The Exasperating Case of David Weber, or, The Slow Death of the Honorverse – John Lennard

Lennard’s essay is as much a tribute to the early Honor Harrington books as a condemnation of the later ones. One doesn’t write a book-length essay to condemn a series that was never worth reading; Lennard’s disappointment comes from the degree to which a once-excellent series of books has gone downhill.

He does well in explaining the technical weaknesses of the later books. They are much longer than the earlier ones, but contain less story. The difference consists of bloat - infodumps that get in the way of the story, a proliferation of minor characters and subplots that walk across the stage for a few pages and then disappear, a proliferation of sheer prolixity. This has a lot in common with poor editing.

Lennard does less well in explaining what is missing - what Weber would have to do to book 20 or 30 to make it as good as book 2 or 3. The answer can’t simply be to subtract content.