WorldFAQ: Jerry Pournelle's CoDominium and Empire of Man
Michael Martinez
WorldFAQ:
Jerry Pournelle's CoDominium and Empire of Man
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1]. Quick Reference
Jerry Pournelle began writing this "future history" in the
early 1970s in ANALOG: SCIENCE FICTION, SCIENCE FACT. The
Earth is united under a singal government created by the
United States and the Soviet Union which lasts long enough
for Mankind to colonize the nearby stars. These stories are
generally well-regarded but are classified as Militaristic
Science Fiction, emphasizing war, military organizations,
and conflict. Primary sources are Pournelle's books and
anthologies (see bibliography). The best known books are
THE MERCENARY, THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE, and KING DAVID'S
SPACESHIP.
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2]. Description
The CoDominium is a composite state created by the USA and
USSR in the late 1990s, intended to ensure world peace and
stability. It fosters a rigid system of development and
colonization of the nearby stars once FTL (faster-than-light)
travel is perfected for commercial use. Most of the
colonists are convicts sent to serve forced labor sentences,
but through ninety-one years (2020 - 2111) some of the
planets become self-sufficient and industrially capable of
supporting themselves.
To enforce its laws the CoDominium creates a Space Navy
which uses highly professional and well-equipped Marine
regiments to police the outer worlds. But as nationalism
and corruption rise within Earth's population, the less
valuable planets are allowed to fall away from the loose
empire. The Navy and Marines are gradually reduced in
strength and decommissioned units begin to sell their
services to the free worlds as mercenaries. John Christian
Falkenberg, the greatest regimental commander, accepts
decommissioning so he can work secretly for Grand Admiral
Sergei Lermontov in preparing the free worlds for the
ultimate break with Earth, which is bent on self-destruction
in a long-delayed nuclear war.
Lermontov's dream is realized and Leonidas I, King of
Sparta, proclaims the Empire of Man in 2250. Even Earth,
after it has nearly destroyed itself, is brought into the
Empire, which lasts for 353 years before the Secession Wars
begin. By 2640 the Empire no longer exists. By 2800
Interstellar technology is lost. And yet in 2903 Sparta has
recovered enough of its former strength and technology to
begin the formation of a Second Empire of Man.
For more than 100 years Sparta's fleets and Marine regiments
march across the stars, forcibly reuniting the old Empire of
Man, and adding new planets which never were in the old
empire or were colonized only in later centuries. But the
process of reunification is complicated when contact with an
alien species is made near the Coal Sack, and Man suddenly
finds he is not alone in the universe.
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3]. Printed Sources Bibliography
It is not easy to produce a concise bibliography for Pournelle's
universe. He has written a fair number of short stories, some of
which were collected into the book THE MERCENARY, and some of
which were published in anthologies, but nearly all of which
first appeared in magazines. However, he has also co-authored
two books in the CoDominium universe with Larry Niven and two
with S.M. Stirling. And then he has allowed other writers to
take over the universe completely in anthologies he has edited,
as well as several novels. To complicate matter further, some
people claim that HIGH JUSTICE and EXILES TO GLORY are set in
this universe, but not everyone agrees on that assessment.
Stories written by Pournelle alone (sort of in order of the
future history's chronology):
WEST OF HONOR, Pocket Books, 1976, ISBN 0-671-41137-3.
This book has been repackaged as Part One of FALKENBERG'S
MERCENARY LEGION, published in 1990. This is the only
account of Falkenberg's early career as a CoDominium Line
Marine officer. Contains a map of Arrarat (planet).
THE MERCENARY, Pocket Books, 1977, 0-671-80903-2.
This book has been repackaged as Part Two of FALKENBERG'S
MERCENARY LEGION. These are the "seminal" Fakenberg/
CoDominium stories, published originally in ANALOG in 1971-3.
Contains a map of New Washington (planet).
PRINCE OF MERCENARIES, Baen Books, 1989, ISBN 0-671-69811-7.
This novel incorporates two previously published short
stories: "His Truth Goes Marching On" and "Silent Leges".
This is a Falkenberg novel. Contains a map of Tanith
(planet).
KING DAVID'S SPACESHIP, Pocket Books Timescape, 1980, 0-671-43105-6.
This story was originally published in serialized form as "A
Spaceship For King David" in ANALOG in 1972 and as a novel
(by the same name) by DAW Books in 1973. Pournelle revised
it for this publication. This is a Second Empire of Man
novel, set hundreds of years after Falkenberg's time.
