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[Erkki]

I've also read A Fire Upon the Deep, but I didn't realize that theres a third book set in the same universe!

[Vilanat]

Anyone have any recommendations for military sci-fi that drop the politics? I just like reading about combat.

Recently I finished the first story of Bolo! and didn't enjoy it that much. I listened to Roadside Picnic and felt mostly bored, but the bits when they were in the Zone were fun. Metro 2033 so far has been completely amazing.

Old man's war series, Armor, The Forever War and if by any chance you haven't still, Starship Troopers. You could also try A Hymm Before Battle and all of Ringo's other books in the same polseen war setting, although be advised that they are, in my opinion, quite badly written and the characters are rather flat. the battles are pretty detailed though and he is coming from a military background and it shows in the books.

[Flying Dice]

I've also read A Fire Upon the Deep, but I didn't realize that theres a third book set in the same universe!

Yeah, it's relatively new, a direct follow-up of the events that transpired in A Fire Upon the Deep.

[Parsely]

Drake's Hammer's Slammers stories are generally just mercs being mercs. Walter Jon Williams wrote this space opera trilogy called Dread Empire's Fall--it's got a little politics, but they're utterly alien, and tend to be eclipsed by the mountains of antimatter missiles and character drama. Bonus points for doing space combat in a style I've never seen before.

Seriously, go watch the Stalker film. If Roadside Picnic bored you, it might bore you a little too, but I found it to be absolutely enthralling.

If you haven't already, all of Dan Abnett's 40K stuff is great even if you don't like the setting. A lot of Larry Niven's stuff is fun, start with the Man-Kzin wars material.

Thanks for the recommendations! I've always wanted to read Hammer's Slammers.

I did watch Stalker, but there were no english subs so I stopped watching it. I did skip through it a little and only saw a little shooting and the rest was just driving around and walking and talking.

I own a lot of 40k but none of it really compelled me very much. There are some memorable scenes I enjoyed from various stories, like the Stormtroopers and the militia fighting orks landing at a dock in a hive city, and a space marine murdering some Chaos cultist irregulars in their bunker. And there was an Iron Legion story with an amazing bit when a Librarian stands off with some Chaos whatever-he's-called and heads explode. That was pretty epic.

Old man's war series, Armor, The Forever War and if by any chance you haven't still, Starship Troopers. You could also try A Hymm Before Battle and all of Ringo's other books in the same polseen war setting, although be advised that they are, in my opinion, quite badly written and the characters are rather flat. the battles are pretty detailed though and he is coming from a military background and it shows in the books.

The Forever War was fantastic. It slowed me down a little in the bits when he was on leave, but it was all worth it to get to the good stuff. I've read most of Starship Troopers and it was pretty fun as well.

[Flying Dice]

Yeah, like I said, you don't need to like 40K to enjoy Abnett's stories. Same goes for Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain novels.

I'm not incredibly surprised you couldn't find Stalker with English subs; I only did through a tiny little video-rental place that specialized in obscure stuff. S'where I found a copy of The Werewolf of Woodstock. And, again, it's not an action film. It's a filmmaker's film, an art film, a thoughtful film. It's (and the original novel obviously) are also where a lot of the more subtle/more interesting aspects of the games came from--that is, everything that's not FPS action or a jump-scare. Close to three-hours worth of film that makes you think. The only criticism I can level is that Tarkovsky had about three or four excellent endings and decided to use all of them.

[GiglameshDespair]

Abnett's stuff is much more focused on the human soldier side rather than being spacemarine wank. I'd say give them a go, though past Traitor General I lost interest.

Odd you liked starship troopers, as it seemed to me very little combat and a lot of monologues by a self-insert on military service.

[Parsely]

Abnett's stuff is much more focused on the human soldier side rather than being spacemarine wank. I'd say give them a go, though past Traitor General I lost interest.

Odd you liked starship troopers, as it seemed to me very little combat and a lot of monologues by a self-insert on military service.

