Some books I love · 9:53am April 27th
I haven't produced much content lately. Just not feeling "pony." Been working on some space opera I might post to Royal Road or Amazon or something someday.
In light of my recent lack of content, have some of my favorite books:
Protector and Ringworld, by Larry Niven, and to a lesser extent his entire "Known Space" cycle
Niven is one of my favorite authors, and these were written at the peak of his skill.
Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee, and the entire Machineries of Empire cycle
Yoon Ha Lee is my favorite new-ish author. This series is a brainfuck, but just settle in for the ride and accept you aren't supposed to understand everything that's going on, it becomes clear over time. YHL hates infodumps, rather unlike...
On Basilisk Station, by David Weber, and the entire Honorverse cycle
David Weber is wordy, pompous, ponderous, and badly needs an editor, but no one can boil a plot like him. I've read every single book in the Honorverse. At least twice.
Neptune's Inferno and Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, by James D. Hornfisher
Hornfisher has an amazing talent for showing us the human side of the horror that was the Pacific.
Castles of Steel, by Robert K Massie
World War 1 isn't exactly the most common reading topic nowadays, but this is the book about the naval war. (Honorable mention for WW1: The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916, Alistair Horne. Dated and modern historians take some exceptions to it, but the horror of Verdun drips from every page.)
With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa, by Eugene Sledge
The single finest World War Two memoir — the single best World War Two book — ever written, about any theater of the war. (Don't @ me, I'm right and I'll die on this hill.)
Japanese Destroyer Captain, by Tameichi Hara
Hara was one of the very, very few IJN COs to survive the war (although he did finish Operation Ten-Go in a life raft). His memoir is one of history's few deep looks at the Japanese side, and his writing carries a very human face.
Lord of the Isles, by David Drake, and the entire cycle
Drake made an interesting take on the fantasy cliches, and made it original and his own, with great characters.
With the Lightnings, by David Drake, and the entire RCN cycle
Drake made an interesting take on the space opera cliches, and made it original and his own, with great characters.
How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking, by Jordan Ellenberg
Just what it says on the tin.
On Thermonuclear War, by Herman Kahn
A brain-fuck blast from the past, but teaches you how to think about the unthinkable. Read it as an anachronism, but one to exercise your brain.
Pacific Crucible, The Conquering Tide, and Twilight of the Gods, by Ian Toll
The best comprehensive WW2 examination of the Pacific.
Interesting selection :)
I liked Ringworld and the Honor Harrington books though the latter can drag a bit.
I'd rather not read about thermonuclear war since I grew up under its shadow, but a film that really shows the horror is Threads. You may appreciate it. (I can't say like it) :)
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The trick to Honor Harrington (or Safehold) is to read it as audiobook. Your brain can zorp out on the infor dumps and zorp back for the good stuff.
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Oh, the Safehold series is one I need to get back into. I think I read up to book 5 or so.