davebarrack
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Grrl Power #866 - Patreon 2x
🕑 Added 2020-08-13 10:01:01 +0000 UTCThanks so much for your support!
To view the full-size version, left-click the image once, then right-click and open in a new tab/view. At least that seems to work for some people.
This is one of those transitional pages that doesn't by itself contribute a lot. It doesn't really land any big jokes or develop any characters (we already know Cora is a bit cavalier when it comes to distribution of ordnance, for example) but is useful for general continuity.
I really wanted to include the first panel from the next page at the end of this one as an answer to Sydney's question, but it just wouldn't fit. At least not unless I made the panels tiny. I maybe could have put panels 4 and 5 on the same line, then scooted panel 6 over, but the panel 1 from 867 is visually a little complex, and would have been diminished by trying to cram it all in.
So, instead, let's talk Space Opera. If you happen to have a series you adore, share it. I've been hankering for a new book to read lately, and there's so many damned novels with space ships on the cover, there's just no way to make an informed guess about what might be good or not. You guys know that I like Star Justice and Three Square Meals as I've recommended them quite a few times. I think the thing I like about them... well, they're solid male power fantasy pulp. I don't necessarily need a harem, but a decent romance subplot definitely doesn't hurt a book. Really the thing I like is a main character that is mildly to wildly OP who goes around kicking a lot of ass for good reasons.
Wildly OP is really tough to get right though. TSM does it right IMO. I mean, without spoiling the MC's origin story... he gets pretty fucking powerful - but there are always appropriate challenges waiting for him and his crew. Like fighting a literal dragon with a battleship level shield generator and plasma weapons strapped to its back. Yeah. TSM has dragons.
Honestly, a smaller cast helps too. I like a "cozy" book in that regard. I generally get lost when I'm reading about how the MC's contact talked to the Subchancellor of Mission Comptrollers and there's a 45 page chapter about the 90 people that work for that dude. A little politics is fine, but I want a book about a dude or chick righting wrongs with railguns and a spaceship that has a sexy AI that no one else knew about, because there's always a sexy AI on the spaceship.
Allow me to recommend a book that is... well, not a space opera, but has some space stuff at the beginning. It's called "Upon a Savage Shore" and it's basically "Enemy Mine" but replace Louis Gosset Jr. with three alien catgirls. The author for some reason never collected it into a book and put it up at Amazon or elsewhere, so you can only find it at Literotica. It does have some sex in it, but the vast majority of the story is shipwreck survivors making it on an alien planet while the one human guy tries to navigate all the cultural pitfalls of his co-castaway's society.
That's another thing I like. Some good, hard xenoanthropology. I don't know why, but it pushes all the right glands in my brain that squirt out the happy juice.
Oh, here's a tip for you guys that do a lot of reading online. Get Calibre, then get a plugin called FanFicFare. It lets you paste in the first chapter of a story from a variety of sites, then the plugin rips all the chapters into an e-book. It does an excellent job 99% of the time. Then you can set up Calibre with your kindle's email address and have it send those books to you without fiddling with USB cables. One warning though, since I've discovered this combo (along with another one creatively called "Generate Cover" my kindle has become littered with tons of "books" with shitty covers that came from various websites.
Comments
BJ
Atypical in that we're storming a castle.
Dave Barrack
I started reading Deathworlders, and I love the premise, but I kept coming across notes to stop reading here and go read this side story before continuing, and it was a little overwhelming. There's a LOT to this story at this point.
Dave Barrack
Unfortunately the first book in the series is $65 on Amazon with no digital version available.
Justaguy
On the NSWF front there is also the old spaceways series by John Cleve. To quote his son "Dad basically wrote porn but somehow managed to do a decent sci-fi series in there too." (John Cleve was just one of his pseudonyms.)
Justaguy
I was pleasantly surprised by "trading in danger". Might not be your cup of tea, but it's an easy read, heads into a series. (It's an Elizabeth Moon series I think? She co-wrote with Anne McCaffery at one point. It's very SFW.)
Andrew Denton
Pace Picante Sauce!
I humbly offer a Reddit series https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/wiki/ref/universes/jenkinsverse/chronological_reading_order
Dave Barrack
A lot of people have recommended Expeditionary Force, so I got it a while ago, but I couldn't get into it. Granted, I only read like 8% of the book, so maybe I need to give it another shot, but it didn't hold my interest at the time.
Town Crier
Anne McCaffrey (Favorite Author) and Elizabeth Moon (Second Favorite Author by a hair) both write excellent Sci-Fi drama, although Moon does more of a Space Opera style having had military experience.
Otoger
Ok good story's in space, first:https://www.royalroad.com/profile/3091/fictions?page=1 don't want to spoil to much but is more in the "god with technologie" area, but always also magic then Expeditionary Force (audio book version: https://tinyurl.com/y2m72kha) more an underdog story with super AI (male but funny) then: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21979/song-of-the-void a story of a really powerfull being and her ship
MaxBigfoot
I agree, "The Stainless Steel Rat" books are pretty good, but just a head's up, they're by Harry Harrison.
PSadlon
"Atypical how?" is the type of question that you usually need to know but you might not like the answer. And in this case you have to go whether you like the answer or not.
Erin Palette
This isn't relevant to the question asked, but I just wanted to state for the record that I *love* Sydney's new hairstyle and I request that it sticks around! It looks more professional, the bangs don't defy physics, and she just looks cuter with it this way.
