Tom Kratman

Last updated
Tom Kratman
Born (1956-09-04) September 4, 1956 (age 67)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
LanguageEnglish
Alma mater Boston College
Genre Science fiction
Notable worksA Desert Called Peace series, Big Boys Don't Cry (Hugo nominee), Watch on the Rhine (with John Ringo)
Website
www.tomkratman.com

Thomas P. Kratman (born September 4, 1956) is an American military science fiction author and retired United States Army officer whose work is published by Baen Books. Kratman's novels include the Desert Called Peace series which has been praised for its action sequences and attention to philosophy of war. He authored three novels with John Ringo in the Legacy of the Aldenata series. Kratman's works often reflect right-wing political perspectives and some have been seen as deliberately crafted to offend left-wing sensibilities. During the Sad Puppies campaign in 2015, Kratman was nominated for a Hugo Award for his novella Big Boys Don't Cry.

Contents

Biography

Kratman enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1974, [1] [2] attended Boston College on an Army scholarship and was commissioned as an officer in 1980. [1] [2] He went on to serve both in the invasion of Panama and the Gulf War. [3] Kratman left active service for law school in 1992, graduating in 1995 after which he practiced law for some years. He was called back for service in 2003 and ended his Army career at the United States Army War College as Director, Rule of Law, for the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute. [1] [2] Kratman retired in 2006 as a lieutenant colonel and became a full-time author. [4] [2] In an autobiography on his website, Kratman gives a personal perspective on his military career, discussing both the Gulf War and many years of deployment to Panama, where he met his wife. [2] Kratman's success as an author has been explained as part of a 21st century turn towards military science fiction writers with first-hand military experience. [3]

Writing career

Kratman was recruited as an author by ex-soldier and publisher Jim Baen who "recruited a batch of younger, like-minded authors from similar backgrounds"; [5] Kratman, Michael Z. Williamson, David Drake and John Ringo. [5] Commonalities in the works of these authors include the setting of a civilization in decline with heroes battling against conventional wisdom. [5] Kratman's first novel, A State of Disobedience (2003), deals with a revolution against tyranny in a future United States. [6] [7] [8] [9] The book was described by Lesley Farmer in Kliatt as a "libertarian-inspired combat story" with shallow characterization. [10] Another politically-oriented stand-alone novel, Caliphate (2008), takes place in a future Islamic Europe where a German girl is sold into prostitution to pay her family's yizya. [11] The work has been described as a part of a trend towards more speculative fiction focus on Islam after the September 11 attacks [12] and as driving "some readers to apoplexy". [3] Mark Steyn discussed the novel's political aspects at length and also described it as "a brisk page-turner full of startling twists and bad sex". [13]

In the series begun with A Desert Called Peace [lower-alpha 1] (2007), the hero battles a worldwide Caliphate. [7] The second novel in the series, Carnifex (2007), was praised by Publishers Weekly for its action sequences, characterization and attention to philosophy of war. [15] The third novel, The Lotus Eaters (2010), placed #8 in the Wall Street Journal bestsellers list in the hardcover science fiction category. [16] The fourth novel, The Amazon Legion (2011), was praised for its realistic descriptions by Booklist reviewer Jessica Moyer, who also cautioned that "repeated discourses on the physical limitations of women" might annoy female readers. [17] The fifth novel, Come and Take Them (2013), was reviewed positively by San Francisco Book Review which described it as engaging and well crafted with Kratman excelling in "graphic descriptions of outrages and suffering." [18] Library Journal praised the series for its "high standard of graphic and strategically detailed military sf". [19]

Kratman has co-authored three novels with John Ringo in the Legacy of the Aldenata series. The first was Watch on the Rhine (2005) which tells of rejuvenated members of the Waffen-SS fighting alien invaders. German author Dietmar Dath criticized the book's politics and warned of the use of "cool retro-fascism from the future" as a propaganda tool. [lower-alpha 2] [20] Publishers Weekly called the book "audacious and deliberately shocking" but rewarding for readers who could "overcome their ideological gag reflex". [21] The second novel was Yellow Eyes (2007), where a war against aliens is set in Panama. The book was described by Publishers Weekly as having vivid characters and satisfyingly detailed battle tactics. [22] Roland Green at Booklist praised the book's action scenes and described its military science as intelligent though "sometimes overly political". [23] The third novel, The Tuloriad (2009), draws on Homeric themes and tells of defeated aliens in search of a new home. Roland Green praised the battle descriptions [24] and Publishers Weekly called the book "an intriguing discussion of the power of faith". [25]

Short fiction by Kratman includes a contribution to the Forged in Blood (2017) anthology, which takes place in the Freehold universe created by Michael Z. Williamson and tells the story of a Japanese sword through centuries of history. [26] Kratman's story deals with a character who talks to the sword in a contribution described by Tangent Online as "hilarious" and appealing for readers who are "into gore porn." [27]

Kratman's work often reflects far right-wing perspectives [28] [29] and he "delights in offending left-wing sensibilities". [15] During the Sad Puppies campaign in 2015, Kratman was nominated for a Hugo Award for his novella Big Boys Don't Cry (2014). [30] [31] [32] Kratman's story placed third while "no award" won the most votes. [33]

Published works

Essays

Standalone works

Series

Legacy of the Aldenata

A Desert Called Peace (Carrera)

Countdown

Award nominations

Kratman has received the following award or award nominations.

