What do you do when the story ends? So often, you get invested in someone’s universe and then you find out they will never finish it. So I wish to introduce you to and honor the great H. Paul Honsinger, a great sci-fi author who I never got a chance to meet.
He was a retired attorney, but also sold cars, counselled wayward youth, and did many things in his checkered career. After he retired, he decided to pursue writing, and created a great character named Max Rochambeau. Of course, when you grow up in Louisiana, you meet a lot of coon-asses (Cajuns).
The Man of War series is a great series of books. If you’re a fan of Patrick O’Brien, you will recognize the origins very clearly – he took the captain / doctor concept that the Master and Commander series and translated it into Outer Space. It’s a great space opera and you really enjoy the crew and the story of them fighting against impossible odds.
Now certainly I didn’t agree with all his artistic choices. For example, he built the universe so that women weren’t serving – he explained it well, but I think it certainly detracted from the story. However, as my father-in-law said, “If you don’t like my story, write your own!” So once you accept the limitations of the universe, it’s a great ride.
The sad truth is that he lived in northern Arizona near Las Vegas and actually attended conventions in Phoenix… but I decided to skip the one he attended. Now I won’t get the chance to thank him and tell him how much I loved his work.
Which author do you wish you had met? Let me know in the comments below!
Albigensia Press 
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