So, you David Weber fans...

[Coragem]

First, briefly, why doesn't DW have his own sub-forum here. I've seen many threads about his work. He's clearly popular, best selling, and prolific!

Anyway, I've only actually (thus far) read the first four Honor H novels, with mixed experiences.

Part of me is just very happy to find heroic science fiction, within which the impression is given that characters (or indeed human beings like us!) can choose to be responsible, loyal, or selfless. So often I've had to opt for fantasy over science fiction, just to get my heroism fix.

The negatives with Weber are all things that (according to the impression I get from the interviews he has done) he is conscious of. He calls himself a "storyteller" who moves fast because he can't wait to tell his next story. Or he also calls himself a "production writer". Either way, he's been knocking out four 150,000 word novels per year (or equivalent). Quality sometimes suffers.

My favourite so far has been For the Honor of the Queen. I enjoyed the Short Victorious War. I thought Field of Dishonour began very well, but then lost its tightness -- it felt as if the plot was meandering, and some scenes appeared superfluous.

Anyway, next up is Flag in Exile, and I'm looking forward to this one.

Of the remaining books in the HH series, which are the highlights, and which would you say is the best?

Coragem

 

[Vertigo]

In the main HH sequence my favourite was The Short Victorious War. Looking back at my database I rated all the remaining books pretty similarly (4 out of 5 stars) except Flag In Exile and Ashes of Victory which I gave 3 stars. Of the Honorverse spin-offs I rated The Shadow of Saganami the best but I've not yet read Torch of Freedom and I've not yet read any of the Worlds of Honor collections of stories from other authors.

My general observation is that the books seem to get steadily bigger; I only have them as ebooks and the sizes are:

OBS - 452K
THOTQ - 446K
TSVW - 487K
FOD - 420K
FIE - 438K
HAE - 540K
IEH - 717K
EOH - 1030K
AOV - 1340K
WOH - 1100K
AAC - 990K
MOH - 707K

As is often the case, I suspect as he got more fame he had greater control over the editing and what stayed in and what was taken out. Certainly the later books do get more in depth into the politics, which I enjoy, but they also get more in depth into the technical details of the ships, weaponry and battle details (distances, speeds, accelerations, quantities and types of missiles), which I also enjoy within reason. This all demonstrates admirable research but sometimes I feel the reader doesn't need all of it!

You should also be aware that the series is on-going. I'm not sure how many books are planned or even if DW knows haw many more books he will write but both the main series and HonorVerse series are pretty much sitting on cliff hangers at the moment!

I have no doubt Parson wil be along shortly and he is really the expert on DW

On the sub-forum you have a very valid point; I suspect there may be sufficient active threads now for his own sub-forum - Mods?

 

[Parson]

I am indeed along shortly. But I think Vertigo does me too much credit. I'm not sure how to answer your questions. I really have to go back to each book to see what parts of the Honorverse story they tell. They run together in my mind. In general I would say that the books become slightly less compelling as the story moves forward. Weber has done the very reasonable thing by having Honor mostly receive the credit and the promotions she's due. As the story arc progresses she's in bigger and bigger battles with more and more at stake but in my opinion they lose a little of their immediacy. (You are aware that DW's first intention was to have the series end, at book 10 if I remember right.) Interestingly, I believe that the stories have picked up in the latest two.

But you are still books away from a noticeable let down. You do indeed have a couple of the best coming. Flag in Exile is a cracker jack. I envy you your ability to read it for the first time. (When I read it again it will be my fifth time.)

I would disagree with you about Field of Dishonor. I thought that might have been the strongest book in the series. It lets us see a more human Honor and the cold blooded killer she has to keep at bay. I thought the end of it was written the way that it was because of Honor's losing her grip on reality and was so focused on revenge.

Happy Reading. Keep us informed.

BTW I brought up the "Where's the Weber Forum?" years ago but at that time there clearly wasn't as much interest as there is now. And as far as I can tell there is no hard and fast rule about who gets a sub-forum.

 

[Vertigo]

As with you Parson, I can never remember which bits were in which books as they do tend to run together. So I can only go on the stars I gave at the time, and that can have so much to do with how I felt at the time I finished the book and also the quality of the books I was reading around that time (read a couple of duds and then a mediocre one seems brilliant and vice versa).

 

[The Judge]

First, briefly, why doesn't DW have his own sub-forum here. I've seen many threads about his work. He's clearly popular, best selling, and prolific!

On the sub-forum you have a very valid point; I suspect there may be sufficient active threads now for his own sub-forum - Mods?

