Moral Equivalent

"Moral Equivalent" by Kris Neville is a science fiction tale set on Mala, where inhabitants, after modeling their society on Earth, plunge into war after obtaining Earth books on warfare and politics. This story investigates the risks of mimicking a culture without understanding its past and values. Two Earth spacefarers, Kelly and Beliakoff, unintentionally spark this conflict and grapple with its repercussions, exposing the Malan war's absurdity due to the Malans' superficial grasp of war. Led by Prime Minister Nob and Empress Jusa, the Malans create a war based on books but miss its inherent violence. As Kelly and Beliakoff try to end the fighting, they face moral issues of war and leadership, concluding with unexpected results that stress the difficulty of achieving peace and understanding culture.