Just a short post, but I thought this would be easier than answering the individual posts, etc.
Book three will be up this weekend. I can't say exactly when it will go live on the various retailers, but I will post here and send an email to the list when it is.
I want to thank everyone for the nice posts and emails. It is very gratifying that you are so anxious for the new book. I'm sorry for the delays, which were caused by a hurricane, power failure, and most recently, a bad case of the flu. Oh yeah, and the fact that it is 30,000+ words longer than the other books and I forgot to allow additional editing and rewrite time.
Thanks again!
Shoulda gotten the flu shot
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update and powering through those challenges. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteMr. Allan,
ReplyDeleteAs a forward deployed Unites States Marine Officer, I have to say that your books have been extremely enjoyable to read and have been an outstanding way to pass the time. I do have a few questions regarding the rank structure used and at some points, as well as customs and courtesies mentioned. For example, you mention platoon sergeants on a few occasions, but in today's Marine Corps they are most always Staff Sergeants. It also appears that the Lance Corporal rank did not make it into the book either. One more thing-there are a few occasions where officers are saluted indoors. Definitely a no-no for us. Were these just changes that you felt would occur 200 years in the future?
Again-your books have been highly enjoyable to read and I am eagerly anticipating book three! Thanks again.
Matt
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are enjoying the books. You can't hear that enough!
I've gotten a lot of emails and comments about various items of military specificity. They range from purely positive to friendly scolding (e.g. love the books, but a Marine wouldn't do this). I enjoy any interaction with readers, and I especially like that I seem to have a lot of current and former military in that group. A lot of my family have served in the military, and I have nothing but respect for the service.
I've been meaning to do a blog post about this for a while now. You pretty much hit it on the head when you note that we are looking 200 years ahead in these books. It was never my goal to imitate today's U.S. Marines (or any other current fighting force) exactly. My Marines are in a different situation, facing a new set of realities, and mired in a bizarre and changing situation with the government(s) they serve.
They are an entity that was started as a small frontier force, and which is now struggling with massive growth as the number of colonies and expands. Clearly, some of the characters advance in ranks quickly during the war, which is something I intended as being akin to the American Civil War or some other situation where a small force expands rapidly, allowing those with ability to advance in rank at an accelerated rate. I never intended to suggest that a normal Marine would advance from private to colonel as quickly as Cain does (some people have mentioned that too).
I didn't try to keep the ranks exactly as they are in today's Marine Corps, but rather just took the basic structure and built on it as I needed. I'd say the platoon sergeants come more as a nod to Mr. Heinlein than something directly out of today's Marine Corps.
Anyway, thanks for the comments. I'm working on a new series that is set much closer to present day, and the comments from my military readers are invaluable, as it will be much more important for those types of details to be accurate, since the military in that set of books will be essentially today's military (in about twenty years). You guys are the best research anyone could have for a new book!
Book 3 should be uploaded tomorrow, so hopefully it will be available Monday. I'll post on here when it is.