The Draka series: worth reading?

[Zyzzyva]

I've never actually read them. So, my obvious question to those of you who have: are they worth reading?

I enjoyed Peshawar Lancers a lot, so maybe, but OTOH I found the way the Russians had been promoted from "autocratic threat" to "evil satanist cannibals" a bit annoying, and the fact that they had arbitrarily been handed the Psychic Powers of Future-Seeing Invincibility a huge downside. I mean, surely having your nihilistic satanist cannibals be a threat without being actually invincible would have been good enough? From what I've heard, the Draka are the Empire of *Russia X 10,000, so unless it's really good I'm not sure I'd be able to suspend disbelief enough to get through the books.

Anyone who's actually read then want to weigh in?

[Archangel Michael]

Originally Posted by Zyzzyva

I've never actually read them. So, my obvious question to those of you who have: are they worth reading?

I enjoyed Peshawar Lancers a lot, so maybe, but OTOH I found the way the Russians had been promoted from "autocratic threat" to "evil satanist cannibals" a bit annoying, and the fact that they had arbitrarily been handed the Psychic Powers of Future-Seeing Invincibility a huge downside. I mean, surely having your nihilistic satanist cannibals be a threat without being actually invincible would have been good enough? From what I've heard, the Draka are the Empire of *Russia X 10,000, so unless it's really good I'm not sure I'd be able to suspend disbelief enough to get through the books.

The thing about Peshawar Lancers was that it was one giant homage to pulp era adventure fiction writers. And guess who the primary antagonists were in many of those stories - supernatural evil Satanist cannibals.

Originally Posted by Zyzzyva

Anyone who's actually read then want to weigh in?

I've only read Marching Through Georgia. The setting isn't exactly plausible or realistic but it's still an interesting read.

[drakkon]

Originally Posted by Zyzzyva

Anyone who's actually read then want to weigh in?

I've read them all, and I highly recomend them. The Draka series has its flaws, but nevertheless remains a classic of the AH genre.

One word of advice; DO NOT get the omnibus edition "The Domination". It is extensivly abridged, cutting out lots of the best scenes. Finding the original paperbacks will be difficult, but worth it.

[TelClaven]

I have all the original paperbacks. I agree, don't buy the abridged version.

The Draka have a society that is truely horrible. It's like a train wreck in slow motion, it apalls you, but you just can't pull yourself to look away.

Ignore how it comes to be, the society itself does seem to hold together well, the internal logic seems to work. Something I dispair at most times with fictional societies. I highly recommend.

[Cavendish]

I am keen to read the Draka books, sounds like good post-finals easy-going fiction, however Borders does not stock them in New Zealand. Any suggestions on how to get them without paying a fortune?

[MerryPrankster]

Originally Posted by drakkon

I've read them all, and I highly recomend them. The Draka series has its flaws, but nevertheless remains a classic of the AH genre.

One word of advice; DO NOT get the omnibus edition "The Domination". It is extensivly abridged, cutting out lots of the best scenes. Finding the original paperbacks will be difficult, but worth it.

What got cut out of "The Domination"?

I know the appendixes and the like explaining the backstory and culture were removed, but what actual story material?

[MerryPrankster]

Originally Posted by Walker

I am keen to read the Draka books, sounds like good post-finals easy-going fiction, however Borders does not stock them in New Zealand. Any suggestions on how to get them without paying a fortune?

The Internet, perhaps.

Amazon has something called "Z-Shops" where people sell used books and the like through Amazon.

There's also Half.com or EBay.

[Cavendish]

Originally Posted by MerryPrankster

The Internet, perhaps.

Amazon has something called "Z-Shops" where people sell used books and the like through Amazon.

There's also Half.com or EBay.

I have looked up Amazon, and they Drakon and Drakas!, but they do not have Marching Through Georgia, which is the first book in the series I think(?).

I have never used EBay or Half.com, neither of those are very popular here; we have a national ebay like site called TradeMe.

Hm, I just found it on Ebay though, via some bookstore. Okay... it's $7.50 for shipping.... hm...

[hopper2cool]

Marching Through Georgia was the first AH book that I read. It does have it's flaws but if you don't think about it's pretty interesting.

[AirshipArmada]

Try -

http://www.alibris.com/

They have it listed for as low as $2 and as high as $68.

[zoomar]

I read parts of the Marching thru Georgia (which I initially picked off the shelf because I thought it would be an AH US Civil War novel!) and the two other followup novelettes taking the story into the space age. I found the basic Drakaverse premise far more interesting than the execution, which just read like mediocre military fiction. I thought more could have been done with a conflict between Nazis and an even worse enemy on the racist evilometer. I also think Sterling advances technology too fast. To me, the series loses more plausibility as it inters the "modern" era.

