(Found) Novel I read in the late 70’s - early 80’s

[Lizard King]

plot - humans and another race fought a long/bloody war to a stalemate. After years of standoff the old enemy was starting to rattle their sabers. Humans couldn’t be bothered to prepare for the coming war so the main character sets off on a quest to find either the remains of the lost leader of the previous war and/or the lost warship that had stood off the enemy single handily - while the rest of the human race debates the necessity of going to war. The warship was credited with seemingly impossible feats, almost of magical prowess - being in two places at the same time and standing off enemy fleets with the single warship.

The main character finds the warship & it had been the product of a tremendous leap in technology that still was far more advanced than either side possessed decades later. Hero uses it to shut down the enemy - who was also looking for the warship to keep it out of the war they are planning & he also discovers the final resting place of the legendary commander.

Probably by one of the major authors (not Heineken or Azimov) as I didn’t read many unknown authors…probably not Herbert but someone of that stature.

 

[hitmouse]

Obvs not by Clarke. He only wrote one novel…

 

[Lizard King]

My memory came back…..A Talent for War, Jack McDevitt

 

[Parson]

My memory came back…..A Talent for War, Jack McDevitt

I'm embarrassed that I did not remember it. Good novel!

 

[Lizard King]

Me too….I just found out its now a series. I hope he didn’t destroy it like Herbert did with Dune. I lost all interest in Herbert when Dube part 76 became worse entertainment than the Muppet Show. ;-)

 

[Parson]

I can tell you that the series is quite a bit different than the continuing saga of Dune. McDevitt's series does not build on the original story. I believe that there may be a mention once or twice a previous expedition, but that's all. It's more like a series of adventures in exo-archeology. Some were better, some a bit worse, but in none of them did I get the urge to chuck it and start something else. If you liked "A Talent for War," I suspect you'd like the others as well.

 

[Lizard King]

I can tell you that the series is quite a bit different than the continuing saga of Dune. McDevitt's series does not build on the original story. I believe that there may be a mention once or twice a previous expedition, but that's all. It's more like a series of adventures in exo-archeology. Some were better, some a bit worse, but in none of them did I get the urge to chuck it and start something else. If you liked "A Talent for War," I suspect you'd like the others as well.

Actually I probably won’t like the series. I’m the type that wants to see dangling questions answered and the story expanded - like the Foundation series or Robot series. What happened to Scott. Why did Sim never connect with his wife - or did he. What was the actual motivation of the mutiny? Who else survived that was thought to have perished?

This search started when I thought I should write a sequel to Citizen of the Galaxy where the kid becomes disillusioned with his fight, hooks up with a mad scientist who had been marginalized at the spaceship company and they secretly build a super frigate that would kick slaver a$$ and take names and roam the galaxy as white pirates, rescuing slaves and blowing slaver ships to pieces; perused by both the slavers and the government. That train of thought led to the ship from this story…and so it goes.

Thanks!!!!

 

[Parson]

Actually I probably won’t like the series. I’m the type that wants to see dangling questions answered and the story expanded - like the Foundation series or Robot series. What happened to Scott. Why did Sim never connect with his wife - or did he. What was the actual motivation of the mutiny? Who else survived that was thought to have perished?

This search started when I thought I should write a sequel to Citizen of the Galaxy where the kid becomes disillusioned with his fight, hooks up with a mad scientist who had been marginalized at the spaceship company and they secretly build a super frigate that would kick slaver a$$ and take names and roam the galaxy as white pirates, rescuing slaves and blowing slaver ships to pieces; perused by both the slavers and the government. That train of thought led to the ship from this story…and so it goes.

Thanks!!!!

Good luck.

Have you read the Honor Harrington series by David Weber? Each story needs the previous for context and each tells a pretty good cracking tale of it's own. ---- liked the first four particularly well.

 

[Lizard King]

Actually I haven’t read anything in years. I’ll check out that series.