Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Vol. 1: Dawn

by Yoshiki Tanaka, Daniel Huddleston (Translator)

Overview

It’s the master tactician of the ruthless Galactic Empire versus the Free Planets Alliance in Japan’s greatest space opera epic!

In the thirty-sixth century, humanity has conquered the galaxy and colonized countless star systems. The Galactic Empire, modeled along Prussian lines, and the democratic Free Planets Alliance are at war, and the fate of every human being in the universe hangs in the balance. This classic Japanese space opera, adapted into a legendary anime, is finally available in English for the first time.

The “golden brat” Reinhard von Lohengramm, a military prodigy and admiral of the Galactic Empire, has ambitions beyond protecting the borders or even defeating the empire’s enemies. He seeks to overthrow the old order and become a truly absolute—yet benevolent—dictator. His rival, the humble Yang Wen-li of the Free Planets Alliance, wishes to preserve democracy even if he must sacrifice his political ideals to defeat the empire. Their political and military battles play out over a galactic chessboard in an epic saga fifteen centuries in the making!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421584942
Publisher:	Haikasoru
Publication date:	03/08/2016
Series:	Legend of the Galactic Heroes , #1
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	164,875
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Yoshiki Tanaka was born in 1952 in Kumamoto Prefecture and completed a doctorate in literature at Gakushuin University. Tanaka won the Gen’eijo (a mystery magazine) New Writer Award with his debut story “Midori no Sogen ni...” (On the Green Field...) in 1978 and then started his career as a science fiction and fantasy writer. Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Dawn, which translates the European wars of the 19th century to an interstellar setting, won the Seiun Award for best science fiction novel in 1987. Tanaka’s other works include the fantasy series The Heroic Legend of Arslan and many other science fiction, fantasy, historical, and mystery novels and stories.

Editorial Reviews

02/29/2016
Tanaka's military SF classic has been unavailable in English for decades, but given the poor quality of this new translation, it's hard to say whether that was truly a bad thing. The saga follows two young commanders on either side of a galactic war: Reinhard von Lohengramm of the Galactic Empire, and Yang Wen-li of the Free Planets Alliance. Upon their first meeting in battle, each man distinguishes himself by utilizing unorthodox tactical maneuvers (which have their basis in military history). A web of political infighting on both sides slowly reveals itself, but Huddleston's prose is so slavishly devoted to Tanaka's original Japanese text that the path towards the meat of the book quickly becomes a slog. It's easy to lose interest long before the action picks up (no thanks to the unnecessary, lengthy prologue, absent in the fan-favorite anime adaptation). It doesn't help that Tanaka's nearly 35-year-old plot has aged rather poorly; with its overwhelmingly male-dominated story and shallow female characters, it's hard to find a place for this series among today's more nuanced SF. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly