David Webbers "Honor Harrington"

POSTED BY: Calhoun
UPDATED: Thursday, July 1, 2004 13:09
VIEWED: 5637
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CALHOUN

Tuesday, June 29, 2004 9:59 PM

I'm interested to hear from the readers among you who have read "The Honor Harrington Series".

Its my very favourite book series of recent times.

The spaceship physics and battles are so well described/explained/crafted that it all felt so real and believable.

I for one thoroughly enjoyed.

SOUPCATCHER

Tuesday, June 29, 2004 11:38 PM

I'm a big fan of this series. I initially got clued in to David Weber through his collaboration with Eric Flint on the 1632 universe (which is another series that I really really enjoy - but that would be another thread because that clued me in to David Drake and the Belisarius series, then the Hammer's Slammers series ). Over several months I whipped through all the books - including the short story compilations - and I'm eagerly anticipating the November release of the newest entry (titled "The Shadow of Saganami"). I agree with you that Weber's handling of fleet-to-fleet action is one of the strengths of the series. The way he walks you through Honor Harrington's career - from single ship actions to small squadron engagements all the way up to multi-fleet havoc - as she earns more and more experience and rises in rank to Admiral in two different fleets is fantastic. I especially like how he focuses on the different responsibilities that she has as her rank changes. That and how he doesn't pull any punches with the lives of her subordinates/peers/friends.

So, shorter answer: I like .

I shaved off my beard for you, devil woman!

HAUFEL

Tuesday, June 29, 2004 11:52 PM

I've also very much enjoyed this series. And the Horatio Hornblower (C. S. Forester) series it intentionally mirrors. I like how he took on the challenge of translating two dimensional sea battles into three dimensional space battles.

SOUPCATCHER

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 12:07 AM

I wondered if David Weber had set out to update the Horatio Hornblower series but having never read that set of books I only had my suspicions based on third and fourth hand references.

I shaved off my beard for you, devil woman!

CAPTAINHARBATKIN

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 12:51 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SoupCatcher:
I wondered if David Weber had set out to update the Horatio Hornblower series but having never read that set of books I only had my suspicions based on third and fourth hand references.

I hear people say that, but while I enjoy the Hornblower novels and have read them all a dozen times, it's all I can do to read Honor Harrington once. To paraphrase Lyndon Johnson: "I could stomach Honor Harrington just fine, if didn't know the difference between chicken salad and chicken

."

A shame, really, I like his other stuff...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their clothing -
and if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KNIBBLET

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 2:20 AM

I've read them all - I bought them all and sent them to my older sister for Christmas this year. I'm going to buy the collection for myself one day.

My husband knows that if I ever leave him for a fictional woman, she'll be Honor Harrington.

Nimitz the Tree Cat RULES!!!! Bleeek

"Just keep walkin, preacher man."

CPTBUCK25

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 3:38 AM

I'm a very large fan. I've been trying to track down the Hornblower books for a while now; ever since I got into the Harrington books, really. They also got me interested in the Master and Commander books by O'Brian. All of them are wonderful and enjoyable reads.

SOUPCATCHER

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 5:17 AM

I'm with you on the fictional crush, Knibblet. I'm buying extra copies for my niece as I can't think of a better role model for her. Just waiting a couple of years.

Think of all the unintentional pressure Nimitz and Samantha have put on their kids. Huge shoes to fill.

Bleek.

I shaved off my beard for you, devil woman!

CALHOUN

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 6:29 AM

So there are a few of us into these books. Good.

Wondering why CaptHarbatkin didnt like? not enough pictures perhaps.

Hows about when Honor duels with the professional duelist/hitman.. way cool.

CAPTAINHARBATKIN

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 12:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Calhoun:
So there are a few of us into these books. Good.

Wondering why CaptHarbatkin didnt like? not enough pictures perhaps.

Hows about when Honor duels with the professional duelist/hitman.. way cool.

Yeah, it's the pictures. Which, by the by, in the US editions, at least, are by N. C. Wyeth. Most likely you've never heard of him, but perhaps Mommy will explain who he was for you?

Hornblower's attraction is that he THINKS, about himself, what he is doing and why, and we see the internal dialog, the self-doubt and self-examination, the recognition of his own baser motives, the compromises with duty and honor that he chooses to make, the contrast between who he KNOWS himself to be and the better people he PERCEIVES others to be.

Hornblower has been selling continuously for 70 years, so obviously Honor Harrington MUST be a superior read...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their
clothing - and if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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