Horizons

Over the break I read Horizons. As a disclaimer I will just say that I generally dislike science-fiction beside the rare exception. The exceptions have always been the classics. This book was alright. Though I did notice several interesting themes within it.

First of all, and most obviously, there is the Con. I thought that all the stuff surrounding the Con was such a clear example of liberalism. Here leaders are having to deal with public opinion when deciding foreign policy strategies. Gone is the environment of Machiavelli where the leader does whatever he pleases and uses oppression and propaganda to deal with the people. In fact, the entire plot of the book surrounds the will of the people. The Giaists are trying to crash a rock into earth to scare the people enough where the World Council will have to destroy the platform.

However, the book was very constructivist as well. For example, the Terror Years effected the international environment enough where norms changed all nations were willing to give up control of their militaries to the World Council. Also, the states are not completely rational actors deciding what to do based on material gains. The Balkan States broke from their economic interests (allying themselves with the US) because of how mad they were seeing a dead Balkan looking man get killed. In fact, all things I described as liberal could also be understood using a constructivist lens.

I have a friend that reads some science-fiction who said that these books are judged based upon how cool their concepts are, not the quality of their writing. To that extent, Horizons was a great book. However, I found it quite hard to get over her writing style. I also feel that at times she spent so much time describing bad-ass things (like Ahni’s fighting) that it detracted from the story. It’s weird that I say that because I do enjoy Tom Clancy’s bad-ass moments in the books of his I’ve read. Maybe that’s because that really all the books are.

Overall though, Horizons was generally entertaining and brought up some good issues in IR.