Aliens And Others

Poul Anderson presents plausible extraterrestrials. His Merseians and Ythrians are different from humanity and from each other. In particular, the Yhtrians' biology, as intelligent winged carnivores, determines their psychology, their social structures and even their theology.

SM Stirling presents a plausible alternative human culture. A Draka newspaper quotes a Security Strategos as saying that his skilled staff will keep captured Resistance fighters alive and screaming for weeks and the newspaper commentator wishes him well. One Resistance fighter warns the OSS agent not to regard Draka outrages as monstrous or inhuman. To think like that is to confirm the Drakas' own self-image as demons or gods. They are human beings.

While reading the Draka Saga, we can compare Communists, Nazis and Draka: three contending groups with different histories and destinies. The Draka, having separated their feelings for their families from their feelings for other human beings, must be about as bad as humanity can get.