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Codominium and Empire of Man - Jerry Pournelle's Codominium and Empire of Man

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From: Mich...@xenite.org (Michael Martinez)
Subject: WorldFAQ: Jerry Pournelle's CoDominium and Empire of Man
Date: 1998/12/24
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                            WorldFAQ:
          Jerry Pournelle's CoDominium and Empire of Man

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1].  Quick Reference

     Jerry Pournelle began writing this "future history" in the
     early 1970s in ANALOG: SCIENCE FICTION, SCIENCE FACT.  The
     Earth is united under a singal government created by the
     United States and the Soviet Union which lasts long enough
     for Mankind to colonize the nearby stars.  These stories are
     generally well-regarded but are classified as Militaristic
     Science Fiction, emphasizing war, military organizations,
     and conflict.  Primary sources are Pournelle's books and
     anthologies (see bibliography).  The best known books are
     THE MERCENARY, THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE, and KING DAVID'S
     SPACESHIP.
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2].  Printed Sources Bibliography

It is not easy to produce a concise bibliography for Pournelle's
universe.  He has written a fair number of short stories, some of
which were collected into the book THE MERCENARY, and some of
which were published in anthologies, but nearly all of which
first appeared in magazines.  However, he has also co-authored
two books in the CoDominium universe with Larry Niven and two
with S.M. Stirling.  And then he has allowed other writers to
take over the universe completely in anthologies he has edited,
as well as several novels.  To complicate matter further, some
people claim that HIGH JUSTICE and EXILES TO GLORY are set in
this universe, but not everyone agrees on that assessment.


Stories written by Pournelle alone (sort of in order of the
future history's chronology):

WEST OF HONOR, Pocket Books, 1976, ISBN 0-671-41137-3.
     This book has been repackaged as Part One of FALKENBERG'S
     MERCENARY LEGION, published in 1990.  This is the only
     account of Falkenberg's early career as a CoDominium Line
     Marine officer.  Contains a map of Arrarat (planet).

THE MERCENARY, Pocket Books, 1977, 0-671-80903-2.
     This book has been repackaged as Part Two of FALKENBERG'S
     MERCENARY LEGION.  These are the "seminal" Fakenberg/
     CoDominium stories, published originally in ANALOG in 1971-3.
     Contains a map of New Washington (planet).

PRINCE OF MERCENARIES, Baen Books, 1989, ISBN 0-671-69811-7.
     This novel incorporates two previously published short
     stories: "His Truth Goes Marching On" and "Silent Leges".
     This is a Falkenberg novel.  Contains a map of Tanith
     (planet).

KING DAVID'S SPACESHIP, Pocket Books Timescape, 1980, 0-671-43105-6.
     This story was originally published in serialized form as "A
     Spaceship For King David" in ANALOG in 1972 and as a novel
     (by the same name) by DAW Books in 1973.  Pournelle revised
     it for this publication.  This is a Second Empire of Man
     novel, set hundreds of years after Falkenberg's time.
     Contains of map of Prince Samuel's World and a map of
     Makassar (planet).


Stories in which Pournelle collaborated with other authors (sort
of in order of the future history's chronology):

GO TELL THE SPARTANS, with S.M. Stirling, Baen Books, 1991,ISBN
0-671-72061-9.
     This book picks up more-or-less where PRINCE OF MERCENARIES
     leaves off.  It seems to match Pournelle's style fairly well
     but is somewhat different.  As Sparta begins to form its own
     military power, the remnants of CoDominium leadership try to
     thwart the plans of the Two Kings.

PRINCE OF SPARTA, with S.M. Stirling, Baen Books, 1993, ISBN 0-671-72158-5.
     This is a sequel to GO TELL THE SPARTANS.  It seems (to me)
     to be less similar to Pournelle's personal style than GO
     TELL THE SPARTANS.  Prince Lysander leads his people in a
     desperate war against the CoDominium, which fosters a
     rebellion on Sparta and isolates the planet in a last bid to
     forestall the inevitable rise of a new interstellar power.
     Contains a map of Sparta (planet) and a map of Sparta City.

THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE, with Larry Niven, Pocket Books, 1974, ISBN
0-671-82358-2.  Originally published in hard back, I think.
     This book is set in the time of KING DAVID'S SPACESHIP, when
     the Second Empire of Man is still reclaiming the old
     empire's lost colonies.  Aliens turn up near the Coal Sack
     and the Empire outfits and expedition to meet and evaluate
     the aliens.  Niven and Pournelle's joint style also differs
     from Pournelle's solo writing.

THE GRIPPING HAND, with Larry Niven, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-79573-2.
Also
available in paperback.
     This is a sequel to THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE.  Twenty-five
     years have passed since the Empire decided to blockade the
     Mote but now the aliens have found a new way out of their
     system.  Contains a chart of the Mote System and a chart of
     the Trans-Coalsack sector of the Empire of Man.


The anthologies.  I have only one of each series.  Titles marked
by an asterisk (*) are assumed to be published by the same
publisher as whoever published the volume I have:

THERE WILL BE WAR, Tor, 1983, ISBN 523-48555-7.
     This is the first of a series of anthologies.  Only some of
     the stories in these books relate to the CoDominium/Empire
     of Man universe.  "His Truth Goes Marching On" deals with
     some of the officers who later join Falkenberg.

