The Domination (original) (raw)
In this "tour de force" of alternate history and military science fiction, Stirling imagines a world where only the United States stands between the Draka and their dream of an enslaved humanity.
Compilation of Stirling's four Draka novels.
GenresScience FictionAlternate HistoryFictionWarDystopiaScience Fiction FantasyMilitary Science Fiction
784 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 1999
About the author
Stephen Michael Stirling is a French-born Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author. Stirling is probably best known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and the more recent time travel/alternate history Nantucket series and Emberverse series.
MINI AUTO-BIOGRAPHY:
(personal website: source)
I’m a writer by trade, born in France but Canadian by origin and American by naturalization, living in New Mexico at present. My hobbies are mostly related to the craft. I love history, anthropology and archaeology, and am interested in the sciences. The martial arts are my main physical hobby.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Author 1 book29 followers
The series consists of four novels, though the first three are now published in one omnibus entitled The Domination.
* Marching through Georgia
* Under the Yoke
* The Stone Dogs
* Drakon
The series can really shake you up. It is set in an alternate history in which the Crown Colony of the Cape (what later became modern day South Africa) becomes a powerful nation. This “Domination of the Draka” is utterly elitist and wishes to subjugate all other races to the white master race. It is also fiercely expansionist. At the time of our own timeline’s Second World War, the Domination drives a wedge between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany by invading through the Caucasus. The Domination then proceeds to conquer all of Europe and Asia (except for India), adding these territories to its African holdings. These events are detailed in the first book. The second book is about a spy expedition into Draka territory by the “Alliance for Freedom”, basically what is left of the free world (America and India). It is not quite as good as the rest of the series, and on rereading I have skipped over it completely as it is not essential to the story. The third book is about the final showdown between the two powers. The Alliance is more powerful in technology and the physical sciences, while the Domination, mostly thanks to a scruple free approach to human experiments (they’re just serfs, after all) is very advanced in genetics and bioengineering. The Draka win the war, and the “free” humans mount a last-ditch escape for a precious few to a nearby solar system.
Drakon is a change of pace. In a Draka future, the master race experiments with portals into alternate timelines. A Draka (daughter of the protagonists from The Stone Dogs) is stranded in one of these timelines (our own) and attempts to subjugate it to her will. This novel is much smaller in scope than the other three, but it remains a great read.
The scary thing about the Draka books is that you can easily find yourself rooting for “the bad guys”. These aren’t Hitler’s Nazis. The Draka want an ordered society and a life which does not use up the Earth’s resources without replenishing them. They do not see their use of “serfs” as immoral and they are not given to pettiness. Only ruthlessness. So apart from spinning a great yarn, Stirling is trying to tell us that many would choose the Draka way of life if they had the chance (well, the chance to be Draka). The Draka create an earthly paradise after their victory, and the average standard of living and intelligence of ALL men, including serfs, actually improves after the Draka victory. The series is controversial in this manner and really makes you think about some big issues. It is also a great military science fiction read.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=285
3 reviews2 followers
Crap, but compulsively readable crap.
Author 23 books52 followers
The alternate history series The Domination by S. M. Stirling gives readers another look at the world where the Nazis had won the war.
Basically we’re just reading about the characters trying to win back by battling the Nazis in secret and by using superweapons. The main character in the first book, Eric von Shrakenberg, has a family that is not as ordinary as everyone else’s. Throughout the novels in the trilogy, we’re reading Eric’s story, and then we read Eric’s cousin’s story, then we read Eric’s niece’s story. And then they band together in the Final War in the third book.
1 review4 followers
Stirlings' Best
I've read some of the later work, but I really enjoyed the creativity here. He's created a world which could have happened. What could be better?
63 reviews2 followers
Really well-written, but I got about halfway through and realized it was doing some really bad things to my emotional state, and had to quit.
7 reviews
I think the user 'Will Teich' on here has the best review: "Crap, but compulsively readable crap."
100 reviews3 followers
A good premise, but ...
the formatting of this text made is very hard to read. There was no indication that the setting had changed from one paragraph to the next.
I had to get that off my chest!
Now my real review. Stirling demonstrates again his ability to create such vivid and detailed histories. I was never decide who he was portraying as the better 'race' the Americans or the Drakans. How he is able to paint such imaginative situations over and over I'll never figure out. As usual I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
1,235 reviews20 followers
I have previously read all four of Stirling's DRAKA novels as individual paperbacks (MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA 4x last read 2000; UNDER THE YOKE 2x last read 2000; STONE DOGS 2x last read 1999; DRAKON read 1x in 1999). This HC includes the first three novels which are all alternate history, respectively World War II, Cold War, and early 21st Century. The world starts out dark and gets darker. overall 4 stars, although my favorite of the novels is MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. Just got a used copy of the hardcover collection so I am adding it.
africa alternate-history cyberpunk
This is a hard book to read, it create a society that the majority of people would fine so vile they would truly cheer its violent death. Yet at the same time speaking to the skill of the author creates the citizens of this nation as people you can understand. At no point did I like the Drakons yet I could understand them.
An alternate history series where a group of bisexuality Mary Sue/Marty Stu ubermench slavocrats conquer the world, despite the inherent weaknesses of a primarily agricultural slave-owning society against any modern government. A truly ridiculous and unrealistic story. Avoid.
1 review2 followers
Good book
Lots of twists. Enjoyable plot and time shifts showing history and development. Found myself sympathizing with the characters as they were focused on
great idea
I would love to see more of the Draka series. I think there is still lots to be explored. The Draka are very interesting.
spooky slave future. better make sure that we don't go down this line
26 reviews16 followers
Started reading this three years ago. Never got past the first book for ages. Book two is the least interesting of the trilogy dealing more with the draka way of life rather than the actual interesting events of how the technology developed.
20 reviews3 followers
I´m pretty sure I could find ten economic reasons for wich this alternative history is implausible, and some of them may have never been mentioned before.
Then I could find another sociological reasons for wich the Domination is an imposible country/empire/state, and half of them may have never been mentioned before.
Finally I could pile up ten psicological reasons for the Draka and Serfs never to happen, and most of them may have never been mentioned before.
But I will not do none that, for one single reason. I loved this saga. It is fantastic, thrilling, sensual, moving and gives some things to think about, if you are openminded enough, and want to give it a try. For example, if you think of what slavery is in the Domination, and how much more terrible would be, compared to the present status of the african population, and the industrial lower clases of the ¨Factory Countries¨ of Asia or South America. Or how abusive and privileged are the upper classes in ¨Our Time¨ are, compared to the Drakas. It is not the best prose, but the blunt style goes well with the raw scenes and the controversial themes. The Domination is a bigots and sadomasochist collective wet dream, and everyone elses kinkiest book in the ¨Counterfactual Ficcion¨ shelf, something like ¨Arabian Nights meets WWII meets Brave New World meets a Kipling-esque brittish empire¨. It deserves its own cult, wich it will never get for P.C reasons.
The story would have been much more polished if Stirling had included some more insights to the non-draka nations, about, for example, their economy and society.
I wish Stirling returned to this world to write some sequels and prequels. I want to read some further war between the Draka and the Samothracian, in some distant planet, over some new resource, I would like to see some action on Samothracia itself. Maybe some flashbacks from the early days of the Protracted War aftermath. But most of all, I would like to read prequels, only because I´m an Alternative History reader more than a Science Fiction fan.
1,803 reviews53 followers
There have been quite a few good alternative-history novels but few have projected all the way from the distant past to the far future. S M Sterling's Domination novels are based on a significant divergence during the American Civil war.
Pitted against the growing power that is the Draka are the consolidated democracies of the west. They outstrip the Draka in technological terms and significantly outnumber them. At no time, however, does this match-up seem one-sided. At first glance, you might think your sympathies would be with the west. The surprising thing is, that despite the brutal, violent and arrogant nature of the Draka, we can't help but empathize with them. Stirling makes it impossible for us to hate them because we understand them so well.
In my favorite book of the series, "Drakon," one of the superhuman Draka is transported into a parallel universe, and seemingly back in time. Once there, she decides to subvert the entire planet to her will. I could not but admire her confidence, determination, and strength. Stirling almost makes me wish the law of the jungle still held true. Only after putting the book down do you remember that superior force does not equate with superior morals.
216 reviews4 followers
Huge, one of the most interesting premises but this is just a collection of short stories less then three actual novels. Concept outstanding but the execution isn't that good. I don't find the actual character development and the stories are as interesting as the background and the back story which I wish could've been done with more detail. Even the end war wasn't done as well as it could've been, spending more time bouncing around between those same characters as opposed to the story of the war and what's going on. I'm also a little upset that the last story in the series isn't in this either. I recommend reading it because it's one of the most unique story lines I've come across in a long while but it's not a serious or a deep read.
1,299 reviews17 followers
Original book titles were "Marching through Georgia", "Under the Yoke", and "The Stone Dogs".
THIS IS _DARK_ alternative history. Read the official review here on goodreads. I'm putting what _I_ think of this, but others might find this too 'evil' or 'disgusting'.
1-must-read 6-science-fiction alternate-history
141 reviews1 follower
Excellent alternative history series! Stirling creates a race with great strength, speed, and reflexes developed through years of science and breeding and forces you to alternately hate and respect them. You can't help cheering for good ol Yankee determination in the end though.
253 reviews27 followers
I can fairly say that I read a lot of dark books and this one stands out as one of the, if not THE darkest I've ever read. I love it. The concept is cool and you find yourself rooting for the "bad guys" over and over, all the while hating them (and yourself a bit) while you do it.
alt-history favorites science-fiction
6,844 reviews183 followers
An alternative history where the Americans who rejected the Revolution moved to South Africa and built a government and society that came to dominate Afica and the Middle East. They are in conflict with the United States and Europe,
I love dystopias, and this is right up there with 1984. Unflinching, brutal, well thought out if not particularly historically plausible. Memorable characters in the Draka. Nightmare fuel.
One of my favorite books. I reread it every couple of years.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews