Conference noted::sf

1220.0. "David Weber's Honor Harrington" by JVERNE::KLAES (Be Here Now) Wed Apr 06 1994 15:22

Article: 554
From: croaker%[email protected] (Francis A. Ney, Jr.)
Organization: Who me?
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews
Subject: Honor Harrington by David Weber
Date: Mon, 04 Apr 1994 22:39:18 GMT
 
"From: Admiral Sir Lucien Cortez 
       Fifth Space Lord, Royal Manticoran Navy
 
"To:   Commander Honor Harrington 
       Royal Manticoran Navy
 
       35th day, Fourth Month, Year Two Hundred Eighty After Landing
 
"Madam:
 
"You are hereby directed and required to proceed aboard Her Majesty's 
 Starship FEARLESS (CL56), there to take upon yourself the duties and 
 responsibilites of Commanding Officer in the service of the Crown.
 
"Fail not in this charge at your peril.
 
"By Order of Admiral Sir Edward Janacek 
             First Lord of Admiralty, Royal Manticoran Navy 
 
"For Her Majesty the Queen."
 
Thus, Honor Harrington embarks on her first major command tour as an
officer of the Royal Manticoran Navy, and into an adventure that owes
much to the Horatio Hornblower genre. 
 
The Star Kingdom of Manticore started as a Terran colony.  It
currently consists of three Earthlike planets that share a primary and
a number of protectorates and allies.  Its primary adversary is a star
empire that bears a great resemblance to the Soviet Union in the final
years before it collapsed, which annexes surrounding planetary systems
to prop up the failing home economy.  Manticore is high on the list of
desirable property, due to the fact that it owns a hyperspace conduit
that links a number of systems, governments, and trade regions. 
 
Into this hypergolic mix Commander Harrington and her crew are
unceremoniously dumped after failing an impossible task set by the
brass.  Basilisk Station, the other end of the hyperspace conduit,
should have been an important posting.  Unfortunately, due to politics
and circumstances (including a primitive sentient indigenous people
within the system), it is a dumping ground for the worst of the worst
who otherwise can't be drummed out of the service. 
 
The worst includes an old adversary and current Senior Officer of the
station, Captain Paul Young, whom Honor last met socially when he
tried to rape her in the shower at the Naval Academy while they were
both midshipmen.  I say 'tried' because Honor kicked his cojones up
around his eyeballs and Midshipman Young got busted for conduct
unbecoming.  Well, Captain Young has a plan to deal with Commander
Harrington's career once and for all:  His ship needs to return to
drydock (allegedly) for some much-needed repair, so Honor is now in
charge at Basilisk station. 
 
This leaves Honor with an impossible task (that hasn't been done in
five years anyway), short supplies, and a demoralized crew to do it
with.  So, in the finest tradition of the service, she proceeds to
kick ass and take names.  Oh, brother! (or should I say sister?) 
 
That should be enough of a teaser to get you to start reading the first 
book (On Basilisk Station).  On to more important things:  The review. 
 
David Weber creates a believable universe.  His physics hangs
together, his development of space battle tactics is so good I'm
betting he did computer sims (and if he didn't I'm going to), and his
portrayal of a working naval operation is top rate.  I especially 
like the concept of a completely integrated military service.  The
political maneuvering behind-the-scenes is also well developed and
serves to add to the story, rather than going off on a tangent. 
 
I have nothing to complain about in David's development of characters,
either.  Honor develops and grows as a person, and so does everyone she
meets -- they are not cardboard cutouts.  Her parents (who we meet in
the second book) are very believable as such.  Even the slimebag
Captain Young has a character (of a sort, anyway). 
 
This series is definitely worth the time and trouble.  On a linear
scale of 1- 10 this series of books rates a 9+.  This set rates a Hugo
nomination. 
 
Honor Harrington Novel Series
by David Weber
 
Baen Books (SIMON & SHEUSTER)
 
On Basilisk Station  $4.99  1993  0-671-72163-1 422p
The Honor Of The Queen $5.99  1993 0-671-72172-0 422p
The Short Victorious War $5.99  1994 0-671-87596-5 360p + 16p
Field Of Dishonor (Forthcoming)
-- 

    "Apparently on New Texas, killing a politician was not _malum in se_,
   and was _malum prohibitorum_ only to the extent that what the
   politician got was in excess of what he deserved." 

             - H. Beam Piper, _Lone Star Planet/A Planet For Texans_
 
%T On Basilisk Station
%A David Weber
%I Baen Books
%D 1993
%G ISBN 0-671-72163-1
%P 422 pages
%O $4.99 paperback
 
%T The Honor of the Queen
%A David Weber
%I Baen Books
%D 1993
%G ISBN 0-671-72172-0
%P 422 pages
%O $5.99 paperback
 
%T The Short Victorious War
%A David Weber
%I Baen Books
%D 1994
%G ISBN 0-671-87596-5
%P 360 pages
%O $5.99 paperback