1980s. Industrial Planet attacks Pastoral Planet. Female prisoner, time dilation. Bio Weapon

[Jubal_Harshaw]

So, I am looking for a book or novella from the 1980s or maybe early 1990s. It tells a generational story about the attempted conquest of an apparently-pastoral planet by an industrial planet slowly building an empire. The first landing or two are basically raids, and a female from the pastoral planet becomes an important character because she lives through the entire saga by virtue of being transported back-and-forth between the two planets by an officer of the Industrial military. In the end, the Pastoral Planet wins the war, by hitting the Industrial Planet with some sort of bio-weapon, as I recall. Or maybe they only threatened to use it.

Any help?

 

[Jubal_Harshaw]

just bumping this, in hopes that a new member sees it and recognizes the book.

 

[Jubal_Harshaw]

The annual bump, in hopes someone new recognizes this book.

 

[Danny McG]

So, I am looking for a book or novella from the 1980s or maybe early 1990s. It tells a generational story about the attempted conquest of an apparently-pastoral planet by an industrial planet slowly building an empire. The first landing or two are basically raids, and a female from the pastoral planet becomes an important character because she lives through the entire saga by virtue of being transported back-and-forth between the two planets by an officer of the Industrial military. In the end, the Pastoral Planet wins the war, by hitting the Industrial Planet with some sort of bio-weapon, as I recall. Or maybe they only threatened to use it.

Any help?

Do you recall if it was a female author?

 

[astrojosh]

ChatGPT says its "The Peace War" by Vernor Vinge

 

[Ravensquawk]

In the end, the Pastoral Planet wins the war, by hitting the Industrial Planet with some sort of bio-weapon, as I recall. Or maybe they only threatened to use it.

See? We are interested; we just can't f-n find it! Not for lack of trying though.

I'm getting a lot of books published in the 1950s mostly, one was from 1930. It leads to the question: Rule those out because they were published long before the 1980s-1990s? Does memory of it indicate it seemed published around the time you read it, fairly new, or is there any hint of reading a golden-age type of story in the 80s-90s?

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

With respect to our mighty AI overlords, it's definitely not The Peace War!

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Jubal_Harshaw]

Definitely NOT "The Peace War."

Sorry, I do not recall whether the author was male or female.

I do not think it was from as early as the 1950s. The idea of time dilation during interstellar flight was not really a theme that early. More likely late-1960s or after.

I have recalled another detail. At the end, it turns out that one of the leaders on the pastoral planet is one of her descendants, and he basically says "Do you really thinks we would have let it go this far, if we did not have something in the works to win in the end?"

 

[Galactic Bus Driver]

I'm probably off base, but the description sounds somewhat like the Freedom books by Anne McCaffrey.

 

[Jubal_Harshaw]

I see some similarity with the McCaffrwy series, but that is not it, Thanks.