LIVE FREE OR DIE: TROY RISING, Book One By John Ringo

Narrated by Mark Boyett

     The Economies of Scale

I have now listened to two John Ringo novels (A Hymn Before Battle was my first) and found them both to be well written. This novel manages to walk a tight rope between idea-based gadget Hard Science Fiction and character-based Soft Science Fiction. It contains the requisite alien invasions and significantly advanced technology to qualify as Hard SF. It also has great people. The character Tyler Vernon is a geek fantasy come true: Computer game designer, uniquely skilled to deal with alien business relations because of his computer modeling of a financial Sci-Fi game, builds an empire that allows him to save mankind from extinction. The personality of Tyler Vernon dominates the story and he is a likable persona, well-suited for advancing a Space Opera story-line. Perhaps the most endearing thing about the book is that it manages to avoid pretension while clearly promoting a free-market capitalist agenda. While the alien and technology are standard Science Fiction tropes, Ringo infuses these well-used elements with a fresh and fun-filled storyline that is entertaining, and even engaging, making me want to continue listening to hear what happens next.  

I have now listened to several military Science Fiction books, trying to get a sampling of the field. This is one of the best. Along with Marko Kloos’ Frontlines series and B.V. Larson’s Undying Mercenaries, this is a series I will continue with.

Mark Boyett is a good fit for this John Ringo book. His character voicings are appropriate, handling even female inflections very well. A great narrator is essential for me to enjoy an audiobook, and I enjoyed this one very much.