I recently finished reading Michael A. Stackpole’s Warrior trilogy for the BattleTech tabletop and roleplaying games launched by the Fasa corporation all the way back in 1984. Though Wikipedia says that this is not the first trilogy written for the tabletop universe, some of my own research into the publication of these books renders their dates somewhat dubious. At any rate, these books were the first to move the entire plot of the franchise universe forward in its chronological time-space, which makes them more of an interesting read than you might think. For other tactical tabletop and roleplaying games such as Warhammer and War Machine, the source books and campaign books usually carry that load. But here, you get an entirely fleshed out story of the warring dynasties of the great houses that rule the various successor states vying for control of the galaxy. This means that the events in the book actually change the state of the universe you might be playing your game in! I thought that by showing you all the covers created for the various reprints over the years might help you appreciate how many people have been interested in this science fiction epic, even beyond its original tabletop context. The original printing doesn’t even have Battle-Mechs on the cover!
Another reason I might be interested in recommending these books to an interested reader has to do with the framework of the story. Stackpole tells the story of several warring dynasties by shifting narrative perspectives between individuals and families in various settings ranging from the battlefield to the bedchamber. Sound familiar? And this was written quite a handful of years before George Martin supposedly started writing A Song of Ice and Fire. That doesn’t mean that Stackpole originated this style, but while reading, I definitely experienced a sense of pace and perspective that was incredibly reminiscent of watching the Game of Thrones TV show. And though the political intrigues and power strategies perpetrated by the various noble houses play center stage in the BattleTech novels, fans of Martin and GoT may find Stackpole’s novels lacking at the near absence of bombastic soap opera twists and minimal portrayal of the depths of human depravity.
But while the books may be fascinating within their own time and place, they are not for everyone. While Stackpole had been writing for some time, these are his first novels. And while nothing about them seems amateurish, I found some parts of the storyline to be rather dry and to drag on at what felt like a slow pace. Also, I did not find all of the human relationships, as well as the dialogue sinewing those relationships, to be totally convincing. Nothing about the characters or their actions and motivations feel inhuman, but a practiced hand, deft at subtly illustrating the intricacies of the human heart was noticeably absent at some key moments. Also, much of the ‘Mech combat seemed to take a back seat to the greater story. I didn’t mind this, but I would expect depictions of three-story robot warriors battling to the death to be a little more colorful. On a side note, the books have a very 1980s take on Japanese culture, and I absolutely love it.
All told, I would recommend Stackpole’s Warrior trilogy to anyone who can handle some dry writing and might be interested in BattleTech’s richly intriguing world of a post-shattered galaxy federation filled with warring dynasties, noble family discord, political intrigue, espionage, assassination, honor, betrayal, and, of course, giant curb-stomping robots.
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