Into the Light

In the early 21st century, mankind made unexpected first contact with an alien species, the vulpine Shongairi. They did not come in peace. In mere hours, kinetic strikes wipe out over half of the human population, but the Shongairi are shocked that when they come to Earth's surface, the humans have not surrendered, and they will fight to the death. Deciding that humans are more trouble than they're worth, the alien invaders decide to exterminate the human population with a biological weapon.

However, they did not realize that the Earth was home to two sentient species, and so in their error they find themselves overrun, their technology seized, and their own homeworld open to attack. Having found solace in allies stepping Out of the Dark, humanity itself must now step Into the Light. 

The sequel to the short story turned novel from David Weber, with the help of Chris Kennedy, Into the Light picks up in the horrifically post-apocalyptic world and the devastation left behind by the alien invaders. Political disorder, famine, rampant disease, and destroyed infrastructure takes its toll. Humanity has been reduced to only a few billion souls, and a county level government operating at something like half efficiency is considered a prime achievement worthy of praise. Can humanity build itself back up, all before the alien masters of the ancient Hegemony which dispatched the Shongairi in the first place realize what has happened?

From goodreads

Split into three parts, the novel tells the story of the rebuilding of the human population from scattered enclaves, first in North America where governments with shaky legitimacy are attempting to rebuild, and with some other hope spots from around the world. Then it tells of the startling discoveries humanity has made, and finally, a foray into the stars. 

It's not strictly necessary to have read Out of the Dark to enjoy this story, and you can read either the 2010 novel, or the original short story and not lose too much in translation. That does make it an easily accessible to casual readers, which should always be appreciated.

Part One does a great job exploring the dislocation caused by the Shongairi invasion, and from refugee camps to shattered government offices, we get a good story on how leaders from Canada to Brazil are trying to piece the world back together. I probably enjoyed this section the most as it had a more, human element, and was a really fun romp regarding the fallout from the invasion, and just how badly humanity has been pushed back.

Part Two is interesting, only insomuch as it does some fun exploration with the technology established in this little universe Weber has created. From experimenting with space platforms, warships, the fun use of railgun technology in small arms and tanks, and the intriguing Heinlein Armor, it is really setting us up for the book's climax.

The final section in Part Three is fun as it manages to tell a fairly intricate first contact story in just over one hundred pages. It sets up the good guys, the bad guys, and a great cast of secondary characters you can root for. There's been a lot of work put into the alien species for how much screen time they're given, and it was a nice touch that they were very well developed. It did invest me in the climax more than I anticipated, and the way it was handled made me laugh out loud with how clever it was.

If you enjoy a good military space science fiction story with some clever elements, look no further than Into the Light.