Book Recommendations

[blues]

The River, by Peter Heller.

The story of two friends on a back-country canoe trip in Alaska. They encounter a huge forest fire and another traveler who happens to be homicidal. Good character development and an excellent plot. As a bonus, the author pays attention to detail, including fly fishing, canoes, and rifles. Damn good.

https://www.amazon.com/River-novel-P.../dp/0525521879

He's one for three with me.

Loved "The Dog Stars". Hated "The Painter". And I thought "The River" could have been, should have been much better.

[Medusa]

This isn’t my usual fare but I really enjoyed this book. Maybe it was, in part, because it reminded me of Los Angeles, where I was born and raised, but it was also just a good story, even if it did refer to magazines as “clips." I’m sure I’ll read more of these books.

[Baldanders]

War's Edge: Dead Heros Military Sci-fi by Ryan W. Aslesen. The author is a former Marine Officer and currently a Security Consultant.
The only other books I've read in the Genre are "Starship Troopers," and the "Frontline" series by Marko Kloos.
It starts out with a guy going through boot camp on one thread, while you see the rest of the system getting ready for conflict. There is a grittiness to the writing that feels authentic to this Civi, though the bootcamp he describes seems more like hell week of seal training. I'd love to know what some of you vets think of it.

I would highly recommend Haldeman's "The Forever War" if you like "Starship Troopers." Even Heinlein was a fan. The 1990s revision with the original middle section beats the original release, IMO. I assume that is the edition sold now.

It was based on Haldeman's Vietnam experience, but is probably a better match to our own current ongoing wars than it was to that one. (Aside from the conscription of troops) It's worth reading the first few pages for the instructional film on " Eight Silent Ways to Kill a Man," the narrator reaching for his reefer box, and the manditory rotating bunking arrangements to encourage fucking.

"Why do you get the tired ones when you are randy, and the randy ones when you are tired?"

A bit dated in places, but every bit the classic Starship Troopers is.

[Half Moon]

I would highly recommend Haldeman's "The Forever War" if you like "Starship Troopers." Even Heinlein was a fan. The 1990s revision with the original middle section beats the original release, IMO. I assume that is the edition sold now.

It was based on Haldeman's Vietnam experience, but is probably a better match to our own current ongoing wars than it was to that one. (Aside from the conscription of troops) It's worth reading the first few pages for the instructional film on " Eight Silent Ways to Kill a Man," the narrator reaching for his reefer box, and the manditory rotating bunking arrangements to encourage fucking.

"Why do you get the tired ones when you are randy, and the randy ones when you are tired?"

A bit dated in places, but every bit the classic Starship Troopers is.

There was a revised edition?!? Got to go hit Amazon now...

[Baldanders]

There was a revised edition?!? Got to go hit Amazon now...

I just checked Wikipedia and evidently there have been two revised editions since the first.

I have only read the first, but I read the middle novella ( whole story was originally printed as separate novellas in periodicals) You Can Never Go Back in the Dealing in Futures collection in the late 80s.

The second printing includes You Can Never.... According to Wikipedia, the third edition cleans up some discrepancies introduced by placing the middle novella into the first edition versions of the other sections.

The middle novella really emphasizes what a shithole Earth is when Mandella returns for the first time. He and Marygay sightsee and he gets a SA .410 revolver for self-defense. The description of what it does to people is over-the-top. I think he uses flechette shells.

I'd grab "Dealing in Futures" if I were you, because the other stories are some of Haldeman's best work. "Seasons" is scary and believable, "A!Tangled Web" is funny, and "Blood Sisters" (originally published in Playboy) features a rich woman who um, "plays" with her clone, ".48 Magnum Recoiless" pistols, and a flechette gun with explosive flechettes used to take out boats. Great fun.

(Best guns in a Haldeman story are in "Buying Time"---the "crowdpleaser" which is a shotgun with a 2 meter range and something that is essentially a handheld claymore mine. One shot, naturally.)

[Joe in PNG]

Re-reading some of Ian M Banks "Culture" sf novels right now: just finished "Look to Windward" and "Matter", will read "Surface Detail" next.

[Baldanders]

Re-reading some of Ian M Banks "Culture" sf novels right now: just finished "Look to Windward" and "Matter", will read "Surface Detail" next.

"The Player of Games" is my favorite. But "Use of Weapons" and "The Hydrogen Sonata" are close runner-ups.

"Matter" may have the most depressing theme of any book, ever. "We know the world is real because it is so shitty."

Hey, just remembered I haven't read "Inversions" yet. Next paycheck!

Have you read any of Banks' non-SF? "The Wasp Factory" is good, and "The Bridge" is great! The latter has a Culture knife missle that shows up in a dream sequence.

I find Banks as re-readable as Heinlein, and as good at distracting me from my troubles.

[Mark D]

He's one for three with me.

Loved "The Dog Stars". Hated "The Painter". And I thought "The River" could have been, should have been much better.

I'll check out The Dog Stars. Thanks.

[blues]

I'll check out The Dog Stars. Thanks.

Please let us know how you like it.

[Lester Polfus]

He's one for three with me.

Loved "The Dog Stars". Hated "The Painter". And I thought "The River" could have been, should have been much better.

Reading a bad book doesn't bother me. I hit the point where I've had enough and just quit. The River wasn't a bad book, but there was so much unrealized potential that it upset me more than if it had been a bad book.

I just downloaded The Painter a couple of days ago. I guess we'll see.