Customer Reviews

The Domination

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Most Alternate History afficianados (myself included) are minutia fixated wonks. Because of this we sometimes dont see the forest for the trees. I recently read Stirling's explanation about what he was tying to do with the Draka Universe. I became a believer.

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!

I haven't read the original series that some of the previous writers say was even better, but even so this combined volume is a truly great work.
I can't take the Draka of my mind, even though I finished the book quite a while ago. The tiny bits of historical discrepancies mentioned elsewhere are nothing in my eyes, as this is a work of AH (fiction...), not a history lesson.
One point I'd like to make is many writers refer to the Draka as the ultimate evil, even compared to the Nazies. I disagree completely - the Draka did not decide to eliminate one kind of people of the face of the Earth - they enslaved everybody without any discrimination. They did not have death-camps, no gas chambres. So, in my eyes, the ultimate evil still belongs in our time-line.

S.M. Sterling is a fine writer, and a very creative thinker. However, I was unable to finish The Domination, and returned it. I am opposed to these books, which are basically a "Master Race" fantasy. (Although, in fairness, Stirling cannot be accused of racism).

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.

Dear Sir,

I bought your books because they started so well, with a good historical twist.

But as I was reading your different books, I kept thinking : OK, this is basically the same idea as that in the book I have finished. Anything new ? Nope !

Moreover, the treatment of the Europeans is plainly degrading, sutpid and not plausible. The Drakka could not have extended their empire in Africa so much in the late 19th century because France and the United Kingdom were already there and would have reacted strongly if the Drakka had moved.

Finally!!! The Stirling classic trilogy of the "Draka", has finally been reissued. Those who read this daring trilogy, will find themselves and their sense of morals challenged to the extreme. This trilogy is one of the most believable in the genre of alternative history novels. Anyone reading "The Domination" will be astonished by the detail and the complexity of S.M. Stirling's writing. His research and detailed depiction of this fascinating and terrifying society, cannot help but enthrall the reader. One's own sense of morality is provoked and challenged, while at the same time, evoking an uncomfortable identification with the super race called "The Draka". The most horrifying aspect of this collected novel, is that it is believable, had circumstances allowed. I was disappointed that the informative maps and chapter prologs, were omitted. This work has been out of print for some time now. It would have been very helpful to those first-time readers to have been able to read and veiw such deleted material. However if you're looking for a good read, you will not be disappointed. I find that many stories that challenge one's own sense of humanity, are afforded a higher sense of morality and introspection in relating to one's place in our world today. And how it could have been. One cannot help but imagine themselves in such a reality, and contemplate their own existence in it. The ultimate question put to us, "How would we all face such a Holocaust?" I especially appreciated how the characters grew in this expansive plot. And how the events of the storyline impacted them, and ultimately us. One cannot help but imagine who would betray the title characters of this novel, should directors be brave enough make a film production of it. I highly recommend this novel for those who are not afraid to have their own sensibilities challenged and provoked. Hopefully, we will hear more from "The Domination".

This is the first Stirling novel (actually a trilogy) I have read. I found it interesting and one of the most intense books I have read. It was hard to put down at times, then hard to keep reading at others. The premise of the Domination of the Draka and the Draka's rise to power encompasing the globe is a good one. The general timeline takes the reader from a Euroasian War (somewhat like WWII) to the near future. One of the most interesting things to me was how technology was "quickened" because of the constant drive to stay ahead between the Draka and the Alliance led by the United States. The characters are vivid and sometimes disturbing, Draka and the freedom seeking Alliance alike. I recommend it, but be ready for an intense ride .

The Domination is a relentlessly logical, pitiless exploration of an exceedingly dismal alternative history. The Draka are a bizarre combination of what present society would view as both radical and conservative. They are cruel, live only for power, its exercise, and breaking the will of all others, lack any discernible sense of honor, compassion, justice, or fairness (except as to one another), and appear in all aspects worth mentioning inhuman, arrogant, and generally loathsome. Stirling's battle descriptions are superior; some of his social observations about the Draka are repetitive, a bit pat and National Inquirer-like; and he is very good at what I think of as traditional sci-fi techno-babble. He is at his best in drawing evil female characters (he finds good people, and good, or more properly partially-redeeming qualities in bad people uninteresting, or writes as though he does.) In a peculiar way, what makes the book good is what makes it difficult to read: it offers a cynical, downbeat, well-nigh hopeless alternative history, that will make you wince when you hear a Southern accent, see a couple of lesbians walking hand-in-hand down the street, or pass by a beauty salon, for that matter. Deeply disturbing, but horribly fascinating, and compellingly difficult to put down because of it.