YearOrganizationAward title,
Category		WorkResultRefs
2004Libertarian Futurist Society Prometheus Award,
Best Libertarian SF Novel		A State of DisobediencePreliminary nominee [37]
2014 World Science Fiction Society Hugo Award,
Best Related Work 		Training for War: An EssayNomination below cutoff [38]
2015 World Science Fiction Society Hugo Award,
Best Novella 		"Big Boys Don't Cry"3 [30] [39]

Explanatory notes

  1. ↑ The first novel, A Desert Called Peace, draws its name from a speech which the Roman historian Tacitus attributes to the Caledonian chieftain Calgacus. [14]
  2. ↑ German: "den coolen Retrofaschismus der Zukunft."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baen Books</span> American science fiction and fantasy publisher

Baen Books is an American publishing house for science fiction and fantasy. In science fiction, it emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, and military science fiction. The company was established in 1983 by science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. After his death in 2006, he was succeeded as publisher by long-time executive editor Toni Weisskopf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ringo</span> American science fiction and military fiction writer (born 1963)

John Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers. He has over seven million copies of his books in print, and his works have been translated into seven different languages.

The Legacy of the Aldenata, also known as the Posleen War Series, is the fictional universe of one of John Ringo's military science fiction series.

Patricia Nead Elrod is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She has written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked on several collections for Ace Science Fiction, DAW, Benbella Books, and St. Martin's Griffin. She self-published a signed, limited edition novel under her own imprint, Vampwriter Books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Z. Williamson</span> American military science fiction writer

Michael Z. Williamson is an American military science fiction and military fiction author best known for his libertarian-themed Freehold series published by Baen Books. Between 2004 and 2016, Williamson published eight Freehold novels, exploring military and political themes as well as first contact with alien beings. This was followed by the Forged in Blood (2017) and Freehold: Resistance (2019) anthologies, consisting of short stories taking place in the Freehold universe, some by Williamson and some by other authors, including Larry Correia, Tony Daniel, Tom Kratman and Brad R. Torgersen.

Dean Charles Ing was an American author, who usually wrote in the science fiction and techno-thriller genres. His novel The Ransom of Black Stealth One (1989) was a New York Times bestseller. He wrote more than 30 novels, and co-authored novels with his friends Jerry Pournelle, S. M. Stirling, and Leik Myrabo. Following the death of science fiction author Mack Reynolds in 1983, Ing was asked to finish several of Reynolds' uncompleted manuscripts.

Dave Freer is a South African–born, Australian-based, award-winning science fiction author writing mostly humorous or alternate history novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toni Weisskopf</span> American editor and science fiction writer

Toni Weisskopf is an American science fiction editor and the publisher of Baen Books. She has been nominated four times for a Hugo Award. She has won the Phoenix Award, the Rebel Award, and the Neffy Award for best editor. She uses the nom de plume T. K. F. Weisskopf as an anthology editor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve White (author)</span> American writer

Stephen White, is an American science fiction author best known as the co-author of the Starfire series along with David Weber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Weber</span> American science fiction and fantasy author (born 1952)

David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written several science-fiction and fantasy books series, the best known of which is the Honor Harrington science-fiction series. His first novel, which he worked on with Steve White, sold in 1989 to Baen Books. Baen remains Weber's major publisher.

<i>Watch on the Rhine</i> (novel) 2005 novel by John Ringo

Watch on the Rhine is a military science fiction novel by John Ringo and Tom Kratman, the seventh entry in Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata series.

<i>Yellow Eyes</i> 2009 novel by John Ringo

Yellow Eyes is a 2009 military science fiction novel in John Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata series, co-authored with Tom Kratman. The book, which is a spin-off of the main series, focuses on the Posleen invasion of Central America, with an emphasis on Panama. In contrast with other books in the series, emphasis is given to naval warfare, including the reactivation of the old warships USS Texas, USS Salem, and USS Des Moines.

<i>The Tuloriad</i> 2009 novel by John Ringo

The Tuloriad is a 2009 military science fiction novel by John Ringo and Tom Kratman, as part of the Legacy of the Aldenata series. It is set after the defeat of the Posleen on Earth, and follows the struggle of that race to survive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Correia</span> American fantasy writer (born 1977)

Larry Correia is an American fantasy and science fiction writer, known for his Monster Hunter International, Grimnoir Chronicles, and Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series. He has authored or co-authored over 25 novels, has over 50 published short works, two collections of stories, and has co-edited three published anthologies.

Charles E. Gannon is an American novelist and game designer who has worked primarily on hard science-fiction and role-playing games.

This is the complete list of works by American military science fiction writer John Ringo.

