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Mainline vs 'Side Stories'

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Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by Reader Bob   » Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:11 pm

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Okay, I admit that I'm only trying to become a full Commander with this. :lol: Does anyone really care if the books are 'Honor - based' or 'Torch - based' or 'Shadow - based' as long as they deal with the main story which is the war. It was the war with Haven but has now become the war with the Sl and Malign but they are connected.
I, for one, love the Honor books. But I also love those that deal with Queen Berry and Mike Henke. So, I really don't care as long as they get written as fast as I can read them. But please, RFC, don't do like one author I won't name who wrote a fantastic sea story in the early 80's, and shop out your stories to hacks just to get the next one 'in print'. Just stay awake longer. :lol:
Anybody elses thoughts?
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Re: Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by Amaroq   » Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:28 pm

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I would have to agree. I like all of the HH books whether they're considered mainline or sidestory. I also greatly enjoy the anthologies and the two "prelude" series (Stephanie Harrington and Manticore Ascendant).
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Goodwill.
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Re: Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by roseandheather   » Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:36 pm

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By this point, I'm just as in love with the Shadow spinoffs as I am with the mainline novels. I'm less enthralled by the Torch subseries, mostly because I don't have even one "hook" character (I have half a dozen in the mainline series and 70% of the Talbott Quadrant's focus characters are in the category of "my babies"). Don't get me wrong, I devour every new Torch novel that comes out, but I don't go back to them over and over like I do with the Talbott and mainline novels. (I don't know how many times I've re-read Storm From the Shadows and A Rising Thunder.)

I also love the Stephanie Harrington prequel series, and I quite like the Manticore Ascendant line so far, but I can't really make a judgment call on that yet.

As far as the anthologies go, if I could tuck a copy of The Service of the Sword in my pocket and take it everywhere with me, I would. (The title novella might just be the single best short story in the 'verse.) Beginnings is another favorite, not least for "Beauty and the Beast" and "Obligated Service".
~*~


I serve at the pleasure of President Pritchart.

Javier & Eloise
"You'll remember me when the west wind moves upon the fields of barley..."
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Re: Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by Bruno Behrends   » Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:39 am

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I am an Honor Harrington fan first and foremost!

I find her a totally fascinating heroine and a league of her own, all the Pritchards and Theismans and Henkes nonwithstanding (even though those are very cool characters too).

I very probably would never have started on the Honorverse (and not on DW books generally) without Honor and even now I would prefer - no - I would vastly prefer any book with her as the main character of the action to anything else.

But - since Honor isn't the main character anymore - even in the official 'mainline' books - I like some of the 'side stories' as much as the mainline books nowadays. As much as the recent mainline books that is. I loved Cauldron of Ghosts for instance.

Still: While Cachat and Zilwicki are serviceable enough heroes. They aren't Honor.





Reader Bob wrote:Okay, I admit that I'm only trying to become a full Commander with this. :lol: Does anyone really care if the books are 'Honor - based' or 'Torch - based' or 'Shadow - based' as long as they deal with the main story which is the war. It was the war with Haven but has now become the war with the Sl and Malign but they are connected.
I, for one, love the Honor books. But I also love those that deal with Queen Berry and Mike Henke. So, I really don't care as long as they get written as fast as I can read them. But please, RFC, don't do like one author I won't name who wrote a fantastic sea story in the early 80's, and shop out your stories to hacks just to get the next one 'in print'. Just stay awake longer. :lol:
Anybody elses thoughts?
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Re: Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by Whitecold   » Wed Apr 09, 2014 4:10 am

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Commander

Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2014 7:13 am
Location: Switzerland

I have to say I vastly prefer the naval threads to Cachat/Zilwicky.

For Honor herself while I love her as main character, I'd hate if she ended up back in action just for the sake of it, and ignoring that she just is too senior for that now. So I'm really hoping for Abigail and company now.
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Re: Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by Tenshinai   » Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:41 am

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Reader Bob wrote:Does anyone really care if the books are 'Honor - based' or 'Torch - based' or 'Shadow - based' as long as they deal with the main story which is the war.


Not really. Both the Torch and Shadow series have been GOOD.

And i´ll add that Weber/Flint collaborations tend to be my favorites, both authors have their good and bad sides, but they manage to focus very well on their strong sides when cooperating.

And as others mentioned, the 4 anthology sidestory books have also overall been excellent, and i´m definitely reading the Stephanie books as well.

