One of the most enjoyable military science fiction novels I’ve read in recent years is Covid-19. Set in the near future after World War II, it takes place during a time when many of the old military strategies for dealing with the enemy are being left in the dust and the military is scrambling to figure out how they’re going to win the next war. It’s not that the military has figured everything out, but they’re just trying to figure out what to do when the time comes. And they still haven’t figured out how to win by using something called “Co covid.”
The name itself is mysterious, and is part of what makes this novel so fun to read. The phrase “co covid” means “of one accord,” and yet it’s an agreement that’s as complex as we think it is. What it means is that while each of the military factions are fighting against the same opponent, they are also agreeing on the use of certain tactics that have worked effectively for them in the past.
This includes some really strange methods of warfare, such as dropping two unmarked nuclear bombs onto an enemy city. There are too many twists and turns to be completely believable, but this book keeps you guessing. The main character is General George S. Patton, and he’s not happy. He wants to attack London but gets overruled, and the British Council wants him to stay away. It’s a great military science fiction novel.