First of all, Ryk, you're an evil, evil man. I totally need to get your address to send your wife a little package (containing shackles to shackle you to your writing place and a whip for some additional inspiration). I read well into the night (around 1:20 AM) even though I had to get up at 3:15, only to find a cliffhanger, of all things!
Despite the cliffhanger ending, I really enjoyed the book, especially the more humorous exchanges, although the bickering between Loki and Josh about English figures of speech were getting on my nerves a little. There's only so much fun to be had with a piece of cake during a walk in the park, may it be as easy as pie or not. Adding a little more variety would have been as easy as stealing candy from a baby! /shot
Maybe I just didn't enjoy that as much as I could have, though, because I'm not a native speaker. Or maybe I just expected some more linguistic humor in them, no idea.
The one thing that managed to hopelessly confuse me was the jumping between the bridges of up to five battleships, not to mention various smaller spacecraft. Yes, I finally managed to learn the names of the Aurora's and Celestia's crew, but things got worse with the addition of the Jar-Benakh (sp?), the Kent and the Tanna. I'd really like to see some more of an indication that the scene has changed to an entirely different ship, and to which ship in particular. A small headline stating the location would help immensely with keeping track of those things.
1 What happened to Capt Dub?
2 What did they inject into Capt Scott?
3 Does Cameron get a frigate?
1 No idea, but I'm sure he'll land on his feet, that sly old dog. (Even if it's more of a cat trait to land on one's feet.) It's very obvious that Dubnyk - or whatever his real name is - is a very manipulative fellow, and definitely one of the evil ones.
2 A very good question, indeed. Spy-nanites? Terran nanites? Other nanites to erase Scott's memory? Whatever it is, I doubt it's lethal to Scott, though. I very much doubt that it's the Klaria virus, though. Even Nathan wouldn't be willing to do that, would he? Besides, I sincerely doubt that Doctor Chen would have something that dangerous on hand.
3 It would be only logical to give Cameron command of the Aurora. After all, the Celestia was her sister ship, and Cameron is the most experienced Captain left to the Alliance with any experience commanding an explorer-class ship. Plus, Cameron lost quite a bit of her command staff, which means that she could take over some of Nathan's people. People whom she already knows, and who know her.
Some of my own:
4 Admiral Galiardi: What is he really after? It clearly seems that he wants more than just command of the EDF (which he wants to re-form). Also, President Scott hinted at the possibility that Galiardi himself might have been the Jung spy, which, IMHO, makes a weird kind of sense. Especially if we consider all the points President Scott made about that possibility: the Jung being aware of the Jump Drive Project from the very beginning, them knowing exactly where the Aurora would end her first jump, the original idea of sending the Aurora unarmed (remember, it was only due to the Captain's misgivings about taking a warship out of port unarmed that lead to the Aurora being at least slightly armed) and, not to mention, the whole political maneuvering before Scott's presidency. Also, keeping the Defender Class sub-light and without jump drives, not to mention without protective shields.
The Alliance did not give Nathan up, Nathan gave himself up to ensure a cease fire. He made it clear to the Jung that their homeworld would be completely destroyed if the Jung attacked any Alliance worlds, via the roaming KKVs, and there was nothing they could do about it. Stalemate. Nathan offered himself when he realized that his death was the only way to make the stalemate work. Dumar may have seen the need for WMDs and taken action, but he could not have foreseen the events that led to Nathan's surrender. That was all Nathan's decision.
Thing is, I don't see this ending to be as much of a cliffhanger as some of you do. The original challenge of the crew was to get back to Earth and defend her against the Jung threat. With Nathan's surrender, that mission is accomplished.
As this is a long tailed series, of course there are going to be threads that are left open. That's just life. Nothing is ever neatly wrapped up with a bow. Something ALWAYS comes next.
Now, I COULD have gone on to tell of his trial and execution, and of negotiations and fallout, of new assignments and so on, but to what end? They would not have moved the plot forward, nor added meaning. In fact, they probably would have been boring for the most part. Some things simply have to be left out, and only referred to later. Otherwise, each part is going to be a LOT longer.
