An expedition returns from the Third Planet with its numbers broken and its confidence shaken. What was once a routine operation has turned into something far more dangerous, and the surviving officer must explain how a familiar world became a battlefield without warning.

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As the testimony unfolds, a pattern begins to emerge. Encounters that once seemed impossible now carry a chilling consistency, and every attempt to adapt only reveals a deeper problem. The enemy has changed, and not in ways anyone expected. What had been taken for granted as an advantage is slipping away, replaced by uncertainty and a growing sense that time is no longer on their side. The question is no longer what happened—but what must be done next, before the balance shifts beyond recovery.

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A. Bertram Chandler brings a sharp, unsettling edge to this tale of interplanetary conflict. “This Means War!” builds its tension through the slow revelation of a threat that refuses to stay predictable, forcing its characters into a position where hesitation could prove fatal. It’s a story driven by urgency, where every choice carries weight and every delay tightens the pressure.

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A. Bertram Chandler was an Australian-born science fiction writer whose work frequently appeared in magazines such as Astounding Science Fiction and Analog. He is best known for his long-running John Grimes series, a body of work that blends space exploration with naval structure and command tension. Before turning to writing full-time, Chandler served as a merchant marine officer, an experience that strongly influenced the authenticity of his spacefaring narratives. “This Means War!” reflects that same sense of command responsibility, placing its focus on decisions made under pressure and the cost of getting them wrong.

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This Means War!

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