Book Ten of my 2013 Goal

I Punch the General by I. Flowers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I Punch the General by I. Flowers is a science fiction story that takes place in the year 2248 and the world is in a bad state. Over population, food shortages, and even water shortage plagues the planet. Some countries adopted the Chinese of the one child policy while others took even more extreme measures of population control by putting chemicals in the food and water to sterilize the people. The problem is that it was too little too late and the relief from these measure really wouldn't be felt for years.

Because of the over population the rain forests were cut down to make way for new land to farm to feed the people. Wild animals became a delicacy and soon disappeared from the planet. There were no fish left in the oceans and farming fish was so tedious and expensive that only a few rich people could afford it.

The economy suffered too. Countries that once loaned to other nations called in their debts but not in cash, they wanted land.. By the time 2250 came, there were no social programs. People with disabilities and the elderly found themselves without income or any where to turn. Essentially, the earth became a place where only the strongest survived.

The solution was to occupy a nearby planet that can support human life and in Nov. 2247 the team of two hundred people started their journey to Gliese 581 g. Once they reached the planet they sent back a message to earth telling them that they arrived, it was similar to Earth and there was intelligent life there that call themselves Idakan. The government decided to send the best members of the United National Army to resolve any unexpected problems of occupying the planet. In June of 2248, 243 people along with weapons of mass destruction headed for Gliese. Word took long to reach the earth but it finally did and the message told them that using force will not work. Soon communication stopped. Wondering if they were abandoned by Earth and would they go home as failures or be stuck on Gliese forever.

It was the sending of the United National Army that we are introduced to the main character, Kevin. Kevin has some strange dreams only they really aren't dreams, are they? He is filled with questions which he seeks answers. He believes his dream is real but that means he is in two places at once but how can that be? Who is that person with the hood and why won't he show himself? Most of all, where are the "Gates of Truth"? Will they really hold the answer to every question he has?

As the story progresses there is a lot of soul searching and moral issues examined. This is more physiological than actual physical action however I still found it very interesting. The plot was good and the character is well developed. The story is a light read, stays on subject without a lot of characters or places to remember. As I said, it is more of a self examination of himself then any kind of action novel so if you're looking for an action packed book, do not pick this one. However, if your looking for a light read with an interesting set of circumstances that forces one to look at themselves, this is your book.

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