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Ecolitan Matter #1-2
Empire & Ecolitan
This is an omnibus of two early novels in New York Times bestselling author L.E. Modesitt's Ecolitan Matter series, The Ecolitan Operation and The Ecologic Secession.
Major Jimjoy Earle Wright, secret agent of the Empire, succeeds all too well in overthrowing a military dictatorship--and the result is a new government inimical to the Empire and disgrace for Jimjoy. After two assassination attempts, Jimjoy realizes that his worst enemies could become his best friends. Fighting his way to safety within the Ecolitan Institute, he becomes James Joyson Whaler, Ecolitan, joining a war of independence against the inconceivably superior forces of the Empire.
Major Jimjoy Earle Wright, secret agent of the Empire, succeeds all too well in overthrowing a military dictatorship--and the result is a new government inimical to the Empire and disgrace for Jimjoy. After two assassination attempts, Jimjoy realizes that his worst enemies could become his best friends. Fighting his way to safety within the Ecolitan Institute, he becomes James Joyson Whaler, Ecolitan, joining a war of independence against the inconceivably superior forces of the Empire.
560 pages, Paperback
First published July 6, 2001
26 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Modesitt Jr.
197 books2,566 followersL. E. (Leland Exton) Modesitt, Jr. is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels. He is best known for the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce. He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts, lived in Washington, D.C. for 20 years, then moved to New Hampshire in 1989 where he met his wife. They relocated to Cedar City, Utah in 1993.
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 15, 2023
My preference for L.E. Modesitt's writing tends towards his fantasy series, especially the Recluse books. These two Ecolitan stories fit the science fiction genre, as there is nothing magical involved. Yet it is alike to the Recluse books in that a super achiever stands up to a series of challenges, accomplishing his goals by means of his focus, intellect, and physical training. Having read many of Modesitt's books, I am impressed in these Ecolitan novels with how he expresses the frustrations of a man trying to figure out and hopefully romance a particularly distrustful and conflicted woman. There is also a conflict in the hero's mind as he evaluates his relationship with the government he works for.
February 11, 2024
perhaps even more pertinent today.
How does someone with amazing and hard won skills move forward when they discover that their patriotism has been used in service of an empire that only values the products and not the people of its far flung colonies.
When his empire decides to waste his life and skills on a morally bankrupt and heinous action, their best specialist chooses to live. This requires that he change his allegiance and allow his body to be reshaped as his new home tries to stretch his mind and to live past the empire’s insistence that the only way forward is as slaves or ghosts.
This is an amazing story that rivals Dune for scope and excellence of storytelling. It is officially 2 books. Trust me, the combination is a magnificent opus.
How does someone with amazing and hard won skills move forward when they discover that their patriotism has been used in service of an empire that only values the products and not the people of its far flung colonies.
When his empire decides to waste his life and skills on a morally bankrupt and heinous action, their best specialist chooses to live. This requires that he change his allegiance and allow his body to be reshaped as his new home tries to stretch his mind and to live past the empire’s insistence that the only way forward is as slaves or ghosts.
This is an amazing story that rivals Dune for scope and excellence of storytelling. It is officially 2 books. Trust me, the combination is a magnificent opus.
January 5, 2022
Like many of Modesitt's books the theme here is "The only way to win against an oppressive empire is to be a good guy willing and capable of doing the most war crimes when backed into a corner."
Not as good as some of his other works (particularly Parafaith War which I believe this shares a universe with, or some of the Recluse novels that examine how this "Good Guy with more power willing to do what it takes" thinking ends up.
The main character is somehow both a psychopath, but also surprisingly self aware and caring about others in ways that were hard to buy.
Not as good as some of his other works (particularly Parafaith War which I believe this shares a universe with, or some of the Recluse novels that examine how this "Good Guy with more power willing to do what it takes" thinking ends up.
The main character is somehow both a psychopath, but also surprisingly self aware and caring about others in ways that were hard to buy.
December 27, 2016
I'm a sucker for Modesitt. I find them so...soothing. They're a bit predictable and have a fairly set cast of characters but somehow the changes between worlds and plots are always enjoyable.
December 26, 2021
read the 2 books within this omnibus separately. Good series but that should be expected from LEM.
September 8, 2016
After reading most of Modesitt's Saga of Recluce, I thought I would check out some of his science fiction. The Ecolitan Matter series had received good marks, so when I found this omnibus edition with the first two books, I decided to give it a try. Both books are heavy on philosophy and light on action, and have both positive and negative aspects. The major focus of these books is in examining the justification of extreme violence in the name of survival and freedom. A heavy topic.
In THE ECOLITAN OPERATION (published 1989), the story follows Major Jimjoy Earl Wright III, a brilliant and ruthless Imperial special operative, through a series of worldview-changing events, where his victory-at-any-cost methods get him on the wrong side of his own government. Unfortunately for the government, they choose to take a rather indirect approach to handling Jimjoy's termination, and he is able to overcome impossible odds to not only survive, but to take out a sizeable portion of the Empire's forces in doing so. Jimjoy ends up befriending (and eventually joining) a group of ideological independents known as the Ecolitans. This is an exciting story whose central character, while like-able, is hard not to condemn for his wholesale killing of mostly-innocent people. [3-stars]
In THE ECOLOGIC SECESSION (published in 1990), Jimjoy has taken on a new identity as James Joyson Whaler II, Professor at the Ecologic Institute. He proceeds to convince his new allies that the Empire will not abide their independence, and that they need to take the fight to the giant. JJ spends most of this book arguing for drastic action to be taken against the Empire, and ends up encouraging the development of weapons of mass destruction to be used on Old Earth. A love story blossoms here as well, between JJ and another Ecolitan with a troubled past. This softens the main character, but doesn't sway his hard-line view of the world nor dissuade his view of Victory at Any Cost. This second book was predictable and repetitive, hammering on the same issues continually. [2-stars]
Some aspects of these novels were familiar from the Recluce saga. The heavy reliance on textual sound effects, something Modesitt has toned down in his more recent work, was very much on display here. "Whzzz", "Thrum", "Crrrump" give reading this book (and many of his other books) the feeling of a Batman comic book. And your eyes can't help noticing a "AAAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" on the next page, giving good warning to what should be a shocking surprise. Another familiar aspect was the near-total absence of what the characters are thinking. Modesitt feels very little need to reveal the minds of his characters, so you mostly just watch JJ creatively solve complex problems without understanding what he is doing or why. This was something I had found annoying about some of the Recluce books, and I found it annoying here too. I would much rather feel like I understood a character's intentions before the act is done. And the same goes for his motivations and feelings. On the other hand, a very positive aspect of THE ECOLITAN OPERATION and THE ECOLOGIC SECESSION was the use of cool and feasible-seeming technology. From weapons to clothing to space flight, the tech here was right on, and inclines me to seek out more Modesitt SF.
The Ecololitan Matter series continues with The Ecologic Envoy and The Ecolitan Enigma (Ecolitan Matter), collected together in the omnibus, ASIN:0765308983 Ecolitan Prime]].
In THE ECOLITAN OPERATION (published 1989), the story follows Major Jimjoy Earl Wright III, a brilliant and ruthless Imperial special operative, through a series of worldview-changing events, where his victory-at-any-cost methods get him on the wrong side of his own government. Unfortunately for the government, they choose to take a rather indirect approach to handling Jimjoy's termination, and he is able to overcome impossible odds to not only survive, but to take out a sizeable portion of the Empire's forces in doing so. Jimjoy ends up befriending (and eventually joining) a group of ideological independents known as the Ecolitans. This is an exciting story whose central character, while like-able, is hard not to condemn for his wholesale killing of mostly-innocent people. [3-stars]
In THE ECOLOGIC SECESSION (published in 1990), Jimjoy has taken on a new identity as James Joyson Whaler II, Professor at the Ecologic Institute. He proceeds to convince his new allies that the Empire will not abide their independence, and that they need to take the fight to the giant. JJ spends most of this book arguing for drastic action to be taken against the Empire, and ends up encouraging the development of weapons of mass destruction to be used on Old Earth. A love story blossoms here as well, between JJ and another Ecolitan with a troubled past. This softens the main character, but doesn't sway his hard-line view of the world nor dissuade his view of Victory at Any Cost. This second book was predictable and repetitive, hammering on the same issues continually. [2-stars]
Some aspects of these novels were familiar from the Recluce saga. The heavy reliance on textual sound effects, something Modesitt has toned down in his more recent work, was very much on display here. "Whzzz", "Thrum", "Crrrump" give reading this book (and many of his other books) the feeling of a Batman comic book. And your eyes can't help noticing a "AAAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" on the next page, giving good warning to what should be a shocking surprise. Another familiar aspect was the near-total absence of what the characters are thinking. Modesitt feels very little need to reveal the minds of his characters, so you mostly just watch JJ creatively solve complex problems without understanding what he is doing or why. This was something I had found annoying about some of the Recluce books, and I found it annoying here too. I would much rather feel like I understood a character's intentions before the act is done. And the same goes for his motivations and feelings. On the other hand, a very positive aspect of THE ECOLITAN OPERATION and THE ECOLOGIC SECESSION was the use of cool and feasible-seeming technology. From weapons to clothing to space flight, the tech here was right on, and inclines me to seek out more Modesitt SF.
