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Post by simon darkshade on Jan 9, 2022 9:26:39 GMT
Gillan, you are probably overthinking Jeff Head’s motivation. I can’t say that a 2003 computer game motivated the unified Islamic bad guys so much as 9/11. Whilst his website is mostly nonfunctional now and he has likely passed away, a little work on Wayback shows his beliefs, style and influences.
That goes for the Chinese threat as well. There have been novels on the danger of China since 1992 or earlier; that was when I first came across them and anyone who was around in June 1989 has certain memories.
Lordroel,
I didn’t add Invasion as it is a completely different story from a different era, with a different plot. It doesn’t compare well to Arc Light, but is a fair bit ahead of Dragon’s Fury in quality and story, even if I still rate Invasion as a D grade novel, at best.
I can’t blame people for reading Invasion, expected something better. There are no excuses for DF. It is that jolly bad.
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gillan1220
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Post by gillan1220 on Jan 9, 2022 9:31:33 GMT
That goes for the Chinese threat as well. There have been novels on the danger of China since 1992 or earlier; that was when I first came across them and anyone who was around in June 1989 has certain memories. Gillan, you are probably overthinking Jeff Head’s motivation. I can’t say that a 2003 computer game motivated the unified Islamic bad guys so much as 9/11. Whilst his website is mostly nonfunctional now and he has likely passed away, a little work on Wayback shows his beliefs, style and influences. That goes for the Chinese threat as well. There have been novels on the danger of China since 1992 or earlier; that was when I first came across them and anyone who was around in June 1989 has certain memories. 1992 was the year STRATCOM labeled China as the OPFOR. China only enjoyed a 10 year period when it was not the OPFOR (the country was taken out of the list in 1982 when the quasi Sino-American alliance came into check against the USSR). I heard Jeff Head passed away somewhere in the early 2010s at some point. I didn’t add Invasion as it is a completely different story from a different era, with a different plot. It doesn’t compare well to Arc Light, but is a fair bit ahead of Dragon’s Fury in quality and story, even if I still rate Invasion as a D grade novel, at best. I can’t blame people for reading Invasion, expected something better. There are no excuses for DF. It is that jolly bad. Invasion is the Red Dawn (2012) remake that could have been. I remember the PLA were supposed to be the villains but the producers wanted to movie to sell in China. So what better way to have the KPA be the villains instead. The same thing happened to Homefront (2011) by Kaos Studios and THQ. |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 9, 2022 9:34:03 GMT
Gillan, you are probably overthinking Jeff Head’s motivation. I can’t say that a 2003 computer game motivated the unified Islamic bad guys so much as 9/11. Whilst his website is mostly nonfunctional now and he has likely passed away, a little work on Wayback shows his beliefs, style and influences. He passed passed away, he was a Mod on this forum: Jeff Head's fate |
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gillan1220
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Post by gillan1220 on Jan 9, 2022 9:35:52 GMT
Gillan, you are probably overthinking Jeff Head’s motivation. I can’t say that a 2003 computer game motivated the unified Islamic bad guys so much as 9/11. Whilst his website is mostly nonfunctional now and he has likely passed away, a little work on Wayback shows his beliefs, style and influences. He passed passed away, he was a Mod on this forum: Jeff Head's fateSo it appears the author was one of the few enthusiasts of the modernization of the People's Liberation Army. |
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miletus12
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Post by miletus12 on Jan 9, 2022 9:36:01 GMT
I read that. The premise is stupid on how America downsized its military prior to the 21st century and virtually did nothing as China gobbled all of the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Central and South America. Here's the TV Tropes page for it: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/InvasionHave you ever read a timeline written by a poster named Glenn67? It was called "Double Tragedy: The Deaths of JFK & LBJ". Now there is a proof that might severely test; The short story is not only ludicrously inane, but the writer cannot write it. Yet it exists and some people actually liked it. |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 9, 2022 9:42:31 GMT
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Post by simon darkshade on Jan 9, 2022 9:45:25 GMT
The link contains conflicting information regarding his demise. Regardless of his living or dead status, it is clear what he thought/thinks and believed/believes. That influenced the quality of his writing, as he created a story to fit a world view and politics, rather than tell a good, ripping yarn. Hence the difference between Red Storm Rising, Arc Light or The Last War on the one hand and Dragon’s Fury et al on the other.
In any event, China was the new Big Bad through the 1990s in literature, film and games.
