[Ouroboros]

For those of you not familliar with it, this is a real goodie. It's a splatterpunk sci-fi tale of armoured suits, survival instincts, and millions of murderous aliens on a dustball called 'Banshee'.

Steakley wrote in an interview that he wanted to pay tribute to Heinlein's Starship Troopers by doing something he felt Heinlein could not : write really fluid action scenes. As in Vampire$, Steakley manages this by breaking many rules of 'good' writing, using a lot of run on sentences, fragments and generally pissing all over the conventions. This makes him unreadable for some people, but his action scenes kind of look like disjointed poetry once you get your head around them.

(Mild *spoiler* below)

The point of this thread it to mention that he has also mentioned that at some point a sequel is on the way, and that the fate of the main protagonist, Felix, can be extrapolated from the plot if you look closely enough.

So two quick questions:-

-Any of you people heard anything about the sequel lately?

and

-Does anyone want to offer their own theory on what happened to Felix?

[Duraccione]

I've read "Armor" some months ago and fell in love with it (except for chapter two, I felt Jack Crow's story a bit too much annoying) and consider it one of the best sf books I've ever read: so reading that a sequel is on the way...this turns my hopes on! ;)
To reply your questions (spoilers, of course):


-Any of you people heard anything about the sequel lately?


As written above, no. :D


-Does anyone want to offer their own theory on what happened to Felix?

On the wings of enthusiasm, I thought he managed to enter the spaceship (which is almost clear with the last scene taken from the camera) and swept away the pirates' crew and the boss. But, after having done this, the ship was so much damaged it wasn't possible to drive it anymore, and so he just floated adrift; in the worst of my theories, the ship blew up during shooting, but I soon aborted this thought (bad doom for such an indomitable and brave warrior).
Lately, when I considered the novel again, I hoped some ship from Golden met the Coyote and him alive (he should have no big troubles to survive in his suit, given some kind of Can to recharge batteries), allowing him to return his planet and...who knows. ;)
But the ending is open to whatever sequel one plans, there are many open plots (Eyes, for example) and many stories which could offer a good starting point for a whole new novel (war on Banshee, what's behind Ants and their technology, destiny of all the people Felix met,...)
Btw, have you noticed that it's better not to meet Felix on the battlefield? All who did died...

[Ouroboros]

Originally posted by Duraccione
On the wings of enthusiasm, I thought he managed to enter the spaceship (which is almost clear with the last scene taken from the camera) and swept away the pirates' crew and the boss. But, after having done this, the ship was so much damaged it wasn't possible to drive it anymore, and so he just floated adrift; in the worst of my theories, the ship blew up during shooting, but I soon aborted this thought (bad doom for such an indomitable and brave warrior).

The passage in the book is quite ambiguous. On first reading, it seems like he's just rammed a fist into some vital drive component which probably made the whole thing go 'Boom', but this seems less and less likely when as is mentioned in the book the ship was never recovered, and presumably that means wreckage as well.

So I think, like you, that it prolly survived at least semi-intact....

If we take the easy way out and then just take Steakley's word for it (from his interviews, online somewhere) that Felix is alive and kicking, then the suit and it's five days of isolation supplies (minimum) are probably to thank, like you say. And, as the Masao said about Felix - he couldn't die unless someone killed him :D Even if drifting in space for weeks bored out of his mind, he would have gritted it out.

Borglyn's crew? Well, I suppose if they couldn't take him out on the planet surface with all their heavy gear in place, then their chances on a ship with hand weapons were exactly ... ooh.... zero :D


But the ending is open to whatever sequel one plans, there are many open plots (Eyes, for example) and many stories which could offer a good starting point for a whole new novel (war on Banshee, what's behind Ants and their technology, destiny of all the people Felix met,...)

I'm curious about Borglyn's background, actually, I'd like to know more. It's insinuated that he was either on Banshee or at least knew the truth behind the Antwar -- maybe he and Felix actually might have had a lot to talk about, if they sat down to it ... another possibility is that once inside the ship, negotiations opened, and Felix and Borglyn cut some sort of deal based on a mutual agenda of really, really really hating Ants and wanting to avoid the proper authorities.

I figure the Jack Crow avenue is pretty much closed, but maybe Golden would have a big role to play in the next book. And I wonder if the Masao had a successor, and if so .. who?


Btw, have you noticed that it's better not to meet Felix on the battlefield? All who did died...

I was very very shocked when the Masao bought it. That guy rocked... for eight pages or so.

You are
What you do
When it counts.



-The Masao

[Duraccione]

I'm curious about Borglyn's background, actually, I'd like to know more. It's insinuated that he was either on Banshee or at least knew the truth behind the Antwar -- maybe he and Felix actually might have had a lot to talk about, if they sat down to it ... another possibility is that once inside the ship, negotiations opened, and Felix and Borglyn cut some sort of deal based on a mutual agenda of really, really really hating Ants and wanting to avoid the proper authorities.

