Not One Step Back and Swords of the Damned are out!!!

You wait ages for a book, and then two come along at once! I can now announce that Battlecruiser Alamo #5: Not One Step Back and Swords of the Damned are both now available for sale on Amazon in Kindle format; hardcopy versions of the latter to follow in the near future, details to be available later.

Swords of the Damned

Morcar, a professional adventurer down on his luck, is shanghaied into attempting his riskiest mission yet – venturing into the labyrinthine tunnels underneath the ancient city of Graybarrow. Accompanied by a band of desperate renegades and rogues, he faces both the dangers of the unknown depths and a force that lies beyond death itself, with cultists and warriors on his trail. Can he conquer the Swords of the Damned, or is he destined to join their ranks...

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IO120D2

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IO120D2

Not One Step Back

The Battlecruiser Alamo is despatched on a secret mission, to track down the hidden homeworld of the sinister Cabal, by any means necessary. Their first port of call is Spitfire Station, a smuggler's port terrorized by a group of space raiders indiscriminately hunting down civilian ships, with a secret base hidden in the one place in the system Alamo dare not go. Can Lieutenant-Captain Daniel Marshall and his crew complete their daring mission, and perhaps uncover a web of corruption reaching back to the heart of the Triplanetary Confederation, or will their quest to hunt down the Cabal end at Spitfire Station...

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IO11MMW

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IO11MMW

Other People's Mail....

From: Helena Remek, Counter-Admiral, Director Triplanetary Fleet Operations

To: Penelope Cartwright, Senator from Mars Orbital

Date: 4^th January, 2167

Subject: State of the Triplanetary Fleet, January 2167

Classification: MOST SECRET

Ma'am,

Allow me first to congratulate you for your recent by-election victory, and your subsequent appointment to the Extrasolar Affairs Subcommittee. I will do my best to answer the questions your aide put to me; feel free to contact me at any time if you require additional information. I request that you do not disclose the contents of this letter to anyone who does not possess Most Secret clearance, as defined by the Contingency Appropriations Act of 2166.

Currently, our fleet is in the process of a massive expansion in all areas, assisted greatly by the pool of personnel and materiel provided by the Planetary Defence Forces, in order to cope with our growing extrasolar commitments following the discovery of human colonies on Ragnarok (Lalande 21185) and Jefferson (GJ 2097), and the joint Confederation-Republic mining effort on Desdemona (Uranus). Further, increasing evidence of an inimical power based beyond Jefferson, one which has already engaged Triplanetary forces in battle, suggests that a strong defensive posture is required at this time.

The loss of the TSS Thunderchild has left our current front-line battlecruiser strength at five, all of them Thermopylae-class, but two additional Gilgamesh-class battlecruisers will be completing overhaul and refit within the next six months. These ships are were designed for long-range independent operation, and all are of the vintage of the Interplanetary War. Given overhauls and refits, we estimate that four battlecruisers will be in operation at any one time during 2167/68; to answer your specific question, TSS Alamo (Lieutenant-Captain Marshall) has recently concluded its refit following Operation Dampier, and will be proceeding to its next assignment soon.

In December last year, the Mars Defence Forces also agreed to the transfer of two fleet carriers, the Wright and the Curtiss, to Triplanetary control. Both of these vessels had been placed in 'mothball' status, and we estimate that with current funding levels, they will be operational in March and September 2168. We did consider reactivation of the older 'escort' carriers, but it was decided that these had been in 'mothball' status for too long for them to be brought into service in any reasonable period, though a low-level effort has been authorized should an urgent need arise.

Our current carrier strength, therefore, consists of two assault carriers. We currently operate twenty-one squadrons, a significant increase from our initial estimate of nine, but eleven of these are currently at half-strength or less. A crash training programme has been implemented, though we are uncertain whether these squadrons will be ready until 2170.

There is a significant gap in smaller vessels that has become apparent; this is being mitigated in two ways. Firstly, the development of the new Warren-class Cruisers, designed for convoy- and fleet-escort roles, as authorized by the Fleet Appropriations Act of 2165. These ships are being constructed to designs that originated in the Military Reappraisal Conference of 2159, and hence the first is scheduled to begin its shakedown testing in June 2167, with five more in the series to be ordered. As your predecessor suggested, all of these ships are to be named after individuals who have died in Triplanetary service.

