Safehold

Last updated
The Safehold series
Off Armageddon Reef cover.jpg
Author David Weber
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Tor Books
PublishedJanuary 9, 2007
Media typePrint
No. of books10

Safehold is a science fiction book series by David Weber, currently consisting of ten titles, the latest released in January 2019. The series is mostly set around the 31st century, on a distant world dubbed "Safehold" where a group of humans are in hiding from the Gbaba, an alien enemy responsible for the end of all other human civilization.

Contents

The humans on Safehold avoid detection by reverting to a pre-electrical, pre-industrial technology base. This status is enforced by a religious belief system discouraging scientific curiosity and forbidding any higher technological innovation on penalty of death. The threat of the Gbaba is barely mentioned in the books so far; the main issue is the divergence of the official church from its original aims versus the outlying areas which deny the leadership of the corrupt vicars.

Every book after the first has a name taken from a hymn.

Plot

Series background

In the 24th century humanity has spread to other planets to create the Terran Federation, made up of Earth and its colonies. Explorers discover the remains of an alien civilization and the enemy that destroyed it, the Gbaba. Ten years later the Gbaba attack humanity and despite their preparation, the Terran Federation's forces are annihilated. Attempts by the survivors to flee and form new colonies are largely unsuccessful, with the exception of a single terraforming team led by Pei Shan-Wei. They name this new world Safehold. To avoid drawing the attention of the Gbaba, who keep sharp eyes out for any signs of advanced technology, drastic measures are taken to avoid any form of industrialization. The eight million surviving colonists have their memories re-written, with only the original command crew allowed to retain any of their prior knowledge.

Much to Shan-Wei's horror, the administrator tasked with re-writing the memories, Eric Langhorne, has his own plan: to set up a new society where he is worshipped as the leader of a race chosen by divinity. Shan-Wei is unable to stop Langhorne, whose faction demonizes and ultimately kills Shan-Wei and her supporters. Centuries later, it is discovered that Shan-Wei had a backup plan: she hid an android containing the personality and memories of Nimue Alban, a sympathetic Terran Federation Navy tactical officer, in a room full of technology and weapons. Upon awakening Nimue is tasked with destroying the Church, saving humanity, and eventually defeating the Gbaba.

Volumes

  1. Off Armageddon Reef (2007) [1]
  2. By Schism Rent Asunder (2008)
  3. By Heresies Distressed (2009)
  4. A Mighty Fortress (2010)
  5. How Firm a Foundation (2011)
  6. Midst Toil and Tribulation (2012)
  7. Like a Mighty Army (2014)
  8. Hell's Foundations Quiver (2015)
  9. At the Sign of Triumph (2016)
  10. Through Fiery Trials (2019) [2]

Development

When Weber initially began work on the series he planned the series to span a minimum of nine books. [3] In his site's FAQ section, Weber has commented that he chose to use a divergent spelling of the name Nimue partially in order to suit the voice-activated software he uses during writing. [4]

Weber has an interest in history, which he applied to the Safehold series - on his website he notes that the series "gives me an opportunity to write about "wet-navy" warfare that hasn't come my way very often, which probably pushes up the "enjoyment quotient" to a least some extent." [5]

Themes

The series contains themes of religion and personal decision-making and choices, which Weber noted in a 2014 interview with the Tor/Forge Blog are common elements in his body of work. He stated that he sees "technology as a liberating force, although (like religion) there’s always a Darth Vader dark side waiting for the unwary." [6]

In the same interview Weber commented on readers picking up on themes of gender roles in the Safehold series. He specified that he did not include this as a "deliberate marketing point" as he just "[happens] to prefer strong, competent people who are willing to take chances for the things they believe in (even when they’re not necessarily the things I might believe in), regardless of whether they’re male or female." He further answered that he sees this as "not so much a case of challenging gender roles as it is of simply ignoring them." [6]

Other themes in the series include the blending of "elements of science fiction and fantasy as well as human government as an Empire". [7]

Release

The first novel in the series, Off Armageddon Reef, was first published in hardcover in the United States during 2007, through Tor Books. [8] Subsequent novels in the series were released each following year, also through Tor Books, until 2012. The seventh book in the series, Like a Mighty Army, was released in 2014 through Tor Books. [9] The releases for the eighth and ninth books in the series were released in 2015 and 2016, respectively. [10] [11] The tenth book in the series, Through Fiery Trials, was published in 2019. [12]

The novels have received audiobook adaptations; Like a Mighty Army was released in 2013 through Macmillan Audio and was narrated by Oliver Wyman. [13]

Reception

Critical reception for the Safehold series has been generally positive and the novels typically place in the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Best Seller List for their week of release. [14] [15]

Reviews and honors

The Guardian found Off Armageddon Reef to have a predictable ending and called the character development "perfunctory", but applauded Weber's pacing and vision. [16]

Donald Jacob Uitvlugt reviewed the first two books in the series for Ray Gun Revival in January 2009, writing that "The concept of this series is a very clever one" as it allows the author to "play with the best fantasy tropes in an SFnal world", creating "an almost perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy". Uitvlugt also praised Weber for creating "well developed characters" and an "epic series" that he compared to "George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire without the relentless, depressing plot". [17]

New York Times and sales

Off Armageddon Reef was a cumulative bestseller, [18] entering the New York Times Best Seller list at number 33. [19] The placement of subsequent novels improved, with By Heresies Distressed debuted at number 11 on the July 17, 2009 New York Times best selling hardcover fiction list and remaining on the list for two additional weeks, [20] placing at number 30 for the week of July 30, 2009. [21] [22] A Mighty Fortress was met with similar success as it placed at #9 for its first week of release and remained on the list for a total of three weeks before dropping off the list. [23] [24] [25]

Like a Mighty Army is, as of Through Fiery Trials, the entry with the highest debut on the New York Times hardcover fiction best seller list, placing at #5 for its first week of release. [26] The placement of the following novels for their first week of release dropped, with Hell's Foundations Quiver, At the Sign of Triumph, and Through Fiery Trials debuting at #16, [27] #14, [28] and #12, [29] respectively.

Awards and honors

Safehold has been nominated for several awards, beginning with the 2009 nomination of Off Armageddon Reef for the Arthur C. Clarke Award for best science fiction novel published in the United Kingdom. [30] The second novel in the series, By Schism Rent Asunder, was nominated for the 2009 Prometheus Award. [31] The series would be nominated for this award again in 2011 for A Mighty Fortress. and in 2013 for Midst Toil and Tribulation. [32]

In 2016 the eighth entry, Hell's Foundation Quiver, received the Dragon Award for the Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel, marking the first time that the series won a major award. [33]

Honors include Off Armageddon Reef placing on Booklist's list of top ten SF audiobooks for 2008. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Flint</span> American author and editor (1947–2022)

Eric Flint was an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his works are alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures. His works have been listed on The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Locus magazine best-seller lists. He was a co-founder and editor of the Baen Free Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ringo</span> American science fiction and military fiction writer (born 1963)

John Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers. He has over seven million copies of his books in print, and his works have been translated into seven different languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana Gabaldon</span> American author (born 1952)

Diana J. Gabaldon is an American author, known for the Outlander series of novels. Her books merge multiple genres, featuring elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and science fiction/fantasy. A television adaptation of the Outlander novels premiered on Starz in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobias Buckell</span> Grenada-born American writer

Tobias S. Buckell is an American science fiction writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Butcher</span> American fantasy author (born 1971)

Jim Butcher is an American author. He has written the contemporary fantasy The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and Cinder Spires book series.

<i>Off Armageddon Reef</i> 2007 novel by David Weber

Off Armageddon Reef is a science fiction novel by American author David Weber, published by Tor Books. It is the first book in the open-ended Safehold series. It follows a group of survivors who have settled a planet they name Safehold, a place where they had sought to escape from a terrible war, but that becomes the scene of a new struggle to uphold the principles of human civilization.

