The Lost Fleet

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: David Heath

Hi

I had a Kindle but it was to small for my hands and I kept hitting the advance page when I didn't want to. I have since sold my Kindle and got an iPad and I in love with it. I get the best of both word with my Kindle app, iBook and many other book apps. I must admit I spend most of my time reading Star Wars books but this sounds like a book I going to need to look into.

David

How well can you read an iPad outside in bright sunlight though? I've got the Amazon free Kindle Reader software on my laptop and desktop PC's but the laptop is useless outside (at least for me). I tried taking the desktop to bed with me, but fell asleep, rolled over and crushed the monitor [:(]

[:D][:D][:D]

[sysrkm]

Hi Rhonda,

Hadn't heard from you in a while and it's been longer since we exchanged messages here.

I've been looking for something new to read and I think I just found it. Having read most of the Man Kzin series edited by Niven (and Pournelle hasn't played in that universe for a LONG time) and the Warworld universe never really took off, at least I can't find any evidence it has, this 'Lost Fleet' series sounds great.

As for space sims, I prefer RTS or Turn based WEGO, (What Star Fleet Command and Empires at War SHOULD have been) I liked Homeworld and later, Cataclysm. What killed the game series for me is they took fuel management out of the equation and that's how I beat most of my opponents.

If you have Win7 and have the compatibility mode option, try loading it up. HW, Cataclysm and HW2 are all great space sims. But I'm looking for the next big NEW thing.

Go carefully,

Rob

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: sysrkm

Hi Rhonda,

Hadn't heard from you in a while and it's been longer since we exchanged messages here.

I've been looking for something new to read and I think I just found it. Having read most of the Man Kzin series edited by Niven (and Pournelle hasn't played in that universe for a LONG time) and the Warworld universe never really took off, at least I can't find any evidence it has, this 'Lost Fleet' series sounds great.

As for space sims, I prefer RTS or Turn based WEGO, (What Star Fleet Command and Empires at War SHOULD have been) I liked Homeworld and later, Cataclysm. What killed the game series for me is they took fuel management out of the equation and that's how I beat most of my opponents.

If you have Win7 and have the compatibility mode option, try loading it up. HW, Cataclysm and HW2 are all great space sims. But I'm looking for the next big NEW thing.

Go carefully,

Rob

Hi Rob [:)]

I got Homeworld and Cataclysm running awhile back. The problem I had with the series was the nature of the "perfect solution" approach where the guidebook answers were always "build this and this and use this strategy to get past scenario "x". I have this fundamental problem about any game that seems to have a scripted path to victory that the player has to discover to win. If the Homeworld system had a "build your own battle" capability, it would have been more appealing to me (and would have allowed creating space battles that were closer to my vision for a "lost fleet" game).

Having a rainy day in Pinon as the monsoon rains continue to hit us in earnest. I made a run to Flagstaff through the mud last Sunday to bring back one of our teachers who had come back from Wisconsin and had no transportation. The trip there and back took about 11 hours and close to two tanks of gas to finally find a way back to Pinon through washed out roads and culverts and just near impassable mud and sand. It was quite an experience but my new Ford Escape proved to be a very capable mud SUV. It was still nerve wracking to drive that length of time while constantly being on the edge of spinning into a ditch. Passed many a car or truck stranded in the muck but you can't stop to even try to help as you'll never get going again.

School is supposed to start on Monday, but I suspect we'll begin the year with a Mud Day unless we get a sunny day tomorrow (which isn't the forecast).

I still just love it out here though [:)]

[ilovestrategy]

Wow Rhonda, that's an adventure! [X(]

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: ilovestrategy

Wow Rhonda, that's an adventure! [X(]

Just part of living out here in the high desert. It's the school bus drivers who have to brave the roads in all kinds of conditions from day to day and they are masterful drivers. The 4X4 school buses the district purchased have real issues with handling mud (tends to burn out drive shafts and transmissions). Unlike snow, in mud you have to keep those tires spinning at all costs or you're stuck and that's the equivalent of spinning your tires at full throttle for an hour or more when dug into ice. Often you'll end up driving down the road almost sidewise. It's an experience, let me tell you! Snow doesn't scare me in the slightest, but mud is a different story.

I really try to avoid drives in the mud, but if you get out to Flagstaff and then a storm hits in the afternoon, it becomes difficult to get home. Thunderstorms are so spotty out here that there is no telling when an area gets hit. During this last trip, it was just a few sprinkles in Flagstaff, but massive downpours over central Navajo county with even main roads getting washed out or covered in mud after a flash flood.

