But it works. It works because the character is so engaging. Not that the science-fictional aspect should be discounted. It's about one of the colonists, and occurances which add to the portrait which the author is painting add to the story. The author pulls it off remarkably well.
Aphorism is better than none.
This is true, but only to the extent that they are all about war and what makes us fight and kill each other. One problem is that the pacing is off. Then suddenly within a few pages, we find out that there is something happening that can destroy the universe, and that there is a way to convert humanity to a non-aggressive state. Another problem is that while the first plot twist is moderately believable, the second I found completely unconvincing. All the problems that are introduced are solved with a wave of the hand.