After the Coup by John Scalzi

“After the Coup” is a 2008 science fiction short story by John Scalzi. It is about a space technician coerced into fighting a goodwill exhibition match against a little known alien race.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

Lieutenant Harry Wilson is a training technician in the military sciences division of the Force. Sure, he may not be an active soldier anymore but his genetic engineering still ensures his perfect form. Unfortunately, this is the very reason that the ambassador wants him to fight in a hand-to-hand exhibition match with a Korban – an alien race that is proving difficult to negotiate with. Being a good soldier Harry does what he is told, but how difficult can it be to fight a toad-like alien half his height? Hmm, maybe he should have learned more about the Korban’s physiology before accepting this challenge!

“Hmm. Anyway, yes,” Schmidt said. “The mission isn’t going well. The Korba haven’t been nearly as receptive to our negotiations as we thought they might be. We want to try something new. A new direction. A new diplomatic tack.”

“A new tack that is somehow focused on me getting punched,” Harry said, setting his drink back down.

“Maybe,” Schmidt said.

“Once or repeatedly?” Harry asked.

“I think that would depend on your definition,” Schmidt said.

“Of ‘once’?” Harry asked.

“Of ‘punched,’ actually,” Schmidt said.

“I already have very deep reservations about this plan,” Harry said.

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• A great action story that has it all – spaceships, aliens and enough humor to keep you smiling the entire time!
• “After the Coup” is a perfect example of how online stories can offer a better reading experience than printed stories. Not only is it in great editorial form, but it offers users the chance to read it in HTML, PDF, MobiPocket or even listen to it in mp3 format! See – now that is convenient! Kudos to Tor.com!
• I don’t want to give anything away, but the physiology of the Korba demonstrated in the fight is pretty dang cool! (I think my kids have some toys that do similar things!)

• The bad:

• Hmm, not much to complain about in “After the Coup”. There are a handful of cuss words, so you may want to watch out for that.
• Oh – and there is some nude alien fighting! While that may sound disgusting it was actually pretty funny.

Fact Sheet:
• Page Count: 17
• Word Count: 7,087

Where you can find “After the Coup”:

• This short story first appeared in July 2008 on Tor.com
• You can read (or listen to) an excellent free version of “After the Coup” on Tor.com’s new web site.

Some Interesting Links:

• I’ve not read anything else by John Scalzi, but apparently the character Harry Wilson has been in other stories set in the “Old Man’s War” universe. Check out what the author himself has to say about this short story at his website entitled Whatever.
• Did you know that John Scalzi’s science fiction novel Old Man’s War was nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Novel? Yep. You can learn more about this science fiction author at Wikipedia.

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like Anda’s Game, about a twelve year old girl who belongs to The Fahrenheits – an exclusive all girl organization in an online game, by Cory Doctorow.

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