Exciting stuff. [:)]

[Josh]

Well I repeat after Ilovestrategy: what an adventure. 11 hours of driving, sideways in the muck, cars stuck in ditches... you rock girl.

[Quellist]

ORIGINAL: Hertston

Another potential reader here.. how does this series compare with David Weber's Honor Harrington books, if anyone has read both?

Very similar feeling. Imho the only major difference in style is that Weber uses Harrington herself as a deus ex machina (deus ex Harrington?) while Cambell dumbs down the universe around his protagonist to make him superior. It makes Black Jack somewhat more likable while his surroundings is slightly more annoying.

[RedArgo]

I just finished the first Lost Fleet book and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to download the second one right now. I also really like the Honor Harrington books.

A couple differences between this and Honor Harrington are the length of the books, Weber's are much longer, and, at least so far, the Lost Fleet is always centered on Geary, where Weber jumps around to lots of different characters. In the latest Harrington book, she is barely the main character.

Bill

[ilovestrategy]

ORIGINAL: RedArgo

I just finished the first Lost Fleet book and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to download the second one right now. I also really like the Honor Harrington books.

A couple differences between this and Honor Harrington are the length of the books, Weber's are much longer, and, at least so far, the Lost Fleet is always centered on Geary, where Weber jumps around to lots of different characters. In the latest Harrington book, she is barely the main character.

Bill

I just now started the first Honor book. I'm literally on the first chapter! [:D]

[RyanCrierie]

Actually, I would argue that the Lost Fleet Series is far superior to the Honor Harrington universe.

The only reason John Geary is such a great genius is that he had the sheer luck to survive through a century of cold sleep while both sides battered each other to death in a unwinnable war.

At first, the level of quality of the men involved was pretty good; but soon the pressures of war forced a lowering of standards; and then multiply that by a few decades of non stop war; and people get just enough training to be useful before they're put out onto the battlefield.

Geary on the other hand was trained in the pre-war navy, when they had enough time to take their time with each officer and train them to deal with the complex realities of having to handle warships moving at point one light, and also time lag imposed by speed of light communications and sensors.

So when he was revived in the 'future', he had knowledge of a way of war that was all but lost by the relentless lowering of standards to meet cadre requirements for the next group of warships commissioning to replace battle losses.

As a bonus, there are no damned treecats.

[nelmsm1]

ORIGINAL: RyanCrierie

Actually, I would argue that the Lost Fleet Series is far superior to the Honor Harrington universe.

The only reason John Geary is such a great genius is that he had the sheer luck to survive through a century of cold sleep while both sides battered each other to death in a unwinnable war.

At first, the level of quality of the men involved was pretty good; but soon the pressures of war forced a lowering of standards; and then multiply that by a few decades of non stop war; and people get just enough training to be useful before they're put out onto the battlefield.

Geary on the other hand was trained in the pre-war navy, when they had enough time to take their time with each officer and train them to deal with the complex realities of having to handle warships moving at point one light, and also time lag imposed by speed of light communications and sensors.

So when he was revived in the 'future', he had knowledge of a way of war that was all but lost by the relentless lowering of standards to meet cadre requirements for the next group of warships commissioning to replace battle losses.

As a bonus, there are no damned treecats.

I'm on the second Honor book and I think the treecat just became my favorite.

[martok]

ORIGINAL: RyanCrierie

Actually, I would argue that the Lost Fleet Series is far superior to the Honor Harrington universe.

Blasphemer! Burn the heretic! [:'(]

Actually, that's not fair of me, as I've not yet gotten around to reading the Lost Fleet books. I do really enjoy Weber's writing, though, and his Honorverse novels remain the best example of it.

ORIGINAL: RyanCrierie

As a bonus, there are no damned treecats.

What's wrong with treecats? I think they're one of the more interesting alien races I've seen in sci-fi. (Nimitz rules!)

[RedArgo]

I think I like the Honor Harrington books better, just because you get to know a lot more characters. In Lost Fleet you only see what Geary sees so there aren't too many characters you even meet and you never know what they are thinking unless they tell Geary. That being said I just started the third Lost Fleet book and I plan to read the rest. Both series are worth reading.

[Brigz]

Just finished the first book of The Lost Fleet. I liked it. The space combat was well done but I enjoyed the "study in command" aspect better. I'd comment more about the space combat but don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it yet. Couldn't help think of Battlestar Galactica as I read it, but I've only seen a few episodes of BG so I can't really compare the two. The setting and circumstance of Black Jack Geary was a clever approach. There was enough "cliffhanger" to make me want to at least read the next volume. If that's written as well or better I'll probably read the entire series.

