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BattleTech Universe
BattleTech: Weapons Free
Weapons Free: COMBAT HONOR BETRAYAL DEATH. A man scrabbles to find the BattleMech that will make his fortune. A deadly tank gunner ponders the cost of his calling. An iconic battalion fights its last battle. And in the Deep Periphery, desperate stirrings of horrible weapons breed rumor and betrayal... Weapons Free: a print anthology of 16 short stories, 15 previously published online on BattleCorps plus one previously unpublished story.
Contents:
*Foreward: introduction • by Jason Schmetzer
*Cockroaches / short story by Jason M. Hardy)
*The Unkindest Cut of All / short story by Phaedra Weldon [as by Phaedra M. Weldon]
*Growing Up / short story by Herbert A. Beas II
*Sniper / short story by Jason Schmetzer
*Biendieu / short story by Annie Reed
*When the Bears Left / short story by Dan C. Duval
*Theseus Knot / short story by Colin Donnelly, David McCulloch
*The Gulf of Reason / short story by Jason Schmetzer
*The Bitter Taste of Hope / short story by Steven Mohan Jr.
*Pledges of Allegiance / short story by Dayle A. Dermatis
*Making a Name / short story by Jason Schmetzer
*The Last Day of Zeta / short story by Jason Schmetzer
*Eye of the Beholder / short story by Ben Rome
*A Guy Walks Into A Bar... / short story by Jeff Kautz
*Blitzernte / short story by Kevin Killiany
*A Distant Thunder / short story by Phaedra Weldon [as by Phaedra M. Weldon]
*About the authors
.
Contents:
*Foreward: introduction • by Jason Schmetzer
*Cockroaches / short story by Jason M. Hardy)
*The Unkindest Cut of All / short story by Phaedra Weldon [as by Phaedra M. Weldon]
*Growing Up / short story by Herbert A. Beas II
*Sniper / short story by Jason Schmetzer
*Biendieu / short story by Annie Reed
*When the Bears Left / short story by Dan C. Duval
*Theseus Knot / short story by Colin Donnelly, David McCulloch
*The Gulf of Reason / short story by Jason Schmetzer
*The Bitter Taste of Hope / short story by Steven Mohan Jr.
*Pledges of Allegiance / short story by Dayle A. Dermatis
*Making a Name / short story by Jason Schmetzer
*The Last Day of Zeta / short story by Jason Schmetzer
*Eye of the Beholder / short story by Ben Rome
*A Guy Walks Into A Bar... / short story by Jeff Kautz
*Blitzernte / short story by Kevin Killiany
*A Distant Thunder / short story by Phaedra Weldon [as by Phaedra M. Weldon]
*About the authors
.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2012
11 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 30, 2021
This was another solid collection of BattleTech stories from all across the Inner Sphere, so to speak. The first few stories weren't the strongest, but this collection really starts to ramp up as you get mid-way and we explore some very interesting aspects of BattleTech lore.
Stories that stood out for me:
Sniper - one of the rare stories that paint a tank pilot as a major force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. He's not all-powerful or anything like that, but his ability to make the most of his Schrek PPC Carrier is pretty amazing while still believable.
When the Bears Left - a short piece set during the Star League era, but it was very tightly written and presented a strong story.
Making a Name - brings us back to the early days of Wolf's Dragoons in the Inner Sphere and gives us a plausible reason for the long-running enmity with Waco's Rangers. It's also a glimpse of Zeta Batallion.
The Last Day of Zeta - interestingly places right after the last story to feature Zeta Battalion, but now during the Jihad period when they end up facing unbeatable odds. Very different look at such an interesting unit.
A Guy Walks Into a Bar - pretty good angle for a story that is sort of heist-ish but not quite. Certainly plays to the strength of a team of diverse individuals working towards a common goal without being strictly military.
Special Credits:
Biendieu - really tried something different by viewing things like BattleMechs from a more primitive mindset.
The Bigger Taste of Hope - another Red Knopesh story
A Distant Thunder - Setup for a longer story. But I can't quite determine how good it is until I read more of it. Sarna warns the story isn't quite finished, but hopefully, the article is just out of date?
Stories that stood out for me:
Sniper - one of the rare stories that paint a tank pilot as a major force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. He's not all-powerful or anything like that, but his ability to make the most of his Schrek PPC Carrier is pretty amazing while still believable.
When the Bears Left - a short piece set during the Star League era, but it was very tightly written and presented a strong story.
Making a Name - brings us back to the early days of Wolf's Dragoons in the Inner Sphere and gives us a plausible reason for the long-running enmity with Waco's Rangers. It's also a glimpse of Zeta Batallion.
The Last Day of Zeta - interestingly places right after the last story to feature Zeta Battalion, but now during the Jihad period when they end up facing unbeatable odds. Very different look at such an interesting unit.
A Guy Walks Into a Bar - pretty good angle for a story that is sort of heist-ish but not quite. Certainly plays to the strength of a team of diverse individuals working towards a common goal without being strictly military.
Special Credits:
Biendieu - really tried something different by viewing things like BattleMechs from a more primitive mindset.
The Bigger Taste of Hope - another Red Knopesh story
A Distant Thunder - Setup for a longer story. But I can't quite determine how good it is until I read more of it. Sarna warns the story isn't quite finished, but hopefully, the article is just out of date?
December 31, 2024
Interesting read
I really enjoy reading all these short stories set in battletech universe covering all kinds of different characters and situations
I really enjoy reading all these short stories set in battletech universe covering all kinds of different characters and situations
October 8, 2012
I agree with the other reviewer, Brandon. Some of the short stories left me wanting more, while others seemed very pointless. There was even a story or two that in the anthology that seemed completely unrelated to the Battletech universe.
The Stories I Liked:
Cockroaches
Growing Up
Sniper
When the Bears Left
Thesues Knot
A Gulf of Reason
Making a Name
The last Days of Zeta
Eye of the Beholder
A Guy Walks into a Bar on Solaris VII
A Distant Thunder
The Stories I Didn't Like:
Biendieu
The Unkindest Cut of All
Pledge of Allegiance
The Bitter Taste of Hope
The Stories I Liked:
Cockroaches
Growing Up
Sniper
When the Bears Left
Thesues Knot
A Gulf of Reason
Making a Name
The last Days of Zeta
Eye of the Beholder
A Guy Walks into a Bar on Solaris VII
A Distant Thunder
The Stories I Didn't Like:
Biendieu
The Unkindest Cut of All
Pledge of Allegiance
The Bitter Taste of Hope
September 3, 2012
A decent set of Battletech stories. The quality was uneven between the various authors.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews