Shining Steel

by Lawrence Watt-Evans

On Godsworld, a colony planet governed by Biblical law, the righteous John Mercy-of-Christ swings his sword against heretic tribes, but the holy battle between rival sects is irrevocably altered when machine guns reappear

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

Also publishes as Nathan Archer

Reviews

[Joel Flank · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Mercy-of-Christ is an exceptional leader in the armies of the chosen righteous people of Godsworld, and uses all of his skill and intelligence to lead his forces into victory over the false believers of other sects of so-called Christianity. Hundreds of years after the only true believes from Earth colonized this distant world, many have fallen astray, but John will force them to see the one true religion, at the end of his sword.

That's until a small village puts up far more resistance then expected, with a high powered machine gun, seemingly brand new. Upon investigation, John learns that they traded for them, some tribe seems to have them to offer to any who have the resources to pay. Knowing this is a threat far greater than any heretic John's faced before, John investigates, and his quest to stop this advanced group of traders turns into a life and worldview changing experience. John needs to figure out how he can fit into the new world that's overtaken the world he thought he knew, and find a way to preserve the one true way of life at any cost.

John puts his adaptable tactics and intelligence to work against an enemy so far beyond his comprehension, that John will need to decide just what his most cherished values are, and decide how to find a way to win without sacrificing the very things he holds most dear.

This is a great simple premise of a sci-fi story, with both action, logic, and moral decisions, which carries some of the Lawrence Watt-Evens trademark of characters approaching strange situations and trying to apply their known world against the unknown they find themselves facing. The results of this area always an entertaining read.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are few SF novels with true anti-heroes, this is one of them.

Godsworld is a recently rediscovered lost colony, a trope that was once very popular, but less so today, that was settled by evangelical, white Christians. Shortly after that, the various branches began fighting among themselves which continued for over 200 years, turning the planet into an impoverished warzone.

John Mercy-of-Christ demands that perpetual warfare and poverty is they true way and refuses to change his mind under any circumstance. He does change a little in the end, he finds enjoyment in economic warfare as well as physical combat. He is a professional destroyer.

A dark read about a destructive person.

[Avi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed Watt-Evans' writing. It's clean and straightforward and he always tells an interesting story. This book is no exception.

[Amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shining Steel by Lawrence Watt-Evans follows John Mercy-of-Christ, a man born and raised on Godsworld, a planet settled by Christian Fundamentalists who then lost all contact with the rest of humanity. On this colony planet governed by Biblical law, John swings his sword against heretic tribes, but the holy battle between rival sects is irrevocably altered when machine guns reappear. The story explores what happens when a medieval-style religious warrior society encounters advanced technology once again.

This wasn't bad, but I'm not sure it was the best introduction to Watt-Evans' work. The book is heavily steeped in religious themes and Biblical governance, which dominated the narrative more than I'd anticipated. I went in expecting more science fiction elements, the futuristic setting and rediscovery of technology, but found myself wading through quite a bit of theological conflict instead. The premise is interesting, a lost colony reverting to fundamentalist warfare suddenly confronting advanced weaponry, but the execution felt more focused on the religious aspects than the sci-fi possibilities. If you're particularly interested in exploring how religious societies might evolve in isolation, this might work well for you, but if you're after Watt-Evans' more fantasy or sci-fi-forward writing, I'd probably recommend starting elsewhere.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not his best book by far. This is the first Watt-Evans book where I hated and wanted to reach into the book and strangle the lead character. This was a short book and it took forever to read. It wasn't a terrible book, but I have re-read nearly every book Lawrence has written but I don't think I will read this one again. The ending helps make up the struggle to finish the book. Would only recommend this one to true Watt-Evans fan.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the book is a sad little tale about a sad little man on a pathetic little world. The ending is a big change, but the transition is given short shrift -- as is Miriam, the closest thing to a secondary character and the only unpredictable element.