This is complete list of works by American science fiction and historical fiction author Eric Flint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Thomas Schmidt</span> American novelist

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is an American science fiction author and editor. He has edited twenty-two anthologies, and written a space opera trilogy, and an ongoing, near-future police procedural series set in Kansas City, Missouri, and a near future thriller novel being developed as a motion picture. He wrote a non-fiction book on how to write a novel. He was a finalist, with Jennifer Brozek, for the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor for the anthology Shattered Shields. His anthology, Infinite Stars, was nominated for the 2018 Locus Award for Best Anthology.

Ryk E. Spoor is an American science fiction and fantasy author, who also writes research grant proposals for a technology firm. He published his first novel, Digital Knight, in 2003, and has gone on to publish over a dozen more novels, often in collaboration with author Eric Flint on their Boundary series. He is nicknamed "seawasp" or "Sea Wasp", an online handle he has been using since 1977 in venues such as LiveJournal, Dreamwidth and Usenet.

<i>Nora Webster</i> 2014 novel by Colm Tóibín

Nora Webster is a historical novel by Colm Tóibín, published October 7, 2014 by Scribner.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kumar, Lisa (April 2007). "KRATMAN, Tom". Something about the Author. Vol. 175. Thomson, Gale. pp.  122–123. ISBN   978-0787687991.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Author Tom Kratman". Tomkratman.com. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Connors, Scott (April 7, 2008). "The Politics of Military SF". Publishers Weekly .
  4. ↑ Robson, Seth (July 1, 2016). "Former troops building second careers in military science fiction". Stars and Stripes . Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Buchanan, Craig (April 16, 2015). "Sci-Fi Battlefields". The Big Issue : 30.
  6. ↑ Kratman, Tom (2003). A State of Disobedience . Baen Books. ISBN   0-7434-9920-4.
  7. 1 2 Clute, John. "Kratman, Tom". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
  8. ↑ Wolff, Michael (April 2004). "A State of Disobedience". Starlog (321): 10.
  9. ↑ Hughes, JD (March 2016). "A State of Disobedience". American Survival Guide. 5 (3): 128.
  10. ↑ Farmer, Lesley (2006). "KRATMAN, Tom. A State of Disobedience". Kliatt. 40 (1): 20.
  11. ↑ Kratman, Tom (2008). Caliphate . Baen Books. ISBN   978-1-41655-545-2.
  12. ↑ Durrani, Haris A. (September 2012). "The Failure of Post-9/11 Science Fiction". The New York Review of Science Fiction: 9–10.
  13. ↑ Steyn, Mark (June 9, 2008). "Just to be clear, folks, it's a novel". Maclean's.
  14. ↑ Bonandini, Alice (2017). "Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant" (PDF). ClassicoContemporaneo (3): 64–65. ISSN   2421-4744.[ dead link ]
  15. 1 2 "Carnifex". Publishers Weekly. October 8, 2007.
  16. ↑ "Best-Selling Books ; Week Ended April 25; With data from Nielsen BookScan". April 30, 2010.
  17. ↑ Moyer, Jessica (April 15, 2011). "The Amazon Legion". Booklist Online.
  18. ↑ David Lloyd Sutton. "Come and Take Them". San Francisco Book Review.
  19. ↑ Cassada, Jackie (Nov 15, 2013). "Come and Take Them". Library Journal.
  20. ↑ Dath, Dietmar (September 8, 2005). "Weltretter Himmler". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Watch on the Rhine (Die Wacht am Rhein)". Publishers Weekly.
  22. ↑ "Yellow Eyes". Publishers Weekly.
  23. ↑ Green, Roland (April 15, 2007). "Yellow Eyes". Booklist Online.
  24. ↑ Green, Roland (September 28, 2009). "The Tuloriad". Booklist Online.
  25. ↑ "The Tuloriad". Publishers Weekly.
  26. ↑ Williamson, Michael Z., ed. (2017). "Table of Contents". Forged in Blood. Baen Books. ISBN   9781625796073.
  27. ↑ Lewis, C. D. (October 6, 2017). "Forged in Blood, ed. by Michael Z. Williamson". Tangent Online . Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  28. ↑ Nicholson, Blair (2016). A Literary and Cultural History of Military Science Fiction and the United States of America, 1870s-2010s (PDF) (PhD). University of Waikato. pp. 216–221.
  29. ↑ Bourke, Liz (January 17, 2012). "Admirals and Amazons: Women in Military Science Fiction". tor.com .
  30. 1 2 "2015 Hugo Awards" . Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  31. ↑ Walter, Damien (April 6, 2015). "Are the Hugo nominees really the best sci-fi books of the year". The Guardian. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  32. ↑ Schneiderman, Miles (August 14, 2015). "Sad Puppies, Rabid Chauvinists: Will Raging White Guys Succeed in Hijacking Sci-Fi's Biggest Awards?". Yes! (U.S. magazine) . Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  33. ↑ "2015 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 4 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  34. ↑ Free Nonfiction 2011, Baen Ebooks
  35. ↑ Free Nonfiction 2012, Baen Ebooks
  36. ↑ Castaliahouse.com, Castalia House, February 24, 2014
  37. ↑ "2004 Prometheus Award". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  38. ↑ "2014 Hugo Award". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  39. ↑ "2015 Hugo Award". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.