S.M. Stirling

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Stephen Michael Stirling is a Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author. His novels often describe military situations and militaristic cultures.

Stirling was born in Metz, France on September 30, 1953 to an English mother and Canadian father. He has lived in several countries and currently resides in New Mexico in the United States with his wife Jan.

Aside from the military, adventure & exploration focus of his books, he often describes societies with cultural values significantly different from modern western views, especially with a more liberal attitude to sexuality (lesbian characters often figure), in a sympathetic or at least neutral way. One of his recurring topics is the influence of the culture on an individual's outlook and values, with a particular emphasis that most people and societies consider themselves to be (mostly) moral.

In the past he has frequently collaborated with other authors, including David Drake, Jerry Pournelle and Anne McCaffrey.

Stirling is probably best-known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and the more recent Island in the Sea of Time time travel/alternate history trilogy. His novels Go Tell The Spartans and Prince of Sparta are set in Jerry Pournelle's "CoDominium" future history.

He appears in a cameo role with Eric Flint as a Secret Service agent in the alternate WWII novel Weapons of Choice by John Birmingham.

1 Criticism of Stirling
2 Bibliography
3 External links

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Criticism of Stirling

Stirling is known to be outspoken and drastic when it comes to his political opinions. He agrees with the conservative "hawk" position on the Middle East and supports market-radical socioeconomic theory. He has also uttered the opinion that the state of the world would improve if Islam would disappear, which has been interpreted by some as approving genocide of all muslims. However, he has made it clear that he is not a Christian and is not to be put in a basket with the evangelical faction of American neo-conservatives.

Especially outside the U.S., Stirling has been exposed to criticism concerning his Draka series, which in the eyes of some seems to glorify (or at least exaggerate the effectiveness of) a totalitarian, racist and genocidal society. Certainly, the Draka society in the books has unrealistically few drawbacks and weaknesses (except from a moral viewpoint) apart from a stated slower scientific progress (which does not really figure in or reduce their success in the novels). Also, their protagonists are described in a very positive light, as men and women of honor, even as they conquer and brutally subjugate a whole world.

Stirling has been accused of being markedly Anti-Christian in his writing, particularly vis a vis Christians and Wicca (re: "Dies the Fire" series). Those Christian critics probably also regard his positive treatments of homosexuality as negative.

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Bibliography

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Nantucket series

In Island in the Sea of Time the island of Nantucket is transported by an unknown phenomenon ("The Event"/"The Change", in the series) back in time into the Bronze Age circa 1250 BC (corresponding to the late Heroic Age of Greek mythology). The trilogy describes the conflict between the different factions of the island's population- some trying to dominate the world, others trying to better it- and the different Bronze Age civilizations.

Island in the Sea of Time (1997)
Against the Tide of Years (1998)
On the Oceans of Eternity (2000)

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The Change World series

Dies the Fire (2004) shows the effects of The Event on the rest of the planet- the world Nantucket left behind- a world where electricity and guns no longer work.

Dies the Fire (2004)
The Protector's War (September 1, 2005)
A Meeting at Corvallis (forthcoming)

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Fifth Millennium series

These are a collection of post-holocaust fantasy novels, in which civilization was destroyed (probably by a nuclear war) in something near our present time and new civilizations have grown to take their place. The novels are set in about the year 5000 AD. There are elements of magic or psionics present, but they are fairly low powered. Two additional novels in this series (Lion's Heart and Lion's Soul both by Karen Wehrstein) overlap these novels but were not authored or co-authored by Stirling. Shadow's Daughter by Shirley Meier is also part of the series.

Snowbrother (1985)
The Sharpest Edge (1986) (with Shirley Meier) (Later re-written and expanded as Saber and Shadow)
The Cage (1989) (with Shirley Meier)
Shadow's Son (1991) (with Shirley Meier and Karen Wehrstein)
Saber and Shadow (1992) (with Shirley Meier)

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Draka series

The Draka novels postulate a dystopian slave-holding militaristic (white) African empire (founded by American Loyalists escaped to South Africa after the American Revolution and later joined by defeated Confederates after the American Civil War) and follows its historical development through the 19th and 20th century. The Draka culture is remarkable for combining a strictly race- and class-based hierarchical society with near-complete gender-equality (including female soldiers in integrated military units in combat roles). Compared to current western society, nudity and sexuality are much less taboo among Draka.

The first three books chronicle the Draka expansion, starting with their invasion and conquest of Europe during the end of WWII (up to that point, the European part of the alternate history is pretty much unchanged) and leads over into a Cold War/covert war scenario where they face off against an US-led free World. The final book (The Stone Dogs) takes this war into space (and thereby into Science Fiction), and describes the final, apocalyptic nuclear battle between the two antagonist factions.

Marching Through Georgia (1988)
Under the Yoke (1989)
The Stone Dogs (1990)
Drakon (1995) (Alternate Earth scenario, Drakas try to invade our world)
The Domination (2000) (Omnibus edition of first 3 works)
Drakas! (2000) (Anthology edited by Stirling)

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General series

These are a retelling of the life of Belisarius, set on a colony planet with roughly late 19th century technology. Except for the first book, these are out of print at the moment (2005).

with David Drake

The Forge (1991)
The Hammer (1992)
The Anvil (1993)
The Steel (1993)
The Sword (1995)
The Chosen (1996)
The Reformer (1999)

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Falkenberg's Legion series

Note that earlier volumes in this series, starting with The Mercenary, were solely the work of Pournelle. These form part of the larger "CoDominium" series, that also includes The Mote in God's Eye by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven.

with Jerry Pournelle

Go Tell the Spartans (1991)
Prince of Sparta (1993)

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Flight Engineer series

with James Doohan

The Rising (1996)
The Privateer (1999)
The Independent Command (2000)

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Terminator 2 series

T2: Infiltrator (2001)
T2: Rising Storm (2002)
T2: The Future War (2003)

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Other Novels

belonging to series by other authors

The Children's Hour (1991) (with Jerry Pournelle) (Part of the "Man/Kzin wars" series)
Blood Feuds (1993) (with Judith Tarr and Susan Shwartz and Harry Turtledove (Part of the "War World" sub-series in the "Co-dominium" series, originally created by Jerry Pournelle.)
The City who Fought (1993) (with Anne McCaffrey) (Part of the "Ship who Sang" series)
Blood Vengeance (1994) (with Susan Shwartz and Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove and Jerry Pournelle (Also part of the "War World" sub-series)
The Ship Avenged (1997) (Part of the "Ship who Sang" series)
Jimmy the Hand (2003) (with Raymond E. Feist)