Review of "Battlestar Galactica: Paradis," by Richard Hatch and Brad Linaweaver

 Review of

Battlestar Galactica: Paradis, by Richard Hatch and Brad Linaweaver, ISBN 0743474414

Four out of five stars

Major culture clash that is old in human history

 In this book, the band of colonial ships led by the Battlestar Galactica fleeing the deadly Cylons encounters the planet Paradis. It has a climate very conducive to human habitation and is populated by a species called the Gamon. Their technical level is very primitive, yet they are willing to allow the colonial population to stay as guests while they refit their ships and replenish their stocks.

 As has happened down through human history, the technologically advanced society quickly begins to dominate the primitive one. There is a split among the colonials, where Commander Apollo is in favor of honoring their guest status while the civilian side wants to take control of the planet by force if necessary. Since the military is subservient to the civilian the situation grows out of hand to the point where the civilians order the Galactica to target their most powerful weapons at the masses of Gamon protesting the massive colonial construction projects in their sacred areas. The argument put forward by the civilian side is one familiar to students of human history, their power to do so gives them the right to take total control of the planet. Even if it means coming close to wiping out the natives.

 This situation is resolved, but it takes a very unusual event to do so. It turns out that there was a previous visitation by a large human spaceship, the residue of which is discovered by the colonials. This is accomplished with the help of a native woman that hints of human historical figures such as Pocahantas and Sacagawea. The colonial traitor Baltar is rehabilitated into the equivalent of a college professor, teaching of all things, ethics.

 The story is good enough to keep your interest, provided you understand the basic premises of the original Battlestar Galactica story. However, the publisher should have hired a better proofreader, there are many errors such as words being duplicated or even being out of sequence.

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