*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. III: Blood and Iron, Tor, 1984.  Contains
a discarded chapter from THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE.

*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. V: Warrior, Tor, 1986.  Contains an early
Co-Dominium story with Vice-Admiral Lermonov and Senator Grant,
"He Fell Into A Dark Hole".

*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. VII: Call To Battle.

*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. VIII: Armageddon.

*THERE WILL BE WAR, Vol. IX: After Armageddon.


WAR WORLD, Vol I: The Burning Eye, Baen Books, 1988, ISBN 0-671-65420-9.
     Pournelle wrote only some wrapper text for this volume, but
     some of the best-known names in Military SF contributed
     stories: Mike Resnick, David Drake, S.M. Stirling, Roland
     Green, and others.  The stories are set on Haven during the
     Secession Wars.  Haven is introduced in THE MOTE IN GOD'S
     EYE.  Contains a map of Haven (moon).

     Some of the stories are during the late Co-dominmium period,
     setting up groups, situations, and locations which will be
     used later  in the series.

*WAR WORLD, Vol. II: Death's Head Rebellion, Baen Books, 1990.
*WAR WORLD, Vol. III: Sauron Dominion, Baen Books, 1991.

Books edited by Pournelle:

CODOMINIUM:  Revolt On War World, 1992.  Set on Haven.
BLOOD FEUDS, 1993.  Set on Haven.
BLOOD VENGEANCE,1994.  Set on Haven.
INVASION, 1994.  Set on Haven.
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3].  Visual Sources Bibliography

No known adaptations.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4].  Related Materials Bibliography

None.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5].  Online References

     A)   News Groups

          None.  But Pournelle's works can be discussed in
          rec.arts.sf.written.  His worlds can be discussed
          in alt.fan.created-worlds.

     B)   Mailing/Discussion Lists

          None.

     C)   Web sites

          Chronology of Jerry Pournelle's Future History
          http://www.math.washington.edu/~lking/pournelle.html

          SF-Lover's Digest Author List for Jerry Pournelle

http://julmara.ce.chalmers.se/SF_archive/Authorlists/Pournelle.Jerry

          Jerry's Columns
          http://byte.com/views/jerrylst.htm
          NOTE: I do not know how long the Byte Web site will be left
online
          in the wake of the magazine's closure.

          Jerry is now a contributor for:
          http://www.intellectualcapital.com/

          Chaos Manor's Home Page
          http://www.jerrypournelle.com/

          Larry King's Jerry Pournelle Chronology
          http://www.math.washington.edu/~lking/pournelle.html

          Livraria Arcadia - Jerry Pournelle
          http://www.elisium.com/arcadia/scifi/pournelle.html
          En Espanol

          CoDominium Headquarters
          http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/heinlein/326/

          Not Larry Pournelle
          http://www.english.uiuc.edu/vaughn/english120/pournelle.htm
          An essay reviewing Pournelle's fiction.

     D)   Online services

          No special forums.

     E)   IRC

          None.

     F)   Comprehensive lists of resources

          None.
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6].  Description

     The CoDominium is a composite state created by the USA and
     USSR in the late 1990s, intended to ensure world peace and
     stability.  It fosters a rigid system of development and
     colonization of the nearby stars once FTL (faster-than-light)
     travel is perfected for commercial use.  Most of the
     colonists are convicts sent to serve forced labor sentences,
     but through ninety-one years (2020 - 2111) some of the
     planets become self-sufficient and industrially capable of
     supporting themselves.

     To enforce its laws the CoDominium creates a Space Navy
     which uses highly professional and well-equipped Marine
     regiments to police the outer worlds.  But as nationalism
     and corruption rise within Earth's population, the less
     valuable planets are allowed to fall away from the loose
     empire.  The Navy and Marines are gradually reduced in
     strength and decommissioned units begin to sell their
     services to the free worlds as mercenaries.  John Christian
     Falkenberg, the greatest regimental commander, accepts
     decommissioning so he can work secretly for Grand Admiral
     Sergei Lermontov in preparing the free worlds for the
     ultimate break with Earth, which is bent on self-destruction
     in a long-delayed nuclear war.

     Lermontov's dream is realized and Leonidas I, King of
     Sparta, proclaims the Empire of Man in 2250.  Even Earth,
     after it has nearly destroyed itself, is brought into the
     Empire, which lasts for 353 years before the Secession Wars
     begin.  By 2640 the Empire no longer exists.  By 2800
     Interstellar technology is lost.  And yet in 2903 Sparta has
     recovered enough of its former strength and technology to
     begin the formation of a Second Empire of Man.

     For more than 100 years Sparta's fleets and Marine regiments
     march across the stars, forcibly reuniting the old Empire of
     Man, and adding new planets which never were in the old
     empire or were colonized only in later centuries.  But the
     process of reunification is complicated when contact with an
     alien species is made near the Coal Sack, and Man suddenly
     finds he is not alone in the universe.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
7].  Maintainer Information

FAQ owner: Michael Martinez 
Last Updated:  November 8, 1998

Some contributions were made by:

David Dwyer 
D.E. Siegel 
--------------------------End of WorldFAQ------------------------

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