(quotes trimmed for the sake of brevity)
Is it because both the author and myself were in a military organization and you have not?
I did, actually. U.S. Air Force, 1994-98.
Not every story has to be compared with current events. Sometimes it is nice to just listen to a story and enjoy it. In fact I would say most of the time that is the case.
Science fiction is really cool in that it is a way to examine ourselves and our world, but I more often enjoy is as a way to escape the rigors of the day. Sometimes I read the forums and say, "Jeesh, do we have to bring current political events and opinions into this? Do I have to form a cohesive opinion and try to expound wisdom based on this week's story? Can't I just say 'that was a great story, here's what I like about it.'?"
I agree. I didn't go looking for a hidden message in this, and I'm not some lit-crit snob who thinks every decent story should be some kind of extended metaphor. It's enough for a sculpture or painting to be beutiful to behold, and it's enough for a story to be a fun story.
On the other hand, some stories like to be examined on another level, and I think this is one. I think that Sparkhawk wanted his readers to consider the issues we're discussing. I too heard echoes of the "Axis of Evil" speech in the commentary of the main character, and I felt compelled to comment on it.
As for why Eytanz and I see the story in different lights, I really haven't a clue. I don't presume to question your judgement, we just came down on different sides of the fence on this one
I certainly see how this story could be interpreted as being about conflicts in general, but the specific military context seems to compare very closely with what is going on in the real world.
Something else did occur to me: I may have the comparisons misplaced, (soldiers=government, aliens=terrorists). The more I consider it, the more I think I have it backwards. The soldiers on their suicide mission, killing civilians, are analagous to the people we refer to as terrorists, and the Shardies might be intended to portray a foreign invading force, such as the U.S./coalition forces.