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Tactics of Mistake
Gordon R. Dickson Book Review

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Plot Summary of Tactics of Mistake
"The Earth Superpowers are constantly fighting each other in the colonized worlds, but one tactician is secretly more interested in gaining independance for the colonized worlds than he is in helping his superpower win the war."
Will B., Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Tactics of Mistake
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story - part earth & part fantasy world
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - factions fight within govt for control - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Mental/magical powers focus Yes
War or Invasion Yes
Major kinds of combat: - hand to hand - guns
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - infantry soldier
Age: - 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - healing
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - bulging muscles - missing body parts/abilities

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - diplomat - politician/elected ruler
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Terrain - Jungle - Mountains - Forests
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - humans in a primitive/fantasy society - humans in a contemporary society
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Tactics of Mistake
Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler
This Immortal by Roger Zelazny
The Parafaith War by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Salt by Adam Roberts
The Spoils of War by Alan Dean Foster


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Gordon R. Dickson Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Ursawolf  

SCHOLARS:
William Betts  Will B.  Speaker43  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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