John Ringo and Travis Taylor, Von Neumann's War

Von Neumann's War

John Ringo and Travis Taylor

Baen, July 2006, $25.00

ISBN: 1416520759

Within months of one another, three probes are sent to Mars from Russia, Europe and America respectively, but contact is lost on all. Astroscientists are further stunned, as Mars seems to have abruptly changed from the angry red planet to an aging grayish orb. No known natural phenomena can be postulated to have caused this radical sudden change. Finally, communication with Mars probes vanishes entirely.

Desperate to learn what is going on to insure it does not spread inward to Earth, a special probe is sent, but this one is destroyed far from the planet. The conclusion is a foreign force is industrializing Mars with no concerns as to the environment. The only reason to destroy communications with probes from Earth would be that the aliens are setting up a home base to stage a military invasion of Earth. While the military strategists work on a plan to prevent the invasion and the scientists work on a weapon, they come, but these are not little green men. They are the race of Von Neumann probes ignoring people while stripping all planetary metal to replicate themselves; some unfortunate humans die as collateral damage. Meanwhile, the American military establish new command posts where metals are not a major issue, such as the Huntsville hooters, because wings and beer attract men, not Von Neumann robots.

VON NEUMANN'S WAR is an excellent military science fiction thriller that pundits will read in one delightful sitting, as fans will need to "watch the second half". The key to this Armageddon thriller is humor, as John Ringo and Travis Taylor lampoon the sacred icons of society. The storyline contains a solid Mars attacks tale based on the theories of late Hungarian mathematician John von Neumann, but filled with a droll wit, as we have finally found the weapons of mass destruction in our face.