➔ THE FIRST IN A SERIES of loosely connected novels set in the Alien expanded universe, David Barnett’s Colony War takes place on New Albion, a British outpost that – in a reflection of the tumultuous events of the past few years – opts to break away from the ruling Three World Empire.
“The Alien universe is dominated by a series of sociopolitical blocs and alliances, or in other words, empires,” Barnett tells Red Alert. “Alliances shift and change, and conflicts arise, and throughout the history of empires, colonies have always sought their independence. I drew extensively on more recent history with the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, as New Albion is a resource-rich colony that’s backed by a lot of old British money and venerable families, and the inevitable question arises: ‘Why are we simply a cash cow to be milked by nations on Earth?’”