Heuristic Algorithm and Reasoning Response Engine

by Ethan Skarstedt, Brandon Sanderson

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

36 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2012

Reviews

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read this miltary sci-fi short story because Sanderson‘s name is on the cover. (I wanted to read everything Brandon has written, both unpublished and published, which I have now done.) In the foreword by Ethan Skarstedt, however, he notes that Brandon only made “minor changes to the story.“ And it shows. You can also tell that Skarstedt has a military background, which makes the story more authentic. There just isn’t a story per se, the action covers only one major assault to help an allied alien planet. The ending was sadly unsatisfying – what becomes of our characters can only be guessed at. If you like military sci fi, go for it; it’s only 35 pages long.

Side note: The eponymous HARRE (Harry) refers to an IA pilot.

[Twila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love military SF.
Very good.

[zerogravitas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a bit of a mess and not a Sanderson story. You can tell from the inner character perception. I'm pretty sure the plot is also developed by the other guy. While the writing is very vivid and visual, the story is a narrative disaster. The setting is interesting, the plot makes nice promises, but the ending doesn't deliver. Moreover, I'm not sure what the main point of the story even is. In fact, this story reads like a literary "character story" accidentally entangled in military scifi trappings like it fell down a well and couldn't free itself. The problem is that the story is about a mech pilot who combat lands into this hot zone and discovers it's actually a lot hotter than estimated because the robot aliens developed much faster than anticipated, so their weapons are more advanced. After much heroic battling, the MC's AI "Harry" (HARRE really) takes over with the guy's body inside to defend some position. So is it the AI's story? It might be but the AI isn't set up as the main character who's supposed to take over. The story ends uncertainly, in a sort of omniscient POV, and the ending doesn't say what happened to who we thought was the MC. So it builds investment into this character only to deliver you a dunno-what-happened open ending specific to literary. Ummm. Great.

Then there's the slathering of Murican hero who fights to save the world. His local allies are weaklings, there's a chick (his wife?) whose role is to cry over his self-sacrificing choices etc. It's a Murican soldier power fantasy, that's what it is. It's tone deaf and has no idea that there are other points of view. It stereotypes women, stereotypes third world people, and even the naming of the local alien allies is a super thinly veiled word play on "Palestinians". Good work, Joe. You're a hero. You Muricans save the world, it's your god given right and obligation to do it.

But the writing is seriously excellent military scifi. If only it had an ending that delivers more than some vague "theme" beyond world-saving power fantasy.

[Kevin Yee]

Defintely read Skyward if you haven't.

[Cynik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story. Bears a lot of similarity to the book Armor by John Steakley or Starship Troopers by Heinlein.

[Zyan Prestridge · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a short story in the book Armored for those who may be wondering

[Snakebird · Rating 2 out of 5]

mech, so confusing.