That said, i´m still very happy that David´s original plan to have Honor do a Stage Exit -> 6 feet under, got derailed, she doesn´t have to be the main character all the time every time, but it´s HER universe. :geek:

So I'm really hoping for Abigail and company now.

Abigail and Helen Zilwicki, maybe Tourville and so on, plenty of good characters still around to do the frontline work.
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Re: Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by wholf359   » Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:59 am

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I honestly prefer the naval books to the "Torch" books myself. That being said there all good books when all is said and done and I will buy and read them all.
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Re: Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by Amaroq   » Wed Apr 09, 2014 10:49 am

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roseandheather wrote:By this point, I'm just as in love with the Shadow spinoffs as I am with the mainline novels. I'm less enthralled by the Torch subseries, mostly because I don't have even one "hook" character (I have half a dozen in the mainline series and 70% of the Talbott Quadrant's focus characters are in the category of "my babies"). Don't get me wrong, I devour every new Torch novel that comes out, but I don't go back to them over and over like I do with the Talbott and mainline novels. (I don't know how many times I've re-read Storm From the Shadows and A Rising Thunder.)

I also love the Stephanie Harrington prequel series, and I quite like the Manticore Ascendant line so far, but I can't really make a judgment call on that yet.


I lean more toward the Shadow series myself. Anton/Victor are pretty awesome but I'm less about the spy hijinks and more about the naval action.

I especially like the prequel series because I'm a sucker for reading about "historical" characters in their own timeframe and then comparing their world to the future world. I always find it an interesting mental exercise to wonder what Stephanie, Travis Long, etc... would think of what Manticore has become (especially the recent re-naming to Star Empire of Manticore). Talk about culture shock...
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Goodwill.
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Re: Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by SWM   » Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:08 pm

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Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:00 pm
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Tenshinai wrote:And as others mentioned, the 4 anthology sidestory books have also overall been excellent, and i´m definitely reading the Stephanie books as well.

Actually, there are 6 anthologies. Does that mean you are in the lucky position of having more new Honorverse to read? I could be jealous about that. :)
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Re: Mainline vs 'Side Stories'
Post by pokermind   » Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:22 pm

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Useful list:

Worlds of Honor Series:

MORE THAN HONOR WORLDS OF HONOR #1
“A Beautiful Friendship” © 1998 David Weber
“A Grand Tour” © 1998 David Drake
“A Whiff of Grapeshot” © 1998 S. M. Stirling
“The Universe of Honor Harrington” © 1998 David Weber

WORLDS OF HONOR WORLDS OF HONOR #2
"The Stray" © 1999 by Linda Evans;
"What Price Dreams?" © 1999 by David M. Weber;
"Queen's Gambit" © 1999 by Jane Lindskold;
"The Hard Way Home" © 1999 by David M. Weber;
"Deck Load Strike" © 1999 by Roland J. Green

CHANGER OF WORLDS, WORLDS OF HONOR #3
"Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington" © David Weber.
"Changer of Worlds" © David Weber.
"Nightfall" © David Weber.
"From the Highlands" © Eric Flint.

The Service of the Sword: Worlds of Honor #4
“Promised land” © 2003 Jane Lindskold
“With one stone” © 2003 Timothy Zahn
“A ship called Francis” © 2003 John Ringo & Victor Mitchell
“Let's go to Prague” © 2003 John Ringo
“Fanatic” © 2003 Eric Flint
“In the service of the Sword” © 2003 David Weber

IN FIRE FORGED, WORLDS OF HONOR #5
“Ruthless” © 2011 by Jane Lindskold,
“An Act of War” © 2011 by Timothy Zahn,
“Let’s Dance” © 2011 by Worlds of Weber,
“An Introduction to Modern Starship Armor Design” © 2011 by Worlds of Weber,
“Appendix: Armor Design Figures” © 2011 by Worlds of Weber

BEGINNINGS WORLDS OF HONOR #6

“By the Book” Copyright © 2013 by Charles E. Gannon,
“A Call to Arms” Copyright © 2013 by Timothy Zahn,
“Beauty and the Beast” Copyright © 2013 by Words of Weber, Inc.,
” Best Laid Plans” Copyright © 2013 by Words of Weber, Inc.,
“Obligated Service” Copyright © 2013 by Joelle Presby.

Useful list to find things in the story collections.

Poker
CPO Poker Mind Image and, Mangy Fur the Smart Alick Spacecat.

"Better to be hung for a hexapuma than a housecat," Com. Pang Yau-pau, ART.
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