Since Lisa's busy writing book reviews, I figured I'd write one of my own. Currently, I'm reading Harry Turtledove's Colonization series (three books so far).

My favorite SF genre is "alternate history". I also love explorations of alien cultures. Colonization gives me both of those at once: twenty years ago, World War II was interrupted by an alien conquest fleet (the events of which were detailed in an earlier Turtledove series, which I haven't read). It's now the Sixties, and only three major powers retain their independence: the United States, the USSR and Nazi Germany. England is free, but much reduced and sliding towards fascism; France is part of the Greater German Reich. Nearly all the rest of the world remains under the dominion of the Race, smallish lizards from Tau Ceti.

In the experience of The Race, civilizations develop slowly, so when their probes sent back images of men on horseback wielding weapons no more advanced than swords, they felt they'd have an easy time of it. When they arrived, they found that humans had developed "explosive-metal" bombs, and the three abovenamed superpowers managed to prevent the conquest fleet from subjugating their territory; since that time, humans have stolen and adapted the Race's technology, becoming more of a danger. The colonizing fleet has now arrived, threatening the uneasy stability which had arisen between humans and the conquest fleet.

While I'm enjoying all the alternate history and cultural exploration, the books are tedious to read at times; Turtledove seems to think his readers have the short-term memory of an avocado, so nearly every bit of back story and current plot is rehashed ad nauseam (to the point where it feels like one is reading Mary Worth or Prince Valiant).

How many times are we told that Mordechai Anielewicz has pains in his leg muscles because he breathed Nazi nerve gas twenty years ago? Every time he rides his bicycle, which seems to be his only mode of transportation. How often are we reminded that Earth years are twice as long as the Race's? Whenever years are mentioned by or to a member of the Race. How frequently is it explained to us that the Race prefers temperatures higher than humans find comfortable? Every time someone (human or alien) enters or exits a building or vehicle owned by the Race. How many times are the physiological effects of ginger on females of the Race, and the consequent effect on males' behavior, explained to us? More than I could count, that's for sure.

And he doesn't just explain in third-person to the reader. Oh, no! Characters explain things to each other over and over again, sometimes to the same people. When nobody's around for them to explain to, they think the explanations to themselves! Further padding out the word count, Turtledove adheres to the science fiction cliché that aliens — no matter how intelligent — are unable to grasp the concept of contractions when speaking English. I can buy that their own language doesn't use them, but if Russians can learn to use definite and indefinite articles when they speak English, aliens should be able to learn contractions. (Ah, but then they would sound less stilted and alien, do you not think? That is a truth indeed!)

It's really a pity; the story itself is good, but a decent editor could have made it so much better. Had all the fat been trimmed, the first two books could easily have been condensed into one without losing anything save repetition. Of course, that would mean fewer books to sell. Who needs to write well when sheer wordcount will make the books look more impressive?

So, to recap: Good story, terrible editing. Low B- or high C+.