The Domination

by S.M. Stirling

In this "tour de force" of alternate history and military science fiction, Stirling imagines a world where only the United States stands between the Draka and their dream of an enslaved humanity. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671577948
• ISBN13: 9780671577940
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Baen Books
• Length: 778 Pages
• Weight: 2.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A Truly Underrated Alternate History Universe

Most Alternate History afficianados (myself included) are minutia fixated wonks. Because of this we sometimes dont see the forest for the trees. I recently read Stirling's explanation about what he was tying to do with the Draka Universe. I became a believer.Stirling is not necessarily trying to make a technically plausible AH here. his main goal was to take the worst of Western Civilization (chattel slavery, single minded quests for power, misuse of technology, etc) and let it condense and fester. He does that by having British Colonial Loyalists evacuate America after the Revolution and set up shop in whats now South Africa.That said, there are technical issues that are troubling. The Draka seem to develop in a vaccuum. While I can understand outside forces not making much of a dent on the Draka slavers, I cant see the rest of the world essentially ignoring the Draka military tech advances. Also, I just cant see other powerful nations sitting back and doing nothing while the Draka gobble up everything in sight. To truly appreciate the Draka series, you must view them much the same way you would a comic book. If you look too deep, youll spoil the fun. So, take it for what it is and enjoy the ride!

Reading for the Brave!

Finally!!! The Stirling classic trilogy of the "Draka", has finally been reissued. Those who read this daring trilogy, will find themselves and their sense of morals challenged to the extreme. This trilogy is one of the most believable in the genre of alternative history novels. Anyone reading "The Domination" will be astonished by the detail and the complexity of S.M. Stirling's writing. His research and detailed depiction of this fascinating and terrifying society, cannot help but enthrall the reader. One's own sense of morality is provoked and challenged, while at the same time, evoking an uncomfortable identification with the super race called "The Draka". The most horrifying aspect of this collected novel, is that it is believable, had circumstances allowed. I was disappointed that the informative maps and chapter prologs, were omitted. This work has been out of print for some time now. It would have been very helpful to those first-time readers to have been able to read and veiw such deleted material. However if you're looking for a good read, you will not be disappointed. I find that many stories that challenge one's own sense of humanity, are afforded a higher sense of morality and introspection in relating to one's place in our world today. And how it could have been. One cannot help but imagine themselves in such a reality, and contemplate their own existence in it. The ultimate question put to us, "How would we all face such a Holocaust?" I especially appreciated how the characters grew in this expansive plot. And how the events of the storyline impacted them, and ultimately us. One cannot help but imagine who would betray the title characters of this novel, should directors be brave enough make a film production of it. I highly recommend this novel for those who are not afraid to have their own sensibilities challenged and provoked. Hopefully, we will hear more from "The Domination".

Put this on the shelf next to Brave New World and 1984.

Below you'll find a bunch of reviews saying how this "could never happen."... Everyone thinks that Hitler and Stalin and all the other evil people fell because they're evil. Stirling takes that silly notion that evil must inevitably implode and shows how plausibly false it is.Make no mistake, this is not a book for those of you who like the Hollywood ending. This is not light reading. This book is one of those types that you put down and you thank God, fate, or whomever that something like this never happened to us.Basically, the Loyalists from the American Revolution go to South Africa and create a neo-Spartan society (complete with pseudo citizen classes like Metic). This society speeds up the technological curve by about 50-100 years (depending on the book). The story starts in World War II and the Draka have technology about 50 years ahead. By the end of the 20th century, the world is approximately a century ahead of us.The skeptics say this is implausible. They obviously are not students of history. Science and technology is not like hopscotch, where everyone progresses down the same path in an ordered pattern. Societies build, innovate, and advance based on how much they wish to do so. A working model for a steam engine was produced in Ptolemaic Egypt in the 2nd century BC. The society of the time had no use for it, so it lay forgotten. China had gun powder for centuries before the West, why didn't they build firearms? The answer; because they did not need firearms. The speed of innovation is directly proportional to its demand and the Draka found themselves as refugees surrounded by a hostile Africa.The Draka also make use of slave soldiers called Janissaries. Skeptics say these people would rise up against their owners. Sure, if they had the hope of succeeding. They key is to convince the slave populous that they would fail and that there is no hope. Convince a population that this is the way life is and there isn't a chance to change it and they won't try. Stirling even admits that, early on, rebellions were common. Still don't think it is possible? Study history. Athens had a very large and yet docile slave population. They even had slaves fighting in their ships. Feudal servitude lasted a millennia, ending only because the lords abused the power, something the Draka rarely do. The underground railroad in the U.S. only took off after the Abolitionists provided the slaves with hope of freedom.The only point I grant to the naysayers is the fact that the two World Wars unfolded just like in our time. Obviously, Mr. Stirling believes that minor changes in history don't affect the integrity of the timeline. However, by putting us in a setting we understand with actors in which we're familiar (World War II, Stalin, Hitler), it allows him to focus entirely on the Draka as opposed to explaining a massively divergent setting.Read this book. My only regret is that I could not read some of the originals with the maps a

The Best Alternative History, Ever. Period.

This review comes well after the publication of The Domination and the primary purpose is to address some of the negative reviews that might otherwise disuade a potential reader. Most of the criticism is grounded on what the critics assert is an implausibly high level of technology in the Draka time line. Two points: First, if the negative reviewers had been afforded the original novels with their extremely detailed appendices, they would be fully up to speed on why technology advanced quicker in Stirling's alternative world than it did in our own. Second, no one can credibly claim that, given different historical stimuli, our technological level could not be more or less advanced depending on circumstances that, as Stirling did, can only be imagined.The point is, the first time reader should really read the original novels, then read Drakon AND then read The Domination. And, actually, the only reason to read The Domination is the teasers about the post-Drakon world that, with any luck at all, we will see in book form in the not to distant future.On the general subject of Alternate History, Stirling and Turtledove are both masters of detail and authenticity, and thus the leaders of this genre. I give Stirling the slight edge for one simple reason: he links, or at least gives himself the option to link, his books even beyond what his fans might first perceive. Consider this: His two most widely read and discussed solo series, the Draka series and Nantucket series, have a cross-time event as the central plot device. The similarities between the the cross-time mechanisms in these two seemingly unrelated series are not accidental, in my opinion. As a big fan, my hope is that we might someday be treated to a connection between these two series.If you are reading this review and have not read the referenced series, or Turtledove's alternate World War I series, all are really first rate reads. In this genre, they just don't get any better. Pay no attention to those who demand perfection--it doesn't exist anyway. Finally, these two authors like to have fun and they are very likely good friends. As one example, one of Stirling's principle characters in the the Nantucket series is almost certainly based on Turtledove.

Great Book

Hm, the reviewers below seem kind of nitpicky. They may not realize this, but in history, even a small twist of fate can have huge impact on the timeline.Sure, the Draka have more advanced technology, but why is this so improbable? If you had gone back 5-600 years and told someone that western Europe would significantly outstrip China in technology and power in couple of hundred years, you would have been laughed at. Or if you had told someone a hundred years ago that China will vastly outsrip the U.S. in technology and power in couple of hundred years, you would have been laughed at again. Yet this is what happened, and almost certainly will happen.Technical progress is a direct function of social environment and chance. Nothing Stirling writes is implausible as our own timeline.By the way, let's not be so chauvanistic about the Revolution and the Civil War. Loyalists lost because there weren't as many of them, and the South lost because they had less industry. It had nothing to do with the people's character.Finally, that Janissaries fought well is not farfetched. Didn't Indians and African Americans show great courage in WWII, even though they were so severely oppressed? Didn't Rome have many former enemies and second class citizens not fight well for them?This is a great book, written by a man who is incredibly perceptive and well informed. This is not a book for an intellectual lightweight or a those with a closed mind. It is a very intellectually honest book, and I would say, perhap the greatest science fiction I have ever read.