The toughest part for me is that I am the only one that knows the whole story. I have to write it as I see fit, and hope that most of my readers will be willing to wait for seeds planted now to pay off later. Sometimes much later. To me, that is part of the magic of a long-tailed series. You get to grow up with the series itself, over time, and get rewarded with little payoffs from seeds planted long ago that only someone who followed the entire series would actually recognize and enjoy. It's like a reward for loyalty.
Well, considering how much work you put into developing the Nathan Scott character, many of us simply expect him to be saved somehow.
Also, the story arc doesn't feel finished, as there are yet way too many loose ends to tie up. It's pretty obvious that the stalemate isn't going to end in true peace, but is more like a cold war scenario. As soon as one party thinks they can get away with it, the war will start all over again. The Alliance is very challenged to keep the jump drive out of Jung hands, which is pretty much impossible to accomplish. (I don't give them more than a year of "peaceful coexistence" before the Jung get their hands on at least one jump drive through their extensive spy network or someone who thinks they have something to gain from delivering a jump capable ship to them.) There's also Galiardi stirring up trouble - and probably trying to get a welcome back party for the Jung started on Earth, which will put the whole sector at risk.
I would very much like to see Gillardi as a hero of Earth, but in Ep.15 he comes off as a spoiled brat that didn't get his way. Everything he did up until he got captured was reasonable in the defense of Earth in light of the Political environment he found himself in.
The Original Captain of the Aurora hand picked his crew. Dayton asked Eli to change Nathan's role to one closer to home when he was originally assigned to a Defender. The order to have him moved probably highlighted Nathan, and Roberts probably noticed him because of that.
The rush to test the STS/Jump drive more then anything else is the reason why the Aurora was send out on its initial shakedown ring around the solar system. The fact that up until that point the Aurora was relatively unarmed was due to the fact she was still being built.
Gillardi may or may not have been tortured / brainwashed but we do not know all we know is that his "injuries were as a result of his capture" I think that an admiral of his calibre would know that there was already a bullseye on Earth and that pushing outward with the intention of building up defenses behind that push would be the best thing for the Earth/Alliance to do. He should have argued that the Alliance move to liberate other worlds / attack Jung forces outside of Earth initially ie the Attack on Kent was a mistake. that the expansion would result in a much bigger backlash then having stayed in Sol. but obviously because they have expanded, that they have to now back up that expansion because the Jung will already be peed off.
Hi Ryk,
Loved the series overall. Keep up the good work!
A quick question. The way you phrased your post implies that Nathan IS tried and executed and that Part II will start with this having happened in the past. Is that true or am I reading too much into your words?
thanks!
Now, I COULD have gone on to tell of his trial and execution, and of negotiations and fallout, of new assignments and so on, but to what end?
So you are saying Nathan is now dead? I believe that the Alliance would retaliate with extreme prejudice if Na-Tan is killed. The PC has nothing to fear from the Jung.
Scott living or dying is up in the air. We will have to wait until Part 2.
I see a trial being implemented publicly.
I also see an interrogation with Jung Nanites not so publicly.
I see the Jung Factions wanting to deal with him differently, mostly because of the threat of the KKV Drones. Mostly because of the Jung Warriors wanting revenge, I see the Isolationists freeing Scott to the Alliance to prevent the KKV strike when the Warriors attack.
I imagine that we will see a two year gap between Ep15 and Ep16.
This is due to a number of things.
1) The Jung Warrior's will have had time to gather they're forces for a properly timed attack on Earth and her Allies.
2) The first Alliance Frigates will come off the construction line in Tau Ceti.
3) Super Eagles and Cobra's will be available in greater numbers.
4) The Takaran Nobles Battleship will be up and running.
5) the Political situation in the Alliance will have had time to relax after the Liberation, and fissures will have had time to form.
It could be longer then two year, but I don't see a reason for that, as to many plot points need to be resolved in the shorter term.
I'm not saying that Nathan is dead. I'm not saying that he isn't going to be dead. That was just an example. The point I was trying to make is that as a writer I have to choose what to write about and what not to write about. I also have to choose where to end a story. Once the Jung's campaign to rule the Sol Sector is stopped, the main story line for part 1 is over. PERIOD. Anything that follows is clean up, and in my opinion, boring. I picked a point to end part 1 that had the most dramatic impact, and set the stage for the next set of stories in the Saga.