<i>By Schism Rent Asunder</i> 2008 novel by David Weber

By Schism Rent Asunder is a science fiction book by American writer David Weber. It is the second book in the open-ended Safehold series, after Off Armageddon Reef. The publication date was July 22, 2008. The third book in the series is named By Heresies Distressed

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Weber</span> American science fiction and fantasy author (born 1952)

David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written several science-fiction and fantasy books series, the best known of which is the Honor Harrington science-fiction series. His first novel, which he worked on with Steve White, sold in 1989 to Baen Books. Baen remains Weber's major publisher.

<i>Castle</i> (TV series) American crime comedy-drama TV series (2009–2016)

Castle is an American crime mystery/comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC for a total of eight seasons from March 9, 2009, to May 16, 2016. The series was produced jointly by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios.

<i>By Heresies Distressed</i> Novel by David Weber

By Heresies Distressed is a science fiction novel by American writer David Weber, published by Tor Books. It is the third book in the Safehold series. It debuted at number 11 on the July 17, 2009, New York Times best-selling hardcover fiction list, number 25 on the July 24, 2009, list, and number 30 on the July 30, 2009, list.

<i>A Mighty Fortress</i> (novel) Novel by David Weber

A Mighty Fortress is a science fiction novel by American writer David Weber. The fourth book in the Safehold series, it was published by Tor Books on April 13, 2010. It debuted at #9 on the New York Times Bestseller List for hardcover fiction, following in the steps of previous titles in the series which also debuted on the list. The book dropped to #24 in the second week, then to #29 in week three before dropping off the list, for a total of three weeks on the list.

<i>The Stormlight Archive</i> Series of epic fantasy novels by Brandon Sanderson

The Stormlight Archive is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author Brandon Sanderson, planned to consist of ten novels. As of 2023, the series comprises four published novels and two novellas, set within his broader Cosmere universe. The first novel, The Way of Kings, was published on August 31, 2010. The second novel, Words of Radiance, was published in 2014 and debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller List, followed by Oathbringer in 2017 and Rhythm of War in 2020. A fifth novel, tentatively named Wind and Truth, is expected to be released December 7th 2024, while writing for the latter half of the series will begin after Sanderson finishes writing the upcoming Era Three Mistborn trilogy and the two Elantris sequels.

<i>How Firm a Foundation</i> (novel) Novel by David Weber

How Firm a Foundation is a science fiction novel by American writer David Weber. The fifth book in the Safehold series, it was published by Tor Books on September 13, 2011. The novel debuted at #8 on the New York Times hardcover fiction best seller list. The title of the novel comes from the hymn of the same name.

<i>A Rising Thunder</i> 2012 novel by David Weber

A Rising Thunder is a science fiction novel by American writer by David Weber, released on March 6, 2012 by Baen Books. It is the thirteenth novel set in the Honorverse in the main Honor Harrington series. The novel was originally split into two books due to its size, leading in a delay of publication.

<i>Lord John</i> series Mystery novels by Diana Gabaldon

The Lord John series is a sequence of historical mystery novels and shorter works written by Diana Gabaldon that center on Lord John Grey, a recurring secondary character in the author's Outlander series. Secretly homosexual "in a time when that particular predilection could get one hanged," the character has been called "one of the most complex and interesting" of the hundreds of characters in Gabaldon's Outlander novels. Starting with the 1998 novella Lord John and the Hellfire Club, the Lord John spin-off series currently consists of six novellas and three novels.

<i>Dune</i> prequel series Five sci-fi trilogies prequel to Dune

The Dune prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's original six novels, which began with 1965's Dune. In 1997, Bantam Books made a $3 million deal with the authors for three Dune prequel novels, partially based upon notes left behind by Frank Herbert, that would come to be known as the Prelude to Dune trilogy. Starting with 1999's Dune: House Atreides, the duo have published 15 Dune prequel novels to date.

