21 replies to this topic

[Skanderborg]

I wanted to start reading the novels about mechwarrior and battletech. I have next to no understanding of the overall story and im having trouble choosing which books to start reading first. Any suggestions?

[Bombast]

What are you interested in? Any particular era? Inner Sphere or clans?

Edited by Bombast, 07 October 2016 - 05:17 PM.

[RestosIII]

I have yet to start reading the books myself, but I've heard good things about this order: http://www.stargazer..._novel_list.htm

[Duatam]

When I wanted to start learning more about Battletech and books etc, I personally found this forum post quite useful: Want To Learn The Battletech/mw Lore? Start Here!

Edited by Duatam, 07 October 2016 - 05:27 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Skanderborg, on 07 October 2016 - 05:13 PM, said:

I wanted to start reading the novels about mechwarrior and battletech. I have next to no understanding of the overall story and im having trouble choosing which books to start reading first. Any suggestions?

honestly, for this era, it's best to just jump in at the Blood of Kerensky trilogy.

There are other novels I like more (Gray Death, Wolves on the Border, etc), but they aren't 100% needed to understand the MWO universe. Those will give a start for the now, then you can always add the Warrior Trilogy, etc later for backstory.

[El Bandito]

Start with Gray Death Trilogy.

Edited by El Bandito, 07 October 2016 - 07:19 PM.

[Tyler Valentine]

Bishop is technically correct but listen to Bandito. Those are the best three by far.

[TLBFestus]

I just checked Bishop and Banditos recommendations out and for all 6 books on Kindle they add up to roughly $30 Canadian.

Cheap like borscht, might have to do it.


Bandito;


Decision At Thunder Rift

Mercenarys Star

Price of Glory

Bishop:

Lethal Heritage

Blood Legacy

Lost Destiny


There. Now when I do buy them I won't have to hunt all over for them...will just dig up this post.

[Tarl Cabot]

Tyler Valentine, on 07 October 2016 - 07:10 PM, said:

Bishop is technically correct but listen to Bandito. Those are the best three by far.

Listen to Bishop. If you read the Bandito's suggestions you too will become a bitter vet














Most are a good read. I actually got started reading the sourcebooks and tech manuals as I was trying to locate pass codes for the original Mechwarrior, which ended up being military alphabet...

[Angel of Annihilation]

Bishop Steiner, on 07 October 2016 - 05:20 PM, said:

honestly, for this era, it's best to just jump in at the Blood of Kerensky trilogy. There are other novels I like more (Gray Death, Wolves on the Border, etc), but they aren't 100% needed to understand the MWO universe. Those will give a start for the now, then you can always add the Warrior Trilogy, etc later for backstory.

Yeah. This really is the best introduction you could have for this actual game. You basically get a good overview of both the Clans and the Intersphere in this series including their politics, structure, military doctrines, culture, weapons etc. Plus it is set exactly at the same time frame as this game.

[Bishop Steiner]

Viktor Drake, on 07 October 2016 - 07:51 PM, said:

Yeah. This really is the best introduction you could have for this actual game. You basically get a good overview of both the Clans and the Intersphere in this series including their politics, structure, military doctrines, culture, weapons etc. Plus it is set exactly at the same time frame as this game.

precisely.

They are not my "favorites" which are what most people will naturally recommend, but the ones that put one into the Game Universe "now".

Gray Death and Wolves of the Border are my faves.. And a a great introduction to Battletech from quality of fiction.. but much less so, IMO, for information.

[Davegt27]

do like the rest of us and watch the cartoon lol

(I do have some audio books also)

[LordNothing]

RestosIII, on 07 October 2016 - 05:17 PM, said:

I have yet to start reading the books myself, but I've heard good things about this order: http://www.stargazer..._novel_list.htm

im pretty much going down this list here. i finished the second book in the warrior trilogy. the last one had me falling asleep mid sentance. i did read a couple other random books farther down in the time line, which id picked out of free book piles. the quality has been somewhere between utter garbage and pretty good depending on author.