Contains of map of Prince Samuel's World and a map of
Makassar (planet).
Stories in which Pournelle collaborated with other authors (sort
of in order of the future history's chronology):
GO TELL THE SPARTANS, with S.M. Stirling, Baen Books, 1991,ISBN
0-671-72061-9.
This book picks up more-or-less where PRINCE OF MERCENARIES
leaves off. It seems to match Pournelle's style fairly well
but is somewhat different. As Sparta begins to form its own
military power, the remnants of CoDominium leadership try to
thwart the plans of the Two Kings.
PRINCE OF SPARTA, with S.M. Stirling, Baen Books, 1993, ISBN 0-671-72158-5.
This is a sequel to GO TELL THE SPARTANS. It seems (to me)
to be less similar to Pournelle's personal style than GO
TELL THE SPARTANS. Prince Lysander leads his people in a
desperate war against the CoDominium, which fosters a
rebellion on Sparta and isolates the planet in a last bid to
forestall the inevitable rise of a new interstellar power.
Contains a map of Sparta (planet) and a map of Sparta City.
THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE, with Larry Niven, Pocket Books, 1974, ISBN
0-671-82358-2. Originally published in hard back, I think.
This book is set in the time of KING DAVID'S SPACESHIP, when
the Second Empire of Man is still reclaiming the old
empire's lost colonies. Aliens turn up near the Coal Sack
and the Empire outfits and expedition to meet and evaluate
the aliens. Niven and Pournelle's joint style also differs
from Pournelle's solo writing.
THE GRIPPING HAND, with Larry Niven, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-79573-2. Also
available in paperback.
This is a sequel to THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE. Twenty-five
years have passed since the Empire decided to blockade the
Mote but now the aliens have found a new way out of their
system. Contains a chart of the Mote System and a chart of
the Trans-Coalsack sector of the Empire of Man.
The anthologies. I have only one of each series. Titles marked
by an asterisk (*) are assumed to be published by the same
publisher as whoever published the volume I have:
THERE WILL BE WAR, Tor, 1983, ISBN 523-48555-7.
This is the first of a series of anthologies. Only some of
the stories in these books relate to the CoDominium/Empire
of Man universe.
*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. II: Men of War, Tor, 1984.
*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. III: Blood and Iron, Tor, 1984.
*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. IV: Day of the Tyrant, Tor, 1985.
*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. V: Warrior, Tor, 1986.
*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. VI: Guns of Darkness, Tor, 1987.
*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. VII: Call to Battle, Tor, 1988.
*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. VIII: Armageddon!, Tor, 1989.
*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. IX: After Armageddon, Tow, 1990.
WAR WORLD, Vol I: The Burning Eye, Baen Books, 1988, ISBN 0-671-65420-9.
Pournelle wrote only some wrapper text for this volume, but
some of the best-known names in Military SF contributed
stories: Mike Resnick, David Drake, S.M. Stirling, Roland
Green, and others. The stories are set on Haven during the
Secession Wars. Haven is introduced in THE MOTE IN GOD'S
EYE. Contains a map of Haven (moon).
*WAR WORLD, Vol. II: Death's Head Rebellion, Baen Books, 1990.
*WAR WORLD, Vol. III: Sauron Dominion, Baen Books, 1991.
Books edited by Pournelle:
CODOMINIUM: Revolt On War World, 1992.
BLOOD FEUDS, 1993.
BLOOD VENGEANCE,1994.
INVASION, 1994.
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4]. Visual Sources Bibliography
No known adaptations.
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5]. Related Materials Bibliography
None.
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6]. Online References
A) News Groups
None. But Pournelle's works can be discussed in
rec.arts.sf.written.
B) Mailing/Discussion Lists
None.
C) Web sites
Chronology of Jerry Pournelle's Future History
http://www.math.washington.edu/~lking/pournelle.html
SF-Lover's Digest Author List for Jerry Pournelle
http://julmara.ce.chalmers.se/SF_archive/Authorlists/Pournelle.Jerry
Jerry's Columns
http://byte.com/views/jerrylst.htm
Larry King's Jerry Pournelle Chronology
http://www.math.washington.edu/~lking/pournelle.html
D) Online services
No special forums.
E) IRC
None.
F) Comprehensive lists of resources
None.
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7]. Maintainer Information
FAQ owner: Michael Martinez <mich...@swcp.com>
Last Updated: November 21, 1997
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