Earth Strike

Star Carrier Book One
Ian Douglas
Eos An Imprint of Harper Collins
$7.95

Book one of this series launches a war that Planet Earth has to win.  The Sh’dar an alien race of beings, is on a path to destroy anything in its way.  Earth is just one of the planets that are to be its target.  Humans know they are on the way because intelligence gathering organizations have relayed to the highest authorities that Earth is one of the objectives of this species.  The situation is critical.  Humans have only so much time to prepare for the onslaught of foreign beings
The novel appears to have everything that would make for an excellent science fiction tale.   It’s got military personnel, faster than light speed ships, aliens that are out to destroy anything in their path much like the Borg from “Star Trek” 
What the novel does not have is human characters that you really care about. The story is filled with lots of people, and the writing races along but I found I really had no one that I really have a concern for.  They are just military soldiers caught up in a war to save humanity. 
I’ve not read anything else by this author and don’t really want to because one of the complaints many readers and I have of newer science fiction is that the writers tell stories that are filled with great gadgets, lots of fighting, knowledge of science, but are lacking in characters that you empathize with.  One of the reasons authors like Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein are still in print today is they did not concentrate on the technology but rather how it affected the people in the story.  The populace was also believable and if it was a war with any creature from outer space you wanted the humans to win.  Here I really don’t care what happens.
Chris Berman’s “The Hive” is a much better read on the same type of situation because; you like and care about his characters as they face the alien menace. 
 
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Review by Gary Roen