# Joseph Mauser — Short Fiction character guide > Joseph Mauser in Short Fiction by Mack Reynolds. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Joe Mauser, Captain Mauser, Captain Joe Mauser, Major Mauser, IV **First appearance:** 0001-not-in-the-rules ## Snapshot A rank-born captain who climbed into the Mid-Middle castes by sheer competence, Joe Mauser reads a battlefield the way aristocrats read a family tree. ## Who they are In a mercenary trade where Uppers command and Lowers bleed, Joe Mauser is the anomaly: a born-Lower officer whose instincts have kept him alive and useful to men who patronize him. He knows Baron Haer's outfit is a losing side before he signs, and signs anyway, because old pros sometimes gamble on more than survival. His secret plan to locate Marshal Cogswell's forces sets him at odds with his dilettante superiors, and his quiet defiance — walking out of headquarters with a promise to return by afternoon — is the hinge on which the early campaign turns. ## Relationships ### [Nadine Haer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/nadine_haer) _romantic_ Joseph and Nadine share a deeply intimate and complex romantic bond, marked by intense emotional connection and frequent interaction. ### [Simon Pond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/simon_pond) _friendship_ Joseph and Simon are close allies and companions, often working together or supporting each other in various endeavors. ### [Max Mainz](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/max_mainz) _professional_ Joseph and Max have a professional relationship, likely as colleagues or collaborators in a shared project or organization. ### [Freddy Soligen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/freddy_soligen) _rivalry_ Freddy and Joseph are antagonists, frequently clashing over goals or ideologies, creating a tense competitive dynamic. ### [Stonewall Cogswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/stonewall_cogswell) _professional_ Joseph and Stonewall have a professional association, possibly as colleagues or in a mentor-mentee capacity within a structured setting. ### [Bela Kossuth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/bela_kossuth) _rivalry_ Bela and Joseph are rivals, engaged in a persistent conflict or competition that drives much of their interaction. ### [Philip Holland](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/philip_holland) _friendship_ Joseph and Philip are friends, sharing a supportive and cooperative dynamic. ### [Simon Pond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/simon_pond) _friendship_ Joseph and Simon are close allies and companions, often working together or supporting each other in various endeavors. ### [Nadine Haer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/nadine_haer) _romantic_ Joseph and Nadine share a deeply intimate and complex romantic bond, marked by intense emotional connection and frequent interaction. ### [Max Mainz](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/max_mainz) _professional_ Joseph and Max have a professional relationship, likely as colleagues or collaborators in a shared project or organization. ### [Nadine Haer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/nadine_haer) _romantic_ Joseph and Nadine share a deeply intimate and complex romantic bond, marked by intense emotional connection and frequent interaction. ### [Freddy Soligen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/freddy_soligen) _rivalry_ Freddy and Joseph are antagonists, frequently clashing over goals or ideologies, creating a tense competitive dynamic. ## In the story ### [Halftripper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/halftripper) Referred to as 'Joseph,' the old man in the bar; revealed to be an immortal former spacebaron from Calypso. ### [The Cosmic Bluff](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/the-cosmic-bluff) The narrator and protagonist, known as Jak Dempsi, the Solar System Gladiator Champion, who is struggling with his ego and the reality of his upcoming fight. ### [Happy Ending](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/happy-ending) Not present in this chapter; no relevant excerpt. ### [Farmer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/farmer) The protagonist, a farmer and former soldier, contemplates his role in society and the possibility of rebellion. ### [Mercenary](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/mercenary) The protagonist, a mercenary captain, signs up for vacuum tube transport to a new conflict. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/i) Captain Joe Mauser, a veteran mercenary from the Mid-Lower caste, signs up with Vacuum Tube Transport and demonstrates his combat skills in a brawl. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/ii) Signs up with Vacuum Tube Transport, receives acting rank of major, gives Telly interview, recruits Max Mainz as batman. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/iii) Engages in a deep conversation with Max Mainz about social stratification, his own rise from Mid-Lower caste, and his determination to fight his way to the top. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/iv) Joe Mauser changes into mufti, critiques the class system, and goes to the airport for aerial reconnaissance. He meets Marshal Cogswell and deflects questions about his contract with Baron Haer. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/v) Joe Mauser secures Baron Haer's pledge to sponsor his caste upgrade, debates Nadine Haer about social mobility and the military, and reflects on his own ambitions. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/vi) Reflects on his feelings for Nadine Haer and their debate about society. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/vii) Captain Mauser, a Mid-Middle, navigates Election Day freedoms with his Lower orderly, confronts Balt Haer's disdain, and is reminded of his past heroics by Colonel Warren. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/viii) Captain Mauser intrudes on the command meeting, asserts he can pinpoint Cogswell's position, and leaves despite orders to return. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/ix) Pilots the glider for reconnaissance, outmaneuvers Colonel Arpàd with a legal argument about pre-1900 technology. ### [The Glider Revolution](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/x) Captain Joseph Mauser; Cogswell sends a dispatch to him as part of the request for terms. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xi) Now a Major, he visits the Haer family to claim his reward but learns the debt cannot be paid. ### [Frigid Fracas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/frigid-fracas) Scouts the terrain and observes the alien ship and Earth teams. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/i) Major, Mid-Middle Caste, drinking alone in the club, frustrated by his stalled career and the need to become a media-made hero. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/ii) Argues with Nadine about social climbing, then violently defends himself against a former boxing champion. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/iii) Major Joseph Mauser is announced at the door, calling on Freddy Soligen at the end of the chapter. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/iv) Major Joe Mauser confronts Freddy Soligen about the staged fight and expresses disillusionment with the publicity campaign. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/v) Visits Nadine Haer, discusses history with Philip Holland, and is summoned by Marshal Cogswell. ### [The Marshal's Predicament](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/vi) Major Joe Mauser visits Marshal Cogswell for a commission, but initially declines due to personal reasons. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/vii) Visits Freddy Soligen's home, debates with Sam Soligen about the ethics of military and religion, and discusses his need for a new spectacle with Freddy. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/viii) Major Joe Mauser meets Nadine at the Agora Bar, reveals he has taken another commission with Stonewall Cogswell to advance his caste ambitions, and argues that cross-caste marriage is impossible. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/ix) Major Joe Mauser is assigned to monitor a critical defile and is recognized for reintroducing aerial observation. ### [The Glider Gambit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/x) Major Mauser pilots the sailplane, smuggling a machine gun to deliver a message to Cogswell about Altshuler's cavalry. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xi) Recovering from injuries in a convalescent bed, learns of his punishment from the Disarmament Commission. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xii) Referenced as the hero whose career Freddy had hoped to boost, and as an inspiration for Sam's enlistment. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xiii) Recovering from injuries, using auto-crutches; expelled from Category Military; bitter about his situation and the spectacle of violence. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xiv) Recruited into a subversive organization; assigned to Budapest. ### [Chapter XV: The Proletarian Paradise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xv) Joe is the central figure, being introduced to Sov-world officers and questioning their social and military structures. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xvi) Ostensibly a military attaché in Budapest, secretly on a private mission for Philip Holland; struggles with his relationship with Nadine and adapts to embassy life. ### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xvii) Joe visits a cabaret with Max, gets into a brawl with Soviet officers, and escapes. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xviii) Accepts a duel challenge from Sándor Rákóczi, choosing Bowie knives as the weapon. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xix) Joe Mauser prepares for a duel with Sándor Rákóczi, selecting a Bowie knife and refusing Nadine's pleas to escape. ### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xx) The protagonist, fighting a duel against Sándor Rákóczi. He uses a thrown Bowie knife to win despite being outmatched. ### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xxi) Recovering from duel wounds, discusses the Party's knowledge of his mission with Armstrong and receives a candid lecture from Kossuth. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/xxii) Returns from Sov-world, reports on the existence of a Sov-world underground, and proposes marriage to Nadine. ### [Spaceman on a Spree](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/chapters/spaceman-on-a-spree) Protagonist and professional soldier recruited for the war game on an alien planet. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters/joseph_mauser - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_36_se/characters