Best book to read from this list

[Shonner]

http://irosf.com/q/zine/article/10119 talks about the possible origins of Traveller. I read the Foundation Trilogy and found it very meh, and a waste of time.

What's a better book to read from this list?

 

[mike wightman]

Read the series that the article mentions as having a major influence - E C Tubb's Dumarest series.

 

[robject]

Read Dumarest and Viking (and Cosmic Computer/Junkyard Planet) exactly because they were known to be Traveller influences. And enjoyed them.

And of course Cowboy Bebop is a fun show.

 

[Timerover51]

I have not read Dumarest at all, but I have read Piper a lot, and his Space Viking, Cosmic Computer, Uller Uprising, and Oomphel in the Sky, all of which can be downloaded from Project Gutenberg, would be very useful.

I am surprised that Andre Norton's Solar Queen series did not make the list, and two of those, Plague Ship and Voodoo Planet, are on Project Gutenberg. Two other ones, Star Guard and Star Rangers, are available as a free download from Baen Books, the publisher.

Star Guard is especially interesting as it pits Low Tech forces against Higher Tech forces.

Harry Harrison's Deathworld trilogy actually covers three planets, Pyrrus, Deathworld 1, the planet of The Ethical Engineer is Deathworld 2, and I forget the name of the third planet. While Pyrrus would not be that useful, an entire planet of deadly plants is not my cup of tea, the other two would be very good. The Ethical Engineer appeared originally as a serial novel in Analog magazine, as did the third one.

I would also suggest taking a look at Christopher Anvil's works as well for inspiration. And all of E. R. Burroughs' John Carter of Mars books are available on Project Gutenberg. They still are great reading, and substitute contra-grav for his lifting ray, and you are home free.

 

[Supplement Four]

Wow! Hammer's Slammers isn't referenced? Loren has said, specifically (I think on these boards), that the Slammers were the direct influence for Book 4 Mercenary.

 

[aramis]

Wow! Hammer's Slammers isn't referenced? Loren has said, specifically (I think on these boards), that the Slammers were the direct influence for Book 4 Mercenary.

If he did, I'd have to wonder if he were misrembering...

Slammers doesn't show in Bk4 at all - firstly, because the HS universe uses zapguns. Secondly, because the Slammers universe has no gravitics, little infantry, but lots of hovercraft.

In fact, in looking at the materials in it, it looks a hell of a lot more like the Jerry Pournell Falkenberg's Legion series. Lots of infantry, lots of slug throwers, lots of low-tech colonies, lots of mercs working in those colonies, and a whopping evil imperium (the Co-Dominion), and a fairly close mix to Traveller tech dirtside (the ships are different). Further, the Co-Do universe has lots of traveller influence in other volumes besides Bk4... It also influences Bk 5 (the Black Globe is conceptually linked to the globes in Mote in God's Eye).

 

[Supplement Four]

If he did, I'd have to wonder if he were misrembering...

It was either here or over at the old Traveller Mailing List. I think it was about the time GURPS Traveller launched. My memory is hazy.

But, I do specifically mentioning the Slammers.

Slammers doesn't show in Bk4 at all - firstly, because the HS universe uses zapguns. Secondly, because the Slammers universe has no gravitics, little infantry, but lots of hovercraft.

True, but I believe he said the Mercenary Ticket came straight out of the Slammers' stories. It was more the atmosphere and feel of the universe. Even before I knew this, I always thought of Hammer's Regiment when I read Book 4.

 

[mike wightman]

They must have used psionics then.

LBB4 copyright 1978, Hammer's Slammers copyright 1979...

 

[aramis]

They must have used psionics then.

LBB4 copyright 1978, Hammer's Slammers copyright 1079...

Yet another good reason to doubt the influence of the Slammers.

And if Loren did claim the Slammers, then Loren may have misremembered.

But note also: Falkenberg's Legion was introduced in 1976 in "West of Honor," and in 1977 continued with "The Mercenary" - and the tickets in CT Bk 4 look like renames of the crib notes on Wikipedia for West of Honor and The Mercenary... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince_(Pournelle)

 

[Shonner]

I have not read Dumarest at all, but I have read Piper a lot, and his Space Viking, Cosmic Computer, Uller Uprising, and Oomphel in the Sky, all of which can be downloaded from Project Gutenberg, would be very useful.

I'll start with Space Viking then. Thanks for this list.

 

[McPerth]

Hammer's Slammers copyright 1079...

And did it depict the Battle of Hastings (1066 AD) .

(sorry, I couldn't stop myself...)

 

[Timerover51]

I'll start with Space Viking then. Thanks for this list.

Nice to know that someone reads my posts occasionally. I have never understood why no one has added Uller as a planet to Traveller. That planet and Mesklin are two outstanding science fiction planets. Then, of course, you have the Little Fuzzies, which no one has added either.

 

[GypsyComet]

The Little Fuzzies would be a bit blatant, I think.

One other rarely mentioned source for mercenaries in space is, again, Andre Norton. Star Guard is hardly her most compelling book, but it spells out a number of elements that would later appear in Book 4.

I've said so before, but I think the list of fiction referenced by the OP is flawed due to omissions that are obvious if you've read them. At least one of the possible series that are discarded by the author are cited by Marc Miller in an interview as influences.

 

[vegas]

They must have used psionics then.

LBB4 copyright 1978, Hammer's Slammers copyright 1979...

3 of the HS stories had appeared in Galaxy before the collection was put together in the 79 book, and others may have appeared elsewhere, idk. So it would not quite have required magic for it to have influenced B4.

@Supplement Four, at least the author of that post, Michael Andre-Driussi, agrees with you that HS was a Traveller influence; he writes as much in the post, just doesn't include it in the table.

 

[Timerover51]

As I mentioned previously, Andre Norton is not on the list, but a fair number of her stories have ruins from an earlier generation of space faring civilizations. Those would be possible setting for Ancient finds, either from Grandfather or one of his descendents. One example, Star Hunter, can be found on Project Gutenberg.

Norton is also a great source for world ideas. The following is her description of the water world, Xecho, from Voodoo Planet, available at Project Gutenberg.

Talk of heat—or better not—on Xecho. This water-logged world combined all the most unattractive features of a steam bath and one could only dream of coolness, greenness—more land than a stingy string of islands.