Empire of Man

So, the co-author has posted some "leave me alone about this"hints after a few snippets. Any word from the senior, more mature author on this. I admit I was lukewarm on the prequel thing but excited about the sequel thing.

lelder5 wrote:So, the co-author has posted some "leave me alone about this"hints after a few snippets.

Do you mean these three chapters?

I also think a prelude would not be so good. The concern is that there have already been four good novels in the series. It might be time just to put it all to bed for good?

Would a fifth book tie everything together? Would it be as good as the first four? Or would future novels just dilute the very good story line? Book writing economics 101.

HB of CJ (old coot) decisions decisions.

I have some of it plottedout as I would like it. A trilogy, or maybe more. Volume I: Rodger and the civilian war. Starting the book with the awards thing allows a recap and helps the book stand alone, without getting boring. Rodger patrols aggressively, fleet elements return and he attemps to commit diplomacy. Prince Jackson wheels and deals, it turns out he has cut a deal with the saints for when he turns on the Alphanes. Turns out he cannot deliver as he might as the Regent, or the saints just decide to double cross him. Hopefully most of the fleet gets out, but Prince Jackson and his top minions are on the way to a recovery planet, and the saints have the shipyards @ Kellerman. Dark Helmet (the admiral) beats back the saints, maybe Princess Alexandra makes a comeback.
NumberII: Alex and Rodger. Alex has a heart to heart with Rodger, I've been bulding a task group and sipping fruity girly drinks @ ... you got to be the brat for 20years and got to kill and maim for a year. Now I get to be the sword of the Empire of Man, and you get to be the butt in the chair. St john (J) sets out to bring back the head of Prince Jackson with a group of the Basiks Own Mardukan Rangers (if they strip down they avoid most of the sensors and civan would be good to get around on a recovery planet without a road net).
NumberIII: The Saints Last Gasp. In the enterm the dowager Empress has decided she should get off planet, somewhere the hangers-on @ court will hesitate to follow. She and Tomcat (with or without his wife as a triad) set up @ Ran Tai to raise civan and grapes (and marines) Patty and the Dowager empress have become friendly, and not being a city girl, she comes back to Marduk. The saints make a last gasp effort to get to her. Most of the ships of both forces are lost but the saints land a couple of companies of commandos and the dowager and Tomcat run them around the jungle for a couple of weeks

THE END