But I still would recommend it. Buried in all those details is a really fascinating, well-realized, and very creative AH - something on which you can rarely fault Sterling. But I'd rather Sterling spent more effort on the Peshawar Lancers universe.

[strangeland]

I remember trying to read it and throwing it against the wall in rage because it was so blatantly silly.

[Wolfhound]

No. No. No. No, oh and No.

This has to be most annoying drivel I've ever read in my life. It wasn't even well written, but it's fundamental ideas are the worst part. None of it is plausible, and it isn't even interesting, any of it. I was literally paid by my friend to read them, (he also lent me them) and I prayed for a redeeming feature, but like Dr. Faustus the series never repented it's horrific sins.

Stirling is a knob as well, I remember reading somewhere that he was 'flattered that a whole industry exists to disprove the Draka'
Well -
A: A whole industry exists for disproving the whole genre, he should know this, seeing as how he writes nothing but AH. If he doesn't (know) he's just an ignorant eejit.
B: It's not hard to disprove the Draka at by any means.

Basically, it's epic face palm in Alternative History form.

[Vault-Scope]

What is logically irrealistic is how some events in the story follows closely OTL upp to WW2, despite a POD in the 1770s.
Some here complains that in question of technology, the Drakas just advance too fast(often ignoring the alliance for democracy doing the same). The explanations for that is, if you think about it, rather simple.

Originally Posted by Wolfhound

A: A whole industry exists for disproving the whole genre, he should know this, seeing as how he writes nothing but AH.

Oh dear! I have yet to see any whole industry to disproove the theoretical existence of werewolves, ghosts or daemons.

[Paul Spring]

I would say that yes, they are worth reading if you can get your hands on them. It's not very plausible, to put it mildly, but the Draka society is fascinating as an example of one of the most completely oppressive systems that human beings could possibly create. The implausibility basically comes from everything going right for the Draka, other parts of the world completely ignoring them for too long, and the speed of certain technological developments between the 2nd and 3rd novels.

I read all 3 stories in the "Domination" trilogy edition, so I may have missed some good parts. I hadn't realized that they cut anything from the original stories other than the appendixes.

[Archangel Michael]

Originally Posted by Paul Spring

I would say that yes, they are worth reading if you can get your hands on them. It's not very plausible, to put it mildly, but the Draka society is fascinating as an example of one of the most completely oppressive systems that human beings could possibly create. The implausibility basically comes from everything going right for the Draka, other parts of the world completely ignoring them for too long, and the speed of certain technological developments between the 2nd and 3rd novels.

I read all 3 stories in the "Domination" trilogy edition, so I may have missed some good parts. I hadn't realized that they cut anything from the original stories other than the appendixes.

That's one of the things I really love about Stirling's work - he always includes appendices.

[Albidoom]

I'd like to mention this page where someone summarized the problems of the draka timeline.
(might contain spoilers)

Altnough strangely I found it via google and not by surfing around here.

[joyceman]

Theres an unfinished project to put together a vaible Draka timeline here.

http://www.stardestroyer.net/Armour/...aWB/index.html

I've only read the omnibus, can anyone tell me what I missed from the original novels (kinky lesbian sex?)

[Bobindelaware]

I've read the series several times and each time, I swear that I won't read it again. Ever. And a few weeks/months later, I'm at it again. I'm fascinated and repelled at the same time as I see the dysfunction of the Draka, their arrogance and smugness. Internal conflicts within their society remind me of the Nazi attitudes of "racial" superiority, development of a "super Race," focus on war, etc. Characters seem to develop well, are consistent in their "realness" (or their own internal consistencies) whether they are American or Draka, at least to me.

I agree that the technology development is way too fast, but the directions are interesting. And the Final War, especially the vignettes from all over are, well, addictive for me.

Recommend it, just withthe reminder that it (the Dominion itself) is a real dystopia.

Bobindelaware

[drakkon]

Originally Posted by MerryPrankster

What got cut out of "The Domination"?

Its been some time since I read the book, so I can't remember, but I am quite sure some scenes were cut.

One passage sticks in my mind, from The Stone Dogs; Teenage Yolande and her lesbian lover sneeking through the gardens to listen to Uncle Eric and some other adults talk about the Dominations planned conquest of space. They are building Ramjets to get to Orbit, then Nuclear pulse-drives for interplanetary travel.

For some reason that scene stuck in my mind, and I am certain it was cut.

Of course, I could be wrong. I'm getting old....