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Dan Lenson Novels, Book 18
This is a continuation of novels dealing with a war between the United States and China. Poyer utilizes several characters involved in the combat as a means of centering the action to areas selected by him as most important to the story. Chief among these is admiral Dan Lenson who is selected to lead an important attack on Chinese installations.
The actions involved; the attacks, the combat and the behind the scenes maneuvering are well done. The biggest problem that I have in enjoying “Deep War” as much as I have other books by this author is the time and space dedicated to going into detail about the nomenclature for the weaponry and systems used in the war. The author has an excellent knowledge of carrying out a modern mechanized war with the very high tech equipment utilized in the fighting. The reader will immediately get Poyer’s opinions that future war will be fought with cyber attacks as well as central roles played by Artificial Intelligence (AI). I feel that the overabundance of description devoted to the weapons rather than the people involved with the fighting takes the novel from perhaps a good short story to an overly lengthy novel.
A concept is used which was once a science fiction idea is for the Chinese government to be using a thinking computer to direct the war for them. Termed “Jade Emperor” the AI, as it is, anticipates and counters moves by the allies. It thinks ahead and is able to postulate scenarios with appropriate counter measures and order such action by the Chinese military. Poyer has made the argument that with such entities virtually on the horizon it would really be national suicide for nations to make war on each other. Perhaps this concept described by the author will finally become the deterrent mankind needs to avoid armed conflict and use reason.
12/18 Paul Lane
DEEP WAR by David Poyer. St. Martin’s Press (December 4, 2018). ISBN 978-1250101105. 304p.
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