Great SF Saga

[Dean M. Cole]

@edbro I flew the AH-64A in the US Army's 1st Cavalry Division in Desert Storm. Flew quite a few JAATs (Joint Air Attack Teams) with A-10 pilots, and had many an after ops cocktail with with those same Warthog pilots at Ft. Hood's O-Club. Currently I fly the 21 seat Sikorsky S-92 out to the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

It's good to meet a fellow pilot and Texan.

@grumpy3b thanks for checking out my site and book. You should have the file in your email.

[grumpy3b]

Dean,

got it thanks!! looking forward to reading it.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by Dean M. Cole

Just finished reading Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga. It's a series of science fiction novels based on the British science fiction writer's previous novel, Misspent Youth.

By "Commonwealth Saga", are you counting just Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained, or the Void trilogy, too? Because if you haven't read those, they really should be considered as part of the Commonwealth series.

edit: (oops, should have kept reading before I replied.)

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by grumpy3b

I'm slogging through the first book in the series, Pandora's Star, right now and am really enjoying it in all of it's vastness.

Boy, he really knew how to end that one with a cliff-hanger!

[grumpy3b]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

While I do like the MilSF on Baen, I have to disagree with this statement (at least as far as ebooks go). There's *plenty* of Fantasy, hard Science Fiction, and even SF Humor.

While, yes there are "plenty" (whatever that means anyway. ) of other genres the preponderance and focus from BAEN is MilSF and has been for a number of years now. Look at the current ARC offerings, all most of them are MilSF. Even Flint's Ring of Fire (or whatever he is now calling it...pick a name a stick with it already) series, 1632 etc...could be argued are MilSF at their core with the alternate history for time travel as just a plot device or the primary story which revolves around political issues and military conflicts.

I see why you might disagree as there are other genres represented just not to the degree MiSF happens to be these days. It's an observation from a customer who has been buying Baen for almost 30 years now. Their authors do focus on MiSF. Still, there is enough current and back catalog content to keep me happy for years to come. The other titles found on Webscription (not Baen) are from other publishers to help balance the catalog or bring in readers of other genres which Baen does not have and Webscription did not carry, ie. Nighshade Press with there horror and other content I don't know how to catagorize but all interesting none the less, save the vampire and horror which are of zero interest to me.

Same for bringing out a lot of back catalog titles. I welcome that but also figure it was in response to customers noting that the imprint had tilted toward MiSF probably w/o even realizing it.

Basically it's not a criticism from me, just a simple observation.

[grumpy3b]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

Boy, he really knew how to end that one with a cliff-hanger!

hahaha!!! that is just wrong, teasing me like that!! haha!

[Dean M. Cole]

@DiapDealer I've heard the same thing about Misspent Youth. But I'm still tempted to go back and read that one. From what I've read it has some of the same characters. It would be interesting to see their initial entry into the storyline.

[crich70]

Ah Yes. I have several double novels (two books in one cover) in pbook format that a former neighbor gave me a long time back. They are a lot of fun.

Originally Posted by JeremyR

Baen recently started re-releasing works by an author in omnibus form that I had only slightly heard of, but never read, A. Bertram Chandler.

But really good stuff. Somewhat between Space Opera and serious SF and I guess even military fiction, since it's centered around the career of someone in the service.

http://www.webscription.net/p-1319-t...actic-rim.aspx

They seem to have a lot of his other works, but the omnibus releases seem to be coming 6 months part (there was one last month, and another one this summer)

[grumpy3b]

Originally Posted by Dean M. Cole

@edbro I flew the AH-64A in the US Army's 1st Cavalry Division in Desert Storm. Flew quite a few JAATs (Joint Air Attack Teams) with A-10 pilots, and had many an after ops cocktail with with those same Warthog pilots at Ft. Hood's O-Club. Currently I fly the 21 seat Sikorsky S-92 out to the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

It's good to meet a fellow pilot and Texan.

@grumpy3b thanks for checking out my site and book. You should have the file in your email.

You bet and thanks for the email and the note. I try and support the authors who frequent the site. And I am looking forward to reading the novel. Have to finish up Pandora's Star first though. It's fun but good gauds I've been at this think for over a week already and am only half-way through. But its a fun read. I think yours will fit nicely after.

[Dean M. Cole]

@grumpy3b You're right, it's a long book. I'm impressed you read half in just a week, lol. While his books are lengthy they are a good read. Some authors tend to vomit a plethora of over developed imagery across the pages. While Hamilton fills that not so inconsequential page count with a fun well developed universe and riveting action.

To be sure, there is a happy medium to be struck between imagery, narration, dialogue and action. With a few exceptions Hamilton's later works seem to have found the perfect mix of all those aspects.

From a technical standpoint, I shudder to think what his story outlines must entail. I needed a sixteen page outline to keep track of my 266 page novel and the literary universe it occupies.

[Dean M. Cole]

@grumpy3b Did you finish Pandorsa's Star. If so I'll bet you're ready for / already reading Judas Unchained. Kind of like Lays Potato Chip's - "Bet you can't just 'read' one."