Losung durchaus interessant, wenn auch geologisch gesehen hochst ungesund fur alles Leben auf der Erde
12/24/2014
This story is good old-school science fiction. The protagonist wins the day ith brains and braun.
12/10/2013
Yeeee haw! OK, it's an entire planet run by Texans, using frontier law. Once you can suspend your disbelief over that one it's a pretty entertaining bit of space opera.
07/11/2006
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