PapaGolfWhiskey
SOC-13
you know...
just talking about her gives me the urge to start reread... trouble is... where to start?
just talking about her gives me the urge to start reread... trouble is... where to start?
Best top 10 SCi-Fi for Traveller, & Why
- Thread starter Liam Devlin
- Start date
Liam Devlin
SOC-14 5K
Dust off and begin from the beginning...ye cannae go wrong that aways. 
PapaGolfWhiskey
SOC-13
Heh... Falling free 'tis...
Ok, I've just skimmed through this whole topic and I don't think I can contribute much that hasn't already been mentioned. Certainly no number of votes for David Weber could possibly be too few
. However I'm quite alarmed to not have spotted a single mention of Elisabeth Moon's 'Herris Serrano' series.
I thought they were fairly travelleresque, certainly very good if you're a Navy person at heart. The only other thing I've read that I could possibly compare them too would be the previously mentioned 'Honor Harrington' series. Though I may be considered a heretic for saying so I actually prefer EM's 'Esmay Suiza' character over DW's 'Honor Harrington'. I think Esmay is a great deal less grandiose than Honor, easier to identify with as she's not a noble in two empires.
Eak
Books by Elizabeth Moon
01 - Hunting Party (1993)* - ISBN: 0671721763
02 - Sporting Chance (1994)* - ISBN: 0671876198
03 - Winning Colors (1995)* - ISBN: 0671876775
04 - Once a Hero (1997) - ISBN: 0671878719
05 - Rules of Engagement (1998) - ISBN: 0671578413
06 - Change of Command (1999) - ISBN: 0671319639
07 - Against the Odds (2000) - ISBN: 0671318500
* - These books were combined into a single volume titled 'Heris Serrano' (2000) - ISBN: 0743435524
I thought they were fairly travelleresque, certainly very good if you're a Navy person at heart. The only other thing I've read that I could possibly compare them too would be the previously mentioned 'Honor Harrington' series. Though I may be considered a heretic for saying so I actually prefer EM's 'Esmay Suiza' character over DW's 'Honor Harrington'. I think Esmay is a great deal less grandiose than Honor, easier to identify with as she's not a noble in two empires.
Eak
Books by Elizabeth Moon
01 - Hunting Party (1993)* - ISBN: 0671721763
02 - Sporting Chance (1994)* - ISBN: 0671876198
03 - Winning Colors (1995)* - ISBN: 0671876775
04 - Once a Hero (1997) - ISBN: 0671878719
05 - Rules of Engagement (1998) - ISBN: 0671578413
06 - Change of Command (1999) - ISBN: 0671319639
07 - Against the Odds (2000) - ISBN: 0671318500
* - These books were combined into a single volume titled 'Heris Serrano' (2000) - ISBN: 0743435524
GypsyComet
SOC-14 1K
In no particular order:
-Alan Dean Fosters's Humanx books (which includes the Pip & Flinx books), as well as a number of his one shots.
-Poul Anderson: Polesotechnic League/Terram Imperium (aka Falkayn and Flandry), the Psychotechnic League stories (a bit harder to find, and a bit darker), The Maori stories, The Avatar, and many others.
-Andre Norton. Star Guard, the Zero Stone pair, Star Ranger, Dark Piper, the Solar Queen cycle (half of the origin of the Free Trader, as far as I can tell, with Anderson's Falkayn books being the other half) and many others.
-Heinlein. Of course.
-Phil Foglio's "Buck Godot, Zap Gun for Hire" stories, or more precisely, comics. Two graphic novels and an eight-issue comic.
-Robert Frezza's other book, "The McLendon Syndrome". Vampires in Traveller? Mooooo.
-Lois McMaster Bujold. Been reading from the start (when Falling Free appeared in Analog) and have not yet been disappointed.
-James Alan Garner: Expendable, Vigilant, and others. And you thought the Scout service was dangerous...
-Brian Daley, both for his pre-movie Han Solo books and for the quintesentially Traveller trilogy: "Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds", "Jinx on a Terran Inheritance", and "Fall of the White Ship Avatar". Gotta love the Captain's Sidearm...
