Specify Books Toward An Oblique Approach (Belisarius #1)
| Original Title: | An Oblique Approach (Belisarius, #1) |
| ISBN: | 0671878654 (ISBN13: 9780671878658) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Belisarius #1 |
David Drake
Paperback | Pages: 467 pages Rating: 4.21 | 4013 Users | 77 Reviews
Description In Pursuance Of Books An Oblique Approach (Belisarius #1)
Some of the best-written trash I've ever read. Trash, by the way, is a perfectly legitimate genre. There is good trash and then there is bad trash. Never turn down the opportunity to read good trash.This is pulpy, ridiculous, muscular, high-adventure alternate history with totally implausible science fiction trappings. In fact, "An Oblique Approach" is a horrible misnomer. They should call it, "A Shameless Approach."
I don't think this book cares at all about historical accuracy, plausibility, Orientalism, subtle drama or complex psychology. Drake and Flint play fast and loose with history, wheeling in breathtaking anachronisms. The protagonist is a 6th century Roman general fighting a 15th century war against a 13th century geopolitical landscape in defense of a Pax Romana-era vision of his homeland, with a supporting cast taken from the 18th and 17th century, lead by some kind of abstract hyper-advanced thought machine from the cold and distant future.
There are famous historical figures repurposed into wildly inappropriate cameos (Tarabai the Concubine--which is about as appropriate as Queen Elizabeth the Streetwalker) and figures of marginal relevance catapulted to the front of the narrative. The authors dabble in the culture of India and Byzantium, decorate their narratives in the pulpy trappings of Vedic tradition and African culture with all the reverence for accuracy of an Indiana Jones movie.
And I love it. It's a guilty pleasure, but it's hard not to love this book. It wouldn't work, by the way, if not for Drake's fine craftsmanship. David Drake has a gift for language and an ear for rhythm and expression. He paints vivid portraits of his characters, instills them with vigor and life. His dialogue is sharp and his descriptions imaginative. He does, however, have a tendency to slip into long passages of pure diagesis and explication, and often affects a breezy manner, glossing over narratives and telling me what I wish he'd show me.
All things considered, I enjoyed this book. Drake writes well, and the quality of his authorship is enough to re-appropriate brazen implausibilities into a distinct style
Be Specific About Based On Books An Oblique Approach (Belisarius #1)
| Title | : | An Oblique Approach (Belisarius #1) |
| Author | : | David Drake |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 467 pages |
| Published | : | December 28th 2004 by Baen Books (first published July 1st 1998) |
| Categories | : | Science Fiction. Alternate History. Fantasy. Fiction. Historical. Historical Fiction. War. Military Fiction |
Rating Based On Books An Oblique Approach (Belisarius #1)
Ratings: 4.21 From 4013 Users | 77 ReviewsDiscuss Based On Books An Oblique Approach (Belisarius #1)
I'm going to let this review cover my thoughts on the series as a whole, just so I can sum up my thoughts on it in one place.Let's begin with the pros. It's a fun series, above all else. Sometimes it really is fun to watch unambiguously good people beating the crap out of unambiguously evil people. Real life is complicated, so it's somewhat cathartic, to my mind, to be able to experience a less complicated world. Yes, it's not realistic, but if I wanted to be reading something realistic, I'd be1. This is really Eric Flint writing from David Drake's outline.2. Compare to S.M. Stirling writing from David Drake's outline in the Raj Whitehall Series.3. It's great stuff. Great characters, great action, interesting technology and speculation.4. If there is a primary fault, I think it's spreading the action too thin - there are always multiple plot lines to follow (as might be expected from a multi-national war and conspiracy plotline), and I found myself wondering on occasion which bizarre
I'm going to let this review cover my thoughts on the series as a whole, just so I can sum up my thoughts on it in one place.Let's begin with the pros. It's a fun series, above all else. Sometimes it really is fun to watch unambiguously good people beating the crap out of unambiguously evil people. Real life is complicated, so it's somewhat cathartic, to my mind, to be able to experience a less complicated world. Yes, it's not realistic, but if I wanted to be reading something realistic, I'd be
Alternative history is a strange kind of world. The authors will spend months, if not years researching real life events, real life characters, plotting maps and following conquests that happened in humanity's history. Then they will purposefully twist their own work by imagining a single event while splits the timeline into uncharted territory and create a narrative following the exploits of the real life figures who lived in that time. A lot of work goes into these what-if imaginings and it
Wow! This one was really good!The whole concept is amazing, the combination of SF with historical accuracy was really, really good. And the humour! It isn't something I've expected in this book, but I have absolutely loved it.I liked the characters but some of them were a bit too-perfect and sported morals that were a bit too modern. Also the changes of narration sometimes got confusing but that is only a minor gripe.I really, really liked this book and what is even more important I am VERY
2018 reread: Superb, one of the greatest series of novels that it has been my great pleasure to have read.
I'm a little conflicted about this book. On the one hand, this was some of the best shameless tripe I've ever read. It's an alternate history in which some kind of far-future AI gets in touch with the legendary Byzantine general Beliarius, alerting him to the danger posed by a burgeoning Indian empire. There's action, battles, way-cool technological advances, intrigue, cleverness, impassioned philosophical debate, legendary assassins and a mission to rescue a captured princess. The book swings
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