Re: "Mutineer's Moon (Dahak Series)" by David Weber

On Mar 20, 2024, Lynn McGuire wrote
(in article <[email protected]>):

> On 3/20/2024 12:01 AM, Bob Casanova wrote:
> > On Tue, 19 Mar 2024 14:55:31 -0500, the following appeared
> > in alt.books.david-weber, posted by Lynn McGuire
> > <[email protected]>:
> >
> > > On 3/8/2024 9:10 AM, WolfFan wrote:
> > > > On Mar 6, 2024, Lynn McGuire wrote
> > > > (in article <[email protected]>):
> > > >
> > > > > On 12/8/2021 2:35 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> > > > > > "Mutineer's Moon (Dahak Series)" by David Weber
> > > > > > https://www.amazon.com/Mutineers-Moon-Dahak-David-Weber/dp/0671720856/
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Book number one of a three book space opera military science fiction
> > > > > > series. I read the well printed and bound MMPB published by Baen. This
> > > > > > is my favorite SF book and series of all time as I have reread it eight
> > > > > > or ten times now. I did buy a new copy of the MMPB which is the six
> > > > > > printing from 2004, the original publishing was in 1991. I am rereading
> > > > > > the second book in the series now which sadly, has gone out of print as
> > > > > > a standalone book.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > https://www.amazon.com/Armageddon-Inheritance-David-Weber/dp/0671721976/
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 55,000 years ago, a Fourth Imperium Utu class 2,000 km diameter
> > > > > > planetoid, Dahak hull number 177291, dropped out of Euchanch drive due
> > > > > > to a supposed failure. Dahak and his 250,000 person crew were headed to
> > > > > > a picket post for forty years at the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy. It
> > > > > > had been 7,000 years since the last genocidal invasion of the
> > > > > > Achuultani, a race who periodically swept the Milky Way of all life, who
> > > > > > had destroyed three Imperiums and countless civilizations. But the FTL
> > > > > > drive failure was not a accident, it was sabotage. And the mutiny that
> > > > > > followed exiled the mutineers and crew alike on Earth, the third planet
> > > > > > of the Sol System.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Today, the unmanned picket posts are warning of the imminent invasion by
> > > > > > the Achuultani. And Dahak is not receiving any warnings by hypercom
> > > > > > from Central Command. Nor can he transmit a warning to Central Command
> > > > > > as that capability was sabotaged also. Dahak needs a crew and a NASA
> > > > > > pilot on a solitary mission, Colin McIntyre, around the Moon looks to be
> > > > > > a good candidate. For you see, Dahak is the Moon.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I do not know why this is my favorite SF book and series of all time. I
> > > > > > like the standup position of the chief protagonist, Colin the First. Or
> > > > > > that there are so many different species of intelligent space races. Or
> > > > > > that the book is written so tightly, especially when compared to Weber's
> > > > > > later works. Or that an self aware artificial intelligence shares the
> > > > > > main protagonist job in the book, much like Heinlein's _The Moon Is A
> > > > > > Harsh Mistress_.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I keep on hoping that David Weber will write more books in the Dahak
> > > > > > series but, I doubt it. He did write the Safehold series which is along
> > > > > > the same lines as this book, overpowering space aliens and self aware
> > > > > > artificial intelligences. BTW, there is an ending to the Safehold,
> > > > > > Honorverse, and Dahak series that David Weber wrote as joke:
> > > > > > http://www.davidweber.net/posts/443-how-safehold-wont-end.html
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The entire series is also available in an omnibus book, _Empire From The
> > > > > > Ashes_ in either kindle or trade paperback. I also own this book in
> > > > > > trade paperback.
> > > > > > https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Ashes-David-Weber/dp/141650933X/
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Here is my 2006 review of the book: "I love this book. Of my 5,000+
> > > > > > SciFi books, it is my favorite. True, it is a little bit raw. But, it
> > > > > > tells a SOLID story and leaves you wanting more more more at the end.
