View source for Natural Selection

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{{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 ==
* 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 ==
* [[Kai Allard-Liao]]
* [[Mark Allard]]
* [[Galen Cox]]
* [[Curaitis]]
* "[[Dancing Joker]]"
* [[Nelson Geist]]
* [[Klaus Hettig]]
* [[Caitlin Kell]]
* [[Colonel]] [[Morgan Kell]]
* "[[Red Corsair]]"
* [[Archon]] [[Melissa Steiner]]
* [[Archon-Prince]] [[Victor Steiner-Davion]]
* [[Khan]] [[Phelan Ward]]

== Featured places ==
* [[Arc-Royal]]
* [[Caledonia]]
* [[Deia]]
* [[Elissa]]
* [[Kooken's Pleasure Pit]]
* [[Pasig]]
* [[Port Moseby]]
* [[Solaris]]
* [[Tamar]]
* [[Tharkad]]
* [[Zanderij]]
* [[Zhongshan]]

==Featured BattleTech==
===BattleMechs===
* ''[[BattleMaster]]''
* ''[[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)

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

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

===DropShips===
* ''[[Overlord]]''-class DropShips ''[[Lioness (Individual Overlord-class DropShip)|Lioness]]'', ''[[Lugh]]'', ''[[Taizai]]'', ''[[Tigress (Individual Overlord-class DropShip)|Tigress]]'' 
* Individual DropShips of unspecified class: ''[[Barbarossa]]'', ''[[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>Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for [https://d-nb.info/940027674 first printing of ''Natürliche Auslese'']</ref>  The book had several printings, including a fourth printing in 1995 under the same ISBN.<ref>Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for [https://d-nb.info/946817979 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>Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for [https://d-nb.info/1142114244 ''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: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]]