What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
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Adiamante
SOLVED: Adult Fiction
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SOLVED. Sci Fi: Enhanced Soldiers return to nature loving humans on earth who defeat them with psychic satellite network. Spoilers ahead. [s]
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What do the soldiers want in the negotiation? Where do they live?
Kris wrote: "Jacob, can you tell us more about the man - his age, personality, original job/skills/who he worked for, why and how he was chosen, single/married/parent, hometown, etc.? What title did they give h..."The Soldiers lived on the ship. They were returning to Earth from somewhere and had been gone for potentially centuries. They wanted to conquer the planet and install themselves, but they had previously been beaten or ejected and did not want to simply invade. They had their ships coated in the armor which they thought nearly impregnable (and was the name of the book).
The man was single, I think a widower. I do not recall any children being named, or if they were they were adults and lived away. It is possible people of the story lived very long lives.
From my recollections he lived in a smallish house/cottage in a wooded area, but within traveling distance to a small village. He did have some skill, maybe woodwork. But in my reading people almost engaged in work like they were hobbies. It was a post scarcity society from the perspective that there was some system in place where you had to pay for the total cost of any good or service, including the second and third order effects of that good or service. It changed the culture in a way that people curtailed their consumption.
I can't say what title they gave him. I do not believe it was a simple as leader. It could have been ambassador or maybe President. I *think* they voted him into the position as he had previously demonstrated competence. When he was informed of the choice he was not enthusiastic.
The author left many characters somewhat nondescript (I guess) to allow any reader to pour themselves into the character. The negotiator for the Soldiers was female. She was portrayed as cunning, potentially attractive. I think she flirted with him on occasion, but I don't recall anything coming of it. It was a tactic, nothing more.
There was a taboo of threatening violence. That if he said something to the returning people that could be a threat then they would be allowed to attack. It was pretty clear this would not go over well. Also his performance was subject to review pretty much continuously. During the story he is visited by people who ask him how it is going and they suggest that maybe he isn't up to the task.
Adiamante, by L.E. Modesitt Jr.?"In the far future, Earth is just one planet inhabited by humanity, the capital of a long-abandoned interstellar empire. Having renounced the arrogance and pride of empire, the people of Earth have built a new society based on a rigid set of principles that stress environmental conservation and nonaggression. Slowly the planet is recovering from millennia of selfish exploitation and the destruction of wars. Suddenly a former colony's fleet of twelve warships built of nearly indestructible adiamante appears in orbit and tries to intimidate the people of Earth into submission. The people of Earth will not surrender, but their principles also don't allow them to take defensive measures until the fleet actually attacks. Ecktor deJanes is the newly appointed planetary coordinator and has the terrible responsibility of protecting the lives of all the Earth's inhabitants. Somehow he must maintain his society's principles while preventing the fleet from turning the planet into a lifeless ball of rock."
Robert wrote: "Adiamante, by L.E. Modesitt Jr.?"In the far future, Earth is just one planet inhabited by humanity, the capital of a long-abandoned interstellar empire. Having reno..."
That is the book. Thank you.
What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
Adiamante (other topics)Adiamante (other topics)
Ammonite (other topics)
Ammonite (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
L.E. Modesitt Jr. (other topics)L.E. Modesitt Jr. (other topics)
Nicola Griffith (other topics)
Nicola Griffith (other topics)
Publication language: English
Date of publication: I suspect 1990's, I read it in the very late 1990s to mid 00s (maybe)
Audience: Adult, maybe Older Teen
Paperback
Cover Image: dark, big bold letters. Maybe with a space ship on the cover (large capital type ship, not a fighter)
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: a little pulpy maybe even TOR?
Setting Earth and orbit of Earth.
Protagonists: Humans who have developed a less obviously technological society, large cities have become eschewed. The highest ideal appears to live in some type of harmony with nature making a minimal impact. The story is told primarily from the perspective of one man (at least primarily if not entirely) who is selected to represent the planet in response to a potential threat. He is not happy to have the job, and in fact seems he would be very happy for someone else to do it, but it seems hinted that service is not exactly optional. I think the story was actually third person omniscient.
Antagonists: Also humans. They are (I think) cybernetic soldiers who were expelled at some point. Their ships are made from a material which is very difficult to damage. The books title was the same as the name of this material. Something like Adamtite or Diamantite perhaps.
Story: The children (the antagonists are sometimes described as being like children) send a representative to Earth who sort of negotiate with the protagonist. Eventually the fighting starts (this is very near the end) at which point it is shown the Humans from Earth have a satellite system in place which amplifies psychic powers and makes very short work of the soldiers. During the fight many humans on earth die due to feedback (?) and eventually enough no longer support the action that it is suggested the Earth wouldn't be able to fight even if some want to (some kind of democratic process was occurring even if only subconsciously).
**This part I am not certain about**
There is one last meeting with the SOldiers who are told they have to leave, maybe one day they can come back, but they aren't mature enough yet.
**Beck to what I am sure of**
Our protagonist has a conversation with someone and parts that were hinted at previously are now made clear. For his actions while serving as leader he now has a debt he has to pay to society, a debt so large he things he may never be able to pay it back. In some ways it seems almost like a communist thought process at play (from each by ability, to each according to need). Earlier in the book this debt had been hinted at when he had a helicopter/lifter/flyer (?? not sure what they called it) provided to him as part of the job.
Well that is what I can recall. Hopefully that is enough to let it be discovered quickly, I am google-fu'd out.