Legion of the Damned

This imperial space opera takes up the theme of fighting against impossible odds. At the center of the story is a futuristic French Foreign Legion made up of cyborgs and other societal misfits. The scrappy, chip-on-their-shoulder soldiers occupy their own planet in the far reaches of a contracting human space empire. When a xenophobic alien empire strikes at the humans, the legion becomes the last best hope for human salvation. The legionnaires are an oddball lot, ranging from their cut-throat, sexy commander, General Marianne Mosby, to the passionate Sergeant Bill Booly and the industrious, never-say-can't Legion General Ian St. James. Their cyberborgic compadres, with human minds trapped in armored killing machines, are rich and quirky characters as well. Throw in a Nero-like emperor more interested in his own pleasure than in the future of his empire, aristocratic conspirators working behind the scenes to take over the throne and ruthless, paranoid aliens with no way of understanding human psychology, and Dietz's ( Drifter's War ) latest tale becomes exciting and suspenseful. The humanity of the characters mixes well with the action to give this space drama real punch. (Aug.)