A Draka Strategos says:
"'...the OSS are just as smart and nearly as nasty as our Security Directorate.'"
-SM Stirling, Under The Yoke (New York, 1989), p. 116.
So Frederick Kustaa of the OSS might do some good against the Draka? - like James Bond of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) against SMERSH and SPECTRE or like Dominic Flandry of Terran Intelligence against Merseia?
Just when we thought that the Draka had beaten down the Europeans, we learn that there is still some organized secret resistance with recognition-codes and now we learn that the OSS, as represented by Kustaa who, for all we knew, was killed earlier, is involved. But I will not let my hopes get raised. This is a dystopian series with two more volumes to come. We can rely on Bond or Flandry to win, even though Fleming tried to kill Bond and Anderson made us think that he was killing Flandry, but that is not how Stirling is writing this series. Sometimes things get worse before they get better and sometimes they only get worse - and bitter. I do not know how Under The Yoke will end but am not confident of a happy ending.
4 comments:
Kao, Paul!
I WILL restrain myself from spilling any beans about THE STONE DOGS or DRAKON! But, I will say I agree with the analogy you made comparing Stirling's OSS with Fleming's British Secret Service and Anderson's Imperial Naval Intelligence Corps. And with our timeline's OSS and CIA.
One think I recall from Frederick Gustaa's meeting with the French/European Underground Resistance leader was how the latter said the Resistance had to become like the Draka in some ways if they were to have any hope of being effective. That is, the Resistance had to learn to think and plan for the very long term, even factoring in a complete Draka conquest of the world in their calculations.
Sean
Kaor, Paul and Sean,
Isn't the name Kustaa with a K? Do I misremember, did you make a mistake or are there different editions with a changed name?
Best Regards,
Nicholas D. Rosen
Kaor, Nicholas!
I checked my copy of UNDER THE YOKE and Frederick KUSTAA's name is spelled the way I put it in capitals. And, dang, I see now I made an annoying mistake in my previous note: GUSTAA, instead of KUSTAA. Drat!
Btw, I'm currently reread Poul Anderson's A CIRCUS OF HELLS. I far prefer reasonably decent and normal people like Dominic Flandry and normal states like the Terran Empire. NOT the Draka and their Domination!
Sean
Nicholas,
Mistake corrected. Thank you.
Paul.
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