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Into the Light sample chapter

Aliens? Invading aliens? What will Earth do? Well...we may have a few more resources than we first thought. Come join a friendly discussion about David Weber's newest Tor series - "Out of the Dark."
Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by WeberFan   » Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:40 pm

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Thanks very much for this, David.

In contrast to many others who previously commented on your first tome, I found it intriguing. An interesting premise, and SO different from your other works... it'll be interesting to see if the neural learning machines, the factory ships, and the other technologies the Shongair brought to Earth can be somehow put to use to mitigate the humanitarian disaster... Chapter 1 suggests a decent start.

Looking forward to seeing Into the Light, but at the same time... DON'T OVERDO IT! Enjoy your life, enjoy your family! Work should be an enjoyable part of a well-rounded life...
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Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by Loren Pechtel   » Sat Dec 01, 2018 10:07 pm

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WeberFan wrote:Thanks very much for this, David.

In contrast to many others who previously commented on your first tome, I found it intriguing. An interesting premise, and SO different from your other works... it'll be interesting to see if the neural learning machines, the factory ships, and the other technologies the Shongair brought to Earth can be somehow put to use to mitigate the humanitarian disaster... Chapter 1 suggests a decent start.

Looking forward to seeing Into the Light, but at the same time... DON'T OVERDO IT! Enjoy your life, enjoy your family! Work should be an enjoyable part of a well-rounded life...


The problem with the book is a whole bunch of stuff happens that has no bearing whatsoever on the outcome. The effective plotline is aliens invade, vampires (or whatever they really are) kick their asses.
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Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by Isilith   » Sat Dec 01, 2018 10:14 pm

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Loren Pechtel wrote:
WeberFan wrote:Thanks very much for this, David.

In contrast to many others who previously commented on your first tome, I found it intriguing. An interesting premise, and SO different from your other works... it'll be interesting to see if the neural learning machines, the factory ships, and the other technologies the Shongair brought to Earth can be somehow put to use to mitigate the humanitarian disaster... Chapter 1 suggests a decent start.

Looking forward to seeing Into the Light, but at the same time... DON'T OVERDO IT! Enjoy your life, enjoy your family! Work should be an enjoyable part of a well-rounded life...


The problem with the book is a whole bunch of stuff happens that has no bearing whatsoever on the outcome. The effective plotline is aliens invade, vampires (or whatever they really are) kick their asses.


No, the human ties are what bring about the response, he made you care about the characters and their plights, just like Vlad began to care about the ones in contact with him. THEY, and his affection for them, brought him out of shell.
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Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by isaac_newton   » Mon Dec 03, 2018 5:25 am

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Joat42 wrote:
Dark Ages
Planet Earth
Year 1 of the Terran Empire

"Terran Empire"... That's interesting, I think we are going to see Earth bursting out on the galactic scene and spank the living shit out of all the old empires that has acted in the worst ways any colonial power do sometimes.


I've just read 'out of the dark' for the first time - which I did enjoy.

I noticed that 'Year 1 Terran Empire' was in the heading for the last chapter [epilogue]
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Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by Bluesqueak   » Mon Dec 03, 2018 10:22 am

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Loren Pechtel wrote:
WeberFan wrote:Thanks very much for this, David.

In contrast to many others who previously commented on your first tome, I found it intriguing. An interesting premise, and SO different from your other works... it'll be interesting to see if the neural learning machines, the factory ships, and the other technologies the Shongair brought to Earth can be somehow put to use to mitigate the humanitarian disaster... Chapter 1 suggests a decent start.

Looking forward to seeing Into the Light, but at the same time... DON'T OVERDO IT! Enjoy your life, enjoy your family! Work should be an enjoyable part of a well-rounded life...


The problem with the book is a whole bunch of stuff happens that has no bearing whatsoever on the outcome. The effective plotline is aliens invade, vampires (or whatever they really are) kick their asses.


No, actually. If vampires feel no connection to humans, then they won't care less whether or not the aliens wipe humans out. Vlad does feel a connection, but it's the connection of a ruling prince for his small patch of the world.

