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Imperial Stars 1-The Stars at War


CoverArthur Clarke said it first: if mankind is to survive, then for all but a very brief part of our history the word "ship" will mean "space ship." We will spread through space. We will build a colony on the Moon: if we had a government of courage and imagination we would have that in time to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyages of discovery. As it is, it will take a bit longer; but we will go back to the Moon. We will settle other moons, and asteroids, and the planets; and we will go to the stars. Where mankind goes, government goes.

It is no idle thing, then, to think about what forms of government we will take to the stars. We in this enlightened age think we know; but do we? We are, after all, no smarter than our ancestors. We know more, but that's quite a different thing—and we have forgotten much that we had best relearn before we pay dearly for what they knew and we don't.

—Jerry Pournelle

Cover Art by Doug Beekman


ORDER Paperback
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, December 1986

Distributed by Simon & Schuster
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Printed in the United States of America

ISBN-13: 978-0-671-65603-4
ISBN-10: 0-671-65603-1

Copyright© 1986 by Jerry Pournelle

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

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DEDICATION

For Stefan T. Possony: as good a friend
as liberty and civilization have ever had.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

EMPIRE by J.E. Pournelle was written especially for this work and appears here for the first time. Published by arrangement with the author and the author's agent, Kirby McCauky Ltd. Copyright © 1986 by J.E. Pournelle.

IN CLOUDS OF GLORY was first published in the July 1955 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and appears here by special arrangement with the author. Copyright © 1955 by Street & Smith Publications and copyright © 1986 by Algis Budrys.

THE STAR PLUNDERER by Poul Anderson appears here by special arrangement with the author. Copyright © 1954 by Love Romances Publishing Company and copyright © 1986 by Poul Anderson.

TRIBESMAN, BARBARIAN, and CITIZEN by John W. Campbell first appeared in the May 1961 issue of Analog Science Fiction. Copyright © 1961 by Street & Smith Publications. THE BARBARIANS WITHIN was first printed in the January 1965 issue of Analog under the title "Race Riots." Copyright © 1965 by Conde Nast Publications.

HYMN OF THE BREAKING STRAIN by Rudyard Kipling is in the ublic Domain.

THE MIRACLE OF GOVERNMENT by James Burnham was first published in From Congress and American Traditions. Copyright © 1957 by James Burnham.

TO A DIFFERENT DRUM by Reginald Bretnor appears here for the first time by arrangement with the author. Copyright © 1986 by Reginald Bretnor.

THE WHIRLIGIG OF TIME by Vernor Vinge first appeared in Stellar I edited by Judy-Lynn del Rey in 1974. It appears here by permission of the author. Copyright © 1974 by Random House.

NIGHTMARE WITH ANGELS by Stephen Vincent Benet is in the Public Domain.

THE ARISTOCRAT by Chan Davis was first published in the October 1949 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. Copyright © 1949 by Street & Smith Publications.

THE SONS OF MARTHA by Rudyard Kipling is in the Public Domain.

MAIL SUPREMACY by Hayford Peirce was published originally in the March 1975 issue of Analog Science Fiction magazine. Copyright © 1975 by Conde Nast Publications.

HERBIG-HARO by Harry Turtledove first appeared in the October 1984 issue of Analog Science Fiction. It appears here by arrangement with the author. Copyright © 1984 by Davis Publications.

FIGHTING PHILOSOPHER by E.B. Cole was originally published in the April 1954 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. Copyright © 1954 by Street & Smith Publications.

THE VOODOO SCIENCES and PART TWO: THE VOODOO SCIENCES by Jerry Pournelle first appeared in the August and mid-September issues of Analog Science Fiction magazine in 1982. They have been substantially altered for their first appearance in this work and appear by permission of the author and author's agent, Kirby McCauley Ltd. Copyright © 1982 and 1986 by J.E. Pournelle.

PAX GALACTICA by Ralph Williams was first published in the November 1952 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. Copyright © 1952 by Street & Smith Publications.

THE PROPER STUDY OF MANKIND by Jerry Pournelle first appeared in the Spring 1980 issue of Destinies edited by Jim Baen. It appears here by arrangement with the author and his agent, Kirby McCauley Ltd. Copyright © 1980 by J.E. Pournelle.

FINGER TROUBLE by Edward P. Hughes is published here for the first time and appears by special arrangement with the author. Copyright © 1986.

YELLOW RAIN and SPACE WARS by Adrian Berry appeared in the London Daily Telegraph and in the book High Skys and Yellow Rain in 1983. Copyright © 1983 by the London Daily Telegraph.

THAT SHARE OF GLORY was originally published in Astounding Science Fiction in 1952. It is published here by permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd. Copyright © 1952 by Street & Smith Publications.

THE STARS AT WAR by Jerry Pournelle is an original essay written for this volume and appears here for the first time. Published with permission from the author and author's agent, Kirby McCauley Ltd. Copyright © 1986 by J.E. Pournelle.

Research for certain non-fiction in this work was supported in part by grants from the Vaughn Foundation and the L-5 Society Promoting Space Development, 1060 E. Elm St. Tucson, AZ 85719. Opinions expressed in this work are solely the responsibility of the author.

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