Libertarians of Luna, Unite! — Lions In The Fog

James A. Bacon

(Goodreads version here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61045203-dust-mites )

A bit of context: one of the very first SF novels I remember reading, back in my teenage years was by a libertarian author named L. Neil Smith, who passed away in 2021. I somehow managed to move on from his anarcho-flavored vision of the future straight to all things Heinlein, and thence on to a series of increasingly dark and heavy authors. But in the back of my mind has always been the memory of that first exposure to an anarchy made out of freedom. So it was interesting to come back, many years later, to an updated and milder — but more realistic — treatment of similar themes.

I enjoyed the entirely credible, lovingly-assembled details of a political catastrophe in the making. The balance between action and politics is tilted towards the latter, so this will not be to everyone’s taste. I suspect that this reflects that the author is a journalist turned novelist, so he may be sticking to what he knows best. And it appears he knows politics and politicians very, very well.

By the standards of the independent/self-published SF fraternity I spend so much time reading, Dust Mites stood out for its above-average writing quality. Not at all short at 540-odd pages, it kept me turning the pages even though it was very quickly evident where all this was going.

(Note: I read an author-provided copy of the book, whose blog about Virginia politics I’ve loosely followed for several years. The following is the text of the review I posted on Goodreads plus my personal scoring scale.)

Dust Mites is a fast-paced, entertaining and tautly-written political thriller set in the near future. It’s a quick read, with a fair amount of dry humor leavening a tale of intrigue, betrayal and hope.

The basic story is a classic SFF trope and a historical staple: the growing tension between a colony and the distant capital, mismanaged into violence. The story kicks off with a law enforcement team botching the arrest of the governor of U.S.-aligned Galileo Station, leading to the standoff that gives the book its title. The mayhem accelerates steadily from there.

But that’s not all: in between action sequences Bacon has crafted a parade of hubris, bad communication, unintended consequences, the good and bad of human nature, and the corrupting influence of power. It’s a more entertaining and space-going version of The March of Folly, set in the near future of the United States.

A retired journalist and prolific political blogger, the author has a finely-tuned appreciation for the familiar and dysfunctional human and political dynamics underpinning events. The siege of Airlock 3 is the result, like the American Revolution it borrows from, of a chain of interlocking circumstances, personalities and trends.

And this mess didn’t have to happen. A little more applied humility, a broader vision, less rushing to judgment, better communication -- all of the things we nod at but don’t often do -- could have made a huge difference. That’s a big part of the warning Dust Mites offers for the future. It’s not hard to read this book without thinking that something a lot like this could be coming soon to a country near you.

The political and historical mechanics are the star of the book, but at the expense of some bumpy character and plot development. For example, we get no insights into the character of the governor whose arrest sparks the crisis, but lots into how the colony’s congressional rep holds pressers. And what happened with the anticlimactic disposal (?) of Otto the robot and his human partner at the height of what could have been an intense dramatic turn? Are they setting up a sequel?

Despite these minor quibbles, Dust Mites stays entertaining and was a fast, fun read. There is a definite political perspective and message here, but it doesn’t drown out this update of a timeless and very human story.

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 4/5 stars.

Lions In The Fog Rating:

Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (polished if sometimes abrupt writing)

Immersion factor: Waist-deep: 1.5 pts

Writing quality: Above-average : 1.5 pts

Character/plot development: Below-average: 0.5 pts

Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts

Total: 7/10

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