The second method of mitigation is the reactivation of the Mariner-class scoutships, designed for long-range deep patrols during the early stages of the war. Whilst this class did not prove effective during the conditions of the Interplanetary War, it is hoped that the vessels bring brought into the fleet will serve at the very least as stop-gap escorts, as well as freeing heavier fleet assets from patrol or guard-ship duty. The first two of these vessels are already in operation, with the remainder to be activated over the course of the year.

Our fleet auxiliaries are likewise due for upgrades over the next five years, with increasing reliance planned on the commissioning of civilian vessels on a rental basis; currently the fleet operates five support tenders and four tankers, all of them modified Mullane-class vessels, with another three tenders and five tankers in various degrees of 'mothball' status. The decision to acquire the assets of Caledonia Shipping upon that company's collapse in 2165 has left the fleet with four personnel carriers; one of these is to be commissioned as a casualty-receiving ship, the Musgrove, with the remainder being utilized as espatier transport vessels, in co-ordination with the assault carriers.

As for the Triplanetary Espatier Corps, it was apparent early on that the original plan of establishing an enlarged company would be insufficient for fleet requirements; the current plan projects two regiments of four companies each, to be in full operation by 2174. As yet, there is a significant personnel shortfall, especially in the senior NCO ranks, and only three companies are currently at operational readiness. In addition to our ongoing commitment on Jefferson, we are maintaining garrisons at Ragnarok and Desdemona, the former also serving as a training facility for atmospheric combat.

Our non-FTL capability is of course limited by the original act that formed the Triplanetary Fleet; it currently consists of only four frigates, two of them on permanent loan from the Republic of Ragnarok, the remainder transferred from the Belt Defence Force to defend assets in-system; these are stationed at Ragnarok and Uranus, respectively, and are not expected to be replaced when they reach the end of their current design lifespans, in the 2170-75 period.

I hope this has answered your questions satisfactorily; as to the other matter we discussed, I'm afraid that we will have to meet in a secure location to discuss it. I will say that as a result of our recent discoveries, all capital ships are to be assigned a Science Officer with responsibility for such matters, and by the end of the month these should all be at their assigned stations. We had some difficulty finding sufficient suitable candidates, and this is definitely a deficiency in the training program we will address upon the formation of a Triplanetary Fleet Academy; your suggestion of Phobos as a location for such a facility has been passed to the relevant committee.

If there is anything further you wish to know, then please feel free to contact my office, and I will be only too happy to answer any further questions, or to meet with you in person.

Yours sincerely,

Helena Remek, Counter-Admiral, Director Triplanetary Fleet Operations

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

BCC: Christopher Thorpe, Lieutenant

Classification: TOP SECRET (Destroy After Reading)

For God's sake Chris, keep this woman off my back until Alamo and Camerone have left. Preferably for at least two weeks. Make up some sort of excuse – and that goes for anyone else poking to deep. I've already got the spooks on this one just in case, Vlad's death was a bit sudden.

See you at dinner?

Helena Remek, Counter-Admiral

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

From: Sam Paine, Fleet Captain, Triplanetary Intelligence, Cabal Case Officer

To: Helena Remek, Counter-Admiral, Director Triplanetary Fleet Operations

Date: 6^th January, 2167

Subject: Extrasolar Affairs Committee

Classification: TOP SECRET (Destroy After Reading)

We've looked into every member of that committee with as fine a data sweep as we can get away with, and thus far have drawn a blank, though I assure you that we will keep looking – though I personally think it's a bit of an obvious trick for the Cabal to use, and thus far they have been anything but obvious.

Your suggestion that my people could join Alamo and Camerone as Science Officers was a good one, but I don't think that either of them could do that job well enough, especially on the short notice. Frankly, they might as well go in as Intelligence Officers; they'll need to do their jobs openly in any case. That reminds be, I'll need two blank commissions for Senior Lieutenants; could you get Sandy down in Fleet Personnel to get some made up for me under the radar?

Isn't that aide of yours a bit on the young side? You want to hang around with Fleet Captains more often instead!