-er. the tenth spot could be any number of others, many of them mentioned already...
-Alan Dean Fosters's Humanx books (which includes the Pip & Flinx books), as well as a number of his one shots.
-Poul Anderson: Polesotechnic League/Terram Imperium (aka Falkayn and Flandry), the Psychotechnic League stories (a bit harder to find, and a bit darker), The Maori stories, The Avatar, and many others.
-Andre Norton. Star Guard, the Zero Stone pair, Star Ranger, Dark Piper, the Solar Queen cycle (half of the origin of the Free Trader, as far as I can tell, with Anderson's Falkayn books being the other half) and many others.
-Heinlein. Of course.
-Phil Foglio's "Buck Godot, Zap Gun for Hire" stories, or more precisely, comics. Two graphic novels and an eight-issue comic.
-Robert Frezza's other book, "The McLendon Syndrome". Vampires in Traveller? Mooooo.
-Lois McMaster Bujold. Been reading from the start (when Falling Free appeared in Analog) and have not yet been disappointed.
-James Alan Garner: Expendable, Vigilant, and others. And you thought the Scout service was dangerous...
-Brian Daley, both for his pre-movie Han Solo books and for the quintesentially Traveller trilogy: "Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds", "Jinx on a Terran Inheritance", and "Fall of the White Ship Avatar". Gotta love the Captain's Sidearm...
-er. the tenth spot could be any number of others, many of them mentioned already...
PapaGolfWhiskey
SOC-13
I've not read any of moon's stuff. Frankly I've always percieved her as riding MacAffery's coatails.
As for your picks Gypsy Comet, good ones.
The Norton ones are worth looking up. Especially the Solar Queen Ones: Plague Ship, Postmarked the Stars and ...??
The Zero Stone... was that the one with the cat called Eat?
As for your picks Gypsy Comet, good ones.
The Norton ones are worth looking up. Especially the Solar Queen Ones: Plague Ship, Postmarked the Stars and ...??
The Zero Stone... was that the one with the cat called Eat?
Liam Devlin
SOC-14 5K
-----------------------------------------Originally posted by E. A. Kinser:
Ok, I've just skimmed through this whole topic and I don't think I can contribute much that hasn't already been mentioned. Certainly no number of votes for David Weber could possibly be too few. However I'm quite alarmed to not have spotted a single mention of Elisabeth Moon's 'Herris Serrano' series.
I thought they were fairly travelleresque, certainly very good if you're a Navy person at heart. The only other thing I've read that I could possibly compare them too would be the previously mentioned 'Honor Harrington' series. Though I may be considered a heretic for saying so I actually prefer EM's 'Esmay Suiza' character over DW's 'Honor Harrington'. I think Esmay is a great deal less grandiose than Honor, easier to identify with as she's not a noble in two empires.
Eak
Books by Elizabeth Moon
01 - Hunting Party (1993)* - ISBN: 0671721763
02 - Sporting Chance (1994)* - ISBN: 0671876198
03 - Winning Colors (1995)* - ISBN: 0671876775
04 - Once a Hero (1997) - ISBN: 0671878719
05 - Rules of Engagement (1998) - ISBN: 0671578413
06 - Change of Command (1999) - ISBN: 0671319639
07 - Against the Odds (2000) - ISBN: 0671318500
* - These books were combined into a single volume titled 'Heris Serrano' (2000) - ISBN: 0743435524
Eak! Thank you! I have them here, and we shall tally them up at the end. Moon's Paksenarrion series I have read. Havenae gotten round to all of her Suiza series yet. Just the first two. Must agree tho, she's not as grandiose a PC as DW's Honor.
Gonna have to redouble me readin time efforts!
Thanx fer posting again! (Aslan spice, Sunday eve, 2 kilos, fresh-I promise!)
hereticaly yours,
Liam Devlin
SOC-14 5K
Garf, we're gonna haveta divide this at the end.. top 10 best tarveller sci fi authors Male & female
it seems. Whatchya think?
it seems. Whatchya think?
