Optiman/War Games

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Warfare between humanity and the Veitch had been going on for hundreds of years with no end in sight. When humans captured the planet Heidra they found themselves in control of a world with three contending species scrapping over its barren lands. One was the Veitch refugees, one the semi-civilized natives, and one a race of barbaric nomads. For the human adventurer Remy it was the last that made his first troubles.

For Remy's destination was the uncovering of a lost military installation of a prehistoric galactic race. Assisting him was a newly created genetic-construct warrior, an optiman. Super-human, sterile but highly intelligent, optimen could tip the scales in the cosmic conflict if they worked out as planned.

Three-way wargaming is difficult at best, but the unknown factors of the optimen could make it dangerously unpredictable to all sides.

Cover by Michael Mariano.

Published in 1980 by DAW.
ISBN:0 87997-571-7

Dedicated to David Pringle.

'The humans and the Veich had been at war now for six-hundred years - since the Twenty-Second Century in terms of Earth's calendar.

I ts beginnings had been forgotten and there seemed no prospect of an end...'

From the creator of the saga of the Hooded Swan comes a fearsome vision of a futureworlds at war...

Cover art by Ian Miller.

Published in 1981 by Pan as War Games.
ISBN:0 330 264109

Translated into Polish as: Gry Wojenne.

Review by Ian Braidwood

Cast of Characters:
Remy, Yerema, Valla, Andros, Belle Yella, Justina Magna, Sergeant Garstone, Colonel Cesar Scapaccio, Doon, Madoc, Subala, Iasus Fiemme, Ramon Delizia, Zemak, Mouse, Dragonel, Gigas.

This is a favourite from a long time ago and one which has stood the test of time. There's nothing deeply spiritual about it, it's just a no-nonsense adventure.

The story follows Remy, a mercenary hired to assassinate Belle Yella, an er'kresha spiritual leader come warlord, before he can incite the er'kresha into full-scale revolt.

Remy heads out into the desert, where he comes across an archaeological expedition in search of an ancient Mapirene base, led by Colonel Cesar Scapaccio. Since the two groups are going in the same direction and there's safety in numbers, they join forces.

In this universe, humans are at war with the Veich. All the intelligent races are so alike that there's speculation about a mysterious race of seeders and whether they programmed war into us. If so, then are Humans and Veich are destined to recapitulate the history of the long-dead Mapirenes and Cascarenes by pounding each other into oblivion, or can they avoid their fate?

The question Remy has to answer is, why is an archaeological expedition led by a high ranking military officer and what does Andros the optiman stand to gain?

The Brian Stableford Website