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Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels?

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Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels?
Post by HB of CJ   » Sun Apr 13, 2014 5:39 pm

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Shame on me because it is now evident that I have NOT read ALL the novels pertaining to the Honorverse series. Could -- would somebody be so kind as to give an accurate CHRONOLOGICAL list of recommended reading? If this were done I for one would be a very happy camper indeed. I love this Forum! HB of CJ (old coot) :)
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Re: Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels
Post by Vince   » Sun Apr 13, 2014 5:53 pm

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HB of CJ wrote:Shame on me because it is now evident that I have NOT read ALL the novels pertaining to the Honorverse series. Could -- would somebody be so kind as to give an accurate CHRONOLOGICAL list of recommended reading? If this were done I for one would be a very happy camper indeed. I love this Forum! HB of CJ (old coot) :)

Chronological order isn't the best way to read all the Honorverse novels, anthologies, and companion(s - currently only one, but I'm hoping House of Steel did well enough to allow for more volumes).

Publication order generally works best, as several of the stories in the anthologies take place chronologically before some of the novels and thus contain spoilers for the novels. Also some of the later anthology stories that were written chronologically before but the events contained in them were set down in real world time well after publication of some of the novels leads the reader to ask "why wasn't the events in novella X referenced in novel Y?" Reading in publication order avoids the issue.

Also check out the free fiction Baen makes available on baeneooks.com, as there are (at least) three short pieces that are set in the Honorverse.
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Re: Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels
Post by HB of CJ   » Sun Apr 13, 2014 6:14 pm

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Thank you. Therein is the dilemma. There are now several, (many?) short stories and books set within just the Honorverse universe that take place chronologically both hundreds of years before and also concurrently around with the actual new ongoing Honorverse series of books.

It has reached a point where I need to have several titles by that chair/lamp and even then there is the need, (for me anyhow) to flip back and forth trying to make sense out of it all. Thus the HONORVERSE MASTER CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE? HB of CJ (old coot) :)
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Re: Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels
Post by 61Cygni   » Sun Apr 13, 2014 7:34 pm

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Yup, don't bother trying to read the short stories in internal chronological order; it can be done but it's rather pointless and IMHO too much work. Vince gave the main reasons, I would add that most of them are just "bonus" stories that add to the mainline story but aren't necessary. There are of course a few key exceptions, but if you read the anthologies in publication order along with the novels they will be put in their proper place. Also, the writing style changes over time, reading later-published stuff before the older stuff could be quite disjointing.
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Re: Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels
Post by MaxxQ   » Sun Apr 13, 2014 7:41 pm

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For first time readers, best way to read them is in publication order.

After that, then you can opt to read chronologically. List here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorverse ... chronology

Despite what 61Cygni says, I tend to read chronologically now, although I skip short stories I don't really like.
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THANK YOU MaxxQ! THANK YOU MaxxQ! THANK YOU MaxxQ!
Post by HB of CJ   » Sun Apr 13, 2014 7:56 pm

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Thank you, thank you, thank you! I think you get the point. Yep....some of the stories and books I have NOT read yet! So now I will! Fun fun! HB of CJ (old coot) :)
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Re: Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels
Post by Amaroq   » Mon Apr 14, 2014 10:56 am

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Vince wrote:

Also check out the free fiction Baen makes available on baeneooks.com, as there are (at least) three short pieces that are set in the Honorverse.


Are these written by Weber? And I assume the site you mean is baenebooks.com?
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Re: Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels
Post by cthia   » Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:05 am

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Vince wrote:
HB of CJ wrote:Shame on me because it is now evident that I have NOT read ALL the novels pertaining to the Honorverse series. Could -- would somebody be so kind as to give an accurate CHRONOLOGICAL list of recommended reading? If this were done I for one would be a very happy camper indeed. I love this Forum! HB of CJ (old coot) :)

Chronological order isn't the best way to read all the Honorverse novels, anthologies, and companion(s - currently only one, but I'm hoping House of Steel did well enough to allow for more volumes).

Publication order generally works best, as several of the stories in the anthologies take place chronologically before some of the novels and thus contain spoilers for the novels. Also some of the later anthology stories that were written chronologically before but the events contained in them were set down in real world time well after publication of some of the novels leads the reader to ask "why wasn't the events in novella X referenced in novel Y?" Reading in publication order avoids the issue.

Also check out the free fiction Baen makes available on baeneooks.com, as there are (at least) three short pieces that are set in the Honorverse.

I confused chronological order with publication order myself, and that was partly to blame for my missing so many novels. But only partly.

Son, your mother says I have to hang you. Personally I don't think this is a capital offense. But if I don't hang you, she's gonna hang me and frankly, I'm not the one in trouble. —cthia's father. Incident in ? Axiom of Common Sense
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Re: Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels
Post by cthia   » Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:10 am

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HB of CJ wrote:Shame on me because it is now evident that I have NOT read ALL the novels pertaining to the Honorverse series. Could -- would somebody be so kind as to give an accurate CHRONOLOGICAL list of recommended reading? If this were done I for one would be a very happy camper indeed. I love this Forum! HB of CJ (old coot) :)

Don't feel so bad. I am in the same boat as you. The forumites here have also helped me plot all the missing stars in my Honorverse map and I've ordered a small library!

Now I am like a pig in slop, rolling around in all the goodness. The bright side of all of this for you and I, is we get to enjoy them for the first time.

See ya in the pig pen. Oink. Oink. :lol:

Son, your mother says I have to hang you. Personally I don't think this is a capital offense. But if I don't hang you, she's gonna hang me and frankly, I'm not the one in trouble. —cthia's father. Incident in ? Axiom of Common Sense
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Re: Proper Suggested Reading Order For All Honorverse Novels
Post by Amaroq   » Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:47 am

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I've found one short story that I think I'd only seen bits and pieces of beofre in the Short Story Collection for 2011: Honorverse Tech Bu9. Everything else from Weber appeared to be Teacher Reading Guides to the YA Stephanie Harrington novels. BTW, OBS and THotQ are both there for free if you want a digital version.
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