Which Battletech books should i read after the Blood of Kerensky?

[Drago-Kazov]

Kerensky trilogy.

I read those a long time ago and now that the SW EU might blow up i want to take a second look at the Battletech Universe.

Are the books consistent with eachother?

I am especially interested in reading Phellan Kell stories.

 

[Thestral]

There's a whole extremely cohesive universe of BT stories, and the fiction is still ongoing (though not in novel form IIRC).

If you liked Blood of Kerensky, you should look into the Warrior Trilogy, but it's set 25 years before BoK so no Phelan (or Kai, or Victor, or...).

If it's Phelan Kell/Ward you're interested in Stackpole's books are generally where it's at. He did most of the "big-universe" BT books up until the Twilight of the Clans. Sarna.net recommends Natural Selection, Bred for War, and Malicious Intent in particular, but he pops up in various other places as well. Here's a list of the novels in chronological order.

I'd also recommend Victor Milan's novels about Camacho's Caballeros, they're not the "major" books but they're a lot of fun.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

Thanks, i will look into it.

 

[Caliburn24]

Aside from what has already been mentioned, I would add Robert Thurston's Jade Phoenix Trilogy. Probably my favorite books in the series, although I stopped reading Battletech years ago, so I have no idea about the more recent books.

If you get to the third book do yourself a favor, once Aidan gets to Tukayyid put on the soundtrack to Last of Mohicans. Trust me, it'll add to the experience.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

I am very interested in clan stories because i am somewhat with the clans.

 

[sojourner]

The books actually started going down hill with the introduction of the clans and once you reach "Dark Age" it's all crap. They ruined the setting.

The Stackpole books are a must though, regardless of era. The Grey Death Legion books are good. The stuff with the Kellhounds and Kurita is good. Phelan's a poser.

Stick to the older books and it's all pretty great.

Still waiting for a Minnesota Tribe book. Guessing that won't happen until they finally save humanity from the aliens.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

What?

They are aliens later?

One of the few things remember from the Invasion trilogy that one of the characters tought that those who belived in aliens were crazy.

 

[Thestral]

^ Sure, didn't you know? The Minnesota Tribe have been holding back the dreaded tetatae hordes.

The books actually started going down hill with the introduction of the clans and once you reach "Dark Age" it's all crap. They ruined the setting.

There were, what, 9 books before the Clan introduction? And 6 of them were the GDL and Warrior trilogy. Of course, my "intro" to the BTverse was the Clan Invasion era, so I might be biased.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

Tetate?

Looks like Sub Zero battling some mutant bird.

 

[sojourner]

The aliens being held out of the innersphere by the Minnesota Tribe is an inside joke of the Battletech setting. There are no aliens. Well, there was ONE book, but it was a one off and never acknowledged again.

I try not to get into battletech conversations too much. Back in the day I was pretty obsessed with it to the point of collecting a lot of the harder to find stuff like the Stardate and Battletechnology Magazines. I even have the first editions of the source books. Including the Star League and Periphery books. I could easily relapse. It's still one of the most detailed socio-political settings ever developed that I have seen, surpassing Tolkien in a lot of ways.

 

[Skywalker]

I think I kinda got in on the BattleTech/MechWarrior thing too late. By the time I discovered it the only books I could find were Stackpole's Blood of Kerensky and Warrior trilogies. I read Blood of Kerensky, but never got around to Warrior. I also read Ghost War, Stackpole's introductory Dark Age novel, but that's it.

 

[Thestral]

^ There's actually still a very active, albeit small, Battletech community and they've been continually making new product so apparently it's still going pretty well. New fiction is being produced online and they're all about E-Reader stuff, but the tabletop game naturally still has hardcopy stuff.

I try not to get into battletech conversations too much. Back in the day I was pretty obsessed with it to the point of collecting a lot of the harder to find stuff like the Stardate and Battletechnology Magazines. I even have the first editions of the source books. Including the Star League and Periphery books. I could easily relapse. It's still one of the most detailed socio-political settings ever developed that I have seen, surpassing Tolkien in a lot of ways.

It's a great setting and I love the games, but I can see what you mean, yeah.

 

[Skywalker]

I never got into the tabletop game, just the novels and the PC games. I absolutely love the setting, so I'm glad to hear it's still going on in some fashion. Maybe once I get an e-reader I'll check out some of that stuff. I wouldn't mind buying some of the old novels in e-book form, either, if they're out there.

 

[sojourner]

True story. I went to Dragoncon in I think 1989 (the exact year escapes me) where FASA had a booth setup. I actually talked to some of the writers of the source books about some of the myths like the Minnesota Tribe and the White Wings. This was before anything referencing Clan Wolverine had been published if I remember correctly. They wouldn't reveal anything about the myths, but they did breakout in knowing smiles when I mentioned the tribe.

about 12 years later at another Dragoncon I got to hang out with Micheal Stackpole for a while. Nice guy. I thanked him for the awesomeness of the twists in the Warrior trilogy. Especially the wedding gift scene.

Those are the only two times I've acted like a typical sci-fi geek.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

I never got into the tabletop game, just the novels and the PC games. I absolutely love the setting, so I'm glad to hear it's still going on in some fashion. Maybe once I get an e-reader I'll check out some of that stuff. I wouldn't mind buying some of the old novels in e-book form, either, if they're out there.

You can get some audiobooks from audible.

http://www.audible.com/search/ref=sr_lftbox_1_1

 

[Skywalker]

Thanks! I'm not a big audiobook fan, but maybe I'll check one of those out.