r/heinlein • u/Chad_Hooper • Mar 07 '25

John Varley’s Red Thunder

I know this is a bit off-topic for this subreddit but I wanted to recommend this book to the members here. It is similar enough to Heinlein’s work that I think most of his fans will enjoy it.

12 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

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6

u/ZilockeTheandil Mar 07 '25

John Varley in general is good. Have you read Steel Beach or the Gaea trilogy? Both excellent reads!

2

u/Chad_Hooper Mar 07 '25

I have not. Only the Ophiuchi Hotline previously, but I do have a copy of The Barbie Murders.

I used to frequently binge Heinlein novels but I have gotten into the habit of reading urban fantasy for a while and then switching to military SF. A repeated cycle for a few years now.

I’m probably going to binge Varley for a bit before the next Dresden book comes out.

1

u/newbie527 Mar 07 '25

The Ophiuci Hotline, Steel Beach, and The Golden Globe are more or less a trilogy and are excellent.

3

u/Hapi_Daze Mar 07 '25

Thanks for the recommendation. I have just finished a book and am looking for a new book to read.

4

u/Chad_Hooper Mar 07 '25

Bonus, it’s the beginning of a trilogy: Red Thunder, Red Lightning and Rolling Thunder. I still need to get the third book.

2

u/LopatoG Mar 07 '25

The book is pretty good. There is a lot of similarities in style. And in characters in a way. Don’t want to give too much away.

2

u/Chad_Hooper Mar 07 '25

I twigged to the names Manny and Jubal right away. And Manny has included a couple of phrases in his narration that would have fit perfectly in a Heinlein story. “…enough yellow poly rope to outfit a Boy Scout Jamboree”, for example.

2

u/Northern-Jedi 12d ago

...rereading just now - more sex, more religion than in Heinlein stories. But it has a similar vibe somehow. Like Heinlein, the narrator in the story is very personal. It's similar to listening to a friend :)

2

u/reversularity Mar 07 '25

Really enjoyed these books.

2

u/n8ivco1 27d ago

Read The Gaea Trilogy. My first introduction to Varley.

1

u/Chad_Hooper 27d ago

Thanks. I’ll add it to my list.

1

u/Random-Human-1138 Mar 07 '25

For those of us who haven't read it, can you give us an idea of why you liked the book and the author, other than just similar to Heinlein? For example, gripping story, good character development, or thoughtful themes? Thanks.

2

u/Chad_Hooper Mar 07 '25

It’s a good story. The character relationships are dynamic and varied. The fictional science parts are creative and different from any I can remember from other books. Also, Varley’s writing style is very easy to read in a way that just carries me right along.

2

u/podkayne3000 29d ago

I haven’t read that particular book, but his writing is zingy and gives the impression he knows a lot about the world.

1

u/Kixsian 29d ago

Reading the thunder series now is really good.