But first I have to read the last book in Conn Iggulden's "Emperor" series. I HIGHLY recommend these historical-fiction books about Julius Caesar and his rise to power. Once you start reading them you can't put them down.

Thanks again Rhonda for the tip on The Last Fleet series.

[rhondabrwn]

My Kindle addiction strikes again [:D]

Now I'm hooked on Taylor Anderson's "Destroyerman" series about a couple of WWI era 4 stacker destroyers running through a dimensional rift during the early days of World War II. They end up in an alternative world of intelligent reptilian and Lemur-like people who are in a struggle to the death. The arrival of the old destroyers who side with the mammals ("Cats") against the reptillian Grik's and begin to introduce new technologies into this alternative world makes for one fascinating series. Lots of authentic military details about life on a destroyer and some incredible land and naval battles makes this series very appealing to a wargamer (or to someone like me who always has loved a "survival" story of people rebuilding a world from raw scratch using their knowledge and wits).

Gotta recommend this one too, guys! It's up to four books with the 5th due next February. I'm half way through book three and biting my nails off with the suspense of the plotline. The author also communicates with his fans and discusses issues and details of the books and seems like quite an interesting person. He's another ex-military man who knows his stuff!

[PunkReaper]

whoa slow down... just got Lost Fleet from Amazon...... feeling under pressure[;)]

[nelmsm1]

ORIGINAL: rhondabrwn

My Kindle addiction strikes again [:D]

Now I'm hooked on Taylor Anderson's "Destroyerman" series about a couple of WWI era 4 stacker destroyers running through a dimensional rift during the early days of World War II. They end up in an alternative world of intelligent reptilian and Lemur-like people who are in a struggle to the death. The arrival of the old destroyers who side with the mammals ("Cats") against the reptillian Grik's and begin to introduce new technologies into this alternative world makes for one fascinating series. Lots of authentic military details about life on a destroyer and some incredible land and naval battles makes this series very appealing to a wargamer (or to someone like me who always has loved a "survival" story of people rebuilding a world from raw scratch using their knowledge and wits).

Gotta recommend this one too, guys! It's up to four books with the 5th due next February. I'm half way through book three and biting my nails off with the suspense of the plotline. The author also communicates with his fans and discusses issues and details of the books and seems like quite an interesting person. He's another ex-military man who knows his stuff!

I've got the sample of the first one already waiting for me to find time to give it a read.

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: Punk Reaper

whoa slow down... just got Lost Fleet from Amazon...... feeling under pressure[;)]

Since I got that Kindle I've read more books in three months than I have in the last 20 years! I can't seem to put it down. It's so fast and easy to download a new book... the ultimate instant gratification toy!

[sysrkm]

ORIGINAL: rhondabrwn

Having a rainy day in Pinon as the monsoon rains continue to hit us in earnest. I made a run to Flagstaff through the mud last Sunday to bring back one of our teachers who had come back from Wisconsin and had no transportation. The trip there and back took about 11 hours and close to two tanks of gas to finally find a way back to Pinon through washed out roads and culverts and just near impassable mud and sand. It was quite an experience but my new Ford Escape proved to be a very capable mud SUV. It was still nerve wracking to drive that length of time while constantly being on the edge of spinning into a ditch. Passed many a car or truck stranded in the muck but you can't stop to even try to help as you'll never get going again.

School is supposed to start on Monday, but I suspect we'll begin the year with a Mud Day unless we get a sunny day tomorrow (which isn't the forecast).

I still just love it out here though [:)]

Hi Rhonda,

Good to hear from you again. You must have a TON of patience to do what you do, I tip my hat.

As for the mud, I have a one word answer: HOVERCRAFT

<ducking and running>

Seriously, I'm going to go to the book store this weekend and look for the Lost Fleet Series. I have a three day weekend coming and I intend to enjoy it THOROUGHLY and new books would fit that bill nicely.

Go carefully,

Rob

[RedArgo]

I finished The Lost Fleet series this morning. I thought it was a good read and I'm looking forward to the next series of books.

As Rhonda said on the first post of this thread, I think this could make a good space combat game, although I would see it more as a Rules of Engagement type game where you command a fleet from one ship. You would have to deal with the time delays from dealing with light speed communications across millions of miles of space. You might only have direct control of the ships very near you and the other ships in your fleet would just be given orders and left on their own to execute them.

There were lots of instances in the books where a battle would take place the Geary was watching that actually happened hours before. There might be some interesting tactical decisions to make when your information is old. Even a few minutes old could make a big difference if you turned the wrong way, because your picture of the battle is out of date.