Dorsai novels

Plane Sailing

Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!

• Sep 15, 2010

• #1

I've just recently re-read "Tactics of Mistake" by Gorden R Dickson, which I've always loved.

I thought I'd see what others are available (I've got "Soldier, Ask Not", "The Spirit of Dorsai", "Lost Dorsai" and "The Final Encyclopedia") and was saddened to read that Dickson had died back in 2001

On to the main point of the post:

For those who have enjoyed these books, are there any other Dorsai books by him that I should try to get?

Thanks!

 

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Umbran

Mod Squad

Staff member

Supporter

• Sep 15, 2010

• #2

The Childe Cycle includes:

Dorsai! (alternate title: The Genetic General) (1959)
Necromancer (1962) (vt No Room for Man)
Soldier, Ask Not (1967)
Tactics of Mistake (1971)
The Final Encyclopedia (1984)
The Chantry Guild (1988)

There was a book after The Chantry Guild that was never published.

There are a few other works set in the same universe that aren't part of the Childe Cycle proper - these include Lost Dorsai and The Spirit of the Dorsai.

 

Plane Sailing

Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!

• Sep 15, 2010

• #3

Umbran said:

Dorsai! (alternate title: The Genetic General) (1959)
Necromancer (1962) (vt No Room for Man)
The Chantry Guild (1988)

Click to expand...

Have you read any of those, and have an opinion on them?

Cheers

 

Croesus

Adventurer

• Sep 15, 2010

• #4

Plane Sailing said:

Have you read any of those, and have an opinion on them?

Cheers

Click to expand...

I really like Dorsai, re-reading it every few years. It's your basic war novel, but with Dickson's twist (the whole Childe Cycle exploration of what it means to be human). The main character can be a bit stiff, but I found the universe he operates in fascinating, and the pace is fast enough to keep me from being bored.

This isn't a deep, subtle book, but it's entertaining.

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Sep 17, 2010

• #5

There are also some shorter works in the Childe Cycle.

I recall reading one, but it was a long time ago: all I can remember a confrontation a Dorsai had with some hired thugs. Dickson wrote something to the effect of the muscles being like mad dogs who still recognize they face a wolf...