combat – Page 3 – Made by Mikal

Watch on the Rhine

Post author:mikal
Post published:August 5, 2012
Post category:Book

If you knew you were in deep trouble, had the technology to rejuvenate any soldier you wanted, and happened to be a late nineties Germany desperate for cannon fodder, would you return the SS to service? A harsh reality is that they're some of the only soldiers you have left with real combat experience, even if their politics is abhorrent. This book has an interesting underlying concept, but to a certain extent its ruined by the politics of the authors -- any concern for anything other that military strength is dismissed as another example of rampant nimbyism. However, the book tells a good story and made me think about some stuff I wouldn't have otherwise thought about, while being entertaining. So, overall a success I guess. [isbn: 9781416521204]

Bodyguard

Post author:mikal
Post published:July 30, 2012
Post category:Book

While it isn't immediately obvious, this book is quite similar to Johnny Mnemonic. The brain damage aspect is played up a bit, and gets repetitive, but the overall story is interesting and fun, even if the ending is a bit obvious from about half way through. [isbn: 044100105x]

Catching Fire

Post author:mikal
Post published:May 11, 2012
Post category:Book

This is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy after the first book of the same name. This book is very similar to the first in terms of style, although I think the start is a lot slower. Once you plow through the first 150 pages or so the book rapidly improves though, and I was happy with where it went overall. Good teen fiction. [isbn: 9781407109367;1407109367]

The Hunger Games

Post author:mikal
Post published:April 17, 2012
Post category:Book

I picked this up in the US really cheap because I had run out of books to read on this trip. This book is pretty heavily hyped at the moment, but that's also why I got the book for $6 at a book store, so I can't complain. The book is an easy read, and fun. Its obviously aimed at teenagers, but I don't mind teen fiction as a genre and I read this book in a little over a day. The story line is similar to The Survivor in Battlefields Beyond Tomorrow, but is distinct enough to not be plagiarism. I enjoyed this book. [isbn: 9780439023528]

Logos Run

Post author:mikal
Post published:April 15, 2012
Post category:Book

This is the continuation from Runner, and continues the story of the attempt to re-enable the star gates. It has the comicly incompetent Technosociety once again, as well as series of genetically engineered protagonists. I am bothered by why the star gate power supplies cause people to fall ill -- you'd think in a highly advanced society capable of building star gates they might have spent some time on shielding. Or did the shielding somehow fail on all the power sources sometime over the thousands of years of decay? The has a disappointing ending, but was a fun read until then. I find it hard to suspend disbelief about how the AIs present themselves, but apart from that the book was solid. This one is probably not as good as the first. [isbn: 0441015360; 9780441015368]

Runner

Post author:mikal
Post published:February 27, 2012
Post category:Book

I bought this book on impulse, and I am glad I did. The book is very Buddhist in its outlook, and characters believe in reincarnation, which makes it ok for people to die. There sure is a lot of that happening in this book, perhaps more so than in Dietz's combat books. The underlying story is very different from the other Dietz stuff I have read, and very good. The Legion of the Damned books suffer from very one dimensional characterizations of their female characters, whereas this book has a strong female as a leading and fully developed character, which is a nice change. I enjoyed this book. [isbn: 9780441014095]

Red Storm Rising

Post author:mikal
Post published:February 12, 2012
Post category:Book

I had read this book many years ago, and remembered it fondly. I wasn't disappointed reading it again -- its certainly a classic techno-thriller, even if it is a little dated now. I imagine it would make less sense to someone who hadn't grown up with the cold war, but within that context its a good read. The worst bit is that given what we knew back then it is so completely plausible. Great book. [isbn: 0006173624;9780006173625]

The Ghost Brigades (2)

Post author:mikal
Post published:December 30, 2011
Post category:Book

The second time around I think my opinion has changed a little. I found the plot a little hard to believe (perhaps I am scarred by other book's twee explorations of the motivations of alien species), and overall the book not as good as Old Man's War. Then again, its far from the worst book I have read this year. Original post about this book. [award: nominee prometheus 2007] [isbn: 0765354063]

Red Mars

Post author:mikal
Post published:December 21, 2011
Post category:Book

This is another book on colonization. To be totally honest I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second, and I rather thought the book dragged on and could have done with a more vigorous editing. There are sections which are deeply descriptive, but it doesn't progress the story. Overall, I was a little disappointed.

By Blood Alone

Post author:mikal
Post published:October 7, 2011
Post category:Book

Maybe I've been reading too much combat fiction recently and need a change of scenery. Or perhaps its just that this book isn't as good as the last two (Legion of the Damned and The Final Battle). The characters aren't the strongest, and the plot is weaker than the previous two books. On the other hand, I did finish the book, and don't regret reading it. Oh, the cliff hanger ending is annoying too. [isbn: 9780441006311; 0441006310]