The Domination (Hardcover)

Stirling is not necessarily trying to make a technically plausible AH here. his main goal was to take the worst of Western Civilization (chattel slavery, single minded quests for power, misuse of technology, etc) and let it condense and fester. He does that by having British Colonial Loyalists evacuate America after the Revolution and set up shop in whats now South Africa.

That said, there are technical issues that are troubling. The Draka seem to develop in a vaccuum. While I can understand outside forces not making much of a dent on the Draka slavers, I cant see the rest of the world essentially ignoring the Draka military tech advances. Also, I just cant see other powerful nations sitting back and doing nothing while the Draka gobble up everything in sight.

To truly appreciate the Draka series, you must view them much the same way you would a comic book. If you look too deep, youll spoil the fun. So, take it for what it is and enjoy the ride!

The books are an alternative history that chronicles the story of British loyalists who escaped to Southern Africa and formed an empire based on slavery. Eventually, they conquer the whole world. Stirling's novels include lots of sex, violence, and military exploits.

But ultimately it's a Master-slave fantasy, and not a believable one. A dominant upper-class that completely subjugates the majority of its populace is simply not the most successful form of government-- a large amount of human capital is wasted in the worst way.

First off, stupidity is a universal human trait, and political elites have historically often make more stupid decisions than normal because of their insulated position. Stirling's Draka characters never seem to make mistakes, and the Draka always roll over any opposition.

Second, Stirling fails to realize how successful democracy can be in motivating people, and how productive a democracy can be. Stirling's first novel of the three books included in The Domination is "Marching Through Georgia," is set during World War II. The assumption that an economy based on slave-labor could out-produce an industrialized democracy is ludicrous, and has been proven wrong. American industry vastly out-produced Germany in World War II.

Third, countries like Rhodesia and South Africa ultimately did not survive under Apartheid rule, and were not models of economic efficiency. Certainly, they didn't conquer the world.

Finally, Stirling interposes his alternative-history fiction with lots of sexual exploits, both straight and gay. I was uncomfortable with much of it, since it often was Sadean in nature. ...P>In all fairness, however, the fact that Stirling evoked such a repulsion in me is a tribute to his ability as a writer. Certainly, his Domination Books give you something to think about. I'm just vehemently opposed to many of the underlying assumptions of the Domination.