
My favorite story in Space Dreadnoughts is Isaac Asimov’s clever tale, “C-Chute.” An Earth merchant ship is attacked by a Kloro warship. Some of the passengers and crew are killed and the survivors plot to take the ship from the Kloro prize crew before they arrive at the enemy’s planet. The key problem is the Kloros breathe chlorine and have flooded the ship with that gas except for the room the Earth survivors are held with an oxygen atmosphere. Asimov presents a divided bunch of survivors who must find a way to work together to retake their spaceship.
I also liked Poul Anderson’s “Time Lag” where a peaceful planet is attacked by forces from a planet both overpopulated but also running out of key minerals. Elva, a woman returning from a trip, arrives at her village just as the attackers strike. Her husband is killed, but Elva manages to rescue her young son and get him to safety before she’s captured. Elva is taken to the attacker’s planet and becomes the mistress of a rising military man. Secretly, Elva works to improve the conditions for the captives from her home planet. The “Time Lag” is the time it takes to travel from planet to planet…roughly 30 years. Of course, the aging of those on the ships traveling at near light-speed slows down. That becomes a factor in the resolution of the invasion.
David Drake edited three Space Anthologies:
Space Gladiators (1989)
Space Infantry (1989)
Space Dreadnoughts (1990)
I only have Space Dreadnoughts but I’ll be looking for the other two anthologies. GRADE: B
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- ix · Introduction: A Quick Look at Battle Fleets · David Drake · — ix
- 1 · The Only Thing We Learn · C. M. Kornbluth · ss Startling Stories Jul ’49 — 1
- 13 · C-Chute · Isaac Asimov · nv Galaxy Oct ’51 — 13
- 55 · Allamagoosa · Eric Frank Russell · ss Astounding May ’55 — 55
- 71 · A Question of Courage · J. F. Bone · nv Amazing Dec ’60 — 71
- 97 · Superiority · Arthur C. Clarke · ss F&SF Aug ’51 — 97
- 109 · Hindsight · Jack Williamson · ss Astounding May ’40 — 109
- 131 · The Last Battalion · David Drake · ss Analog Sep ’77 — 131
- 151 · Shadow on the Stars · Algis Budrys · nv Fantastic Universe Nov ’54 — 151
- 183 · Time Lag · Poul Anderson · nv F&SF Jan ’61 — 183