Victories Greater Than Death

Victories Greater Than Death is a 2021 young adult science fiction novel, the first installment in the Unstoppable trilogy by Charlie Jane Anders.

[2] Anders was inspired to write in the young adult genre because she felt it was the best medium to publish a "fun" series with fantastical elements comparable to franchises such as Doctor Who or Star Wars, which she grew up enjoying.

[4] However, she chose to avoid the trope of neglectful or abusive parents in young adult fiction, and wrote a loving relationship between the protagonist and her mother.

After the beacon inside Tina's chest activates, she and her friend Rachael are taken aboard the HMSS Indomitable where they join the war against The Compassion, a genocidal alien military.

[9] The concept of individuality is built into the institution of the Royal Fleet, which Anders intended as a contrast to more conformist military organizations in franchises like Star Trek.

[13][16] Gary K. Wolfe wrote that it "cheerfully echoes not only familiar pop-culture properties from The Last Starfighter to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but reaches all the way back to Heinlein juveniles and 1930s space operas.

[1][10] Ellie King of Nerd Daily felt that it was written in a somewhat "simplified" way that would make it accessible to younger readers, but might alienate older audiences.

Photo of a purple haired woman standing at a podium
Author Charlie Jane Anders at Worldcon 75 in 2017