Yours,

Sam Paine, Fleet Captain, Cabal Case Officer

Not One Step Back Is Done!!!

Well, I have finished the draft of 'Not One Step Back', and it is now out with the beta readers, initial signs good. I'm getting to work on the revisions, and with any luck, it should be on sale before the end of the month, fingers crossed...and then I'll get started on the next one!

My Writing 'Appendix N'

I've been on a bit of a book-buying binge lately, in this case re-purchasing a few books that, frankly, I've worn the covers off! I am forced to admit that there are more than a few of these, and it's good to get new versions on my shelves...but it got me to thinking, a little, about what I would have as a writer's 'Appendix N'. (The famous 'recommended fiction' appendix in the original Dungeon Master's Guide, which I suspect was the introduction to a lot of excellent fantasy fiction to hundreds of thousands of people.) So – without further ado, and in no particular order...

The Early Asimov (Isaac Asimov, obviously)

These are the three books that got me started as a writer. I mean that quite literally – it was reading these three books that convinced me not only that I wanted to write as a living, but that I could write for a living. What you have here are the first stories that Isaac Asimov sold when he was starting out, as well as a potted autobiography of him in these early stages of his career, and both are tremendously inspirational. The beauty of this collection, in this order, is that you can see Asimov's development of a writer, and hear him talking about how he progressed – and god, some of the early stories are ropey. I think this was key to me when I was a kid...it was the breakthrough that the great writers learned too. They didn't just sit down at the typewriter and start, they had to learn their craft. That little lesson got me through the first few years of disastrous drafts, and frankly, the stories are fun as well.

Gold (Isaac Asimov)

At this point you might get that Dr. Asimov was and is a massive influence on my work. This comes at the other end of his life, and collects some of his later short stories (though I am forced to say that his later novels were not the equal of his earlier, his short stories never faded) as well as a thundering lot of essays on science fiction and writing. The stories are good, but the essays are brilliant, and this is one of those books that I break out every year or so to read – it really is that good.

The Lost Worlds of 2001 (Arthur C. Clarke)

Can I admit at this point that I don't actually like 2001 that much? I can see what they were trying for, but...it just doesn't work for me. I prefer the book. Though over them both, I prefer this book, which is essentially a diary of the writing of the novel and the extremely early days of production of the movie. This book is basically Arthur C. Clarke talking about the writing of a book, and you can winnow out pieces of his style and the manner of his creation – with the bonus prize that he includes a lot of 'deleted scenes' from the book, including several attempts at the ending (at least one of which I prefer, frankly). This sort of revelation about writing is golden, and it's an excellent book to read to boot.

Four Thousand Years Ago (Geoffrey Bibby)

This is actually a book I only read for the first time last year, but it catapulted right to the top of my list. Essentially, this covers the entirety of the Second Millenium BC, and covers it as if it is outlining the setting of a fantastic fantasy landscape, describing the different cultures, religions and peoples. The writer was an archaeologist; he was also, I venture, a great loss to the world of fantasy and historical fiction. Another of my great inspirations, albeit one that I have barely begun to tap. A good supplement to this book is another called 'The Ancient Explorers', which covers a similar period with a focus of the history of explorers in the ancient world; between the two of them, I reckon you'd have material for an awful lot of stories, and I hope to write some of them in the near future.

The Science of Aliens (Clifford Pickover)

Finally I get to a book that is actually in print! Hurray! I know I've been promising this for ages, but aliens are going to make an appearance in the Triplanetary setting; they've been name-dropped as early as 'Price of Admiralty', and there have been a few other appearances of long-dead creatures...but for the creation of a real, living, culture, it is hard to go wrong with this book. The writer is an SF author in his own right, and it shows – it really covers all the bases quite concisely, giving a good feel for how different worlds affect different creatures, and thinking through all the problems. It's just a generally good book, and makes my 'Appendix N' list.

A Means To Freedom (Robert E. Howard / H. P. Lovecraft)

I could have put a lot of books by these authors on this list, but I've chosen this one simply because it provides a terrific window into the creative processes of these great authors, their ideas, philosophies and thoughts, and really allows one to have an opportunity to get inside their heads – and that's the truly invaluable thing here. This was a 30^th birthday present, and I've read both volumes twice since then, and likely will again several times, simply for the insights into their thought processes it provides.

