Polite Dissent

H. Beam Piper was a science fiction writer who published in the late 1940s, 50s and early 60s until his death in 1964. Some of his best known stories include the Little Fuzzy series (despite the name, an excellent adult series) and the Paratime tales. Both of these sets of stories have been collected recently into nice thick omnibus editions. Most of his works can be found inexpensively at used book stores and on eBay.

Piper was an excellent historian and incorporated a great deal of historical information into his science fiction stories. He believed that certain patterns develop through history, and he incorporated this belief into his works. Many of his stories and novels were futurist versions of historical events including the Sepoy Mutinee in India (The Uller Uprising) and the Cargo Cults that formed on isolated islands following World War II (Cosmic Computer).

Piper was also one of the first science fiction writers to develop a “future history” spanning thousands of years. Each story and novel ties into this history. For instance, the Little Fuzzy series occurs early in this future history during the Federation Era – a time period analogous to the discovery and exploitation of the New World in the 16 and 17th centuries. Later stories deal with periods of empire and anarchy.

Space Viking takes place in one of these periods of anarchy. The Federation has collapsed, leaving planets isolated at the edge of the galaxy. A few of these planets have been able to preserve their culture and technology but most have fallen into barbarism. Groups of interstellar raiders (the Space Vikings) have also appeared, plundering some of the more isolated planets for technology and riche.

The planet Gram has done well since the collapse. It has actually prospered and managed to keep in contact with some of the nearby planets including Excalibur, Morglay and Durendal. A leading figure on Gram, Lucas Trask is a powerful man, but also a man haunted by the murder of his wife. He funds and later joins a raiding ship in the hopes of tracking down his wife’s murderer. Much to his surprise, he finds himself enjoying the “Space Viking” life and he quickly realizes that there is more to the galaxy than his sheltered planet. His band joins with other raiders and other planets, and the first glimpse of a new interstellar government is formed.

Space Viking is an adventure story with a hard science fiction edge. As with most of Piper’s writings, there is an underlying political message as well as some hidden history lessons. As the title suggests, this book traces much of its genesis to the Viking raids on Europe in the years after the fall of the Roman Empire. There are also strains of Weimar Republic Germany thrown in for good measure. There’s a little romance too.

For those of you who grew up playing the original Traveller, look at the names of the planets mentioned in Space Viking, the so-called Sword Worlds. These same planets show up in the Spinward Marches in Traveller — in the Sword Worlds subsector. I always thought this was a fitting tribute to Piper.

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