The Ecololitan Matter series continues with The Ecologic Envoy and The Ecolitan Enigma (Ecolitan Matter), collected together in the omnibus, ASIN:0765308983 Ecolitan Prime]].
June 18, 2013
Writing: 2
Story: 1
Satisfaction: 1
I've heard that you have to be in a certain mood to enjoy L.E. Modesitt's writing style. It might just be that I'm never in that mood because I always find his writing to be rambling.
The ridiculously named Jimjoy is a secret agent who has recently toppled a government under orders from his Empire superiors. However the casualty rate of the operation was so high that his superiors decide that Jimjoy needs to go and they send him on a "surveilance" mission to the planet Accord, a base where the Ecolitan Institute is located and thought to be rebellious. Then they try to kill him a couple times but Jimjoy is apparently not only just a sneaky kind of secret agent but also a matrix-esque Neo figure and manages to arrive unharmed.
His personality is arrogant in a weird way and they spend the first third of the first book with him denying working from the Empire at all but speaking in "hypotheticals" like "say I was working for the Empire..." It gets annoying quickly but it's less annoying than having him constantly referred to in pronoun form for the first few chapters.
I finished the first half of the first book and nothing really happened up to that point. I kept falling asleep while reading it so I've given up.
Story: 1
Satisfaction: 1
I've heard that you have to be in a certain mood to enjoy L.E. Modesitt's writing style. It might just be that I'm never in that mood because I always find his writing to be rambling.
The ridiculously named Jimjoy is a secret agent who has recently toppled a government under orders from his Empire superiors. However the casualty rate of the operation was so high that his superiors decide that Jimjoy needs to go and they send him on a "surveilance" mission to the planet Accord, a base where the Ecolitan Institute is located and thought to be rebellious. Then they try to kill him a couple times but Jimjoy is apparently not only just a sneaky kind of secret agent but also a matrix-esque Neo figure and manages to arrive unharmed.
His personality is arrogant in a weird way and they spend the first third of the first book with him denying working from the Empire at all but speaking in "hypotheticals" like "say I was working for the Empire..." It gets annoying quickly but it's less annoying than having him constantly referred to in pronoun form for the first few chapters.
I finished the first half of the first book and nothing really happened up to that point. I kept falling asleep while reading it so I've given up.
September 5, 2009
I had a hard time with the pacing of this book. Lots of boring stuff happens, and then *pow* we're in the middle of a quick action sequence. It was sometimes hard to tell when different things were happening in relation to each other. I never felt like I knew enough about the setting or the characters, and as a result had a hard time caring about them and what was going on.
This is a rare thing, almost unheard of, in fact. I never give up on books. Ever. And maybe I need to learn to do it if I'm ever going to get through my to read queue. So a little applause for me would be appreciated as a do something new for me. Here's to overcoming my OCD. Baby steps. Maybe I'll try the book again later, but no promises.
This is a rare thing, almost unheard of, in fact. I never give up on books. Ever. And maybe I need to learn to do it if I'm ever going to get through my to read queue. So a little applause for me would be appreciated as a do something new for me. Here's to overcoming my OCD. Baby steps. Maybe I'll try the book again later, but no promises.
October 26, 2011
This book was originally published as a duology (The Ecologic Operation and The Ecologic Secession...search under these titles for more reviews), but the transition between the two books is seamless so reprinting as a single book works well.
This book keeps you turning the pages with interesting characters, great action scenes, and a nicely tuned plot. If you are an avid book reader you will find similarities in style and plot to a number of other great series such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, Piers Anthony's Bio of a Space Tyrant, and Chris Brunch's Matador.
You might also want to check out The Ecologic Envoy which takes place 400 years after this book.
This book keeps you turning the pages with interesting characters, great action scenes, and a nicely tuned plot. If you are an avid book reader you will find similarities in style and plot to a number of other great series such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, Piers Anthony's Bio of a Space Tyrant, and Chris Brunch's Matador.
You might also want to check out The Ecologic Envoy which takes place 400 years after this book.
October 24, 2010
Overall, I enjoyed this book (or rather, these two books). But it did have some pacing problems. Several times I had a real compulsion to skip or skim for several paragraphs. But I enjoyed the world, enjoyed the characters, thought the plot was good even if it should have been trimmed. An ok book.
January 22, 2014
Actually two novels in one, the first book I felt was a little all over the place. However the tale evolves in the second book. Well worth the time and I'm looking forward to reading the next two novels in this series.
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January 17, 2016Ecolitan
April 23, 2015
Overall a very enjoyable book,however some parts of the second half were a bit slow.
Anyways,a good execution of military SciFi.
Anyways,a good execution of military SciFi.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews