The Man in No Woman’s Land
Tales of Sex, Love, and War in a World War with Nine Women for Every Man
Chapter 1
by 
Gamma Boötis
Hey you, John Smith, are you happy with the life you have? If not, then you are in luck, for something out there has a surprise in store for you.
What’s that? Maybe you like your life?
Oh, that’s unfortunate then, because in the cosmic lottery your draft number just got pulled. You may get to choose which side you fight with, but you will fight. Will you show yourself a warrior on the field of battle the likes of Hector and Lysander or perhaps your fight will be one for survival against overwhelming odds? We suppose that is for Kriegsglück to decide.
We’ll say now that the world you’ll be fighting in isn’t too different from your own is, or was once. We’ve been told that at first glance it is not too different from what you call the Second World War. Consider your choice of faction wisely, the fanaticism of both friend and foe can certainly be detrimental to your long term survival. Or maybe that’s exactly what you want, hum? A chance to fight for an ideology that has been confined to the dustpan of history in your own world but still lives in this other world? We have certainly seen those of lesser ability than even you bring themselves to fight and kill in the name of grand ideas and imprecise -isms. If that is what you must lean on to survive in the cauldron of war, who are we to judge?
Perhaps they were once the same world, different branches of a common root. Something that is definitely different about it from your own world is that the ratio of women to men has been skewed heavily, so as of now, it is nine women to one man, so we imagine that no matter what you should have no trouble finding out for yourself if love can bloom on the battlefield.
There isn’t much more that you need to know. But if you are curious, there are prizes should you survive until the end, like getting to return to your old life as if you never left it, richer with the skills, experience, and wisdom you shall have fought for on the field of battle. Or maybe you would rather start again in this brave new world, festooned with the spoils of war and victory streamers you shall have earned?