Jay Kristoff is an Australian author of fantasy and science fiction novels. As of 2022, he has published 16 novels, both for adult readers and young adults. He currently resides in Melbourne.

This is the complete list of works by military science fiction and space opera author David Weber.

<i>Forerunner Saga</i> Trilogy of science fiction books

The Forerunner Saga is a trilogy of science fiction novels by Greg Bear, based on the Halo series of video games. The books in the series are Halo: Cryptum (2011), Primordium (2012), and Silentium (2013). The books were released in hardcover, e-book, paperback, and audiobook. Bear was given little restriction on the story of the novel; the Halo universe had not yet been explored in that time period.

References

  1. ↑ Sass, Bill (April 8, 2007). "Mankind retools under the alien radar". Edmonton Journal (Newspapers.com).
  2. ↑ Weber, David (15 June 2018). Through Fiery Trials (Safehold): David Weber. Tom Doherty Associates. ISBN   978-0765325594.
  3. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions ||". DavidWeber.net. Retrieved 2024-03-27. David is currently anticipating that the Safehold series will be a minimum of nine books. And, he is currently planning for the humans of Safehold to run back into the Gbaba at some point...but that's all the details I could squeeze out of him!
  4. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions || David Weber". DavidWeber.net. Retrieved 2024-03-27. And, for that matter, I should probably admit that one reason — subconsciously — that I did it may have been that the voice-activated software I use can differentiate between Nimue and Naimu cleanly and easily, which is not the case where many of the other alternatively spelled names that I've assigned in this series are concerned.
  5. ↑ "David's Interviews || David Weber". DavidWeber.net. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  6. 1 2 "Throwback Thursday: An Interview with David Weber". Tor/Forge Blog. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  7. ↑ Bedford, Robert H. (2012-01-20). "The Rest is History: David Weber and John Ringo's March Upcountry". Reactor. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  8. ↑ Weber, David (2007). Off Armageddon Reef (1st ed.). New York: Tor. ISBN   978-0-7653-1500-7. OCLC   70867041.
  9. ↑ Weber, David (2012). Like a Mighty Army. New York: Tor. ISBN   9780765321565.
  10. ↑ Weber, David (2015). Hell's Foundations Quiver. New York: Tor. ISBN   9780765321879.
  11. ↑ Weber, David (2016). At the Sign of Triumph. New York: Tor. ISBN   9780765325587.
  12. ↑ Weber, David (2019). Through fiery trials. Safehold series (First ed.). New York: Tor. ISBN   978-0-7653-2559-4.
  13. ↑ Weber, David (2013). Like a Mighty Army. Macmillan Audio. ISBN   9781427235411.
  14. ↑ Falejczyk, Jacek (January 2011). "Fahrenheit nr 70: Fahrenheit Crew - Recenzje (3)". www.fahrenheit.net.pl. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  15. ↑ "Title: Off Armageddon Reef". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  16. ↑ Brown, Eric (2 February 2008). "Virtual heist". The Guardian .
  17. ↑ Uitvlugt, Donald Jacob (2009). "RGR Reviews - Book Review". Ray Gun Revival. January.
  18. ↑ "Cumulative SFFH Books on 2007 General Bestseller Lists". Locus. 12 February 2008.
  19. ↑ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . February 11, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . 2009-07-17. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  21. ↑ "Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . 2009-07-30. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  22. ↑ "Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . 2009-07-24. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  23. ↑ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . April 30, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . April 23, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . May 7, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . March 9, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . November 1, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . November 27, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times . January 27, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  30. ↑ "ACCA 2009 - the long list". The London international festival of science fiction and fantastic film. April 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
  31. ↑ "Prometheus Award for Best Novel -- Nominees".
  32. ↑ "Prometheus Award for Best Novel -- Nominees".
  33. ↑ "2016 Recipients – The Dragon Award" . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  34. ↑ Moyer, Jessica (May 15, 2008). Top 10 SF/Fantasy Audiobooks: 2008. Booklist.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.