Eric Pinnell see my web site wrote in message

I haven't purchased a fiction book since. . .

1) Who are you favorite espionage/war authors and why?

For techno-thrillers, Craig Thomas. They are more thrilling, and the
situations more muddied, ala real life, than the 1 to 2 dimensional characters
of Clancy (everyone calling doctors "doc" or using the greeting "howdy" being
among the things that to grate on me). Not sure what you mean by "war"
authors. What genre? Historical fiction? Modern "what if" scenarios?
Historical fiction David Westheimer and Alastair McClean.

2) Who are your least enjoyable espionage/war authors and why?

I don't know. I tend to not read books that I do not like. There was this
Ozzie author who wrote a series of books on WWIII, but I only read one of them
and it was bad. Really bad. I mean terribly stinking bad. It had a modified
Seawolf SSN that carried six Trident SLBMs (being hunted by a Kresta II
somewhere west of Iceland IIRC), an American POW hero-type, who single handedly
stops the Soviet's last "Big Push" by destroying its almost entire fuel supply
by tossing his Zippo onto a leaking fuel drum. . . Oh, it was simply horrible.

3) What determines if the book you read is a keeper or a reject?

If it interests me. I tend not to throw out books though. Seems sacreligious
to do so.

4) Other than 38 North Yankee and Red Phoenix, have you read any books
about a war in Korea? If so, what are the titles?

Never read 38 North Yankee. Red Phoenix was ok (the opening battle sequences
were outstanding), but no other "what if" book on Korea. The only other work
of fiction on Korea I've read is a historical fiction book by Patrick somebody
or somebody Patrick entitled Hold Back the Night. It was about the Chosen
Resevoir and was quite good.

5) Assuming a book was well written about a war in Korea, would you
read it, or do you believe the Korea scenario has been overdone?

Probably not as I only read non-fiction these days for the most part. As for a
"what if" book, Korea seems like the only place left for a conventional "WWIII"
book, but as we are now envolved in a real shooting war not involving Korea, I
really don't see a market (unless the War on Terror is factored in). Why read
fiction when one can see the real thing on TV?

6) Do you prefer war or espionage stories?

Generally war.

7) What story would you like to read?

Fiction? The War of the Last Alliance or at least a more detailed version of
the War of Eregion. Short of Tolkien being reincarnated, I don't think that
is likely.

8) Do you still buy espionage/war novels, or do you feel that the
genre is overdone?

No. Spy novels will always be around, but for the most part, the era of the
techno-thriller is dead.

9) If you've reduced or stopped purchasing espionage/war novels, what
other genres do you read instead?

Military history, but as for fiction, Tolkien and some Asimov (tho' the latter
is a poor writter and his stories are pretty lame, but I find his "universe"
interesting).

--
Regards,

Michael P. Reed