ArtDeco
07/14/17 07:40 AM
213.123.75.36
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Hi, guys.
Just out of interest, is there a set-in-stone, chronological order to the Battletech novels? Sarna says the first one is Decision at Thunder Rift , which I have, but in the inside cover of DaTR it says that Way of the Clans is "Battletech Number 1".
And to confuse things further, Goodreads lists The Sword and the Dagger as the first Battletech novel.
Help a fella out, guys.
I like me robots chunky an' clunky.
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Cray
07/14/17 12:27 PM
67.8.226.169
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Quote:
Hi, guys.
Just out of interest, is there a set-in-stone, chronological order to the Battletech novels? Sarna says the first one is Decision at Thunder Rift , which I have, but in the inside cover of DaTR it says that Way of the Clans is "Battletech Number 1".
The huge number of BattleTech novels aren't a continuous storyline. Decision at Thunder Rift is the start of the Gray Death Legion trilogy, while Way of the Clans is the start of another group of stories. Different units, different eras, same universe. It's a big setting and there are often stories happening at the same time in different parts of it. I mean, there's a lot of different places for wars to break out, right? 
Decision at Thunder Rift is set about 25 years before Way of the Clans, incidentally.
If you want the big picture of BattleTech, it's handier to get the old House Sourcebooks for a historical overview that encompasses up through 3025.
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/House_Davion_(The_Federated_Suns)
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/House_Kurita_(The_Draconis_Combine)
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/House_Liao_(The_Capellan_Confederation)
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/House_Marik_(The_Free_Worlds_League)
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/House_Steiner_(The_Lyran_Commonwealth)
Quote:
And to confuse things further, Goodreads lists The Sword and the Dagger as the first Battletech novel.
It is, or close to it - Sarna's wikipedia sorts it out, I think. However, Sword and the Dagger is a separate story from the one in Decision at Thunder Rift. In fact, it's pretty standalone.
Sword and the Dagger was the first novel I got and I enjoyed the crap out of it as a kid. I'm not sure how it'd hold up today.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
Edited by Cray (07/14/17 12:31 PM)
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Akalabeth
07/14/17 02:00 PM
64.251.81.66
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Quote:
Decision at Thunder Rift is set about 25 years before Way of the Clans, incidentally.
I think that's actually incorrect when you consider that Aidan's story starts in the sibko. Which places the beginning of the story pre-3020. That said, to the Original Poster, the main story of Way of the Clans ties into the universe much later as Cray mentions so it's technically the first chronologically but for reading purposes it's probably no earlier than 7th.
That said, as a "whole" story, Decision at Thunder Rift is probably the one to start with. Read the first three GDL novels, Decision at Thunder Rift, Mercenary's Star and Price of Glory. Then after that, maybe the Warrior Trilogy.
THOUGH- come to think of it, Way of the Clans might not be the worst place to start off reading. Because it introduces you to the universe from another perspective. It might actually be an interesting experience to approach it from that way, with that book and its two sequels, and then go back and read the older novels. Either way the trilogy with Way of the clans, and the Gray Death Legion novels are my favourites from the line so can't go wrong.
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Cray
07/14/17 05:35 PM
67.8.226.169
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Quote:
Quote:
Decision at Thunder Rift is set about 25 years before Way of the Clans, incidentally.
I think that's actually incorrect when you consider that Aidan's story starts in the sibko. Which places the beginning of the story pre-3020.
D'oh! It's been a while since I read the Way of the Clans. I bow before your superior memory, sir.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Karagin
07/14/17 07:35 PM
72.176.187.91
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Depends if we are talking about the order of the fiction as presented as the game was prior to the coming of the Clans...
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Karagin
07/14/17 07:37 PM
72.176.187.91
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So really Spider and the Wolf would be prior to then events of Sword and Dagger, that is unless something was retconned...New Delos happen BEFORE the events of Hans and Laio playing doppelganger and Man in the Iron mask scenarios.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Wrangler
07/16/17 08:54 PM
24.34.162.106
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There pretty good list on Wikipedia.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BattleTech_novels
When it hits the fan, make sure your locked, loaded, and ready to go!
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ArtDeco
07/17/17 06:34 AM
213.123.75.36
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Cool.
Thanks, chaps.
It makes more sense now; I should of thought about it more if truth be told. It's the same with any multi-media franchise, I guess. While there is a "start" to the books, you can start your reading with any series, or trilogy, or connection of books in the franchise.