Edited by LordNothing, 07 October 2016 - 08:35 PM.

[Oldbob10025]

Thunder rift is one of the best ones i've read about 5 times now and it gets better and better

[RestosIII]

Davegt27, on 07 October 2016 - 08:15 PM, said:

do like the rest of us and watch the cartoon lol

(I do have some audio books also)

[XtremWarrior]

Skanderborg, on 07 October 2016 - 05:13 PM, said:

I wanted to start reading the novels about mechwarrior and battletech. I have next to no understanding of the overall story and im having trouble choosing which books to start reading first. Any suggestions?

Only BTech novels i ever read were the 2 first tomes of the Warrior trilogy - i was quite young but here's my pseudo review from long time memories:

- Story was heavily romanced, not in a bad way but rather in an old-school-SF way (which is, for me, better than stupid action-filled novels that make you feel like you're reading a goddam movie scenario)
- Low action means not that much Mech-in-combat-Porn.
- The Story in itself is good: 3 brothers separated by the Houses' wars, each one rising in its own House. You'll see politic moves, spying, fighting, loving... All that in the grand scheme of the Inner Sphere conflicts just before the Clams arrived.
- Also: a real plot (involving post-Kerensky ComStar at some point), Mechwarriors' honor and shame, an in-depth view of the Houses and their machinations, Solaris fights, QuadMechs, "real" combat strategies (nothing like what we're doing in game - each engagements depicted are tough fights between smart foes who don't run all around like headless chickens insta-cored by full companies moving as a 12 head Blob and nascaring the maps - incredible, right?); etc.

Hope it helps.

Edited by XtremWarrior, 08 October 2016 - 01:09 AM.

[Sunstruck]

https://en.wikipedia...ttleTech_novels

I've read the first 7 books + Ideal War, and the first of the Jade Falcon trilogy so far. The last book in the Grey Trilogy, The Price of Glory is worth reading all the previous books in the trilogy for. Wolves on the Border is a great book if you want to learn about the Draconis Combine, it features a small scene with The Bounty Hunter if you want to know where the hero mech came from. The warrior trilogy Warrior: En Garde is a good starting point as well, it centers on House Davion, Steiner and Liao. It also features Solaris 7 which is the mech gladiator arenas and is the book that the legendkiller and yenlowang hero mechs are from. Ideal War is one of the rare books featuring House Marik and the Word Of Blake weirdos, but introduces the Knights of the Inner Sphere, I'm not totally sure but the ROC hero mech might be based from this book I could be wrong.

If you want to learn about the rough clan life check out the Jade Phoenix trilogy, but unless your really into clans it might be pretty abrasive and booring.

[Sylonce]

Skanderborg, on 07 October 2016 - 05:13 PM, said:

I wanted to start reading the novels about mechwarrior and battletech. I have next to no understanding of the overall story and im having trouble choosing which books to start reading first. Any suggestions?

The way I got into the Battletech universe as a kid was watching the cartoon show. You can find it on youtube, and it's only 13 or so episodes of 20 minutes each. It's not canon, but it gives you a good crash course on what's going on.

After you do that, or during, read the battletech primer on the battletech website: http://bg.battletech.com/.

For some lighter reading, I do recommend picking up the various Battlecorp anthologies that you will find on amazon, or the battlecorps website itself (for cheap). These are short stories that really sample the universe from various points of view.

For the full length novels (which are in fact pretty easy reading), I would start with the Gray Death Trilogy, followed by the Blood of Kerensky trilogy.

I would also go on Sarna.net to cross reference some of the stuff you do not understand.

You should have a good idea of what is going on by then.

Edited by Sylonce, 08 October 2016 - 06:54 AM.

[Summon3r]

RestosIII, on 07 October 2016 - 05:17 PM, said:

I have yet to start reading the books myself, but I've heard good things about this order: http://www.stargazer..._novel_list.htm

this right here, and i highly highly recommend following it exactly as it is posted.

if you dont want to follow it then the Stackpole books are nothing short of epic.

[draiocht]

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