Editing Natural Selection

{{Cleanup|reason=review needed|date=September 2023}}
{{InfoBoxProduct
| image               = Natural Selection.jpg
| name                = 
| type                = Novel
| author              = [[Michael A. Stackpole]]
| development         = 
| primarywriting      = 
| pages               = 288
| cover               = [[Bruce Jensen]]
| interiorart         = [[Elizabeth Danforth]]
| illustrations       = 
| publisher           = [[Roc Books]]
| productioncode      = 
| year                = 7 July 1992
| ISBN10              = 0451451724
| ISBN13              = 978-0451451729
| MSRP                = 
| content             = 
| era                 = [[Clan Invasion era]]
| timeline            = [[3055]]
| series              = 
| precededby          = 
| followedby          = 
}}
'''''Natural Selection''''', by [[Michael A. Stackpole]], covers the [[Red Corsair]] conspiracy.

The plot of the novel continues in ''[[Assumption of Risk]]''.

{{BCNovel|on 07 July 2009}}
== From the back cover ==
{{quote|''The [[Clan Invasion|Clan War]] had ended in an uneasy peace. Sporadic [[Clan]] incursions into [[Inner Sphere]] territory supply [[mercenary unit|mercenaries]] like the [[Kell Hounds]] with more work than they can handle... border raids sharply divide the [[Federated Commonwealth]]'s political factions, bringing further instability to the realm standing between Clan's goals and anarchy.''

''And while secret ambitions drive plans to rip the Commonwealth apart, [[Khan]] [[Phelan Ward]] and [[Archon-Prince|Prince]] [[Victor Ian Steiner-Davion|Victor Davion]]&mdash;cousins, rulers, and enemies&mdash;must decide if maintaining the peace justifies the actions they will take to preserve it.''}}

==Summary==
The Novel covers the ongoing border skirmishes between the Lyran Alliance and the Jade Falcons after the truce at Tukkayide.

There are 3 major story arcs in the novel.
The first is that of a Fedcom mechwarrior captured by the raiding clan unit, and made a bondsman. It documents his struggle to accept the work he is doing against is own people, while trying to protect the other bondsman around him.

The second major arc is the tale of the assassin who is plotting to kill Melissa Steiner.

The Third story arc is that of the kell hounds as they attempt to hunt down and destroy the raiding clan unit.

* Pre–FedCom Civil War. Arc-Royal; Victor Davion, Katherine Steiner changes name to Katrina, is a charmer.
* Khan Phelan Kell Ward attends Morgan Kell's retirement.
* Omi Kurita and Victor's love grows.
* Melissa Steiner and Salome Kell are killed in an assassination bombing.
* The Red Corsair raids FedCom territory, Clan Wolf sends the 31st Wolf ''[[Solahma]]'' unit to stop them. [[Zimmer's Zouaves]] were also destroyed in the conflict.
* Description of first battle Kell Hounds vs. Red Corsair p. 277. Red Corsair is actually a Jade Falcon unit and is in league with the 31st ''Wolf Solahma'' (p. 308).
* On page 324 reference to Clan Wolverine annihilation in retaliation to using a nuclear weapon on a genetic repository.
{{sectionstub}}

==Featured characters==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Kai Allard-Liao]]
* [[Mark Allard]]
* [[Galen Cox]]
* [[Curaitis]]
* "[[Dancing Joker]]"
* [[Nelson Geist]]
* [[Klaus Hettig]]
* [[Caitlin Kell]]
* [[Colonel]] [[Morgan Kell]]
* "[[Red Corsair]]"
* [[Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth|Archon]] [[Melissa Steiner]]
* [[Archon-Prince of the Federated Commonwealth|Archon-Prince]] [[Victor Steiner-Davion]]
* [[Khan]] [[Phelan Ward]]
{{div col end}}

==Featured places==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Arc-Royal]]
* [[Caledonia]]
* [[Deia]]
* [[Elissa]]
* [[Kooken's Pleasure Pit]]
* [[Pasig]]
* [[Port Moseby]]
* [[Solaris]]
* [[Tamar]]
* [[Tharkad]]
* [[Zanderij]]
* [[Zhongshan]]
{{div col end}}

==Featured BattleTech==
===BattleMechs===
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[BattleMaster]]''
* ''[[Blackjack (BattleMech)|Blackjack]]'' (mentioned)
* ''[[Catapult]]''
* ''[[Centurion (BattleMech)|Centurion]]'' (''[[Yen-Lo-Wang]]'')
* ''[[Clint]]''
* ''[[Crusader]]''
* ''[[Dire Wolf (Daishi)|Daishi]]'' 
* ''[[Dervish]]''
* ''[[Griffin]]''
* ''[[Hermes]]''
* ''[[Hunchback]]''
* ''[[Locust]]''
* ''[[Gargoyle (Man O' War)|Man O' War]]''
* ''[[Marauder]]''
* ''[[Warhawk (Masakari)|Masakari]]''
* ''[[Ostsol]]''
* ''[[Panther]]''
* ''[[Phoenix Hawk]]''
* ''[[Rifleman]]'' 
* ''[[Stinger]]''
* ''[[Thunderbolt]]''
* ''[[Valkyrie]]''
* ''[[Vindicator]]''
* ''[[Wolfhound IIC]]'' (Grinner)
{{div col end}}

===Aerospace Fighters===
* ''[[Corsair (Aerospace Fighter class)|Corsair]]''
* ''[[Hellcat (Aerospace Fighter class)|Hellcat]]''
* ''[[Rogue (Aerospace Fighter class)|Rogue]]''
* ''[[Stingray]]''
* ''[[Stuka]]''
* ''[[Transgressor]]''
* ''[[Trident]]''
* ''[[Visigoth]]'' [[OmniFighter]]

===Small Craft===
* ''[[K-1]]'' [[DropShuttle]]

===DropShips===
* ''[[Overlord (DropShip class)|Overlord]]''-class DropShips ''[[Lioness (Individual Overlord-class DropShip)|Lioness]]'', ''[[Lugh]]'', ''[[Taizai]]'', ''[[Tigress (Individual Overlord-class DropShip)|Tigress]]'' 
* Individual DropShips of unspecified class: ''[[Barbarossa]]'', ''[[Columbus (Individual K-1-class DropShuttle)|Columbus]]'', ''[[Jadbalja]]''. ''[[Lady Luck]]''

===JumpShips===
* ''[[Congress]]''-class frigate ''[[Fire Rose]]''

== Notes ==
* The novel was initially meant to tell that story of [[Katrina Steiner]]'s [[3004]] stint as the "Red Corsair" in the [[Periphery]] that the author had hinted at, but not detailed, in the earlier [[Warrior Trilogy]]. However, the publisher wanted no flashback stories and so the story was rewritten, keeping only the "Red Corsair" nucleus and thereby introducing a new, distinct Red Corsair persona.<ref>according to Stackpole himself in [http://www.michaelastackpole.com/?p=1736 a blog entry on his homepage]</ref> Stackpole revisited Katrina Steiner's backstory some 20 years later in the 2010 short story ''[[Vanish]]''.

==Foreign-Language Editions==
===German=== 
A German edition, translated by [[Reinhold H. Mai]], was published by [[Heyne]] in 1993 as ''Natürliche Auslese'' (ISBN 9783453072428).<ref>[https://d-nb.info/940027674 Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for first printing of ''Natürliche Auslese'']</ref>  The book had several printings, including a fourth printing in 1995 under the same ISBN.<ref>[https://d-nb.info/946817979 Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for fourth printing of ''Natürliche Auslese'']</ref>  This was republished as an EPUB by [[Ulisses Medien & Spiel Distribution GmbH|Ulisses Spiele]] in 2017 as ''BattleTech Legenden 17 : Natürliche Auslese'' (ISBN 9783957526694).<ref>[https://d-nb.info/1142114244 Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for ''BattleTech Legenden 17 : Natürliche Auslese'']</ref>

===Hungarian===
A Hungarian edition was published by [[Beholder]] in 1999 as ''Farkastörvény''.<ref>Beholder product page for [http://beholder.hu/?m=bolt&cikk=133 ''Farkastörvény'']</ref>

===Russian===
A Russian edition, translated by V.V. Andreev, was published by [[Армада]] (Armada) in 1995 as ''Естественный отбор'' (ISBN 5763200373). <ref> Science Fiction Lab Book description for [http://fantlab.ru/edition39121 Естественный отбор]</ref><ref> National Library of Russia description for [https://webservices.nlr.ru/util/?method=recordFormat&vid=07NLR_VU1&sysid=005371416&format=037&base=NLR01 Естественный отбор (1995)]</ref>  A reprint was published in 2001 (ISBN 5309002286) by [[Армада-пресс]] (Armada-Press) as part of a different series produced in collaboration with [[Дрофа]] (Drofa).  <ref> Science Fiction Lab Book description for [http://fantlab.ru/edition8468 Естественный отбор]</ref><ref> National Library of Russia description for [https://webservices.nlr.ru/util/?method=recordFormat&vid=07NLR_VU1&sysid=000251589&format=037&base=NLR01 Естественный отбор (2001)]</ref>

===Spanish===
A Spanish edition, translated by Jaime de Marcos Andreu, was published by [[Timun Mas]] in 2001 as [[List of BattleTech Print Novels in Spanish#Selección natural|''Selección natural'']].

==Covers==
<gallery>
Image:Natural Selection.jpg|Original 1992 cover. Art by [[Bruce Jensen]].
Image:Natuerliche Auslese.jpg|1993 German edition.
Image:BattleTech Legenden 17 - Natürliche Auslese.jpg|2017 German edition (reprint).
Image:Farkastörvény - 1999.jpg|1999 Hungarian edition.
Image:Естественный отбор.jpg|1995 Russian edition.
Image:Естественный отбор-2001.jpg|2001 Russian edition (reprint).
Image:SpanishBattletech-Seleccion Natural.jpg|Spanish 2001 cover
</gallery>

==Reference==
<references />


[[Category:Novels]]
[[Category:Classic BattleTech novels]]
[[Category:BattleCorps publications]]
[[Category:Works by Michael A. Stackpole]]
[[Category:German Editions]]
[[Category:Hungarian Editions]]
[[Category:Russian Editions]]
[[Category:Spanish Editions]]