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Post by simon darkshade on Jan 9, 2022 9:49:56 GMT
I read that. The premise is stupid on how America downsized its military prior to the 21st century and virtually did nothing as China gobbled all of the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Central and South America. Here's the TV Tropes page for it: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/InvasionEverything is possible as long as the author can write it. I disagree. When a story, novella, timeline or other piece of writing is written straight, or as actually possible realistic events, then the plausibility test needs to apply. If a different path is taken - humour, satire, science fiction, fantasy or utter pulp fiction from the start - then it is given a lot more leeway. And, as has been said, the author needs to be able to write it well. That wasn’t the case here. |
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Post by simon darkshade on Jan 9, 2022 9:54:01 GMT
The website is online, but not the free version of the DF novel. Indeed, most of the site is broken.
Whilst it may be possible to buy the book, I wouldn’t advise anyone doing that; a waste paying for something that can still be found free.
Not only that, but Gillan put the website up in the opening post.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 9, 2022 10:09:20 GMT
The link contains conflicting information regarding his demise. Regardless of his living or dead status, it is clear what he thought/thinks and believed/believes. That influenced the quality of his writing, as he created a story to fit a world view and politics, rather than tell a good, ripping yarn. Hence the difference between Red Storm Rising, Arc Light or The Last War on the one hand and Dragon’s Fury et al on the other. In any event, China was the new Big Bad through the 1990s in literature, film and games. In the Last War i remember that China is still neutral as in India, but could be wrong, also you missed Red Dawn 20 + in your list of good World War III stories. The website is online, but not the free version of the DF novel. Indeed, most of the site is broken. Whilst it may be possible to buy the book, I wouldn’t advise anyone doing that; a waste paying for something that can still be found free. Not only that, but Gillan put the website up in the opening post. Again i seems i missed that, that is what you get if you want to respond to so many threads. |
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Post by simon darkshade on Jan 9, 2022 10:15:42 GMT
The issue with RD 20+ is that the central story has never really been written. There are the side stories where every authorial insert is a dashing war hero, the final battles which are very interesting and a general outline that misses out a fair bit; for example, there are extensive fact files on people’s favourite areas, but no US Army order of battle. Throw in the fact that a large number of those stories are offline and I can’t really put it in with the others.
My mention of TLW was not based by who was fighting on what side, but of being of good quality and possessed of a story that isn’t politically driven.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 9, 2022 10:17:20 GMT
The issue with RD 20+ is that the central story has never really been written. There are the side stories where every authorial insert is a dashing war hero, the final battles which are very interesting and a general outline that misses out a fair bit; for example, there are extensive fact files on people’s favourite areas, but no US Army order of battle. Throw in the fact that a large number of those stories are offline and I can’t really put it in with the others. True, the guys over at HPCA due love their planes more than anything else. |
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Post by simon darkshade on Jan 9, 2022 10:41:07 GMT
It is a characteristic of the majority of the broader technothriller genre.
Dale Brown focused on the primacy of bombers, Joe Buff and Michael di Mercurio on advanced submarines, Harry Coyle on small units, Tom Clancy on intelligence, Patrick Robinson on the Seals, Jeff Head on supercavitation and so forth.
It works if the story is a good one and can be woven around the chosen technology. However, when there is a dearth of story and a heavy emphasis on technology, it starts to waver in quality.
There isn't a published one to my knowledge that had focused on the battleship, the tank or artillery in quite the same way.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 9, 2022 10:45:05 GMT
It is a characteristic of the majority of the broader technothriller genre. Dale Brown focused on the primacy of bombers, Joe Buff and Michael di Mercurio on advanced submarines, Harry Coyle on small units, Tom Clancy on intelligence, Patrick Robinson on the Seals, Jeff Head on supercavitation and so forth. It works if the story is a good one and can be woven around the chosen technology. However, when there is a dearth of story and a heavy emphasis on technology, it starts to waver in quality. There isn't a published one to my knowledge that had focused on the battleship, the tank or artillery in quite the same way. for the tanks. Frigate followed on by Carrier and then submarine by John Wingate for a surface ship, carrier and of course a submarine. |
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Post by stevep on Jan 9, 2022 12:36:15 GMT
To be fair, I'm oddly enjoying the novel despite the so much free hand the author has given China, the Coalition of Asian States, and the Greater Islamic Republic a free hand. What's funny is Sino-Indian and Sino-Pakistan tensions disappeared overnight since President Jien Zemin (an obvious analogy to President Jiang Zhemin) wanted to create a version of the Great East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere that Tojo could have only dreamt of. It seems the author is one of those far-right survivalist-militia type of American who believes that the United Nations led by China, Russia, and an Islamic Coalition is poised to destroy America and conquer the world. Somehow, it gives shades of the Christian movie called The Omega Code. Ore what about Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 where it is the Devil and Europe versus China, Mexico and the United States.
Well that combines 'The Omen' with American exceptionalism/paranoia and a hell of a lot of pure crap. Could be a tight contest between it and DF as to which is worst, even ignoring the supernatural elements. Thanks for the warning as I would probably die laughing if I tried reading it.
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