BTW I brought up the "Where's the Weber Forum?" years ago but at that time there clearly wasn't as much interest as there is now. And as far as I can tell there is no hard and fast rule about who gets a sub-forum.

The best reply I can give is to quote Ian Whates on a recent thread about Katherine Kerr:

Unless an author is directly associated with the Chrons, sub-forums are created only when a given author is generating a great deal of interest on the boards. This normally entails having five or six active discussions about the author and their work ongoing, involving several members of the forums.

If these threads look to be sustained rather than a quick question which slips into obscurity in a week or so after a flurry of comments, we might look at setting up a sub-forum.

I think confusion may arise because some authors may have generated interest in the past which has subsequently fallen off but their sub-forums remain, which makes it appear as if there is inconsistency.

Anyway, if you want a sub-forum, get talking!

 

[Vertigo]

Weeeeell I don't know what constitutes active discussions, but I can find 4 threads that have been posted on since beginning March and another one if I go back to Jan:

http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/531588-so-you-david-weber-fans.html
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/531332-dahak-series-david-weber.html
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/39075-david-weber-on-basilisk-station.html (this one is a resurrected thread from 2007)
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/530819-honor-harrington-spin-offs.html

Last posted Jan:
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/530067-david-weber.html

They are none of them very large threads but do have a fairly diverse set of posters on them.

 

[Parson]

Vertigo, goes in where angels dare not tread.

 

[The Judge]

Not up to me, guv, I just work here...


I've no idea if that is sufficient interest, Vertigo. However, I shall take your offerings and lay them before the Honourable Assembly of Moderators for their due deliberation in full conclave and will report back as and when The Most High Ones have spoken.

 

[Vertigo]

Well I'm not saying we should have one, I'm just gathering the facts

Actually it doesn't make much difference to me; I mostly navigate by the new posts button. and rely on the wobbly search feature. Which is a pain actually 'cos it says that both David and Weber and too short and/or common to search on! So I can't search on David Weber and whilst google comes up with a lot more, it's harder to sort them into chronological order.

Edit: you snuck in with that just before me, TJ! But as I say I'm not sure if it's enough to warrant a sub-forum either.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Wasn't there also that recent thread started by Parson in which he was unhappy about a genre switch near the end? That was a David Weber book wasn't it?

Anyway, as The Judge says, keep some conversation on the writer going, and see what happens. Ongoing discussion is what does it.

 

[Vertigo]

Yes I couldn't find that one and for the first page or so he was being very careful not to name the author

As I say I'm not too bothered, if I want to talk about him I'll either post on an existing thread or make a new one... simples

 

[Parson]

Of course I was careful not to mention him. Who likes to revile one of your favorite authors and leave oneself open for libel at the same time. So "Genre Switch" rather than "David Weber Should Be Ashamed of Himself."

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

You didn't say anything that could remotely leave you open to an action for libel, Parson.

Anyway, it increases the chances that there could be a sub-forum someday, since it's a thread about one of his books. Threads don't have to be favorable to the writer. A discussion is a discussion. And a debate on the merits of any or all of his books could lead to an extended conversation.

 

[Ursa major]

You could have always hinted at the authorship of that book, Parson, with a thread title such as "Invitation to the Dunce", which would have allowed you to waltz by any accusation of libel.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Where did you hide that thread, by the way, Parson. I can't find it in any of the likely forums, but maybe I'm just missing it as I scan through.

 

[Vertigo]

Here it is - it was Flip Flop not Switch

http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/530774-flip-flop-genre.html

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Thanks. I'll add that to the ones TJ relayed to the Staff Room.

 

[Moggle]

I really enjoyed On Basilisk Station, Field of Dishonor, Flag in Exile and Echoes of Honor. I haven't gone any further since, but I'm dying to read the rest. It's really too bad how badly designed the covers are. I imagine Baen has probably lost sales because ppl aren't even willing to pick up the book to read the blurb on the back.

 

[Vertigo]

Yes I would agree that in general books covers do not seem to be Baen's forte. At least not to my taste. That said it was mentioned elsewhere that a large chunk of Baen's sales are to the US military and maybe they love those covers

 

[Parson]

Yes I would agree that in general books covers do not seem to be Baen's forte. At least not to my taste. That said it was mentioned elsewhere that a large chunk of Baen's sales are to the US military and maybe they love those covers

Where did you pick up this bit of info? Baen's forte is certainly military SF, but is this actual info, or is this someone's surmise?