> > > > > > That is the sign of a great book. A sentient ship the size of the moon
> > > > > > and the unique story of the "space aliens" makes for a totally cool
> > > > > > story. BTW, I am reading it for the 5th or 6th time (who keeps count
> > > > > > ?). Weber owes a couple of authors for his story: Heinlein's The Moon
> > > > > > is a Harsh Mistress and the Perry Rhodan series. There are two sequels
> > > > > > to this book, also 5 stars. I am valiantly waiting for the fourth ..."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > My rating: 6 out of 5 stars (yes 6 stars, I have about 20 six star
> > > > > > books)
> > > > > > Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (211 reviews)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Lynn
> > > > >
> > > > > Maybe I will read this again in 2024.
> > > > >
> > > > > Lynn
> > > >
> > > > My problem with this book is the severe suspension of disbelief issues.
> > > > There’s ’the Moon is really an alien warship’ bit, which is bad
> > > > enough,
> > > > but those who have read EE Smith and the likes of Skylark of Valeron and
> > > > assorted loose planets might swallow. With difficulty. There’s the
> > > > really
> > > > interesting biology, in that humans are aliens, despite biology saying
> > > > that
> > > > they’re related to all other life on Earth, but those who have read
> > > > Larry
> > > > Niven and Protector can swallow that. With difficulty. There’s the
> > > > secret
> > > > history, and how the Big Bad was behind most of the villains in history...
> > > > and let them lose..., but again EE Smith was there in Triplanetary.
> > > > Swollowable, with difficulty. There’s the Really Neat Supertech, very
> > > > like
> > > > swarms of stories from the 1930s, 40s, 50s... and with all the problems of
> > > > those stories, plus additional handicaps in that the Really Neat Supertech
> > > > has to be hidden from John Public. Again, swallowable. With difficulty.
> > > > The
> > > > problem is, all of that is in one story. EE Smith and Niven and Campbell
> > > > and
> > > > van Vogt and the rest spread things around in multiple stories, building
> > > > on
> > > > each, they didn’t just pile it into one huge blob and try to ram it down
> > > > reader’s throats. Weber did exactly that. Plus infodumps. Nope, not
> > > > buying
> > > > it. Nope.
> > > >
> > > > And the three books in this series were an early indicator of another
> > > > Weber
> > > > problem: he can’t finish a series. He stopped at three here. He’s
> > > > written
> > > > himself into corners with Honor Harrington and Safehold... including just
> > > > stopping at incredibly annoying cliffhangers. (I’ve given up on Honor,
> > > > and
> > > > am getting very tired of waiting for the problems dumped in the last few
> > > > pages of the last Safehold to be resolved. There is, so far as I know, no
> > > > planned date for the release of the next Safehold book If there ever will
> > > > be
> > > > a next Safehold book.) The Bloody Hand has vanished, along with an
> > > > explaination for a certain wild wizard’s actions, and exactly why the
> > > > Bloody Hand’s daughter is so incredibly important. After Weber spent
> > > > three
> > > > books setting things up. Instead we have space vampires, and I suspect
> > > > that
> > > > that’s going to pitter out, too.
> > > >
> > > > Weber is almost as bad as Ringo with respect to finishing a series. This
> > > > is
> > > > not a compliment.
> > >
> > > "Safehold" has been finished. You just don't like the ending.
> > Actually, it hasn't; the last book left open what will
> > happen, with the Archangel's testimony.
> > >
> > > http://www.davidweber.net/posts/443-how-safehold-wont-end.html
> > Yeah, even David says that is how it *won't* end (although I
> > enjoyed it ;-) ).
> > >
> > > There may be an alternate ending to "Safehold". Time will tell.
> > You mean a *real* ending. It will indeed; I just hope I'm
> > still around for the finish.
>
> David Weber gave a list of his next twenty-five books plans on Facebook
> on Aug 29, 2022.
>
> https://www.facebook.com/david.weber.5621/posts/pfbid02FjnvX56nzzcej5PLiPn6n4f
> y6KHygEm2LVihw38KXcGyYLAD1sDCSaQpLPoXWKuDl
>
> "Okay, I am looking to the future of the Honorverse and several of the
> other series I have going. There almost certainly WILL be at least one,
> and probably 2-3, more novels in the Honorverse,

