ead this very thick scifi back went it came out in ’85 when I was through with one degree and working on another. This was back, kids, when the scifi section in the many neighborhood bookstores were on thick sets of shelves and not a bunch of weak image-based bullshit. Think about it – StarWars was still just a movie (not a religion) and many young people still read.

Okay, gripe done.

So in Footfall, and intelligent race of (wait for it) elephants coasts into our solar system with the intent of taking over Earth. The first thing they do is take our orbital space (and capture a number of diplomats off a Soviet space station). Then they paradrop into Kansas and orbital bombard anything that looks hostile (just collect a decent rock). And so the war happens.

I’ll admit that the story was sprawling – couple of pages of characters in the front, always something I welcome when we’re faced with a war this vast. I’ll note that among the characters were a collective of science fiction writers as creative advisors. Interesting idea, but then again, these nerdy guys came out looking like heroes compared to the tone deaf military and the clueless government. Our big Hail Mary counteroffensive in space was fun to read (if not a little hard to follow, what with all that science). And the unifying character was an overweight bad-backed drifter with a motorcycle. Man, Harry got everywhere.

But it was fun to read from a nostalgic POV. I got my copy from a used bookstore grab bag for a couple of bucks. Worth it.

>>>GET MY BOOKS DOWN THIS LINK OR LOOK FOR THEM IN COMING YEARS IN THESE SORTS OF GRAB BAGS!<<<