The Unnecessary Man

In a sharply satirical far-future Terran Empire centered on Hawaii, power depends on secrecy, performance, and the careful management of public fear. When the controversial Imperial occupation of Bairnvell threatens to trigger political scandal and even interstellar war, Colonel Lord Barrick Sorban—an apparently retired officer with a quiet, intelligent manner—moves through Honolulu as both gentleman and covert strategist, testing loyalties in a court where appearances are never what they seem. Drawn into the crisis is Jon Senesin, the Prime Portfolio's idealistic son, who believes his father has been manipulated by hidden forces and that the Emperor may be engineering conflict with the militarized Gehan Federation to restore absolute rule. As Jon pursues explosive "evidence" through the press and secret meetings, Sorban quietly follows the trail, only to discover that the truth is more complicated: the scandal is part of a counterintelligence operation, the Federalists include both idealists and agents, and the Empire's supposed democracy is a pragmatic mask for centralized rule. Dry, witty, and politically charged, the story explores duty, propaganda, and the uneasy bargain by which an empire preserves peace. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.