Mack Reynolds' novel "Mercenary" is a science fiction novel. This thought-provoking tale takes place in a future society dominated by political beliefs, power struggles, and international interactions. Miles Gilbert, the protagonist, is a professional mercenary, a soldier for hire in a world where nations no longer fight traditional wars but instead hire mercenaries to fight on their behalf. Gilbert is a multifaceted figure who navigates a morally confusing environment where loyalty, politics, and personal ethics collide. As the novel progresses, Gilbert becomes engaged in a succession of worldwide wars, each of which is motivated by the interests of strong nations and companies. His experiences shed insight on the complex mechanics of a society where conflict has become a profitable business. Mack Reynolds deftly employs "Mercenary" as a vehicle for exploring themes of war, diplomacy, and the ethics of violence. The story explores concerns about the role of mercenaries in influencing nations' fates, as well as the blurred lines between patriotism and profit. "Mercenary" is a politically charged and intellectually fascinating work of science fiction that asks readers to consider the implications of a society in which violence is outsourced to private warriors.
Dallas McCord "Mack" Reynolds (November 11, 1917 – January 30, 1983) was a science fiction writer from the United States. Dallas Ross, Mark Mallory, Clark Collins, Dallas Rose, Guy McCord, Maxine Reynolds, Bob Belmont, and Todd Harding were some of his pen names. His work was primarily concerned with socioeconomic speculation, which he communicated through thought-provoking studies of utopian society from a radical, often satiric standpoint. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he was a popular author, particularly among readers of science fiction and fantasy periodicals. Reynolds was the first author to create an original novel based on the NBC television series Star Trek, which aired from 1966 to 1969. Mission to Horatius (1968) was written for young readers. Reynolds was the second of four children born to Verne La Rue Reynolds and Pauline McCord in Corcoran, California. Reynolds was schooled to support the concepts of Marxism and socialism by his father, who joined the Socialist Labor Party (SLP) after the family relocated to Baltimore in 1918. ("I grew up in a Marxist-Socialist family. "I am the child who, when he was five or six years old, asked his mother, 'Mother, who is Comrade Jesus Christ?' —because I had never met anyone in that household who wasn't called Comrade." Reynolds joined the SLP in 1935, while still in high school in Kingston, New York, and quickly became an ardent supporter of the party's ideals.
