SPSFC Book Review - The Art of War (First Contact) by Peter Cawdron
Rune S. Nielsen is part of the EPIC Indie team of judges.
I really enjoyed my time with Peter Cawdron's sci-fi novel, The Art of War (First Contact.) This is not a cut, so it's still very much in the SPSFC competition (at the time of writing.)
I chuckled with excitement several times during the read, and that's always a good sign that I'm invested in the plot and the fate of the characters. There were some utterly brilliant scenes here and there, but I'll refrain from going into details and try to keep this review mostly spoiler-free.
Title: The Art of War (First Contact)
Author: Peter Cawdron
Genre: Hard Alien Invasion Sci-Fi Adventure
Pages: 429
Independently published: 2023
Buy the book
The story is solid and visual, and I found myself thinking on several occasions how easy it would be to turn this into a movie or streaming series.
If it helps, you can think of this book as a modern and much more realistic version of the Independence Day movie. Or at least they share the theme and setting (war and first contact) and we encounter military personnel as characters. Less so in the sense that this is an action blockbuster script…or well, give it to Peter Jackson, and just watch! Don’t get me wrong, though, there’s action in this book, too. It’s just that what drives most of the story is the day-to-day lives of the main characters in a time of extraordinary events shaping their lives and the world. It’s a story about people…and about the art of war.
Overall, it’s a well-written story. Enjoyable and engaging. And unless you specifically do not like sci-fi books about people in the military and/or astronauts, I think you’ll enjoy reading it.
A broader perspective
If you love to read books about Americans, then several of the main characters are Americans, and parts take place on US soil. But likely due to the author being an Australian, born in New Zealand, the characters have a broad view of the world. It was refreshing to see important parts of the book take place in Asia and Europe and to get realistic descriptions of life and people in these places, like mentioning the noise level found in the big cities of India. Still, to this day, the sheer power of the street noises combined with especially the multitude of cars constantly honking their horns was a unique experience for me...and sure made it very difficult to sleep at night.
I think the world could use more sci-fi that's not afraid of showing the reader that the world is quite large and that people in other countries have much value, too. Not to mention different perspectives that might one day help us fight a war against a superior enemy...like hostile aliens.
My reasons for choosing this book to judge
I was lucky that I was given a say in which books I got to judge (thanks, Matt!) When I picked this book as one of mine, I did so because I like military sci-fi and aliens (and I was provoked by the title!)
It better be good!
I guess some will think it is in poor taste to re-use the title of a famous and ancient book (you’re allowed to do this legally, though.) At least, I remember thinking something like, “This book better be really good, or I'll give the author a hard time!”
I read the ancient work of military philosophy, The Art of War by Sun Tzu long ago (he’s the “statue guy” on the cover of Peter Cawdron’s book.) And to this day, the original still has much to offer. I'd recommend buying and reading it (don’t worry, it's quite short and easy to read.)
If you'd like to know more about the SPSFC competition and our roles as judges watch this video.
After reading this version of The Art of War, I don't have an issue with the "title abuse" and if the new version becomes a hit, it could open the eyes of a new generation to the ancient wisdom of Sun Tzu. Perhaps get someone to read both a modern and an ancient text about…The Art of War.
The stuff I’d do differently
Being an author myself, you might wonder if I noticed a lot of mistakes or found the story lacking here and there. Not so much, no.
The only part that bored me was a section at the back (an appendix about scientific stuff and military tech.) Some might think this is the best part. I could have done without. Still, no harm done, and it's nice to know that the author spent time on research and getting this stuff right.
Had I been the editor, I’d have asked Peter Cawdron to leave certain meta-plane references out. Since his story is engaging, why not keep me reading and engaged the whole way?
I would not have given one of the astronauts a last name that is known to everyone who knows anything about astronauts. It drew me out of the story. Nor would I have made references to films like Independence Day. I get the meta-plane sort of joke with the characters feeling like they are in a movie. A feeling I’ve experienced in real life, too. But the difference between real life and fiction is that I’m still in my real life even if I have a meta-plane thought. Whereas in a story, meta-plane references often draw me out of the fun parts. I’ll think, “Is this book inspired by this or that reference? Is that why the author feels a need to mention it? Or, Don’t they take their own story seriously?”
Whatever the case, I’ll stop reading. I’d rather stay immersed.
I’m not in love with the title either. From a marketing perspective, I do see an argument for some of the coolness of the original work rubbing off. It sure makes it really easy to remember the title. But it has downsides. Some will be provoked or get confused. “I’m looking for Sun Tzu’s book. What is this?” And if a reader searches for the new version, it’s difficult to find. A search on Amazon (even including the author’s name) begins with a great many editions of the ancient book. You’ll have to scroll quite a bit to find the new version.
Still, I've made worse mistakes as an author and the important part is that I had a great time in the company of Peter Cawdron's words.
Now, I have two more books to judge! They'll have to be really good to beat this one.