I also have to think about what is good for the franchise. I'm trying to tell a really long story here, in a way that either has not been done before, or at the very least is rarely done. (I don't know, as I haven't read every sci fi book out there.) I have to keep the franchise alive long enough to finish the story, or I'm not doing right by those that follow the entire series.
As the writer, I am the only one who knows everywhere this story, and all its sub-threads, will eventually go. I can't tell you the reasons that I choose the directions that I choose, as doing so would give away what is to come. As the writer of a long-tailed series, I know that I am asking a lot of my readers. But this is the story that I want to tell, so I have to tell it this way, and I have to ask each of you to trust that I will continue to entertain you with each episode. There will be episodes that you don't like as much as the others. Unfortunately, that can't be helped. I try to keep a good mix of the elements that make the books entertaining, but sometimes the story takes you places you don't want to go. Places that suck. But that is the way that the real world is. Sometimes, it sucks. I've had people complain that they want escapism, they want to feel good after reading a story. Well, I'm not going to make every ending all fluffy and nice just to make people 'feel good.' I want to keep it feeling as real as possible. (While still being sci fi.)
Think of the episodes as chapters of a MASSIVE book, and it will start to make more sense. Some chapters end on a bad note, others do not. But EVERY chapter should make you want to turn the page and read the next chapter. If it doesn't, the writer failed at their job.
I promise you all this. Ten years from now, you'll look back and understand all the decisions I have made in the story. You, as the reader, have to decide whether or not to trust me to fulfill that promise.
Fine by me! Roll on June!!
Hi I have really enjoyed reading your books. I like some others hope that you don't kill off the main characters as that is what I find most enjoyable building an empathy with them. Nathan has been the main glue holding it all together and the interaction between them. There are many space operas with similar bad versus good themes that are interesting but ultimately unless you care for that characters then you give up on them.
Having thought about Ryk's words, I'm actually glad Part I ended where it did. To see the trial, new assignments etc.... would remind me of the end of the Lord of the Rings. I'm sure I'm not the only one who found the scouring of the shire extremely tedious! The fact that none of the film adaptions include it also speaks volumes.
Ryk you write I read I I am happy, pissed, mad and or sad that is my issue not your you are doing a great job and I will be here till you end it or God ends me.
Just love the ride readers!
Ryk,
Loved the last book in the first part. the only thing I would have done differently was instead of telling Jessica one last time to shut up, I would told a Ghazatack "Sargent, if she says one more word take her to the brig."
I like the ending and where you left off. I am glad I did not read the forums until I finished. I took my time reading as I really enjoy the series, and was glad to see you slightly increased the price of the final story. It was well worth it.
On Mr. Dubynk (I refuse to call him Captain), I am sure he will turn up and be an adversary in the future. Possibly the last installment of 15 books.
I would think the injection was nannites to keep him alive during torture.
I think Cameron will be put in charge of the Aurora, same reasons as above. Plus Willard was a "Battlefield" promotion, now that there IS staff, it is not necessarily permanent.
I could be wrong, but I think Captain Scott will be with us for a while. I feel that there could be a prisoner exchange, the alliance has 3k worth of troops they could trade. there could be internal schisms in the Jung Empire that could want Captain Scott free, any number of things could happen, even misdirection by the author, in a post hinting at a possible trial and execution.
I look forward to the books you plan to tide us over until the next 15 books. And plan on enjoying them as much as the first 15. And the next 15, and the next........
Thank you Ryk for a truly enjoyable ride. I hope to jump back on the rollercoaster at it's next stop.
My guess is that general Bacca is toast. If he had not held back the Jung comm-drone for some 19 days, there would have been little reason for the Terrans to attack the Jung homeworld, after receiving an invitation to discuss a cease-fire. Scott has a great defence for the coming trial. Bacca has none. The whole Jung military caste will be rightly blamed, which could lead to secession and the formation of a new ennemy. Jung and Terrans as allies? The enemy of my enemy,,,
Jamnbread
First of all I loved the book, but it would be helpful if you had page breaks when changing perspectives during the battles
