Subject: OLD NATHAN by David Drake

From: throopw@sheol%dg-rtp.dg.com (Wayne Throop)
Date: 15 Oct 91 23:07:56 GMT

I quite enjoy the "Silver John" stories by Manly Wade Wellman.  Top
notch, first rate, highly recommended.  In reading the cover blurb of
_Old_Nathan_ and leafing through the front material, I noticed that the
dedication of this book was "To my late friend Manly Wade Hampton
Wellman".  I snatched it up. 

Well.  Old Nathan is no Silver John.  No way, no how.

The book consists of five stories about "Old Nathan", a cross between
Doctor Dolittle and John Christian Falkenberg, but with a bit less
self-control than either of them. 

Nathan, you see, can talk to the animals, and work various sorts of
magic, and lays claim to being "the Devil's master".  He's a harsh,
bitter man who holds most who come to him for help of various sorts
in caustic contempt.  But like a bitter-tasting medicine, Nathan is
an effective, sometimes necessary, and always sufficient cure for
whatever ails a person.

The five stories are interesting, the "gimick" of each one is well
thought out, and the plots pull your attention right along.  "Hammer's
Slammers in faeryland" is a bit too strong, but it conveys a
perhaps-useful summarizing image.  Hmmmm.  Perhaps you'd do better
thinking of "Lacey and his Friends in faeryland".

So, if you like the hard edged characterizations that David Drake
is known for, and the macho bluster, and the (it seems to me) vaguely
Heinlein-esque philosophical background, then these may be just your
cup of tea.  For me, expecting something much more Silver-John-like,
it really didn't hit the spot.

%A   David Drake
%C   Riverdale, NY
%D   October 1991
%G   0-671-72084-8
%I   Baen Books
%T   Old Nathan
--
Wayne Throop  ...!mcnc!dg-rtp!sheol!throopw

From archive (archive)
From: [email-masked] (Mark Runyan)
Organization: HP UKL/USD/NSG Cupertino, CA, USA
Subject: The Fleet ed by Drake & Fawcett
Date: 23 Aug 88 04:32:33 GMT

The Fleet Edited by David Drake and Bill Fawcett

Apparently the success of the Theives World fantasy series has lead
several authors to examine the concept of a shared universe.  Perhaps
such a series existed before Theives World so feel free to correct
me...

Anyway, The Fleet appears to be a shared universe based on
Mankind's struggle with the Khalia.  Authors for this series include
Janet Morris, E. Gary Gygax, Poul Anderson, Anne McCaffrey, and
David Drake, as well as others.

While this book can be a fun read, there appears to be some inconsistancy
in the technologies of the seperate stories.    For instance, in the
story "Tradition", we have ships entering and leaving FTL drive
under the cover of a moon (well within a planatary system), but
in a later story, "Duty Calls", the author has the ships performing
a breaking maneuver through whole planatary systems in order to
shed their speed.  I was willing to accept the different levels of
technology on seperate planets, but I had a little trouble with
there being various types of drives at various levels of technology.
Yes, I know that can be explained by the difference in the planets'
tech levels, but I would think that the most advance type of engine
drives would be purposely distributed through the the Fleet.

The editors did try to add consistancy to the stories, but there
was always that feeling that the stories were not all taking place
in the same Universe.  You also don't get the character interaction
in The Fleet as you did in Theives World or Wild Cards.

Mark Runyan