Honor Harrington - whats the big deal?

[Parson]

What do you think of Elizabeth Moon by the way? If you've not read them you might enjoy the Paksenarion fantasy series, not sure. (Have read a couple of her sf and can't especially comment on the morality side of it.)

I like Moon a lot. Her "Speed of Dark" is a classic in every sense of the word. I have some of her Paksenarion series, but unfortunately did not start at the beginning. So I've kind of muddled around in it. On the whole it's pretty good, but I don't feel like I can make a fair judgment about it.

 

[Siberian]

It seems the OP asked this same question on another forum... so I'm going to answer the same way I did there:

It's Simply the Best Military Science-Fiction Series Ever. Period.



See, I got into the genre mostly thanks to Weber (I read HH 10 years ago for the first time). Usually, authors would have one or two things they like to write about. I could be space battles or infantry skirmishes or even political intrigue and subterfuge. HH has got it all. Pretty much everything you can think about: ship-to-ship, wall to wall, marines, pirates, asymmetrical warfare (aka terrorism), espionage, dogfights, hand-to-hand and even duels and swordfights. And all of this happening in the context of high stakes, larger than life heroes and dastardly villains but without overglorifying war (a lot of good guys dies, and not always in a nice way).

Another thing I like is how everything makes sense. There's some great worldbuilding, and not just when it comes to tech toys. Strategies and tactics are influenced by technological constraints, political circumstances, home cultures - just like in real life. People (or at least professionals) act base on what they know and the information they have at any given moment. Everything is consistent and there're not major plot holes as far as I can tell.

Now, I'm not going to claim it's flawless. Everything has a darker side. Weber is very detail oriented but sometimes infodumps can get too tedious. The later books are also verbose. It's not really politics per se (the scope becomes grander so it's inevitable). He has some kind of OCD in trying to relate the same events from different angles. So something happens and then you have a bunch of characters from each side (and there're like 10 interesting parties at this point) talking about it over and over again. And a lot of times it's not even the characters you care about. It adds up to a lot of filler.

I still read the last books because a) I'm already invested b) when it's good it's really good... I just wish DW got a good editor to trim the fat when necessary.

And I still think the first 8 or so books are the best in the genre and should be checked out by anyone looking for intelligent space opera.

 

[sozme]

I've finished OBS, now on to For the Honor of the Queen...

Seriously this book is unreadable. Honor is great, Honor is beautiful, Honor is so efficient, Honor is so smart. Give me a friggen break.
If the Mary Stuism wasn't bad enough, the overt feminism and politicking in this book is enough to put a bad taste in my mouth.

Chapter 5 is easily the worst chapter I've read in any piece of fiction as far back as I can remember. Admiral Corvosier's defense of Honor to the backwards Grayson head of state - goes so far as to say that Manticore won't be able to have a relationship with them if they refuse to treat one of their "most talented" officers better. This is after spending the previous 100 or so pages making sure everyone knows that they have to tread softly, not needlessly insult the social mores of the Graysons.

Does anyone see this how I do?

 

[Bick]

I've finished OBS, now on to For the Honor of the Queen... Seriously this book is unreadable. Does anyone see this how I do?

I enjoy the HH books almost entirely for the exciting battles he writes in the final third of the books (at least in the first two I've read). I can understand what you don't like about the characterisation, but it doesn't bother me nearly so much. His battles though: wow! They are enough for me to read and enjoy the books.

 

[Siberian]

Chapter 5 is easily the worst chapter I've read in any piece of fiction as far back as I can remember. Admiral Corvosier's defense of Honor to the backwards Grayson head of state - goes so far as to say that Manticore won't be able to have a relationship with them if they refuse to treat one of their "most talented" officers better. This is after spending the previous 100 or so pages making sure everyone knows that they have to tread softly, not needlessly insult the social mores of the Graysons.

Does anyone see this how I do?

