efore we review this short story, let’s just say how thankful I am for paperback anthologies. I’m currently re-grinding through The Three Body Problem (hey, you don’t even need to wait for the review – HERE it is!) But I don’t want to lug that hardcover monster around so instead I’m reading a little collection I got from a local bookstore, Star Destroyers (that’s the name of the anthology, not the shop).

So anyway, I had this collection of stories about big star ships in my back pocket as I went for my long walk. Stopped in a Cindi’s Cafe on Orange – they have great coffee there. Sat outside and enjoyed the coffee and a danish as I read Another Solution. This is a short story about an orbital weapon’s platform that has been launched off the moon and will position themselves over the NATO-like good guys to defend against the menace that threatens them. However, as they leave the moon and head Earth-ward, they realize that the bad guys have also built a ship, slightly different but in every way equal to their own. The ships are pacing each other, closing as they move towards Earth. The big showdown.

So the conversation between Captain Rios and her AI and mission control is very interesting. You can follow the strategies and the issues quiet well. The ending was satisfyingly unexpected – it gave me a coffee-frothed smile. So, yes, look up author Mark L. Van Name or the collection listed above. Since I’m currently writing a game about big ships doing big things, this was a fun read for me.

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