GypsyComet
SOC-14 1K
"Eet", if memory serves. Zero Stone and Unmarked Stars are, put together, wonderful fodder for any startown you like. Add in the various books centered around the Dipple and you have material for years...
Coat-tails or not, the Herris Serrano books are quite Traveller.
-----------------------------------------
Eak! Thank you! I have them here, and we shall tally them up at the end. Moon's Paksenarrion series I have read. Havenae gotten round to all of her Suiza series yet. Just the first two. Must agree tho, she's not as grandiose a PC as DW's Honor.hereticaly yours,</font>[/QUOTE]If you are just sampling Moon's SF - I heartily recomend the fourth in the series "Once a hero". It is based on a very minor character from the previous book (Esmay Suiza) and has a very different style from her others.
Placing Esmay in context - Imagine Honor Harrington but drawn with a reasonable pen (ie she isn;t both a genius, a leader and a combat wombat). I found Esmay a much more believeable character than Honor (Even though I really enjoyed the Early HH). There is more remoance than I prefer - but not enough to offend.
Three thumbs up for "Once a Hero" (I have to get that extra thumb looked at)
trader jim
SOC-14 1K
cool then you can THUMB YER NOSE AT LIAM THREE TIMES AT ONCE!!!! hehehehehehehe
trader jim
SOC-14 1K
get it? three thumbs....nose.....liam hehehehe
Liam Devlin
SOC-14 5K
The Mink sez-"If you are just sampling Moon's SF - I heartily recomend the fourth in the series "Once a hero". It is based on a very minor character from the previous book (Esmay Suiza) and has a very different style from her others.
Placing Esmay in context - Imagine Honor Harrington but drawn with a reasonable pen (ie she isn;t both a genius, a leader and a combat wombat). I found Esmay a much more believeable character than Honor (Even though I really enjoyed the Early HH). There is more remoance than I prefer - but not enough to offend.
Three thumbs up for "Once a Hero" (I have to get that extra thumb looked at)
_____________________________________
Thanx Mink, I'l be lookin into those this weekend (after I getback from drill!).
Placing Esmay in context - Imagine Honor Harrington but drawn with a reasonable pen (ie she isn;t both a genius, a leader and a combat wombat). I found Esmay a much more believeable character than Honor (Even though I really enjoyed the Early HH). There is more remoance than I prefer - but not enough to offend.
Three thumbs up for "Once a Hero" (I have to get that extra thumb looked at)
_____________________________________
Thanx Mink, I'l be lookin into those this weekend (after I getback from drill!).
PapaGolfWhiskey
SOC-13
I honestly haven't even read Moon's stuff. Unless... Say did she write one of the "Ship who..." novels?
I guess I'll have to track her down then. Weren't her stories though all spinoff's from 'Sasinak' (more that I haven't read. Loved PERN and Get off Pegasus but never read much of McCaffery's other stuff, no wait.. I lie... Restoree)
Heh... yeah Liam we just seem to be unable to limit ourselves to ten....
Maybe top ten for each catagory. Free Trader, Scout/Explorer, Mercenary etc.
I hate dividing novels based on the Gender of the 'author' it seems an irrelevant distinction to me.
Percieved gender of the author's apparant audience might work... IE 'Chick Flick?' or 'Book for Guys who Like Movies'
Though it's hardly PC.
I guess I'll have to track her down then. Weren't her stories though all spinoff's from 'Sasinak' (more that I haven't read. Loved PERN and Get off Pegasus but never read much of McCaffery's other stuff, no wait.. I lie... Restoree)
Heh... yeah Liam we just seem to be unable to limit ourselves to ten....
Maybe top ten for each catagory. Free Trader, Scout/Explorer, Mercenary etc.
I hate dividing novels based on the Gender of the 'author' it seems an irrelevant distinction to me.
Percieved gender of the author's apparant audience might work... IE 'Chick Flick?' or 'Book for Guys who Like Movies'
Though it's hardly PC.
