Honor Harrington spin-offs

[Parson]

Vertigo,

You are right. I am utterly convinced that I would have purchased those books long ago if they had covers like the ones that are shown. They do speak to me about the kind of story I like. The titles are another matter, actually I guess it is the series title "The Lost Fleet" just sounded corny. I just now went and looked at a synopsis or two and I guess it's not as corny as I thought it was.

They are now definitely on my "To Buy" list. I may have several tens hours of enjoyable reading ahead of me.

[Vertigo]

Following his email I now suspect the titles probably had more to do with his publisher and to be fair, Weber's playings on the word honor in his titles does wear a little thin after a while, especially if you are a Brit where the name is rarely spelt with a 'u' but the word always is which messes it up a touch.

[Timba]

Had a little time to read an older thread or two and found myself here. I am curious Vertigo to discover whether you read the "spin offs" yet or not? I found them quite enjoyable.

I have some John G Hemry books, the Stark's war series and the Paul Sinclair series that I picked up at Baen on a bundle sale. Have not dug into them yet but expect I will do so. Good to know the Lost Fleet stuff is out there waiting and sounds good also.

[Vertigo]

Timba - I have read More Than Honor and was frankly a little disappointed. I thought Weber's Stephanie Harrington story was excellent and I can easily see how he decided it was worth a spin off YA series.

The Honorverse facts section was interesting and did provide some additional background but really not a lot. And the other two stories by Drake and Stirling I really thought were quite poor and I mean that in the absolute sense rather just when stood aginst Weber's writing.

I always think that is a danger when you "release" a successful series for other writers to add their own contributions. I seem to remember that both Stirling's and Drake's felt more like fanfic which is rather sad and probably does them no favours either.

I think I shall probably get around to reading the others some day, but this first one didn't really inspire me to race back for more. These days I have so much quality stuff stacked up to read that I think it may be a while. Just reading my first Cherryh book for example and I shall be going back for more from her.

[Timba]

I like both Drake and Stirling so perhaps that is why I found them entertaining. I love Cherryh, very good stuff indeed.

[Vertigo]

Ah well those were the first I've read from both of them and I just didn't like the writing style. It might be interesting to read the second one as that has a Linda Evans one in it and I quite like her collaboration with Weber on the New Multiverse books (Hell's Gate and Hell Hath no Fury). Sadly it's not looking much like that series will continue as I don't think Linda Evans hasn't written anything since 2007 due to health problems.

[Timba]

I like Linda Evans in collaboration with Webber also. I agree it looks like her health may have ended her career before it got a full head of steam up. Really too bad.

Drake's Hammer's Slammers is pretty good stuff and I am in love with Stirling's Emberverse stuff. In fact I am working on finishing The Dog Stars by Heller and then have a Stirling emberverse novel to get into which should carry me until Midst Toil and Tribulation is out. It is a good time to be alive!!

[Parson]

Originally Posted by Vertigo

These days I have so much quality stuff stacked up to read that I think it may be a while. Just reading my first Cherryh book for example and I shall be going back for more from her.

First Cherryh book!!!??? In some ways I envy you. She is one of the all time greats of SF. Her books are dense but well worth the effort. I don't think anyone does alien mind set better than she does. You really feel as if the aliens in her stories are alien, not Star Trek actors whose greatest alienness was their makeup.

[Vertigo]

Yes there are some names that seem to have slipped past me over the years - I used to be a very erratic reader. But, hey, all the more for me to read now!

I am quite impressed so far; I'm about half way through Brothers of Earth and despite it only being her second novel (I think) it's not bad at all, a bit weak in places maybe but very promising for being so early in her writing. Having glanced through the blurbs on her books she seems to like the subject of a few humans isolated in an alien culture environment. Which I also find interesting. Her approach in this book is maybe a little naive, so I may jump straight on to her Foreigner series afterwards.

By the way, I'm coming over to your fair land on Sunday; working in New York for a week.

[Parson]

Vertigo: Foreigner is quintessential Cherryth. I believe I've read them all to date. Like I said they are meaty works. You have to have your thinker set to concentrate. But I at least like the pay off. I once emailed her about one of the main concepts in the first book and had a nice little correspondence with her.

Glad you will be state side for a week. Must be a good job that sends you on occasion to New York City. However I'm not sure New York is much more like Iowa than are the Scottish highlands.

[Vertigo]

That's alright I like meaty books as well as pure action ones so I'm really very much looking forward to these!

The work side is actually just a hang over from what I used to do before setting up the printing company that I now run, and that was training in programming which I still love and so still do on occasion. That sort of work takes you around a fair bit; I used to do a lot of teaching for Nokia in Finland, for example. But, yes, there are other parts of the States that I would opt to visit before New York, but you go where the work takes you!