The Klingon Art of War

by Keith R. A. DeCandido

(Simon & Schuster, May 2014, 160 pp.)

Reviewed by Alicia Cole

Mirroring Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, Keith DeCandido’s The Klingon Art of War provides an immersive echo of that text for Klingon scholars and the far-future politically/military curious among speculative fans. The text is lively and true to its Klingon roots, laid out across Ten Precepts (differing, of course, from Sun Tzu’s thirteen) that detail such areas as “Choose your enemies well” and “seek adversity,” true Klingon philosophies to live by. Darby Conley’s cover and chapter inset artwork are beautifully rendered, particularly his painting for the Third Precept.

While fandom purists will be thrilled by the “historically” accurate new information provided by the appendixes, speculative fans in general may find something to ponder with this book. In this harried day and age where war, from a Western standpoint, is viewed economically or from a great, uncompassionate distance, the Klingon sense of honor and moral-codified combat is refreshing.

Seek this one out if you’d like a refresher on how to “choose death over chains” and “guard honor above all.”