Review: Why Humans Avoid War

Why Humans Avoid War by Daniel Pascap
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Humans have a long history, much of it grim. To progress as a species, and indeed to survive, they needed to become better. And so they grew. But can any species with roots so deeply entwined in bloodlust and violence ever truly leave it behind? Where is humanity’s place in the cosmos? Can their violent history become their greatest strength?

Thousands of years into the future, humans have not only overcome their petty infighting but have also become part of the Galactic Federation. Their evolution from the primal, tribal beings they once were is so complete that they are now regarded as paragons of diplomacy, the most peace-loving species in the galaxy. However, the true test of their evolution arises when their newfound harmony is threatened.

Why Humans Avoid War has been garnering a lot of attention on Reddit and TikTok, so as a sci-fi lover, it made sense to check it out—and I’m glad that I did. Departing from the usual ‘humans are being attacked by space monsters’ trope that an unfortunate amount of recent sci-fi seems to follow, Why Humans Avoid War approaches the narrative from the opposite angle. What if humans were the most terrifying? What if our long history of violence could be harnessed for some form of greater galactic good? Told from multiple viewpoints, many of which belong to various alien species desperately trying to comprehend the logic behind human decisions, the reader is treated to an interesting, often self-deprecating, third-party analysis of what makes humans tick.

While I previously mentioned that I loved this book, it is not without its faults. Written by an amateur author and published by Trinary Press, a publisher with only two books under its belt, both seemingly self-published before being picked up by the press, the book is in dire need of a good editor (sorry, Colton Carpenter). Why Humans Avoid War reads like medium to good-level fan fiction. Annoying grammatical errors, such as “I could care less,” break reader immersion and add nothing to the story. None of the events or characters in the book receive the depth or coverage they deserve, which is a crying shame. If this were a bare-bones outline meant to be fully fleshed out, the resulting novel could have rivalled The Expanse series and might have become a truly fulfilling series to read.

Faults aside, Why Humans Avoid War offers a brilliant and amusing perspective on a species that confuses us all at times. It involves political drama, intrigue, and philosophical questions on a galactic scale, and at its core, it’s a quick read and a decent palate cleanser. Daniel Pascap has a talent for weaving an engaging story, but my heart still yearns for the epic that this could have been.



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