Book: Dies The Fire

22-rimfire

22-rimfire

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I just picked up this book and you survivalists out there may be interested in taking a look. The title is "Dies The Fire" by S.M. Stirling. It is about surviving the apocalytical event; no electricity, no gun powder, no radio etc. The breakdown of society we all fear. Anyone read it? It has great reviews. I have just started reading it, but I can tell it will be some interesting fictional reading.
 
I read that a few months back, very thought provoking. Not just a breakdown of society, but the problem of changing physics. Talk about a change of plans and tactics!

I've been meaning to get the sequel.
 
I thought it was pretty good, and its probably for the best the author didn't try to explain why automobiles and guns didn't work, but magically fires to forge the swords do.
 
Actually, Ghost Squire, the characters do speculate in a couple of scenes about how it can be that only 'explosive propagation' like the chemical reaction in cordite and other explosives doesn't work, but fire still burns and the electrical impulses in the human body don't seem affected by The Change.

I don't want to give anything away (I've read the whole series of three books) but suffice it to say there are scenes where this seeming contradiction is addressed.
 
Yes, a very good read! "The Protectors War" is the sequel, but I haven't read it yet. Very thought provoking and just good entertainment for us folks into survival and such.:thumbup:
 
Although the premise of 'the Change' is totally a plot device, I think one of the book's strengths from a survial preparedness perspective is the fact that so many people doom themselves because they simply can't accept that 'the cavalry' (the police, the fire department, FEMA, the National Guard) is NOT on the way.

Sadly, I think many disaster victims do themselves harm by waiting around for someone to rescue them, and then take care of them afterwards.
 
Deer Runner said:
WHAT?!?!? You didn't see my last reply to you???

My wife and I hail from Germantown as well...


Joe
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Yeah, I must have missed it. Small world!

Have to get a cup of coffee or something over at Starbucks sometimes. If ya see a grey bearded gent on a silver Vespa PX150, its me.
 
MG_Saldivar said:
Although the premise of 'the Change' is totally a plot device, I think one of the book's strengths from a survial preparedness perspective is the fact that so many people doom themselves because they simply can't accept that 'the cavalry' (the police, the fire department, FEMA, the National Guard) is NOT on the way.

Sadly, I think many disaster victims do themselves harm by waiting around for someone to rescue them, and then take care of them afterwards.
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Yes, thats a big problem, they think somebody is going to come to their rescue. Its the whole thing about nobody taking personal responcibility for themselves. They want big brother to hold their hand cradle to grave.
 
MG_Saldivar said:
I don't want to give anything away (I've read the whole series of three books) but suffice it to say there are scenes where this seeming contradiction is addressed.
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Three?? I thought there were only two. "Dies the Fire" and "the Protectors war". Whats the third one?? I'd like to read it.
 
GhostWolf said:
Three?? I thought there were only two. "Dies the Fire" and "the Protectors war". Whats the third one?? I'd like to read it.
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I think its the meeting a colbair, or something like that. I bought it, and the wife took it to read before I got a chance. :p


Joe
 
"A Meeting in Corvallis" is the third book in the first "Change" trilogy -- just released this month, it's only out in hardcover (the paperback should be out in early '07).

Word on the street (well, in sci-fi circles) is that Stirling got a contract for another trilogy that will be set a generation or so after the first trilogy.
 
The S. M. Stirling books are great. Another you all might like is 'Lucifer's Hammer' by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Earth is hit by a monster comet, the folks that survive have to learn how to get by the hard way.
 
I don,t often read fiction anymore . Don,t get me wrong . Louis Lamour , Frank Yerby ,
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , Jack London and Whoever wrote The Bard figure high in influences on my life .

Are these books that good a read ? I do like reading about wilderness survival and learning to make do . If the premise doesn,t hold at least some water it just dries up for me . I can suspend my disbelief, I cannot negate it completely .
 
Kevin, I figured you for a fantasy guy with your user name.... after Tolkien's Gandoff the Gray. Fantasy novels provide endless entertainment; at least the well written ones.
 
Kevin the grey said:
I don,t often read fiction anymore . Don,t get me wrong . Louis Lamour , Frank Yerby ,
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , Jack London and Whoever wrote The Bard figure high in influences on my life .

Are these books that good a read ? I do like reading about wilderness survival and learning to make do . If the premise doesn,t hold at least some water it just dries up for me . I can suspend my disbelief, I cannot negate it completely .
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Based on your list of authors, I believe you'll enjoy this story. It holds a good edge over the likes of "The Stand" and "Swan Song". The only fantasy or sci-fi part of this story, really, is that it hasn't happened and the reason it happened in the story is not fully defined.
My $.02, again.
 
Jockohomo said:
The S. M. Stirling books are great. Another you all might like is 'Lucifer's Hammer' by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Earth is hit by a monster comet, the folks that survive have to learn how to get by the hard way.
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I found Lucifer's Hammer to be extremely slow and boring until the comet hit , to be honest. Seemd to me that it jumped around too much.
I'm going to have to give Dies the Fire a look , sounds great.

If you folks love this type of reading you have to get a copy of Patriots by James Wesly Rawles http://www.rawles.to/patriots.htm This is the definition of survival "fiction" and if I can be frank , you have cheated yourself big time if you have never read it.
 
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