24 replies to this topic

[JC Daxion]

Title really says it all.. What are the best books to get into the mech warrior fiction? I've only played the games, but i do have one book that i never read someone gave it to me when i was in the hospital once, but i never got around to reading it, perhaps i should just start there..

Illusions of Victory, by loren L. Coleman

But outside of that, what are some great books, great series, good starter spots.. or just your favs. I am an IS fan, perhaps from the games, i always had a thing for davion and liao. (liao was great in mech commander II, that Asian girl, and the full motion video was one of my favorite parts about that game.. Time to re-install! while i wait for book suggestions!

[Dan Baxter]

If you are starting to read the books, most suggestions I've seen have said to start with Decision at Thunder Rift or go with the Warrior trilogy by Michael Stackpole (starting with Warrior: En Garde). Personally, I started with Thunder Rift and I liked the book.

Illusions of Victory is a good book, but also intersting in that the characters are mostly competitors and the story takes place on Solaris VII during the Fedcom Civil War. Lots of intrigue and sabotage, if I recall correctly.

[MavRCK]

100% agree with Dan the Man of Pony Land.

[Ryokens leap]

Dont spend any monies on any of the recent Mechwarrior Dark Age novels, they are complete garbage.

[dragnier1]

Personally i find books from the jihad onwards terrible. They were like...reading books for kids.

I think thunder rift and warrior trilogy are good starting points. You could read that book you were given too, i read that (i think, can't remember all the novels i read)

Edited by dragnier1, 16 May 2015 - 09:10 AM.

[qki]

Also mandatory reading: the Jade Phoenix trilogy (way of the clans, bloodname, falcon guard), and blood of Kerensky trilogy (lethal heritage, blood legacy, lost destiny), as they deal with the time right around the invasion.

From the Dark Age novels, i'd recommend the magnifice... i mean the seven samu... i mean Patriot's Stand.

[JC Daxion]

dragnier1, on 16 May 2015 - 09:09 AM, said:

You could read that book you were given too, i read that (i think, can't remember all the novels i read)

You know i think i did read some of it while i was in the hospital, but i was also on some good pain killers, so you could see how that i might not really recall it clearly

For some reason i have this recollection of reading about some arena fight with PPC's going off, i could be wrong, but for some reason i think i did read some of it.


BTW, according to lore, do some HBK's have JJ variants? I just popped in mech commander II, and got to my second mission, and had to buy an HBK, when i went to change the load out from a heavy auto-cannon, and a pair of lasers, with 2 slots of armor, i saw it also has JJ's! It makes me want an HBK with JJ's in this game now! So yea, about to launch into a mission with 2 bushwackers and an HBK with a heavy auto and JJ's... oh my bushwackers when are you coming to MWO!

qki, on 16 May 2015 - 10:04 AM, said:

Also mandatory reading: the Jade Phoenix trilogy (way of the clans, bloodname, falcon guard), and blood of Kerensky trilogy (lethal heritage, blood legacy, lost destiny), as they deal with the time right around the invasion.

From the Dark Age novels, i'd recommend the magnifice... i mean the seven samu... i mean Patriot's Stand.

Hmmm, that is another interesting idea.. what are the books that are from around this time in the time line, or perhaps a bit before, could be kinda cool to see how the game is dealing with the time line compared to the fiction

Edited by JC Daxion, 16 May 2015 - 10:10 AM.

[Gundam Prime]

JC Daxion, on 16 May 2015 - 08:22 AM, said:

Title really says it all.. What are the best books to get into the mech warrior fiction? I've only played the games, but i do have one book that i never read someone gave it to me when i was in the hospital once, but i never got around to reading it, perhaps i should just start there..

Illusions of Victory, by loren L. Coleman

But outside of that, what are some great books, great series, good starter spots.. or just your favs. I am an IS fan, perhaps from the games, i always had a thing for davion and liao. (liao was great in mech commander II, that Asian girl, and the full motion video was one of my favorite parts about that game.. Time to re-install! while i wait for book suggestions!

Its ok,buy the book that u want,but in this thread:

http://mwomercs.com/...p-me-to-decide/

U didnt say why u say me all those things about u was dislexic when in talking to konoving ( im TLX ) seems that he has frustrated about my english,and u answer me as a konivings second account. Just i need to say that at least,me,i have the reinforcement to talk in english, thing that u never do with my language,the spanish. And u recommend me to talk in the spanish forum because u dont like my english,sorry but its ur problem my posh friend. There are people here that at least understand me,with the little knowledge of english i have. Dont hide on other accounts and first throw the stone and later hide the hand,because u look weird,with all respect.

