Childe Cycle: Difference between revisions

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The ''Childe Cycle'' is an unfinished science fiction series by [[~~Gordon R Dickson|~~Gordon R. Dickson]], with a setting stretching from the late 21st century into the 24th. Many of the stories in the series feature the Dorsai, an extremely capable warrior people who hire out to interstellar society as mercenaries.

The ''Childe Cycle'' is an unfinished science fiction series by [[Gordon R. Dickson]], with a setting stretching from the late 21st century into the 24th. Many of the stories in the series feature the Dorsai, an extremely capable warrior people who hire out to interstellar society as mercenaries.

The main series consists of six novels, with a projected seventh and final novel left unfinished at Dickson's death:

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* [[Armor-Piercing Question]] - After Cletus Graeme has forced Melissa Khan to marry him as part of his overarching [[Xanatos Gambit|strategy]], Melissa has only one question; "Then you never loved me?" "Did I ever say I did?" Cletus responds, and leaves the room. This tells Melissa all she needs to know. {{spoiler|He loves her. If the answer was no he wouldn't have evaded the question.}}

* [[Artificial Gravity]]

* [[Ascend to A Higher Plane of Existence]]: It is implied, but not quite certain, that this was the desired end state of the [[Myth Arc]] never completed because of [[Author Existence Failure]].

* [[Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence]]: It is implied, but not quite certain, that this was the desired end state of the [[Myth Arc]] never completed because of [[Author Existence Failure]].

* [[Author Existence Failure]]

* [[Awesomeness By Analysis]]: Cletus Graeme, Donal Graeme, most other major Dorsai characters

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* [[Defensive Feint Trap]]: ''The Tactics of Mistake''. The title comes from the hero's tactical doctrine, which calls for a series of feints, that gradually draw the enemy into an untenable position, at which point he attacks, and demolishes them. In fact, his latter decedents will use this to great effect.

* [[Deflector Shields]]: Not for most of the books, but in ''The Final Encylopedia'' one is established around the entire Earth.

* [[Everything's Louder ~~With~~ Bagpipes]]

* [[Everything's Louder with Bagpipes]]

* [[Excited Show Title]]: Dorsai!

* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: The Friendlies are [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|based roughly]] on the Roundheads of the The [[English Civil War]], while The Dorsai are loosely based on Swiss mercenaries.

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* [[Guile Hero]]: Donal and Cletus Graeme.

* [[Heroic Willpower]]

* [[Humans Are Psychic in ~~The~~ Future]]: The Chantry Guild in ''Necromancer'' has the ability to use what they call Alternate Forces to create magic-like effects, including teleporation. It is strongly implied that these abilities are present among many of the Exotics. Also, Donal Graeme's unique abilities could be called Psychic.

* [[Humans Are Psychic in the Future]]: The Chantry Guild in ''Necromancer'' has the ability to use what they call Alternate Forces to create magic-like effects, including teleporation. It is strongly implied that these abilities are present among many of the Exotics. Also, Donal Graeme's unique abilities could be called Psychic.

* [[Hyperspace Is a Scary Place]]: Ships are sometimes lost through phase shift travel

* [[Hyperspeed Ambush]]: Donal Graeme stages a daring raid against an enemy planet in ''Dorsai!''. He uses multiple swift hyperspace jumps to simulate a huge armada attacking his enemy, even though it drives him and his crew to the edge of collapse, with each jump leaving them more and more in pain and disorientation.

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* [[Magnificent Bastard]]: Bleys Ahrens, Tam Olyn

* [[Master Computer]]: The World Complex in ''Necromancer''

* [[Military Science Fiction]]: The stories focusing on the Dorsai tend to be this, however [[Gordon R Dickson]] was less concerned about the particulars of military conflict that he was advancing his larger [[Myth Arc]].

* [[Military Science Fiction]]: The stories focusing on the Dorsai tend to be this, however [[Gordon R. Dickson]] was less concerned about the particulars of military conflict that he was advancing his larger [[Myth Arc]].

* [[Myth Arc]]: As originally envisioned, the Cycle was to stretch from the 14th century to the 24th century; the completed books begin in the 21st century. The cycle deals with the conflict between advancement of human kind. It also deals with the interaction and conflict among humanity's traits, most importantly Courage, Faith, and Philosophy.

* [[Naming Your Colony World]]: The Cycle has fun with this, using New Something, Symbolica, and Mnemosyne. Though one wonders what "Dorsai" and "Kultis" means.

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* [[Time Travel]]

* [[Title Drop]]

* [[Trope Codifier]]: With ''[[Starship Troopers (~~Literature~~)|Starship Troopers]]'' and [[H. Beam Piper]]'s ''Uller Uprising'', ''Dorsai!'' helped shape the modern conception of [[Military Science Fiction]]. ''Dorsai!'' in particular introduced cunning and hyper-aware military commanders, psychopathic aides, religious-focus fanatics, and space mercenaries. Donal traits can be seen in [[~~Co Dominium~~|Col. Falkenberg]] and [[The Thrawn Trilogy|Grand Admiral Thrawn]]. Lee serves as the seed for the psychopathic [[Hammers Slammers|Joachim Steuben]]. The Friendlies tend to invoke the fanatical [[Command and Conquer Tiberium|Brotherhood of Nod]].

* [[Trope Codifier]]: With ''[[Starship Troopers (novel)|Starship Troopers]]'' and [[H. Beam Piper]]'s ''Uller Uprising'', ''Dorsai!'' helped shape the modern conception of [[Military Science Fiction]]. ''Dorsai!'' in particular introduced cunning and hyper-aware military commanders, psychopathic aides, religious-focus fanatics, and space mercenaries. Donal traits can be seen in [[CoDominium|Col. Falkenberg]] and [[The Thrawn Trilogy|Grand Admiral Thrawn]]. Lee serves as the seed for the psychopathic [[Hammers Slammers|Joachim Steuben]]. The Friendlies tend to invoke the fanatical [[Command and Conquer Tiberium|Brotherhood of Nod]].

* [[Waking Up At the Morgue]]: In ''Necromancer'', the protagonist transfers his consciousness to a body in a morgue.

* [[Wall of Weapons]]: Though true for many Dorsai, it is subverted in the ''Lost Dorsai'': the titular hero has wall of musical instruments displayed as if they were weapons which convinces the narrator that he truly has become a pacifist.