The Forever Hero: Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, In Endless Twilight (Paperback)

Sometime in the distant future, Earth has achieved the stars and colonized many planets. However, the home world continued to suffer from ecological problems caused by wars and pollution. When the ecollapse finally occurred, Earth became a hellhole of poisoned land and sea, savage weather, and toxic ground fogs. The population dropped from billions to a few thousands.

The Earth colonies formed a Federation and later an Empire and somehow lost contact with Earth. After countless years, an Imperial scout rediscovered the planet and the ISS Torquina was sent to survey the world. They found a wasteland of scattered ruins, mostly uninhabited and almost uninhabitable. The remaining animals were generally inedible due to toxin levels, as were many plants.

In Dawn for a Distant Earth (1987), the Torquina finds two populations on the planet: shambletowners and devilkids. The Torquina crew captures an injured devilkid and tests his abilities. He is extremely strong with a high intelligence and a blinding fast reaction time. The boy takes the name MacGregor Corson Gershwin and is educated as an Imperial, becoming an ISS officer and pilot. He returns to Old Earth as a flitter pilot supporting the scientists studying the ravaged world.

In The Silent Warrior (1987), Gershwin turns down the opportunity to become Commandant of the new Recorps and instead leaves Old Earth to take command of an underpowered and overtasked cruiser, the Fleurdilis, to make initial contact with a previously unknown alien species. Later, he is assigned as the Commander of an underutilized and obsolescent refitting center and salvage yard. He marries Allison and they have a son, Corson. Gershwin also becomes active as the trustee of the OER Foundation founded by Caroljoy, his first lover.

In the third novel, In Endless Twilight (1988), Gershwin contributes to a revolution on Byzania to protect his house trees project. The success of that mission leads him to concentrate on psywar, preparing the populace for a radical change of viewpoint. The Empire finally decides to eliminate Gershwin, but they can't find him. However, they do move against the OER Foundation.

This trilogy may be prequels to the Ecolitan Matter series. Many of the planet names are the same, the governmental institutions are similar, and the technology is comparable. However, the connection, if any, is never made clear.

One of the inconsistancies is the Imperial capital. In this trilogy, New Augusta is a planet, whereas in the Ecolitan series New Augusta is a city on Terra. Since this trilogy ends with the planet New Augusta left unprotected from outsystem raiders, maybe the Imperial refugees fled to the newly reclaimed Old Earth and established a new capital city named for the old capital planet.

Another puzzlement is the succession of political hegemonies. After the ecollapse of Old Earth, the colonies formed a Federation and later an Empire. Moreover, there was apparently a Directorate on Old Earth in the interregnum after the collapse caused by Gershwin's disruptions. There are some indications that the Empire of the Ecolitan series, also based on Terra, was formed after the fall of the Directorate.

The colonists who settled Accord were from the Noram region of Old Earth. Possibly these colonists were descendents of the shambletowners and devilkids, maybe mixed with an influx of refugees from the Old Empire. Moreover, the New Empire may have been established by the spiritual (and genetic) heirs of the Captain on Terra, later incorporating survivors on the former planets of the Old Empire.

One final note: if this novel reminded you of Battlefield Earth, it may not be a coincidence. Hubbard's novel was published only five years prior to the first novel in this series. Possibly Modesitt felt that he could write a more realistic version of that classic scenario.

Highly recommended for Modesitt fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of individual daring, dedicated perseverance, political and commercial intrigue, and personal combat with a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin