David Weber is coming to my FLGS

[Captain Tylor]

Just thought I'd post a note to let everyone know that David Weber is doing a book signing at at my Friendly Local Game Store on Saturday, November 6. I have no idea what the turnout is going to be, but if anyone has any questions they'd like for me to have answered, post 'em here and I'll be happy to forward them.

 

[Jame]

Where is your FLGS?

 

[clementk]

w00t! I personally don't have any questions to ask Mr. Weber but kudos on getting a go at meeting and getting a signature from him. It's cool to meet the people behind works you like and get a signature as a record that you met them.

That's some FLGS you have. O.O

Casey

 

[lightsenshi]

You know, you have to get enough autographs for everyone.

 

[Jame]

Wait, I have one after all. "Will he ever go to Boston, MA?"

 

[Captain Tylor]

Where is your FLGS?

It is 'Book Mark' in Huntsville, Alabama. I've been buying TRAVELLER stuff there since 1981.

 

[Whipsnade]

I got a question you can ask him. Ask him why he doesn't write as well as he used to.

On Basilisk Station and Splendid Little War were nice, ~300 page novel crammed full of action and suspense without nearly a paragrpah wasted. Weber's latest stuff is torpid, swollen, ~700 pagers that resemble literary burritos; 80% of the book is in 20% of the pages.

Ask him if he gets paid by the word.

Ask him why his publisher doesn't edit him anymore.

Ask him why he used to write well and now writes like sh*t.


Sincerely,
Larsen


Bill

 

[hunter]

Larsen, check out Shadow of Saganami. It really is much more like the early HH books. If you liked those I think you'll like Shadow.

Hunter

 

[Whipsnade]

Mr. Gordon,

Thanks for the tip. Weber has so disgusted me over the last few years I no longer look at his titles.

After reading and loathing one of his later HH 'burritos', I re-read On Basilisk Station and nearly wept for what we had lost. He use to write so well, and now... BLECCH.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Ben W Bell]

My view on the HH books is that, while they are still good, he should go and finish up the series while it's still popular. War starts, war stops, new wars starts etc. I wish he'd spend another book or two and wrap up the series before it gets stale, sometimes you just want closure, good as it is.

 

[Sareth]

I don't think his more recent books are less well written as the older books. They're simply different. After all, the central characters used to be lowly ship drivers or below. Most of the story, most of the crux, occured on the gun-boat vs. gunboat level. Now alot of the central figures are major players on the galactic level, wielding entire battlefleets and starsystems. Yes, their's less swashbuckling action, but it's shifted into a far murkier world of politics and strategy, and I'm rather enjoying it.

As to him finishing some of his things up, yes. I see another few main branch HH books before being able to reach a satisfactory end. But he could wrap up the Bahzell books with one more novel comfortably (and should, IMHO.) Simillarly with his Starfire things, he can wrap up some loose ends there.

I'm sure we all worry about another traffic accident or similar, like the one that almost ended his writing career a few years ago with everything left dangling.

Just my 2c.

 

[Whipsnade]

Sareth opined:

Idon't think his more recent books are less well written as the older books. They're simply different.

Sareth,

Oh, there're alright. Just as 8 oz. is different from 8 lbs. And they are much less well written. Weber has escaped editorial control and has developed the consequences of such - Terminal Author's Diarrhea.

"Now alot of the central figures are major players on the galactic level, wielding entire battlefleets and starsystems. Yes, their's less swashbuckling action, but it's shifted into a far murkier world of politics and strategy, and I'm rather enjoying it."

I'm not bemoaning the lack of buckles to swash. I'm disgusted that he now takes 900 pages to do far less than he used to in 300 pages. He could write about all the high-level 'politiking' you mention in far less swollen, far less torpid, and far more tightly plotted books.

An HH book shouldn't be mistaken for a cinder block.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Captain Tylor]

Confession time: I've never actually read an HH book, but I feel as though I have from listening to all the chatter about them here at CotI. So I went down to Book Mark yesterday and bought a copy of 'On Basilisk Station', just to get my feet wet so to speak. The proprietor said that they were supposed to be getting in 50 copies of the new novel today.

 

[Jame]

So Captain, what ever happened with this?

 

[Captain Tylor]

I went to his book signing, but could only stay a few minutes because I was in the process of installing a drop ceiling in my home office. He signed stuff, relayed anecdotes, talked about his creative process...in other words, typical book signing stuff. He autographed my copy of "On Basilisk Station" by writing "To Scott: Thanks for buying this! - David Weber". Direct and to the point - that's the kind of guy he seems to be.