Can you provide the exact quote? In Ch 5 they only just make an acquaintance of Honor. A few chapters later, Grayson Admiral apologizes to Corvoisier for mistreating the female officers. Af for Protector Benjamin, he's far from "backwards". He's actually very progressive by Grayson standards.

 

[Pyan]

I've finished OBS, now on to For the Honor of the Queen...

Seriously this book is unreadable....

Umm... Why? Somewhat of an oxymoron, surely.

 

[sozme]

I enjoy the HH books almost entirely for the exciting battles he writes in the final third of the books (at least in the first two I've read). I can understand what you don't like about the characterisation, but it doesn't bother me nearly so much. His battles though: wow! They are enough for me to read and enjoy the books.

No I agree with you 100%. These books have very, very good battle scenes in them. It's just the pap that leads up to that that is very hard to get through.

Can you provide the exact quote? In Ch 5 they only just make an acquaintance of Honor. A few chapters later, Grayson Admiral apologizes to Corvoisier for mistreating the female officers. Af for Protector Benjamin, he's far from "backwards". He's actually very progressive by Grayson standards.

Chapter 5 is the dinner between Corvoisier and the Grayson general. That's what I was referring to.

 

[Contrary Mary]

I will add to the chorus: The second book IS better. I also dislike the huge chucks in technical data.


But this is an adventure series---I know I'm not going to get a Hugo winner here. I have read the first three and have enjoyed it as a fairly good adventure story. There are many other military SF series around--you might try others. If you are not looking for military SF at all, this is not the series for you.


PS There is a YA series by Webe but this series is not it. It is by Weber and features the treecats and a younger girl. Google Weber and you should find the title which escapes me now.

 

[Siberian]

No I agree with you 100%. These books have very, very good battle scenes in them. It's just the pap that leads up to that that is very hard to get through.



Chapter 5 is the dinner between Corvoisier and the Grayson general. That's what I was referring to.

Chapter 5 ends with the Manticorans' arrival in the system. The dinner is in one of the next chapters.

 

[psikeyhackr]

Chapter 5 ends with the Manticorans' arrival in the system. The dinner is in one of the next chapters.

This is the last sentence of chapter 5:

“High Admiral Yanakov, allow me to present Captain Honor Harrington,” Courvosier said, and Yanakov heard the hissing gasp of his staff’s utter disbelief behind him.

Grayson's top navy officers had just arrived aboard Honor's ship.

The dinner is in chapter 7.

psik

 

[Siberian]

And Yanakov apologizes to Corvoisier first. In response, Raoul suggest he apologize to the women instead as the are the ones who have been slighted. I fail to see anything outrageous here.

 

[ralphkern]

Interesting how polarising Harrington is, I think sometimes you just have to agree to disagree though.

I love em, so do many who love a good info dumping military sci fi. But for every one of us, there's another who thinks Harrington is a load of hackneyed twaddle.

I'll be the first to say weber can improve things, not least he needs to start making overall story arcs tighter. Right now, having seen the pics of webers rather rotund belly the thing I'm in fear of is him having a massive coronary before finishing the series!

 

[psikeyhackr]

Interesting how polarising Harrington is, I think sometimes you just have to agree to disagree though.

I love em, so do many who love a good info dumping military sci fi. But for every one of us, there's another who thinks Harrington is a load of hackneyed twaddle.

I think a lot of readers do not analyse themselves and figure out why they like and dislike certain works. I tolerate what I do not like about the Harrington series for the sake of what I do like. The first book just dropped slightly below the threshold.

psik

 

[Siberian]

Interesting how polarising Harrington is, I think sometimes you just have to agree to disagree though.

I love em, so do many who love a good info dumping military sci fi. But for every one of us, there's another who thinks Harrington is a load of hackneyed twaddle.

I'll be the first to say weber can improve things, not least he needs to start making overall story arcs tighter. Right now, having seen the pics of webers rather rotund belly the thing I'm in fear of is him having a massive coronary before finishing the series!

That's my concern, too. I don't want him to pull a Jordan on us.