I didn't like Borglyn, but his background is interesting for the mistery it is wrapped in. Borglyn was likely a Navy, but wasn't a brass because when they mutinied they executed all the CO's (and mutineers aren't CO's, usually): I exclude he could know deeply the plans and the politics behind the Antwar (he just knew the same informations all the common people were allowed to know). He was Navy - just like everyone - but addressed to the ship personnel career (I guess it from the Coyote, which is a relatively small ship), not infantry, so I don't think he was ever on Banshee: maybe he saw the planet from a port, but never put his feet on there. But after having read what you wrote, I remembered that somewhere he alludes at something he knows about the war (today I wasn't able to find that dialogue in the book): my impression was that he was bluffing to get an advantage point on Jack Crow, surely he'd never told those informations to Crow, whom Borglyn (it seems to me) disdained, but whose utility and fame he needed.
Indeed, it's also thinkable that, after getting control of the ship, he watched all the classified documents and discovered something people shouldn't know. At this moment he could know something others do not : and given that we know almost nothing about the Antwar, his informations could be precious to us. ;)

About the chat between Felix and Borglyn, I don't think it possible: when the Engine took control of Felix, he wasn't able to act as a man, not even to talk. The last scenes with him show that he already went berserk (running among explosions, jumping on the leaving ship, punching the hull...), so I just think that he simply killed killed killed. But if, supposing, Felix and Borglyn would have talked nonetheless, I think Felix would never agree to collaborate with him: Borglyn's hate for ants isn't the same Felix' (who gets even a special pleasure...), but, most of all, Felix himself, when possessed by the armor, is more a fighting type than a talking one... ;)

I figure the Jack Crow avenue is pretty much closed, but maybe Golden would have a big role to play in the next book. And I wonder if the Masao had a successor, and if so .. who?

I hope so (for Jack Crow); about Golden, there is much the reader liked to discover about this planet. No idea for the Masao, but probabily, given the peculiar social order on Golden, his is another vacancy... :D
Btw, a thing I never understood: why IYO did Navy want to fire only Felix after the Masao's death? He wasn't responsible for the bombing. And why slicing Kent before he could talk?

I was very very shocked when the Masao bought it. That guy rocked... for eight pages or so.

The Masao was a cool guy, the one in the whole book who managed to make him smile and talk: I agree, he rocked. :) Nonetheless I was more shocked when Forest died: what left me stuck was the abruptness it happened. She was suffering (we never know what happened to her, I don't think she was dying due the nuke) but she speaks with Felix and suddenly she dies...I liked her spirit, her ability to survive, she was the right partner for Felix, his exact opposite (as Steakley writes, "realism vs. resignation" or something similar).

Could you tell me the links where you found the Steakley's interview about the sequel?

[Ouroboros]

Btw, a thing I never understood: why IYO did Navy want to fire only Felix after the Masao's death? He wasn't responsible for the bombing.

I got the impression that when Felix reappeared aboard ship with the dead Masao in his arms, and a hole in his suit which might have been caused by something like blazerfire, everyone basically panicked. Felix probably had a reputation as a shell-shocked veteran nutter anyway.

I mean- it would be like me materialising on a stage just after a private chat with George W. Bush, his dead body cradled in my arms. You can bet that the secret service would assume that the worst and terminate my ass or lock me away for a long and painful debriefing.

So reckon Kent, realising this, and knowing Felix, donned his suit and did what he had to do (finally being a real hero) to get Felix to the yacht and off the ship.


And why slicing Kent before he could talk?


Someone probably panicked and hit him with a large blazer on the flight deck, or something. He'd already taken out two guards, they probably thought he'd gone nuts...

She was suffering (we never know what happened to her, I don't think she was dying due the nuke) but she speaks with Felix and suddenly she dies...I liked her spirit, her ability to survive, she was the right partner for Felix, his exact opposite (as Steakley writes, "realism vs. resignation" or something similar).

I think it was about them looking at each other "Warrior to Warrior, Pragmatist to Fatalist". I liked the fact that even with totally different outlooks on the war, they were both essentially warriors at their root.


Could you tell me the links where you found the Steakley's interview about the sequel?

The page is just a 'John Steakley Appreciation page' which has a message board and a few interviews .. I don't have the URL any more, but if you enter that into google I'm sure you'll turn it up.

[Chlestron]

It's been too long since I read that book. I have a Gibson book around somewhere that's next on the "to-read" list... but if I can't find it I might give Armor another go.

[starcrzr]

Then Engine only focus is to survive. It will do anything to keep Felix, its other personallity alive. It wouldn't do something to the ship that was suidcidial to its existance. But all else BEWARE it will destroy anthing thats gets in its way.
Great story, I wonder if the people of his home world geneticly bred this trait of split personallality into there rulers

[Duraccione]

I got the impression that when Felix reappeared aboard ship with the dead Masao in his arms, and a hole in his suit which might have been caused by something like blazerfire, everyone basically panicked. Felix probably had a reputation as a shell-shocked veteran nutter anyway.

I mean- it would be like me materialising on a stage just after a private chat with George W. Bush, his dead body cradled in my arms. You can bet that the secret service would assume that the worst and terminate my ass or lock me away for a long and painful debriefing.

So reckon Kent, realising this, and knowing Felix, donned his suit and did what he had to do (finally being a real hero) to get Felix to the yacht and off the ship.

Someone probably panicked and hit him with a large blazer on the flight deck, or something. He'd already taken out two guards, they probably thought he'd gone nuts...

You know? I think you are right... :D I didn't even considered that, it was an agitated situation (well drawn in the book) and I met some difficulty in understanding everything. Thanks for the explanation, youo made clear to me a couple of cryptic pages. :)

I think it was about them looking at each other "Warrior to Warrior, Pragmatist to Fatalist". I liked the fact that even with totally different outlooks on the war, they were both essentially warriors at their root.

Same for me.

Let us know if you find more news/interviews about this sequel! ;)

[bigbry]

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I actually met and have exchanged e-mails with John Steakley, very nice man but not very forthcoming with details to the sequel. Was mildly involved in Vampires (the movie)........and has some very interesting things to say about who was really in the ship at the end......

Visit here (http://members.aol.com/Alpern/main.htm) for a great fan site.

It used to have several interviews and he was know to have been in several chats that were archieved. They seem to be missing now, but are worth reading if they go up again.

bryans