Foundation And...

First of all...it's been a fortnight, so a quick status report. I've had the flu for quite a bit of the last couple of weeks, and although it hasn't stopped me working, I did end up deciding to focus on 'Not One Step Back' for a bit, and as of today, I'm just past the half-way mark. With a little luck, I should have the draft finished in a week, and still on course for getting this book out by the end of the month. 'Swords of the Damned' is essentially finished, and I'm just waiting on the cover before it goes live at this point...so look for that in about the same time-frame.

Now for the actual discussion, my recent reading. It's been years since I read the Foundation trilogy, and I decided to pull it down from the shelves, and as usual – I was completely lost within a few pages. It has to be one of the finest pieces of science-fiction ever written, and as a complete trilogy in itself, amazing in its scope, a real epic. Yes, there are a few creaky bits, but nothing that shows, and you still completely buy into the story, even though few of them share characters. Asimov is developing as an author while he is writing this (read his 'Early Asimov' for an insight into that process') and you can see him growing from story to story.

Then...I decided to push ahead with the story, and pulled down my battered copies of Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth, both books I have had for a very long time – I think my copy of the latter is twenty years old, I vaguely remember buying it in a bookshop long gone. I can say something rather depressing about Foundation's Edge...it's actually boring in places. Gone is the incredible tightly-plotted work, and in its place is a long, doorstop work that doesn't actually have any more story than one of the individual novellas in the trilogy, but takes forever to get there. And (spoilers here), after we have been completely dragged into the battle between Foundation and the collapsing Kingdoms, and later between the Two Foundations at war...neither wins. Seldon's Plan just fails, and is replaced with 'Galaxia', essentially turning the galaxy into a hive mind.

Foundation and Earth is a little better – though it ends up being Asimov's 'lets tie in all of my earlier works into a single setting' book, and it shows, but if you were a fan of the Elijah Baley stories – and I was – then it is interesting seeing what happened to the Spacers, a long time on...though there are echoes here from some of his earlier works. Now don't get me wrong, both of these books are actually still worth reading, but they suffer from a tremendous bloat, and they just don't provide a satisfactory conclusion to the saga. The ending of 'Earth' suggests that a third book in this 'second trilogy' might have been interesting...but alas, it was never written.

There was plenty of room for sequels after 'Second Foundation', don't get me wrong, but...this isn't it. It doesn't feel right, somehow. Ultimately, the Two Foundations are going to clash again and again, that is definite – I can see another series of novellas – for that is where this worked best – that would have built up to the foundation of the Second Empire...and there is the problem. That is what the reader wanted to see...yes, a twist in the tale, definitely, some surprises that they weren't expecting...but that we've read all this way only to find out that the ending we were seeking was 'wrong' just feels a bit of a cheat. No Second Empire that all the heroes we have cheered have lived and died for...instead, Galaxia, which would have been anathema to most of them. There's a lesson here somewhere about reader expectation, I think.

So...if you haven't read it before, read the Foundation Trilogy, today if not sooner. But don't worry too much about the sequels.

The Triplanetary Map...

What with the new year, and the new run of Alamo-verse novels that I've been planning, the need has arisen for me to concoct a new map of the Triplanetary setting. Not only is there a new star on the map, but the major powers have expanded quite a bit over the course of the last four books - the Triplanetary Confederation now has interstellar colonies, as does the Lunar Republic, and zones of conflict are beginning to appear - as each prepares to jump off even further into the unknown.

This is always a fun and interesting process, and actually serves to generate stories. By working on the maps, you can see where the different areas of conflict are, where the borders are, what stars are critical, where the battles will be fought, and that is always inspiring. I'm rating the spacefaring powers as on the verge of another big expansion - the knowledge that there is another player out there in the form of the mysterious Cabal is going to have an impact.

(I'm afraid the map doesn't look that good shrunk; click on it to get a much better idea.)

As for a more general status report, the editing on Swords of the Damned is pretty near complete, and I expect to be out in a week or so, fingers crossed - a little later than scheduled, but hopefully it'll make for a better book. Work on Not One Step Back is going well also, and I expect to have that book available by the end of this month...