Crossfire / Nancy Kress

Crossfire

category: science fiction, author:

Nancy Kress

original copyright 2003

read in December 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10: read to pass the time

It's an interesting idea: humans caught in the crossfire of an alien war. I read the book and enjoyed it. But it is not great.

At least -- that's my opinion.

The characters are varied and well presented. Different views, different approaches to solving their problems. I find it all a bit annoying.

I like a book with a "hero". Or, at least, a strong author's view of what should be done. Crossfire presents a more realistic view, with people doing their best and hoping that it is good enough. Realistic characterisation? Or just booooring...

The author does seem to prefer the non-violent, sit-thinking-in-the-sun, vegetable aliens. As opposed to the shoot-on-sight, violence-is-the-answer, animal aliens.

But why?!

There should be room in even one universe for both dreamers and doers. Some of the human characters object to the war-stopping solution of turning the doers into enforced dreamers. The objectors argue that this is evil. It's more than that.

It seems that the animal aliens appeared, and started killing the vegetable aliens. Okay, that's bad. Did anyone think to ask why? Apparently not.

Are the animal aliens just naturally vicious? Was there a cultural misinterpretation of some initial vegetable action? Did the vegetable aliens do something so utterly horrible -- in the eyes of the animal aliens -- that vegetable puree is the only satisfactory response?

None of the characters even consider "root causes" of the conflict. After a thousand years of war, with no conclusion in sight, no-one even considers that, perhaps, there could be some room for negotiation. No, it's a straight case of exterminate or be exterminated...

I find that very disappointing. I also find that it weakens my acceptance of the actions of all the characters. The characters see only what is presented to them. They are given options that will effectively exterminate one alien race or the other. The humans do not try to look for a more acceptable outcome.

The crossfire idea is good. The human response is weak. I'd prefer a more imaginative response from the humans. And the humans are too fixed in their personal viewpoints to be particularly interesting.

Still, it's an interesting book. And perhaps there is a follow-up book, where the humans actually solve the alien crisis, rather than simply choosing which race to exterminate...

..o0o..

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