C.T. Phipps Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 David Weber. *ducks* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sologdin Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 OH CT PHIPPS NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Well, they do sit around in board rooms and repeat the same shit over and over and then just bomb shit with drones... So it's certainly realistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maarsen Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Sam Delaney, most specifically in his novel Triton, which I really should reread at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 There is a long tradition of political novels (as differentiated from "political fiction" such as Animal Farm and even Disraeli's novels such as Coningsby) which are neither fantasy nor historical fiction. For a single instance, probably everyone is familiar with Michael Dobbs's House of Cards, on which both the Brit and the Netflix series are based. Allen Drury's novels were very popular when he was alive and writing them. Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men is still a brilliant work of political and regional fiction that illuminate the time in which it was set -- and now, with the rise of you know who aiming at the White House, illuminating for our time as well. The Brits do it very well -- see Anthony Trollope's Palliser series and his The Way We Live Now -- as they do spy fiction, and, of course spying and politics are often impossible to separate, yes? The Russians do political novels well too, see Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate (1959). Also Norman Mailer's Harlot's Ghost is compelling, as is Robert Littel's The Company. For historic political fiction, Gore Vidal's history of the U.S. Narratives of Empire is one of the finest. Just as often detective / police fiction is filled with politics, both municipal and in the station house -- even state and federal. So, if the OP says this question isn't referring specifically to fantasy genre fiction, isn't the question moot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martell Spy Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Sharon Kay Penman The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett Dune Robin Hobb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo498 Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 I found the "politics" in the first two Farseer books very sketchy and about as plausible as someone successfully faking a priest/monk by answering "pax vobiscum" to every question... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanF Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 13 hours ago, Martell Spy said: Sharon Kay Penman The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett Dune Robin Hobb I thought the politics in Prior Philip's monastery, and the political relationship between him and the Bishop were handled very well. OTOH, I thought the secular politics were handled implausibly. The Earl's children would never have been left on their own in an empty castle, after their father had been arrested. They are valuable hostages. Either the King would want to take control of them, or his enemies would. And, the Earl's son would certainly not be clueless about fighting at the age of 14; he would have started learning to handle weapons at the age of seven (indeed, would probably be another lord's squire by now and close to earning his knighthood). Sir William Hamleigh could never have made good his threat to try Earl Richard for killing a commoner who had assaulted Lady Alienore - no other lord would have stood for that. And, Lady Alienore would never have married a mason, however low her fortunes had fallen, still less tolerated that mason wanting their son to go into the building trade, rather than succeeding her brother as Earl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry of the Lawn Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 14 hours ago, Martell Spy said: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett As a mason and a human, I strongly disapprove if this book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 1 hour ago, larrytheimp said: As a mason and a human, I strongly disapprove if this book. Its one of those romance books disguised as historical fiction things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanF Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 19 hours ago, Jo498 said: I found the "politics" in the first two Farseer books very sketchy and about as plausible as someone successfully faking a priest/monk by answering "pax vobiscum" to every question... Hobb can write well about politics. Serilla, in Liveships, is a very well-drawn character. She's a skilful politician and bureaucrat, who is horribly traumatised by having been raped on the orders of her boss. Overall, the politics and social climbing of Bingtown is described very well. But, I'd agree the politics in Farseer is pretty sketchy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BklynBlazer Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Robert Caro's LBJ biographies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexMachina Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 The sketchy politics in Farseer pays off though, as you see the Six Duchies develop a lot over the course of the series. I think that is in part intentional Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorn Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 I second the recommendation of Gore Vidal. I would particularly recommend Lincoln. Instead of the Civil War, it instead focuses on the White House intrigues between Lincoln and his cabinet, particularly his political rivals inside the cabinet such as Chase and Seward. It's not a book I expected to like so much based on the short description, but it is very well written. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanF Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 3 hours ago, HelenaExMachina said: The sketchy politics in Farseer pays off though, as you see the Six Duchies develop a lot over the course of the series. I think that is in part intentional There's certainly an economic boom under Kettricken's and Dutiful's government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winter's Breath Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 I just finished the lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. It takes some time to develop, but there is some intense political intrigue. It is especially good because there are numerous competing characters who are very smart; not just one or two, which is more realistic in government. Every interaction with the White or the Red are awesome, in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 David E Coe does it well, and is under rated in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord of Rhinos Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 A Trial of Blood and Steel by Joel Shepherd. A fantasy series in which a holy crusade against an elf like race is being prepared. First book is about the politics of a kingdom which is asked to join. The royal family and the nine provinces of the kingdom are deeply divided about joining in and the issue proves a flashpoint for old grievances and grudges to be settled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 David B Coe. Stupid auto correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lone Rider Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 I've always had a soft spot for Napoleon's machinations in Animal Farm. Hillary Mantel's Wolf Hall did a good job of painting a picture of the Tudor courts too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.