I skipped the boring parts.

[crazyabe]

Spoiler: My favorite Fantasy Series (click to show/hide)

The Wheel of Time.

Spoiler: My favorite Sci-fi Series (click to show/hide)

Bio Of a Space Tyrant.

Any Questions?

[miauw62]

I made a thread a while ago that might help you if you're looking for books to read.

Personally, I have Green Mars and Zero Count waiting to be read, but sadly I have to read complete garbage for school first

[GiglameshDespair]

Abnett's stuff is much more focused on the human soldier side rather than being spacemarine wank. I'd say give them a go, though past Traitor General I lost interest.

Odd you liked starship troopers, as it seemed to me very little combat and a lot of monologues by a self-insert on military service.

I skipped the boring parts.

So you didn't read it bar ~three pages.

[Parsely]

Abnett's stuff is much more focused on the human soldier side rather than being spacemarine wank. I'd say give them a go, though past Traitor General I lost interest.

Odd you liked starship troopers, as it seemed to me very little combat and a lot of monologues by a self-insert on military service.

I skipped the boring parts.

So you didn't read it bar ~three pages.

It's not something I would ever read again.

[jaked122]

Spoiler: My favorite Fantasy Series (click to show/hide)

The Wheel of Time.

Spoiler: My favorite Sci-fi Series (click to show/hide)

Bio Of a Space Tyrant.

Any Questions?

I'm just wondering what draws you to what appears to be primarily hero based literature?


I've not read those books, but their covers make me think that they are in some fashion following the exploits of a single person, rather than a wider field of view? Is that correct?


I'm not sure about those wheel of time books either, I've read about them, and had them recommended many times, but I wasn't able to find the time to read one through, but what I remember from the few chapters I read it seemed largely the same.


No... I think I remember that it followed multiple people around at once. They seem different than the science fiction books you mentioned, they had a much bigger scope and a very detailed mythology from what I know about them.


What draws you to the Piers Anthony books, and what draws you to the Wheel of Time books?

[itisnotlogical]

I'm reading Children of Dune again. I understand it more now, mostly because of greater reading comprehension, but there are parts of it that are still quite impenetrable, and quite a few parts that only make sense once you make it through God-Emperor and know about the Golden Path.

[Flying Dice]

Spoiler: My favorite Fantasy Series (click to show/hide)

The Wheel of Time.

Spoiler: My favorite Sci-fi Series (click to show/hide)

Bio Of a Space Tyrant.

Any Questions?

I'm just wondering what draws you to what appears to be primarily hero based literature?


I've not read those books, but their covers make me think that they are in some fashion following the exploits of a single person, rather than a wider field of view? Is that correct?


I'm not sure about those wheel of time books either, I've read about them, and had them recommended many times, but I wasn't able to find the time to read one through, but what I remember from the few chapters I read it seemed largely the same.


No... I think I remember that it followed multiple people around at once. They seem different than the science fiction books you mentioned, they had a much bigger scope and a very detailed mythology from what I know about them.


What draws you to the Piers Anthony books, and what draws you to the Wheel of Time books?

AHAHAHA no, that's pretty much the opposite of what The Wheel of Time is. Just off the top of my head, there's at least four central protagonists who get a large number of viewpoint chapters and about twenty capital-M major characters who get viewpoint chapters and are important actors in some component of the various plot threads taking place across most of a continent. It's beyond Turtledove levels of distributed storytelling.

Can't speak to the Piers Anthony stuff, though I do recall that his fantasy books are basically set in Magic Florida and spend entirely too much time focusing on pubescent sexuality.

[crazyabe]

What draws you to the Piers Anthony books, and what draws you to the Wheel of Time books?

Piers Anthony's books are detailed, funny, and appeal largely to my crude side. (Also I dont read much Sci-fi.)

Wheel of time was one of the best series I have read, do to the Detail and Power of the words created and used by the (first)Author created with in it.