H. Paul Honsinger is the
author of the "Man of War" Series, the first two volumes of which were a hit in self-publication and that are now being issued in mainstream
publication by 47North Press, a Division of Amazon Publications.
The first volume, "To Honor You Call Us," has a release date of February
18, 2014 with the second, "For Honor We Stand" being released on March
11, 2014. The third volume, "Brothers in Valor" is expected in the
Summer/Fall 2014 time frame.
All three volumes will be
available in Kindle eBook, paperback, and audio editions (from
Brilliance Audio, narrated by top-drawer voice actor Ray Chase).
The "Man of War" Trilogy is expected to be followed by other volumes set in the same universe, at a rate of one to two a year, for years to come.
Space and military history are H. Paul Honsinger's life long passions. In
elementary school watching the Gemini and Apollo missions in the
classroom or at home with his family, he would translate the space
jargon radioed to Earth by the astronauts before the TV network
commentators could explain the terminology.
Lacking the physical
attributes to be an astronaut or a soldier, and not endowed with the
mathematical ability essential to become an Aerospace Engineer or an
Astronomer, he "settled" for a career in law. But, the study of space
and war have always been a part of his life. He became an amateur
astronomer, made himself an expert on the history of space exploration
(if you ever tell him that the moon landings were a hoax, expect an
argument; expect to lose), and never stopped studying the history and
the art of war. He started reading science fiction at the age of seven
(starting with "Between Planets" by Robert Heinlein) and has been a
lifelong fan of the genre. He also developed an interest in military
history upon seeing the movie "Patton" on television in 1972 when he was twelve. He has spent years studying in detail the campaigns of
Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, Lee, Grant, Jackson, Halsey, and Patton
and - perhaps most significantly - thinking deeply and precisely about
what it would be like if the stories about combat in space he read and
saw on the screen were told in a way that made scientific and military
sense.
He never thought he would be a fiction writer. His wife,
Kathleen, one day pointed at his computer chair and said: "Sit. Start
writing. Now." The result was the first draft of Chapter 1 of "To Honor
You Call Us" (the Prologue was written later). Paul tremulously
presented it to Kathleen and asked "am I wasting my time?" She said "no" and the rest of the novel followed. Paul's goal is simple: to write
military science fiction done right - stories in which the alien enemies
are believable foes, fighting for a plausible reason, with weapons that
don't violate the laws of physics, and where the tactics used by both
sides make some sort of geometric and military sense. He wanted to bring to space the same kind of realistic adventure one finds on the sea in
the novels of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester. Why not, he thought,
tell realistic human stories against the background of a realistic
military conflict that just happens to be set 300 years in the future?
And why not try to evoke in the imaginations of readers vivid images of
what the lives of these men would be like, fighting for the survival of
mankind among the stars, thousands of light years from home?
Paul believes that, even though it is usually set in the future, Science
Fiction can be as "real" as any other literary genre. No matter what
instrumentalities he may control, no matter.
