The last few days I’ve prioritized Writing over Walking. Today got off to such a late start I haven’t started writing yet so I got the walk in.
SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t finished reading TO FIRE CALLED, you might want to skip this one.
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Nathan
I enjoyed your morning rant this morning. I agree with you 100%. Just know that those of us who have followed you for a decade or more know and understand your visions and writing style. Everything that is needed to follow the storyline is within the pages or within the imaginary world you have taken us to. I enjoyed the new book and you have taken us along the path perfectly if you are truly a follower. I agree that I do not want to be hand held the whole way. I want aspects of the trip to be my own interpretations. Don’t be discouraged. This space adventure for most of us is exactly that, an amazing stargazing adventure we all wish to be a part of. Thank you for making me wait like a child staring at a morning Chritmas tree with so many boxes and packages each containing a new story, a new adventure that I am not allowed to know till the time is right. When the time is right, you Sar will give me a new box to open, a new adventure like neverland to dive into and enjoy. Have a great day and keep the adventures coming. Kindest regards
Thanks.
There are a LOT of spoilers in this one. I should put up a notice.
Lucky I saw the spoiler alert. I’ll save it for later.
Great book I think you were right it should be one chapter shorter and I still love the book. Hope you get the next book out before August.
Thank you
Nathan you are the writer! Your writing captured me years ago in podio format. You stayed true to your form in this last edition. You know Ishmael better than us. How he would react …not necessarily how the reader wants him to react. People concerned about the jump out of Telleride remind me of my all time favorite movie line…”The only way to win is not to play.” Keep up your wonderful work. Please don’t second guess yourself. I want YOU to keep telling me Ishmael’s story ….please! PS I loved the ending👍
If you ask me – and you didn’t – I’ve read TFC three times now and didn’t think there was anything wrong with how it ended. Obviously, once Ish and the gang jumped away with the information they recorded, Telliride got raided; some people stayed, Brill didn’t and is back at Port Newmar, maybe to see Mal Gains. How it went down is irrelevant since, as you said, it wasn’t his fight.
Maybe her and Ish have a few beers, he gets to personally thank her for the warning that saved the ship and crew… and Phoenix Freight gets back to making their stockholders happy and Ish’s life goes on.
Whatever. In this story, Ish was doing what Sifu Newmar asked: Forget what you’ve learned and think you know and find the reality where it lives. And it was trippy for him but he found it and the culture shock was evident. But he coped despite some in-Ish-like moments, like not painting the cabin and moping around avoiding the crew. His best friend and ChEng are Naval Intelligence, he knew Pip was playing him, which means he knew he was being herded but didn’t know why until that talk with the chief and Pip.
Your stories about Ish are refreshing from the usual space operas; no space battles, no hero rushing in to save the day and it’s that your writings lack these things that makes me buy your books and read them so much. So at this point, sir, the only question I have is when do you start “Darkness?”
Oh, just my opinion, but if Ish needs to “hook up” with anyone, it’s Chris Maloney – you could make that work…
I think, maybe, for someone who already knows how the story ends (before Chapter 48), it’s way easier to pick up on all the clues along the way, and put them in the proper context, than for someone who’s reading for the first time.
I remember Double Share initially left me with a feeling of “impossible!” when Fredi, all of a sudden, turned out to be ‘Captain material’ after all, and a good one, at that. But on re-listen, it’s pretty clear how she broke out of her shell during the course of the book, and why Ishmael was necessary as a catalyst in that process.
So maybe the people who didn’t get the clues should just re-read, now that they know where the story is going? 😀
I’m currently re-reading *Fire,* and will doubtless re-read it a few more times over the coming weeks to try and understand it better, but I’ll share my opinion as to the ending events:
It seems to me that the discovery of the Mega (was it there?) and the skunkworks manned by employees who had no freedom of movement – – slaves, serfs, whatever you wish to call them – – would be the single most impactful news story to hit not just Toe-Hold space, but bleed over into CPJCT space, as well. How would it not be the talk of the galaxy, all those people returning? Did Manchester and the other corporations *really* do such a great job of paying people off to sweep it under the rug that the story would just die on the vine? An expository chapter at the beginning of the next book might be helpful to clear this up, perhaps Ishmael, Brill and Pip (others?) discussing all of the newsie headlines and learning what is fact and what is simply speculation.
Perhaps something that Brill learned by acceptance of her twenty years of being at Telluride could nudge Ish toward healing. Comes up in a conversation over beers and gives Ish a new vector for IDB.
I love this idea.
I think the ending made perfect sense. I adore Ishmael Wang and love the way you are portraying his journey. I didn’t read the BETA version, but I didn’t feel like there was some mystery or something I didn’t understand at the end. I was a bit disappointed not to get a Brill/Ish reunion, but that’s because I’m a selfish, greedy reader. 🙂
Keep in mind we’re living in the age of instant gratification. Modern books, TV shows and movies tend to be more plot driven than character driven, much to their detriment, in my opinion. Most would focus more on the final battle, even though it had nothing to do with Ishmael (the entire premise of the series). I love that you ended it where you did.
Consider it a compliment that people have latched on to your characters so strongly that they want to hear EVERY story. While ending the book where Ishmael’s story ends makes the most sense, people are emotionally invested in Penny and Quentin, Brill, Pip and the rest. It makes the entire idea of a meeting or reunion that happens “off-book” feel like a missing or deleted scene, if that makes sense.
Don’t feel like there’s anything you could or should have done to have made the reactions be less intense. It’ll never happen. We are greedy readers. We want ALL THE STORIES. And NOW, if you don’t mind.