I was just worried that I was reading say, Book 4 out of 6 and I had skipped half the story.
Interesting point: this might just be because Decision at Thunder Rift if the "first" novel, but it describes the 'Mech lasers as being invisible. I've seen the art work and the games, a 'Mech is normally lit up like a Christmas tree with green and red and blue lasers.
It's not a deal breaker, just an interesting point I found.
I like me robots chunky an' clunky.
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ghostrider
07/17/17 11:35 AM
66.74.61.223
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Yeah. It is hard to draw 'invisible' laser beams. Even in the text, you need something to show it was fired.
Now one could suggest the cockpits canopy shows the colors to the pilots, but that doesn't really make sense either.
But as you read more, and understand more of the game, there will be even more things that come up as contradictory.
Depending on how new you are to the site here and the full game, you will see range being one of them. High powered weapons comes to mind. Very little of ground combat is over 1 kilometer.
Most are entertaining if you ignore some of it.
I like how they 'squirt' large lasers. Makes it sound like a water gun.
There was a major change in the rules since the earlier books were written to now.
Infantry damage from energy weapons have been cut back dramatically, which would have change some outcomes.
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wolf_lord_30
07/17/17 01:04 PM
166.216.165.98
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I just started reading Wolves on the Border. I like how it addresses the short range of weapons.
"Minobu was 200 meters ahead of his lancemates when he came onto the smoother floor of the valley. Though his target was well within the theoretical range of his Lord's Light PPC, he knew the targeting system's limitations too well. It was an irony of thirty-first century warfare that incredibly powerful weapons were used at ranges that warriors of a millenium ago would have considered ludicrously short. Targeting circuitry was among the technologies lost to almost three hundred years of warfare among the five Great Houses of the successor States."
I am starting to re-collect Battletech novels and read them again. I have to say, they are just as enjoyable now as they were 15 years ago.
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Akalabeth
07/17/17 02:19 PM
64.251.81.66
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Quote:
Cool.
Interesting point: this might just be because Decision at Thunder Rift if the "first" novel, but it describes the 'Mech lasers as being invisible. I've seen the art work and the games, a 'Mech is normally lit up like a Christmas tree with green and red and blue lasers.
Yeah, it's possible William H Kieth thought they were real lasers not, hollywood lasers. :P
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TigerShark
07/17/17 02:39 PM
12.130.166.32
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Hmm. I wonder if there would still be some visibility, due to the laser evaporating the moisture in the air. Feels like it would look something like the heat waves coming off of pavement in the summer time. Of course I've never seen what a laser beam test looks like in person. The only video I've seen of testing is from desert climates and of low resolution.
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Cray
07/17/17 06:47 PM
72.189.109.30
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Quote:
Interesting point: this might just be because Decision at Thunder Rift if the "first" novel, but it describes the 'Mech lasers as being invisible. I've seen the art work and the games, a 'Mech is normally lit up like a Christmas tree with green and red and blue lasers.
The pew-pew-pew colorful lasers of modern BT novels are very cinematic. Barring a lot of dust in the air, you wouldn't see much of even visible-spectrum realistic lasers - the point of focusing them at the target is that there's not a lot of scatter.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Karagin
07/17/17 08:38 PM
72.176.187.91
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Quote:
I am starting to re-collect Battletech novels and read them again. I have to say, they are just as enjoyable now as they were 15 years ago.
I read them all again from time to time and they are still good.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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ArtDeco
07/21/17 09:38 AM
213.123.75.36
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Additional:
Holy Shazballs: I've just discovered there's a heap of old BattleTech novels on Kindle now; published as "Legends".
Wish I'd known I could've bought Decision at Thunder Rift before I dropped over £25.00 for a paperback.
Edited by ArtDeco (07/21/17 09:39 AM)
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Wrangler
07/26/17 11:44 PM
24.34.162.106
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Good for you, ArtDeco! I still have my physical paperback novels still. CGL has been republishing the Classic Novels under Legends for bit. Two COMPLETELY brand new novels have come out since then. Ember's of War and Betrayal of Ideals.
When it hits the fan, make sure your locked, loaded, and ready to go!
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Karagin
07/27/17 06:44 AM
72.176.187.91
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And the collection of short stories from the BattleCorps fiction deal are also out 5 total volumes, some it okay and some of it well it has mechs in it.
If you can find a copy ArtDeco you may want to get a copy of SHRAPNEL, it's a nice collection of BT stories and novella.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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