Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

This is our discussion of the short story....

"Codename: Delphi" by Linda Nagata

From the scifi anthology War Stories from the Future, part of our discussion of War Stories from the Future. (The entire collection is available free online in several formats.)

Future terrestrial combat, with "Linked Combat Squads" (LCS) outfitted with powered exoskeletons and a variety of high-tech communications and surveillance technology, including ear-bugs, skullcaps, video overlays, drones (surveillance and offensive), smart weapons and medical status monitors. Mission overwatch is provided by multiple surveillance drones, in this case the titular character, "Delphi". Basically, Earthbound version of Heinlein's starship troopers, with less armor and more drones.

Nagata writes pretty good combat sequences, and she's populated her universe with both some "standard" future technology and a few imaginative touches of her own.

I believe this is the only story in this anthology that was previously published (Lightspeed Magazine, April 2014). It stands alone just fine, though it also serves a prequel story to Linda Nagata's The Red: First Light trilogy. I read it the first time before reading The Red, and liked it just fine on its own. "Delphi" is a secondary character in the novels, with much the same role she has here: a voice in the heads of the squad leader & its members (in the novels, I don't think we even find out her name is Karin until the 2nd book; Lt. James Shelley, one of her client squad leaders in this story, is the lead character in the trilogy.) So for those who read all or part of the trilogy, it serves as a little background on what overwatch functions are like from Delphi's point of view.

I enjoyed the action sequences and combat technology on their own merits. Effect, this is the story that convinced me to read The Red: First Light. ****

I couldn't figure out the point of this story while I was reading it. Now that I see Geezer's recap, it appears to be a prequel introducing us to characters in the author's books? 1 star.

I really liked it & gave it 5 stars. It reminded me a little of "Grey's Anatomy" in the urgency & compassion, along with the distance between the controller & the soldiers. The issues with limited time, attention, & 'resources' vying with command decisions. I found it very exciting & well done.

I gave it four stars. I enjoyed it although I admit it doesn't really stand on its own. It feels like part of a larger work, as do other stories in the War Stories From the Future anthology. I haven't read The Red: First Light but this story made me interested in reading the trilogy.