Into The Hinterlands by David Drake and John Lambshead

Military Science Fiction

David Drake and John Lambshead have come up with a unique way to travel between the stars in Into The Hinterlands.  You peddle on a Frame that creates a bubble that allows you follow a unique path through the Continuum.  There are trails and colors and paths in the Continuum.  Sometimes your ride was smooth and sometimes turbulent.  There were times when you had to stop at the nearest planet and let the storms pass. I found the method strange at first but as the book progressed it fit the story.

Allen Allenson has just returned from a scouting trip for the Colonial’s in the Continuum when he is asked to return.  The Terran’s are encroaching and there is a need to know how far they have progressed.  Then there are the “Riders” who have a natural way to travel the Continuum.  The Colonial’s need to know what part the Riders plan to play.

This is primarily military science fiction.  Allenson is the person who understands best how to conduct a campaign in the Continuum.  No one is more surprised to find out that he is a hero than he is.  

Drake knows how to write military science fiction and his effort with Lambshead is filled with how to use history to win battles.  There is not a lot of character development.  Several situations in Allenson’s life are dropped into the story without much explanation or resolution.  I found Into The Hinterlands to be a enjoyable classis military science fiction novel and a good start to a new series. 

Baen published Into The Hinterlands by David Drake and Jon Lambshead in 2011.