1: Greenies by Al Steiner When I find a sci-fi military story that actually seems to understand the nuances of military tactics and strategy it immediately grabs my attention, and this does it in spades. Fine writing, memorable characters, a brilliantly-conceived environment and clearly informed by a solid grasp of military history, this is among the best SOL has to offer. VERY hard to set aside. Plan on staying up late to get through just one more chapter!
2: Stupid Boy by G Younger This massively entertaining and long series is a wonderful look at personal development, building teams and the fascinating intricacies of football, baseball, business, modeling and acting, as well as being a hilarious read on regular occasions. G Younger is an amazing writer, easy to read with distinct characters and a very talented storyteller.
I can't imagine many that will be utterly engrossed in his stories as I was, and look at him as a demonstration of what SOL should aspire to be - using adult situations to occasionally help move a story forward, instead of being the entire story.
3: General Sid by Lazlo Zalezac The DiD universe is a pretty fascinating environment, and Lazlo's contributions are thoroughly engaging and highly detailed. This is one of his very best. It's a great demonstration that an SF story doesn't need to have a futuristic environment to work well and we can focus on the human element quite well without being nothing but space battles (which I DO clearly appreciate).
His understanding of leadership, strategy and tactics is as usual awesome, and combined with great storytelling and thoroughly engaging characters makes a vet enjoy this story, as well as all of his other contributions to DiD well worth the time.
4: A Fresh Start by rlfj There's a lot of "do over" stories out there, but this one will make you think. A lot. Wonderfully written with engaging characters, it's an uplifting read that might just have you thinking about what legacy you want to leave on this planet. Any story that makes you reflect on yourself and your role in the world like this is a winner. In my opinion, this is the best of the genre.
5: A Shepherd No More by ShadowWriter A brilliant introduction to the idea that someone of faith might find a useful place in the Swarm environment, with great writing and memorable characters. Knowledgeable and intelligent, this great writer managed to steal an idea I'd had and at least start it better than I could have myself.
Best of all, the characters aren't shallow caricatures of how such people might act, although it would have been wonderful if the author had continued to explore the philosophical the concepts he introduced. Perhaps he will pick this back up and I would be very happy if he did, but at least it starts you thinking about ideas that may be unfamiliar, which I appreciate a lot. A short, but worthwhile read.
6: The Preacher Man by hammingbyrd7 A brilliant concept and wonderful writing by one of SOL's best. Sci-fi should have more stories about love for one's fellow man and what we would be willing to sacrifice for it, and this emotional masterpiece will haunt you for days after you can't stop reading it. What would the world be like if there was someone out there who could make the pain go away, and would we appreciate it? Wrap yourself in this wonderful read, and find out!
7: The Grim Reaper by rlfj Another jewel by rlfj, which shows he's got some serious chops when writing about special operations and infantry tactics. Should be on the required reading list for the USMC, but they're not going to recognize this little corner of the world. Wonderfully detailed, with a great central character and supporting characters, and a stellar example that soldiers don't fight because of what's in front of them, they fight because of what is behind them that's so much worth fighting for.
8: Pretty CAPable by Kenn Ghannon There's a reason this is sitting at the top of reader rankings in the Swarm cycle. This wonderfully written adventure is full of memorable characters, brilliantly devised storylines and is a real pleasure to read. It probably has one of the best handling of the cultural aspects of the Confederacy as well. Definitely a must-read for lovers of the Swarm Cycle!