Another one. the first since 2018, is due in April. I’m not holding my 
breath.
> following END IN FIRE's
> merger of the main series and the Crown of Slaves series. They won't be
> written with ERIC (which i hate) but he and I always knew exactly where
> the books were going, and they will go there. It is possible that the
> collaborator I have in mind will also replace ME before the end of the
> journey (as someone said, I am --- alas --- mortal, and I am one of
> those writers who will never be "done"), but the end will be reached,
> Tim Zahn, Tom Pope, and I will be wrapping the MANTICORE ASCENDANT
> series in the next couple of books, at which point we will tie it off
> with a bow. Jacob Holo and I will be writing the story of Edward
> Saganami shortly. Joelle and I are working on the next MULTIVERSE/HELL'S
> GATE book,

nothing here since 2016. Eight years and counting...
> and we know precisely where that series will ultimately end
> up. I don't know that I'll be here to see the final book, but I know
> what will be in it and I totally trust Joelle, Sharon, and Toni
> Weisskopf to get the series there with quality writing. Richard Fox and
> I have about 3 more books to bring Terrence Murphy's immediate story to
> a close, though we may go a tiny bit farther than that. We are looking
> at doing the second book in the Murphyverse later this fall/winter.

that one came out. Very late. In 2021. Nothing since then. Three years and 
counting...
> It's
> already plotted and ready to go. Chris Kennedy and I just handed in the
> sequel to INTO THE LIGHT, and I think it's solid. I'm not sure how far
> we're going to get into that one, but I think we can keep our readers
> satisfied. And the only reason I'm not sure how far we'll get is that I
> set up a heck of a big enemy when I created the Hegemony, and it's
> likely to "end up" with a case of Mutually Assured Destruction rather
> than a clear cut military victory. Can't say that for sure; we got
> farther in the current book than we'd really expected.

the 3rd book is due out shortly. Space vampires, we got.
> I need to sit
> down with Jane Lindskold some time in the next couple of months and lay
> out the writing outline for the next STAR KINGDOM novel. We are
> envisioning three more in that series, too. I have at least two more
> novels in SAFEHOLD (might be 3) at which point I will be at a thoroughly
> satisfying stopping point.

zero new Safehold. None. None in sight, either. Five years and counting...
> (Could go farther if I brought in the right
> collaborator, but I don't think it's likely.) 3-4 more books in the
> SWORD OF THE SOUTH series,

none of these, either. Sword of the South came out in 2015. It’s nine years 
and counting...
> and then that's done.
> So, by my calculations, that's another 22 books I need to get written to
> wrap up my current series plans.
> I'm 70 this October. I sold the first novel thirty-three years ago.
> Since then, I have published (or have currently turned in, awaiting
> production) 74 solo and collaborative novels, which works out to roughly
> 2.24 per year. That doesn't count the anthologies, of course.
> I lost roughly 2 years to the concussion, and about a year and a half to
> the Covid, so let's call it 30 years, not 33, which brings the
> production up to 2.5 per year. And let's assume that I write for another
> ten years, which (at the moment, and barring any anticipated encounters
> with mortality) seems entirely plausible. By my calculations, that comes
> to another TWENTY-FIVE solo and collaborative novels, in the process of
> which I will be working with some of my collaborators to establish them
> firmly in the existing universes going forward.
> People, like the characters in Richard Adams' PLAGUE DOGS, I'll probably
> still be writing "when the dark comes down." That means, obviously, that
> I won't be "finished" when I leave, but don't go around thinking that
> you're getting rid of me next week!
> Just saying."
>
> That is an incredible amount of work for an old man who has already
> published 74 books in 33 years to that Aug 29, 2022 date.
>
> Lynn

I used to get some Weber series as soon as they arrived, usually in hardback. 
I’ve quite recovered from doing that kind of thing now. Waiting most of a 
decade will do that.

Someone wake me when he actually ships new Bazhel or Safehold or Murphy 
books. I might stir myself to get the ebook version. If the pricing is 
reasonable. Maybe.

He can keep the space vampires. And, probably, Honor.