We were fighting on the wrong side, of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news.
The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.
When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are.
I'd better start at the beginning....
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The military science fiction subgenre was transformed by the release of Columbus Day, an alien-invasion adventure that introduced readers to high-stakes interstellar warfare paired with sharp humor. Author Craig Alanson launched his writing career with this breakout self-published novel, which quickly grew into the widely acclaimed Expeditionary Force series.
Before becoming a full-time author, Craig Alanson (the pen name for Craig Odell) worked in IT services creating corporate financial reports. He began writing fiction in 2006 during nights and weekends while balancing his corporate position. In 2016, Alanson independently published his first three novels on Amazon. Within six months of his initial e-book releases, the overwhelming reader response enabled him to leave his day job and write full-time. The breakout trajectory of Columbus Day accelerated when Podium Audio released the audiobook adaptation narrated by Audie Award winner R.C. Bray, earning a nomination for Audiobook of the Year in 2018. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Alanson now resides in Gainesville, Virginia, with his wife.
Alanson's storytelling combines fast-paced military sci-fi action, space opera tropes, intricate logistics, and witty character dynamics. His work frequently explores themes of improbable survival against overwhelming alien threats, military camaraderie, tactical improvisation, and resourceful technology usage. Across his Expeditionary Force universe and its spin-offs, Alanson mixes tense tactical encounters with lighthearted comedic banter. Beyond his flagship sci-fi saga, Alanson has expanded his creative scope into epic fantasy with the Ascendent trilogy, young adult space opera with Aces, and urban fantasy with his Convergence series.
Expeditionary Force