And about books of battletech,i never read anyone,my battletech universe lacks in only games as mech commander 1 and 2 and mech assault 1 and 2,and now this.

The alternative of battletech book was read 50 shadows of grey.

Edited by Gundam Prime, 16 May 2015 - 10:43 AM.

[Aethelred Kell]

Blood of Kerensky Trilogy would be my recommendation. Gets you immersion in clans with an IS perspective.

[Koniving]

Decision at Thunder Rift is the very first novel, if you want to start at the beginning.

This is a list of them all. In order of print but not in order of events.

Most of the primary lore is established by William H Keith -- who was also quite the capable artist -- who also set the initial scales of Battletech.

Spoiler

Shadowhawk.
For comparison. 55 ton tank (Crysis), Shadowhawk (William H Keith scale), Shadowhawk (MWO scale).

Wolverine

The following aren't necessarily Keith's, but they follow the same scale.
Thunderbolt.

Timber Wolf (you can see the pilot's head inside)

Battlemaster

Scale compared to dinosaurs!

Edited by Koniving, 16 May 2015 - 12:26 PM.

[Cupid and Psyche _]

As others have said, The Warrior Trilogy or Decision at Thunder Rift are great places to start.

From that point on, you can go onto the other trilogies such as The Blood of Kerensky or The Jade Phoenix.

There are also plenty of e-book copies online at sites such as Scribd or epubbud

[Lori Kalmar]

I have to agree...Decision at Thunder Rift is a must read!

[Nightmare1]

Stackpole's Blood of Kerensky Trilogy is, hands-down, the best set of books in the series, I think.

[Zookeeper Dan]

What books deal with the Grey Death legion? I remember reading those way back when.

[Smag]

Blood of Kerensky Trilogy is required reading for this game's timeline.

[Bigshep]

http://www.stargazer..._novel_list.htm

this is the list I am using the re-read my whole collection of novels. (again)

[xX PUG Xx]

I would agree with those that have said start at the beginning, Decision at Thunder Rift was the first I read and it just reeled me in. The initial trilogy for the Gray Death Legion are -:

Decision at Thunder Rift
Mercenary Star
Price of Glory

There is also a set of later novels dealing with their eventual demise -:

Blood of Heroes
Tactics of Duty
Operation Excalibur
The Dying Time

The Warrior trilogy is also a very good read and is probably the best for explaining the bad blood between Davion, Liao and to a lesser extent Marik -:

Warrior: En Garde
Warrior: Riposte
Warrior: Coupe

The Blood of Kerensky trilogy is a good point for the explaining the Clan invasion-:

Lethal Heritage
Blood Legacy
Lost Destiny

[JC Daxion]

I have been replaying mech commander II, and it looks like it is farther ahead in the time line than this game.. (3057) Isnt this around 3050 or something? any idea what the other mech games are in the time line? would be kinda interesting to see what comes when compared to the books. I'll have to check some local libraries and see if they have any before i purchase, but i guess starting with he one i have will be a good start.

[Dan Baxter]

Yeah, Mech commander II takes place around the Fedcom Civil War ( with the game ending at about 3062, just as the civil war is really taking off). Other games that do take place around this time period would be Mechwarrior 4: Vengeance and its expansion packs, Black Knight and Mercenaries (never played Vengeance or Black Knight, but Mercenaries can be fun, taking place near the very end of the Fedcom Civil War. Unfortunately, last I checked you cannot get the game for free from mektek now).

As for finding Battletech books, I have had the most luck checking secondhand bookstores, but I am pretty sure there are books for sale online.

[JC Daxion]

i actually own, mech III, but the disk is stratched up to much so it won't install, I also own mech IV and the expansion pack, But i can't get it to run on my system. I get an error with my video card. Any thoughts on how to get it working? would be fun to play again. Though i did grab a new HD for my old win 2k machine.. i should just get it running again and install it on that and i will have no problems. I am finding that i am enjoying mech commander so much more this time around, as i have learned a ton about mechs, builds, mech lore from this game. It as if i am playing an entirely new game!

also finding so many mechs to look forward to in the future!

Edited by JC Daxion, 17 May 2015 - 12:18 PM.