Theisman Shooting St.Just

Don't forget "BLEEK", more frequent than even "Let's be about it"!

Jacob Zavala wrote:David Weber really seems to like not actually showing us momentous events. I mean, I understand in some ways that having things happen "off screen" as it were, can be an effective literary device, in that it allows main characters to react to the news along with the reader instead of the reader knowing ahead of time, but even years later I'm a little annoyed that both Paul Tankersley and Alastair McKeon didn't get a death scene.

DW's books are quite long. Adding those scenes would simply extend them. And during a battle in which more than a million died taking a few pages to have a death scene. Keep in mind the death could have been more or less instantaneous.

Also, most of us really want plot progress. The next book is a Zilwicki/Cachat one. We've seen them in Uncompromising Honor. With any kind of luck we will see them tracking MAlign along with Firebrand. But I would guess a large majority would prefer to move forward in time and have some real progress rather than just do a reprise of events up to the end of UH.

Also, that might give a hint about some promotions.

ldwechsler wrote:

Jacob Zavala wrote:David Weber really seems to like not actually showing us momentous events. I mean, I understand in some ways that having things happen "off screen" as it were, can be an effective literary device, in that it allows main characters to react to the news along with the reader instead of the reader knowing ahead of time, but even years later I'm a little annoyed that both Paul Tankersley and Alastair McKeon didn't get a death scene.

DW's books are quite long. Adding those scenes would simply extend them. And during a battle in which more than a million died taking a few pages to have a death scene. Keep in mind the death could have been more or less instantaneous.

Also, most of us really want plot progress. The next book is a Zilwicki/Cachat one. We've seen them in Uncompromising Honor. With any kind of luck we will see them tracking MAlign along with Firebrand. But I would guess a large majority would prefer to move forward in time and have some real progress rather than just do a reprise of events up to the end of UH.

Also, that might give a hint about some promotions.

But there are exceptions. For instance, in any book after UH - even the Cachat/Victor one - I don't think anyone would object to the inclusion of a flashback to the defense of Trevor's Star. Any ayes, aye! Any nays, off with his head!

While I'm present in the thread, the one-liners mentioned are formidable and memorable indeed. But this is the Honorverse, and IMO, nothing compares to our heroine's one particular one-liner.

Imagine a completely oblivious Tourville suddenly receiving images of Honor hunched over and peering down into the pickup while supporting her upper body torso with her outstretched arms...

"So we meet again Admiral Tourville," she said. And her soprano voice was cold. brrrrrr

Woulda caused me to swallow a lit cigar too.

The Peep navy knew they were playing Russian roulette each and every time they went off to face the RMN. The chamber is always loaded, but the next round could be a Sphinxian round. They are particularly deadly.

ldwechsler wrote:

Jacob Zavala wrote:David Weber really seems to like not actually showing us momentous events. I mean, I understand in some ways that having things happen "off screen" as it were, can be an effective literary device, in that it allows main characters to react to the news along with the reader instead of the reader knowing ahead of time, but even years later I'm a little annoyed that both Paul Tankersley and Alastair McKeon didn't get a death scene.

DW's books are quite long. Adding those scenes would simply extend them. And during a battle in which more than a million died taking a few pages to have a death scene. Keep in mind the death could have been more or less instantaneous.

Also, most of us really want plot progress. The next book is a Zilwicki/Cachat one. We've seen them in Uncompromising Honor. With any kind of luck we will see them tracking MAlign along with Firebrand. But I would guess a large majority would prefer to move forward in time and have some real progress rather than just do a reprise of events up to the end of UH.

Also, that might give a hint about some promotions.

My assumption is that the Weber/Flint book is going to be about the investigation on Mesa, in the context of the Mesa reconstruction. UH begins in July 1922, and since it's supposed to cover 8 months, it ends in February 1923. CoG and SoV end in November 1922, meaning that UH moves the timeline forward by 3 months. The investigation on Mesa isn't going to get started immediately because neither Zilwiki nor Firebrand are present yet.

So I expect that book to push the timeline forward at least a couple of months.

I don't, however, expect it to do a heck of a lot in digging the MAlign out and finding Darius since the intent is that the investigation will stall for a couple of decades to allow time for Honor's children to grow up and take part in the final resolution.

Of course, RFC may have changed his mind about how he wants to proceed.

Now that ldwechsler brought his name up, I can't believe black Victor didn't put a knife in Saint-Just's back.

JohnRoth wrote:
My assumption is that the Weber/Flint book is going to be about the investigation on Mesa, in the context of the Mesa reconstruction. UH begins in July 1922, and since it's supposed to cover 8 months, it ends in February 1923. CoG and SoV end in November 1922, meaning that UH moves the timeline forward by 3 months. The investigation on Mesa isn't going to get started immediately because neither Zilwiki nor Firebrand are present yet.

So I expect that book to push the timeline forward at least a couple of months.

I don't, however, expect it to do a heck of a lot in digging the MAlign out and finding Darius since the intent is that the investigation will stall for a couple of decades to allow time for Honor's children to grow up and take part in the final resolution.

Of course, RFC may have changed his mind about how he wants to proceed.

Being a Victor/Anton novel, I expect the novel to start with the creation of a Torch Army Batalion/Regiment comprised of Manty/Haven/Beowulf ex-slave/decendant volunteers, as mentioned in CoG, and it being sent as a peacekeeping force to Mesa, with Indy/Firebrand/Victor/Anton along as the shadowy govt. spooks "behind" the front line troops.

Think Allied occupation troops in Europe, post fall of 3-rd Reich, looking for secrets and trying to keep the peace between the Civilians and seccies/slaves.

cthia wrote:Now that ldwechsler brought his name up, I can't believe black Victor didn't put a knife in Saint-Just's back.

Victor was on La Martien per the short story Fanatic.