I've finished the first book, On Basilisk Station, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I looked for a thread and couldn't find one, so I've made this to discuss. I'm currently reading the second book, and it is good so far. So, anyone with familiarity with the series know kinda how the diaspora of man went? Basilisk mentioned that they started out on ships that took centuries but then humanity's technology on Earth increased and all, and I'm just confused as to the timeline of events there.
I'm up to Bk 5, which I've yet to start. I really enjoy these books, Basilisk's final 70-page space duel was stunning but it's only the start. If you like these, I also recommend Weber's Safehold series of which there are 4 books out, the 5th is due in a couple of months. I have Bk 4 still to read.
Chronology as I remember it: The first ships left, took a long, long time. They established colonies (set up noble houses, any terraforming, etc). Second batches of citizens would arrived very soon after because technology had improved. The distances involved were the same, but now the journey could be accomplished in months instead of decades. Because colony ships were sent on different vectors, they became their own star-nations, expanded, colonized nearby worlds they discovered, and so on. Thus came about the People's Republic of Haven (peeps), the Manticore Star Kingdom, and others. Earth, as the center of the expanding colonies nearby, became the Solarian League. Every now and then, exploration ships discover new "lost" colonies of people who didn't register their plans, got lost and settled elsewhere, or were just assumed to have failed, been destroyed, or died. As to what year any of this happened, well, the author took a page from Terry Nation (or just had a similar idea all on his own) and created a new calendar based on the beginning of launching the colony ships (Ante Dispora). Somewhere along the way, a drug called Prolong allowed people to extend their lives. The drug build up in the genetic system, so someone whose family had taken it for 6 generations (current time-frame to the books) could expect to live for several hundred years. I read up to War of Honor, and even though newer books have come out, I'm reading through my brother's massive collection of Leather-bound book-club volumes. This will give Weber time enough to write 4 or 5 books so I can just zip in and read tons of stuff again. Oh, do yourself a favor: build a cast-card/character map. As the epic continues, it is easy to lose track of who individual characters are, and someone who has 3 sentences in book 4 can be a major player in book 8. Weber does that a lot.
I'm presently occupied with the 100-page monster paperback that is A Might Fortress (Safehold Bk 4). By the by, there's also the Worlds of Honor anthologies, as well as 2 other sub-series that kick in after book 10. (I have a mountainous to-read pile)
And let's not forget the Wages of Sin and Shadows of Saganami series that we have to read once we get later into the series...
Oddly, was just thinking of bringing this back up. Now on book seven. Things have picked up a bit since book four.
Very good for space battles. Reminds me of the old days playing Star Fleet Battles... Lots of very good details you can either digest into an enginerd geek-gasm or just enjoy for flavor. Huge scale and some small battles. I remember some of the books being really slow, providing a lot of plot and background politics, and then the next books would be action festivals. Oh, and in no way does the story bear any similarity to events in 18th century naval or political conflicts. No, none. No really...
