Before Fandom Pulse had established itself as a pop culture site and when much of the pop culture zeitgeist was still in denial about pop culture’s downward trend or cancel culture itself, there came a canceling in the realm of tabletop gaming and military sci-fi. What looked like a career-ending victory for woke ideologists turned into a resounding success without skipping a beat.
Allow me to set the stage and explain for those who were unaware.
In 2023, Battletech, under the ownership of Topps and Catalyst Games labs, unceremoniously fired long time Battletech author Blaine Lee Pardoe. Pardoe was a massive authorial voice responsible not just for many of Battletech’s numerous military sci-fi novels, but also much of the content in the series source books. This was in direct response to a malicious effort on the part of a fake-trans person’s email campaign to Topps and Catalyst because of Blaine Parode’s conservative political leanings.
Blaine Lee Pardoe was interviewed by youtuber Razorfist as soon as news broke about the cancelation.
At first, this appeared to be a win for woke ideologists attempting to boot out one of the few conservative creators in the tabletop gaming spaces until Blaine announced that he had hit the ground running with a new series in conjunction with Brent Evans and Wargate Books for a new military sci-fi series called Land & Sea–complete with “Big Stompy Robots”.
The premise of the series is simple: in the not-too-distant future, Earth and all of mankind come under attack by alien sealife attacking from the depths of earth’s oceans. The near future setting allows for the existence of sci-fi weaponry that doesn’t feel out of place in the modern world. This includes the ASHURs, the aforementioned mechs that are already in place for the start of the series. (ASHUR is the assyrian god of war).
The series launched with its first three books in quick succession and thanks in part of Blaine Pardoe’s prolific output has already reached 10 books. Blaine is the primary author of the first 9 books and recently indie author Declan Finn was brought in as the author of the 10th book in the series. Land & Sea also recently fulfilled its first successful graphic novel (titled Paradise).
The series was never meant to be just a novel series and the long-awaited tabletop wargame is in playtesting. Rules and models can be downloaded by joining Brent Evans patreon Creative Juggernaut and 3D printed. Fans of the series have been providing feedback for the playtesting directly, far in advance of the wargame’s official release.
All of this was only in planning stages when the series kicked off in 2023, and although I reviewed the first book at the time, I’ve since been attempting to catch up on the series. In light of being six books deep at the time of this article, I’ve opted to re-review the first book for those who have not become aware of the series existence.
SPLASHDOWN REVIEW:
In my initial review, I said that the series’s first book, Splashdown, plays out like the first act of an alien invasion movie. I hold true to this opinion, but add that it feels like the opening episodes of a tv show, based on how subsequent novels play out.
As Blaine explains on his blog ‘Notes from the Bunker: “This is a story that mixes a bit of Tom Clancy, with the Expanse, with a big dollop of Mech combat, and a juicy chunk of Red Dawn thrown in for good measure. Splashdown does a lot of the world-building and character establishment – the perfect entry point for this new universe.”
Blaine’s desire to jump right into the action leads to several opening chapter snippets of strange occurrences in Earth’s seas. From unusual readings to bizarre sightings to a deadly encounter with large crabs that shoot lethal pressurized water jets. It feels like the opening of the Jurassic Park novel, which did much the same with its harrowing foreshadowing of the alien threat before it officially makes itself known.
As these threatening events increase in frequency throughout the book, we are introduced to the many characters of the ensemble cast that the first three books focus on. A mixture of military, ex-military, and civilian individuals who deal with the threats as they arrive.
There’s Ashton Slade, a military intelligence officer who begins putting the data behind the instances of alien events together. Adam Cain, an old warhorse, was called back into duty. Dana Blaze, an amoral, ambitious news reporter who is surprisingly a fan favorite. Jay Drake, a billionaire tech developer looking to profit off the aliens. Titus Hill, a submarine commander. Cassie, a high school girl. Natalia Falton, a marine on duty in Guam when the aliens attack. And Antonio Colton, an ex-military man, becomes the leader of a militia unit known as Colton’s Cutthroats.
It sounds like a lot, but quickly you become acclimated to the flow of the book. Much like a TV show that bounces from character to character, you catch a glimpse of ordinary people in their lives just before the initial inciting incident of the aliens’ attack arrives and throws everything into disarray.
The pseudo-modern-day setting allows for the feel of a slightly more technologically advanced era, not unlike our own. With cultural stagnation as it is, it doesn’t feel out of place that in 2040, we still have social media and smartphones. It's indicated that a big blackout event bricked a lot of technology at some point years prior, which resulted in Jay Drake’s tech becoming a sort of savior to everyone by working when old tech did not. A few passages throughout the series make light of iconic pop culture movies or TV shows that indicate older people remember them, but younger generations are clueless.
The first incitement comes in the form of massive snails that crawl aboard the shore of coastal cities–inducing panic and awe for these alien creatures. Throughout the book, we’re introduced to some of the mainstays in the alien sealife’s ranks. (They are dubbed The Fish for short). Crabs, Frogs, and the imposing leader caste of the Fish, known as the “Bosses.”
One great supplemental book that has since come out is the Alien Threat Assessment, a short 72-page info assessment done in the style of an old-school military information booklet. It contains a military-style briefing on all the alien classes, what they look like, strengths, weaknesses, and such. It’s an invaluable series companion for those who want to know more about the aliens.
Splashdown bounces between all of its established characters learning along with the world about the alien’s existence and the horror of when they attack in unison after a period of zero communication from them. The snails in question disgorge a load of ping-pong ball-sized piranha-flea hybrids (dubbed goblins) that act as a terror tactic.
The tension building to these initial attacks is well done. Even though you know it’s going to happen, which is a given considering the premise of the series, it still hits hard when the devastation is finally unleashed. The centerpiece of this book is the attack on Guam, where Natalia Falto is stationed, and the full-scale military-on-alien battle takes place. Here is where Blaine Pardoe’s pedigree in military sci-fi from decades in Battletech shines. The knowledge of military tech and tactics is on full display, putting you on street level with the troops fighting.
And, of course, the mech action is unleashed when Falto’s commanding officer, Rickenberg, takes to his Lion ASHUR and takes on some of the crabs and the first appearance of a Boss. Blaine takes the time to show the impact of the alien attacks from each character’s POV. The Action is top-notch, the human element feels stark and real without feeling nihilistic. The scope of the war is global and feels as though the setting could accommodate a multitude of stories from a diverse array of characters at every level of the conflict. (This is what happens in the anthology book FLOTSAM OF WAR).
The only drawback comes if you are expecting a one-and-done read. This is very much the opening act of a larger series and events end in such a way that you are left wanting to know what happens next in the follow-up RIPTIDES.
For fans of military sci-fi, Battletech, Exo-Squad, even Warhammer 40k to some extent, Land & Sea will feel like a solid addition to your library of sci-fi military books. The setting is well underway and helps provide the context for the upcoming wargame when it is finally set for release. For those who don’t want the wargame, the books themselves are solid mil. Sci-fi without having to invest in huge world-building lore thanks to its modern-ish setting. Its grounded feel helps it achieve the sense of reality that other settings lack or lose.
 | A guest post by
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Exo-Squad.
Now there's a name that deserves to be remembered.
Will Meugniot for the win!