A tale of alternate history told from the "other" side.

Imagine a world where the defeated and expelled Loyalists of the American Revoluntionary War didn't melt back into American society or go to Canada but instead formed a country in what we know as South Africa. Imagine that they were later joined by expelled Southern aristrocrats from the American Civil War and the upper crust of European society. Imagine that this country is named "Draka" and that the Drakans are [rather upset], and you've got S.M. Stirling's "The Domination."

Draka, as one might imagine, is far different then the good ole US of A. First, the whole society is based on slavery. And not just some aspects of the economy, but the country as a whole is completely rooted in the slave culture. Slaves are an integral part of every aspect of Drakan life, including sex and pro-creation, culture and economy. Most importantly, slavery isn't just about captured/transported blacks folks : much of the Drakan labour force comes from people taken from their conquered countries. "Seeing" the Drakans turn people from every part of the globe into Drakan-speaking, sub-citizens is chilling indeed.

Secondly, the Drakans live under a different set of values as well: slaves are never seen as anything more then property. While they may be treated well by their Drakan overlords, slaves are, at best, favored pets. Women, on the other hand, are considered equals to men, and play an active role in every part of Drakan society: government, culture, and the military. Familys play an important role and homosexuality is accepted - even encouraged - in Drakan society.

For all of that, the major difference between the Drakans and everyone else is the mlitary aspect. While white Drakas play hard, they fight even harder. Every Drakan citizen is expected to serve the military, and almost from birth every Drakan citizen is training him or herself to absolute peak physical condition. They are lethal fighting machines, highly trained and each worth a handful of their enemy on the battlefield. Drakans never ask, nor give, quarter, don't believe in Prisoners of War (they either kill or enslave those they capture) and sneer at the American-lead alliance, believing it to be filled with fat and soft peoples. Drakan society and government is driven by the fundamental belief that Draka must expand and conquer everything it can, lest it be the victim itself.

In general, I very much enjoyed this book. Unlike some other alternate fiction that I've read, the digression from the "true" time line isn't immediate and massive. Instead, Stirling makes the split steady and logical. The first major, "world-changing" fissures come around the time of World War 2: the Draka enter the war, but allied with neither side. The result? A three way battle for... well, pretty much everything. From there, things chug along. There's plenty of action, with everything from spy games and hand-to-hand combat to nicely-detailed space battles. But there's also politics and intrigue, and the main characters were "good enough" for purposes of this book. Stirling even spends a fair amount of time showing us how the Draka convert the people of countries they've taken over - it's a fascinating process that helps us better understand how the Draka think.

There were a few small things that prevented me from giving this novel/collection 5 stars. The lack of maps, glossary, or a chronology was quite annoying. And Stirling's writing often portrayed the American-alliance in very contradictory ways: on one hand we're supposed to believe they have a slight lead in technology but on the other are far inferior (and soft) fighters who ignore the reality of what the Draka are.

In general though, those who enjoy alternate-history fiction will find this a surprisingly good read.

When I picked up the Domination, I had a great deal of anticipation given its renown in the alternate history world. And, while I still find the premise and the alternate history aspects quite interesting, I would not recommend this book and I have little time for it.

The idea of having a major world power deride from a European colony based in Africa is quite intriguing. What would it be like if that part of the world produced a major power rather than simply be trampled on by the existing ones? What if a society based on colonialism and slavery emerged and even rose to prominence? Again, it sounds like the great basis for a book.

Unfortunately, the Domination is more about some kind of anti-fantasy world where the bad guys always manage to win (to the point where they have incredible luck) and the world endures being slowly put under the yoke, with countless tales of futile resistance and mewling servitude. Then there's the many sexual elements that seem to permeate the story; this (...) ruins so many alternate history novels, and yes, I'm talking to you, Harry Turtledove. When you put sadism and an obsession with sex together you might as well be reading the Marquis de Sade. (And as for the one reviewer on the back cover who said that there were 'strong female characters'-why? Because they kill people and sleep with one another?)

All in all, the Domination and the story of the Draka would have been a lot better had it focused more on alternate history and spent less time dreaming up some kind of fanboy anti-superman saga. I guess that kind of thing sells better.

The Draka series is, without qualificaton, the best alternative/speculative/science fiction ever written.

I have been a reader of the genre for many years but cannot recall a work of this magnitude receiving so little attention.

Unfortunately, I am also of the opinion that Stirling may have peaked with this work as I have yet to find anything near this quality is his subsequent work.