Re: OT: Read a book!
 

A couple of recommendations not highlighted extensively by others:

Sci-fi: Anything by H. Beam Piper. Someone earlier mentioned Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen I would also add Space Viking. I also really enjoy Brin & Weber for contemporary authors.

Fantasy: Glen Cook's Black Company series kicks serious A.

Re: OT: Read a book!
 

other than David Brin's books and Dave Weber's starfire books, can anyone reccomend any Sci Fi books that have lots of fighting, alien space fleets, space battles and 'orrible aliens

you know, a bit of classic space opera with lts of nasty green aliens and lasers and fighting and all that

Re: OT: Read a book!
 

Some Wing Comander novels are good in this department, "Fleet Action" is one.

Re: OT: Read a book!
 

I did't read David Brin' books before. Following your tip-off, I just searched internet for some information and found this site:
http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feat.../15/brin_main/

Wow ! I should say he really has an opinion about Star Wars http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif !

Re: OT: Read a book!
 

Brin hates Star Wars and he hates Tolkien. He's a real-life Version of that Smurf that hates everything.

Tigga, if you want space battles, track down the Lensman / Galactic Patrol series by E.E. Smith. It's very old stuff and the characters looked two-dimensional to me when I was 11, but it's got some epic space battles in there.

Re: OT: Read a book!
 

Here is a better Brin site. He has some strong opinions, but he defines and defends them well. He also answers e-mail. I dig Brin.

Michael Stackpole is one of my favorite authors. As I was just getting old enough to recognize that almost all of the franchise fiction I was reading was crap that only sold because of the Large Font name emblazoned across the top, just as I was getting tired of Tom Clancy's formula, I found Stackpole's Battletech novels. Excellent stuff. Very epic, very operatic.

Armor is one of my favorite books of all time. It's kind of like two separate books, and the first one is better than the second. But it's good.

For a good time, read How Much for Just the Planet. A must-read if you dig Star Trek, used to dig Star Trek, or have put up with people who dig Star Trek. And it's funny even if you don't. The only Star Trek book I have ever reread. The only Star Trek book I can speak about without holding my tongue.

Re: OT: Read a book!
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks for the link. It was a good read, and I largely agree with him, though I doubt many people care one way or another. But it's a good link to have around in case I ever meet anybody who's goes all gushy about Star Wars being a heroic tale of good vs. evil.

Re: OT: Read a book!
 

I have been reading Michael McCollum novels. Don't hear very much about this guy, but good stuff. The "Antares" Trilogy is rich with warp point travel and empire networking. He also gets into actual physics of space travel and battle so their is a degree of realism. The Last of the "Antares" books is due out soon. Interesting and fun read.

Re: OT: Read a book!
 

Andre Norton.

by depressing books i mean ones which depress me. hero dies, hero loses etc.

Brin's making some good points. although star trek still has 'good beutifull, evil ugly'. maybe i should write a book where the main character has a big ugly scar through his right eye, a hunchback, a crippled leg, unshaven, mismatched features, and anything else i can throw in. and still gets the girl. i've never actually sold anything or written much though. honestly, i've never read 'hunchback of notre dame', but i still think she should have married the hunchback. what did the captain do but swoop in at the Last minute?

[ July 17, 2003, 07:08: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

Re: OT: Read a book!
 

"Good <-> Beautiful" exists because of our natural instincts.

Beautiful person -> Good survival / reproductive characteristics -> Achieves success -> Has many children -> Benefits our tribe as a whole -> Good.

Ugly person -> Opposite of the above, plus may be sick (could infect the whole tribe / will need care, tying up someone else) -> Bad for the tribe -> Evil.

That's why the hunchback wasn't allowed to marry the girl.