Steven L. Kent, The Clone Republic

The Clone Republic

Steven L. Kent

Ace, Apr 2006, $7.99, 400 pp.

ISBN: 0441013937

The United States creates a one world government, the Unified Authority, which controls all the planets in the six arms of the Milky Way Galaxy. The marines, especially the enlisted men, are made up of mostly clones with special neural programming that enables them to believe they are naturals and to never talk about clones in the orphanages where they were raised.

Private Wayson Harris is a natural person who grew up in a clone orphanage and enlisted in the marines. He observes from planet to planet and battle to battle, that clones are treated as expendable equipment. The frontier worlds especially want their independence from the UA and secede from its protection. Civil War is coming; Wayson, because of who and what he is, becomes a media darling and is promoted to officer status, making him the target of some very angry officers in powerful positions.

With the galaxy on the brink of war, there should be further books in this fascinating action packed science fiction thriller series. What is interesting is that all races are treated equally, yet clones are considered no more than equipment, so are considered non-humans, in spite of sharing all the same traits. Told from a clone's perspective, Steven L. Kent provides an intriguing plausible early twenty-sixth century work, in which relationships throughout the galaxy seem somewhat the same as today on earth.