Jeffrey Nonken
"David Drake" ... "lots of ship-to-ship action, ground combat, boarding actions..." That's redundant. You just _defined_ David Drake. ...Or David Weber. You do NOT want to know what happens when these two collaborate. Please do not ask, there's a massive body count involved just _describing_ it.
Dave Barrack
Uh, maybe? But they're domestic law enforcement, so there shouldn't really be any confusion as to what country they're representing. For the record I think the "forward flag" is dumb. I get that it's the flag blowing backward in the wind cause the soldiers are charging in to save the American way from whoever, but honestly, it seems more like someone fucked up a huge order of flag decals and had to justify it.
Foradain
David Drake's Royal Cinnabar Navy (RCN) series is one I like. Start with "With the Lightnings" and continue from there. Sorry, no sexy AIs, but lots of ship-to-ship action, ground combat, boarding actions... The politics is mainly in the background, but sometimes a low-albedo operation is going on as well as the overt mission.
Dave Barrack
I FanFicFared that one onto my kindle but haven't started it yet.
Some Ed
That depends on what the real meaning is. If DaveB wants narrative text from the POV character that's over the top unbelievable, as they wade through a world of injustice, and not as morally sound as the POV character thinks, then that's written correctly. But if DaveB wants to see actual correcting of injustices, which seems more likely, you are correct. Edit: I missed a possibility due to my own prejudices. Wanting stories about people "writing wrongs" could also be appropriate for someone interested in tales of authors who struggle with language far more than most people. This could also include tales of Vogon authors, and anyone who writes the majority of their work in Wingdings or similar fonts.
Stephen Gilberg
"Writing wrongs" is written wrong.
Androclese
Uniform Question: This is something I just noticed this on panel 5 because we can see both her shoulders. Since they are an branch of U.S. law enforcement, shouldn't they have the "forward flag" on their right shoulder?
Town Crier
Alan Dean Foster wrote several excellent series, mostly about first encounters. I recommend "Nor Crystal Tears" as your first read. On the lighter side, the "Stainless Steel Rat" series by Spyder Robinson are fun.
CyberSkull
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/26294/he-who-fights-with-monsters <blockquote>Jason wakes up in a mysterious world of magic and monsters. He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters, and that’s just the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants. Follow Jason as he makes a place for himself in a world that is strange, yet sometimes strangely familiar. He’ll meet crime lords and aristocrats, gods and monsters on his path from would-be victim to heroic adventurer. At least, he tries to be heroic. It’s hard to be good when all your powers are evil.</blockquote> I really recommend this one too. Currently on hiatus, will resume in September.
CyberSkull
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/22518/chrysalis <blockquote>Anthony has been reborn! Placed into the remarkable game-like world of Pangera. However, something seems a little off. What's with these skills? Bite? Dig? Wait.... I've been reborn as a WHAT?! Follow Anthony as he attempts to adjust to his new life, to survive and grow in his new Dungeon home!</blockquote>
CyberSkull
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/16946/azarinth-healer <blockquote>A new world with nearly unlimited possibilities. A status, classes, magic and monsters. Sounds good? Well, for Ilea it didn't come quite as expected as for some other protagonists, nor was there a king or god to welcome her. The grand quest? Well, she might figure that out someday but for now, a new world with new food is prize enough. Her fists at the ready, she's prepared to punch and get punched, however long it takes and however many limbs she might have to regrow. A story I've started writing now quite a while ago. Transported to another world, somewhat standard fantasy setting with my beginner attempts to make it dark but funny. There are Litrpg elements here but I do hope it's not too heavy and annoying. The fights should be interesting and aren't just numbers vs numbers. Contrary to the title the protagonist will be quite an offensive fighter. Ilea Spears is your average sarcastic kick-boxing fast food worker and soon to be student. She will be transported to another world rather conventionally and will be confronted with survival in the wild.</blockquote>
CyberSkull
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/33726/first-contact <blockquote>Eight Thousand Years after the Glassing of Earth, Terran Descent Humanity has largely become a post-scarcity society based on consent and enjoying life. With the discovery of another ancient race beyond the "Great Gulf", events and history collide to draw the Terran Confederacy into war against an hundred million year old empire that has always won and believes it always will. With allies and enemies of multiple species, the Orion Galactic Arm Spur will be wracked by warfare the likes of which have not been seen. Cracked, harried, wounded, and damaged, Terran Descent Humanity willfully throws itself against the universe itself. "The universe hates you and will take away everything you love, laughing while it does so." - Terran belief. A wiki is available (although under construction) at: https://fcgestalt.fandom.com/wiki/First_Contact_Gestalt_Archive_Wiki Told largely from the viewpoint of other species, the story is currently ongoing. It involves graphic depictions of violence, war, adult language and situations, drug use, and other mature topics. The story will be updated on weekdays, so keep an eye on this page for more chapters.</blockquote> It’s a crazy epic story about galactic war that starts with a bug guy stealing ice cream, and the rest is history. READ IT!
Dario
Hi Dave, it's not in space, but it's just one of the most addictive stories I've ever read: https://wanderinginn.com/ and the author is currently writting +10'000 words twice a week! It's prodigious at the quality displayed! Have fun ^_^ I only wish I could forget it and read it again anew
