What are you reading?

[Landlubber]

MadDrB, don't worry--I only first picked up the Honor Harrington series a few years ago myself.

Draco, I'm with you...too many years of watching Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica (original and reboot) have caused me to have preconceived notions about how starships would fight in space, and what they would look like. While BSG is probably a little closer to reality than Star Wars (at least in that respect), Rule of Cool still applies, and watching Vipers vector in on a Cylon Raider is just darn cool.

I just finished the audiobook version of Pacific Crucible, by Ian Toll. First book in his Pacific War trilogy. Really a good book--I learned quite a bit about the logistics and intel side of the fight. The book ends with Battle of Midway, and even though I knew how it would end, I still found myself on the edge of my seat while listening. Very well written. Highly recommended, can't wait to listen to the next one (The Conquering Tide).

https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Crucible-War-Sea-1941-1942/dp/0393343413

[McKInstry]

I heartily concur on the series. The whole trilogy is a good read for anyone interested in the Pacific.

[Draco84oz]

Oh yes, also got Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War sitting in the wings. My dad and I discovered The Expanse on Netflix, and we're both pretty keen (even if Australian Netflix has both series and NZ Netflix still only has the first...)

But he's read the books, and said its probably not the best to watch the series anymore - the timelines are somewhat different.

[Dakkar]

But he's read the books, and said its probably not the best to watch the series anymore - the timelines are somewhat different.

I'd recommend reading the books (audio or text) first to about 2-3 ahead of the show seasons, then watch the show. I love the show (esp for the excellent castings of Naomi, Avisarala, and Bobbie Draper), but like with Game of Thrones, they must condense and reorder things for TV effectiveness.

I'm about to start PERSEPOLIS RISING audiobook finally tomorrow, can't wait! Almost as excited for that as I am for LAST JEDI.

[Ruckdog]

But he's read the books, and said its probably not the best to watch the series anymore - the timelines are somewhat different.

I'd recommend reading the books (audio or text) first to about 2-3 ahead of the show seasons, then watch the show. I love the show (esp for the excellent castings of Naomi, Avisarala, and Bobbie Draper), but like with Game of Thrones, they must condense and reorder things for TV effectiveness.

I'm about to start PERSEPOLIS RISING audiobook finally tomorrow, can't wait! Almost as excited for that as I am for LAST JEDI.

I second your recomendations on the books! If you haven't touched anythin in The Expanse universe before, I think you definitely want to read the first 3 books  before watching the show if you can manage it. It will help make some things in the show make more senese,  and you'll also be able to pick up on the places where things were condensed for TV. That being said, i watched the show then started the books, and it wasn't too bad 

I'm all caught up to Persepolis Rising, can't wait to start it!

[Dakkar]

I'm all caught up to Persepolis Rising, can't wait to start it!

I'm about a half hour into listening (after hours of trying to get iTunes to sync to my iPod - something got patched this weekend).
I'm utterly hooked. I probably was in the very first scene when a POV character says something like
[spoiler]
...30 years later.
[/spoiler]

[Landlubber]

Just started Cibola Burn. Looking forward to digging into it over the holidays. Was going to read Titanicus by Dan Abnett (probably my favorite of his books, even though it isn't in the First and Only series), but the next Expanse book was calling to me.

Also, I finished Catalyst recently--the prequel novel to Rogue One. Not a bad book, nice set-up of the relationship between Krennic and Galen Erso. I enjoyed some of the glimpses into "normal life" in the Republic during the Clone Wars and in the period before the Rebellion. Will probably read the Rogue One novelization sometime early next year--I've heard it's good, gives more info into some of the backstory and character motivations than the movie did (although I really, really liked the movie).

[Dakkar]

Just started Cibola Burn.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. It's so very different from the first three, especially in scale, but it accurately gives a microcosm of issues for any/all of the burgeoning colonies.

Also, I'd like to know the alchemy that Dan and Ty use to craft their villains. Even in the newest one, I start hating them SO MUCH it actively causes me stress.

[Landlubber]

Yep. I’m about halfway thru and enjoying it so far, but it is a different scope from the first three books. And yeah, they do a good job with villains. Although so far, while Murtry is acting like an asshat, I can kinda understand his reasoning.

And tbh, Holden can be a bit of a d$ck sometimes.

Rewatching the first season of the show with a friend of mine. Forgot how cool the scene is when the Tachi shoots her way out of the Donnager.

[Covertwalrus]

Finally getting around to finishing "The Shiva Option" by Weber and White. Interestingly, I restarted this the same week that the Starfire supplement that covers this period of the book, namely ISW4 against the Arachnoids.

 I own and like all the Starfire universe books by Weber and White, though I confess i haven't played Starfire itself . . . :/

[Landlubber]

I hadn’t heard about these before. Descriptions on Amazon are a bit thin. Looks like pulp military sci-fi...is that an accurate description?

[Covertwalrus]

I hadn’t heard about these before. Descriptions on Amazon are a bit thin. Looks like pulp military sci-fi...is that an accurate description?

 Depends on your definition of "pulp" I suppose. If you include authors like Brackett, Hammett and Chandler in the "pulp" category,, with their sophisticated use of language and deep characterization combined with writing skills, then yes, I put these novels into "pulp"; They aren't profound, however they have three dimensional characters, strongly character-driven plot-lines and motivations and complexity of thought behind characters that makes them damn good work from a literature point of view.

 And more to the point for this forum, they make the background of space combat within the physics of the story universe seem real and vibrant

[Landlubber]

Well then, I’ll have to add them to the always-growing reading list. By “pulp”, I guess I meant something down-and-gritty with lots of good sci-if action and not much character development. Something like the Dirigent Mercenary Corps books.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00CJBAQRA/ref=dp_st_B002BHTEIE

[Covertwalrus]

By “pulp”, I guess I meant something down-and-gritty with lots of good sci-if action and not much character development. Something like the Dirigent Mercenary Corps books.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00CJBAQRA/ref=dp_st_B002BHTEIE

 Now there's synchronicity! I was just today reading a letter to Analog back in the 1970s where Sgt. Shelley himself replied to a reader's critique of a supposedly unscientific medical section of his story "Sylph" ( Short synopsis; Two very different human cultures find themselves colonizing the same planet with clashes both physical and philosophical, though mostly the latter ).  The epistle shows him at his best and is both polite and well-referenced while undercutting the reader's objections as being bound by a lack of consideration of the story as a whole - A most erudite debater.

 I imagine you could class the Dirigent series as "pulp" true; it's not indicative of the depth Shelley put into other work, though it has recurring themes ( The military lifestyle, ethics in battle, the sciences and their application to warfare and medical nanotechnology ) that turn up repeatedly in his other works. But if you liked them, then I think Weber and White's Starfire novels will appeal as well

[Landlubber]

Sounds good. I only read through the DMC books once, about 15 years ago, but I did enjoy them.