PapaGolfWhiskey
SOC-13
Another Author who has not come up much but maybe should.
Leigh Bracket.
The novella 'The sword of Rhianon' remains one of my favourite. Sci Fantasy Mars stories.
Leigh Bracket.
The novella 'The sword of Rhianon' remains one of my favourite. Sci Fantasy Mars stories.
Based on suggestions from this topic, I ordered a copy of "Space Viking" by H. Beam Piper from Amazon's used book service. I really sory I hadn't read this book earlier. It's just a mine of stuff, planet Hoth source for Star Wars, planet Tanith source for Pournelle, the Sword Worlds for Traveller. I'm guessing that the spherical Mercenary Cruisers of Traveller with their cutters are based on the Space Viking ships with their pinnaces.
It highlighted something else for me. In Space Viking, a dozen ships makes a huge fleet, and an armed merchantman is a significant asset. That scale is completely lost in the OTU with Squadrons of 100,000 ton battleships zipping around. I like the few small ship feel better for adventuring.
It highlighted something else for me. In Space Viking, a dozen ships makes a huge fleet, and an armed merchantman is a significant asset. That scale is completely lost in the OTU with Squadrons of 100,000 ton battleships zipping around. I like the few small ship feel better for adventuring.
lord irial
SOC-12
I know this is backtracking, but another of Bujold's must-reads, if you have any interest at all in Fantasy, as well as SF, is "the Curse of Chalion." A fairly low-magic world, very good characters, and possibly the best literary climax I have ever read.
Seriously. By the end of the book, I needed a cigarette. ...and I don't smoke!
Seriously. By the end of the book, I needed a cigarette. ...and I don't smoke!
First, Someone mentioned Hamilton's Reality Disfunction series and I'd have to second that vote! A little "fantastic" with the main plot but the universe backdrop is great.
Second, Anyone mention Dickson and his Dorsai series? Best warrior clan in space.
How about Heinlein and Starship Troopers?
Anything by Vernor Vinge but particularly, A Fire Upon the Deep.
YMMV.
-S,
Second, Anyone mention Dickson and his Dorsai series? Best warrior clan in space.
How about Heinlein and Starship Troopers?
Anything by Vernor Vinge but particularly, A Fire Upon the Deep.
YMMV.
-S,
I'm new to this site but I read through all of your posts on this topic and it was very enlightening!! I have noted a few titles/authors and will hopefully do some(!?) reading.
Like many of you I've read Heinlein, Hamilton, Clarke and Asimov, but noticed that nobody has mentioned Iain M Banks.
Granted, not a mainstream 'traveller-esque' author in the context you have been discussing, but a brilliant sci-fi writer nevertheless.
If you want an insight into an elegant 'what if?' of (alternative) sci-fi technological capability (particularly with regards to artificial sentience/intelligence and 'self aware' ships and droids) then please give him a read. You won't be disappointed.
Start off with Consider Phlebas, his first sci-fi novel. Then perhaps Player of Games, Use of Weapons and Excession.
That's if you have time, what with all the other books you sem to be devouring..........
Like many of you I've read Heinlein, Hamilton, Clarke and Asimov, but noticed that nobody has mentioned Iain M Banks.
Granted, not a mainstream 'traveller-esque' author in the context you have been discussing, but a brilliant sci-fi writer nevertheless.
If you want an insight into an elegant 'what if?' of (alternative) sci-fi technological capability (particularly with regards to artificial sentience/intelligence and 'self aware' ships and droids) then please give him a read. You won't be disappointed.
Start off with Consider Phlebas, his first sci-fi novel. Then perhaps Player of Games, Use of Weapons and Excession.
That's if you have time, what with all the other books you sem to be devouring..........
Liam Devlin
SOC-14 5K
-----------------------------------
All depends on the scale the Gm feels comfy with! Welcome to the HB Piper series! Lots of stuff there, agreed, Dr Skull.
Pleased to hear from you on this topic at last!