And that's what the book is about - a collection of humans whose connection with their own small patch of the world is far, far stronger than any connection to 'the overall good of humanity'. If we don't see that one of the primary motivators for humans is to protect their own, including wiping out anyone who has hurt their family, their people, then we won't see why the vampires in this book first hold back, then send 'don't mess with us' signals, then act to completely destroy the invaders.

Vlad and Dave are mirrors for each other. They react to the threat by retreating and protecting, and the part they play is a balancing act between protecting their own and fighting the invaders. As the invasion gets worse and the aliens consistently misread human psychology, it becomes more and more likely that the aliens are going to to do the equivalent of waking the sleeping giant. Because, by the end of the book, they've infuriated the entire planet.

I suspect that we're going to discover vampires are the result of that speculative secret mission in between the first survey and the invasion, and the Shongari got the invasion gig because the Hegemony did see it as a 'two birds with one stone' scenario after the 'secret' mission failed. But basically the Shongari bring about their own downfall.

Everything in the book is connected, if you see how it shows the Shongari making screw up after screw up. They over confidently decide to invade a world more technically advanced than they've ever invaded before, they can't be arsed to check how humans handle wars, invasions and surrenders (when they had the entire Internet at their fingertips), they consistently attack people - civilians - who haven't threatened them and finally they decide to drag off a bunch of people who were minding their own business, specifically because they're minding their own business.

Unfortunately for them, that final screw up is the equivalent of kidnapping the family of the US President and then being surprised when US Special Forces come a knocking.
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Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by Randomiser   » Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:27 pm

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So, are Vlad and Steve really off to commit genocide? Or are we just about to see an example of how sensible humans deal with puppies - they just become the Alpha :lol: :lol:
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Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by Isilith   » Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:52 pm

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Randomiser wrote:So, are Vlad and Steve really off to commit genocide? Or are we just about to see an example of how sensible humans deal with puppies - they just become the Alpha :lol: :lol:


It had better be genocide, sheer numbers dictate that. While they have the surprise, they have to take them out. Pearl Harbor should remind you about having a successful sneak attack that just hurts your opponent.
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Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by Randomiser   » Fri Jan 18, 2019 7:57 am

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Isilith wrote:
Randomiser wrote:So, are Vlad and Steve really off to commit genocide? Or are we just about to see an example of how sensible humans deal with puppies - they just become the Alpha :lol: :lol:


It had better be genocide, sheer numbers dictate that. While they have the surprise, they have to take them out. Pearl Harbor should remind you about having a successful sneak attack that just hurts your opponent.


I understand your point and Machiavelli disapproved of doing small injuries to your enemy, but I find it hard to imagine RFC advocating genocide, hence my dilemma.
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Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by George J. Smith   » Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:03 am

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It was the commander of the Shongairi fleet that took the decision to implement the attack on Earth. I think that when Vlad & co get to the Shongairi home system the leadership will decry the attack and a deal could be brokered for the Shongairi & Earth forces to combine to remove the Hegemony Council.

Of course if the Shongairi leadership doesn't accept that its fleet commander was in the wrong then the Shongairi system gets to see what it's like to be on the receiving end of an invasion.
.
T&R
GJS

A man should live forever, or die in the attempt
Spider Robinson Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (1977) A voice is heard in Ramah
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Re: Into the Light sample chapter
Post by Isilith   » Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:51 am

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George J. Smith wrote:It was the commander of the Shongairi fleet that took the decision to implement the attack on Earth. I think that when Vlad & co get to the Shongairi home system the leadership will decry the attack and a deal could be brokered for the Shongairi & Earth forces to combine to remove the Hegemony Council.

Of course if the Shongairi leadership doesn't accept that its fleet commander was in the wrong then the Shongairi system gets to see what it's like to be on the receiving end of an invasion.


Umm, no. They captured EVERYTHING, they knew the commander was implementing the will of the Emperor, and even though the commander was willing to fall on his sword, he was acting as the Empire wanted him to. He knows that, he knows they can not be trusted.
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