As someone who grew up on the original Star Trek, I remember well the episode in which two planets are at war, but instead of killing each other with weapons, they do it virtually, with computers, and then ask the “impacted” citizens to step in disintegration chambers (1967’s “A Taste Of Armageddon”).
It’s something I immediately thought of when preparing to interview author Alexander Darwin about his science fantasy novel Blacklight Born (paperback, Kindle, audiobook), the third and final novel in The Combat Codes Trilogy, in which nations go to war, but through 1-on-1 duels.
Though as Darwin says in the following email interview, his inspiration for this series, and this final installment, was something other than a certain episode from a classic sci-fi show.
