It’s always a pleasure to meet a favorite author. This past week, I was able to introduce my class to Stephen Hunter, who pens the Bob Lee Swagger series and is, unquestionably, more knowledgeable about firearms and their use than anyone else writing in mainstream fiction today. I’ve corresponded with him for years, but this was my first opportunity to meet the man face to face.
As intelligent in conversation as he is in print, Steve in the flesh is a down-to-earth regular guy, and very much One Of Us. The class loved his commentary on the interface between the gun culture and the mainstream media today, a topic he is eminently qualified to discuss by virtue of his many years at the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post, from which he is now retired.
If you haven’t read Hunter’s work, do yourself a favor and dip your toe in that water. I enjoyed his first book, “The Master Sniper,” back around 1980 when the publisher sent me a review copy, but he had me at “Dirty White Boys.” That said, my single favorite is his non-fiction “American Gunfight,” a deeply and superbly researched account of the attempted assassination of President Harry Truman.
Now, I just have to meet Larry Correia, who is to science fiction what Stephen Hunter is to mainstream novels…
This is the class…
…that got to meet Stephen Hunter.
Now I’m really Jealous Mas! You have the same look on your face that most of us had the first time we met you!
As knowledgeable as Robert Bidinotto? 🙂
Maybe I’ll like his non-fiction better…I read “I, Sniper” after the feature about Hunter came out in American Rifleman awhile back. I found the author pretty cool, but the book was just so-so. Being an ex-newspaper guy myself, I was a little disappointed. Oh, well, I bet he’s probably getting along nicely without me as a fan!
I noticed AR also did a feature on Brad Thor, another prolific and pro-gun author. I wonder if I’ll like his work…
TXCOMT
I absolutely love Hunter’s writing, but I have to agree with TXCOMT about “I, Sniper”. It wasn’t one of Hunter’s best works. The one that got me was “Pale Horse Coming”. I had a great time in figuring out the real people who the characters were based on. Not really hard if you’re old enough to remember the old shooting scribes. There was one that absolutely stumped me and I couldn’t come up with the real-life counterpart. I finally ran down Stephen’s email and asked him about it. He was kind enough to respond right away with the answer. I recognized the name immediately.
I think my brother reads his books.
Mas, this blog article was brought to Larry’s attention on facebook. Here’s what he said:
“I’ve been a fan of Massad Ayoob’s writing since college, so having him be a fan of mine is pretty damned cool.”
I ran across a copy of Stephen Hunter’s Point of Impact at a PX in some godforsaken part of the world. Great book, he hooked me good and I’ve read many of his other books. Similarly, Larry Correia hooked me with a free download of Monster Hunter. I’ve since read everything he’s written, and I don’t think that will change. I am sure that Larry would love to meet with you as well!
TXCOMT just a note and it goes for guys who haven’t read Hunter’s full catalog as well. Hunter’s earlier books are often felt by hard core fans to be his best, later books while at least in my opinion good aren’t honestly as good as the earlier stuff. Also there is something to be said for being invested in the characters after reading lots of books that exist in the same basic world that makes the latter books more enjoyable if you’ve read all the books leading up to them.
So short version start with the first books since they do go in series to a degree and I think you’ll find more enjoyment as you get into his newer books because the whole world is better fleshed out. Despite some errors here and there about age of certain people or background I still find his work to be the most enjoyable modern author particularly about guns.
Larry Correia though is also very good but a very different type of author as well as books. That said I very much enjoy his work as well even though it’s different.
Luke Adams
Your interest in meeting him was posted to Larry’s Facebook page and he’s equally interested in meeting you 🙂 He’s scheduled to be in New Hampshire on October 29th for a signing tour at The Toadstool Bookshop, 586 Nashua Street, Milford, NH
The ONLY way to read the Bob Lee Swagger series is to start at POINT OF IMPACT. Read them in order, they will make more sense then.
Congrats on meeting a great writer! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading his work, even though Swagger sometimes comes off as a bit of a ‘superman’.
When do you think you will be written into one of his books? 😉 Read ‘Pale Horse Coming’, with Hunter’s *homage* to some great shooters and gunwriters of the mid-’50s…
I am a big Stephen Hunter fan also. It makes me smile to see two people I admire in cahoots.
I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Mr. Hunter at the ’14 Shot Show. Mas, I felt like you. Also, he’s the second Pulitzer Prize winner I’ve met…….I just feel so fortunate.
I read all of the Bob the Nailer series as well as American Gunfight, a great book. Hunter’s take on the JFK assassination in one of his novels was also interesting. He’s an author who I keep following to see when his next book finally comes out. Like the other 100 folks who reserve it in the libe right before me.
Jeez, Mas, I just remembered who Larry Correia is have read SF for 60 years. I have to disagree strongly, I think the Sad Puppies are a blight on SF and pathetic folks, hate mongers.
I have been a fan of Stephen Hunter since I read “Pale Horse Coming”. I have read many of his works and he really seems to know his stuff. He also has appeared on Midway’s “Gun Stories” ans NRAs American Rifleman TV. I understand that he has quite a gun collection that includes machine guns. When he talks I listen.
Mas, here’s a link to Larry’s tour schedule from his blog.
http://monsterhunternation.com/2015/06/04/book-tour-schedule-2/
We are fortunate to have an advocate of liberty like Stephen Hunter among us. I have read three of his books, and plan to get through all of the others. Go Bob Lee!
Sorry to see the first reported fatality due to bear attack this year, one Lance Crosby in Yellowstone Park. I was hoping we would get through the year without even a serious mauling. Hikers, please heed the advice of Ernest Wolff in “Handbook for the Alaskan Prospector” in 1969: ” …men are attacked and killed occasionally, and the infrequent exception is the one against which (we) must guard.” Ernie was big on the .375 H & H, and couldn’t yet be familiar with the deterrent power of .500 S & W bear spray, for example.
I’m not familiar with Stephen Hunters work, but I’ll definitely add him to my “get around to list.”
Anyway it’s always nice to meet an author whose books you’ve enjoyed and find out he’s a nice guy in R/L.
Mas – I hope that you get to meet Larry Correia, he comes across in his blog as somewhat combative, but he also comes across as articulate and intelligent.
He’s a good writer, and gets it 95% correct! 🙂
American Gunfight…without a doubt the best real life account of a gun battle ever written.
To anybody who have only read a recent book, it pays to go back and start from the beginning. Dirty White Boys was the first one I read, but ther are a few before I believe. One of my favorites was the Seventh Samari, one that doesn’t feature any guns. Plenty bloody though.
Thanks for the tips, y’all…Hunter must be like Clancy; I liked Tom’s earlier works better than his newer tomes. “Red Storm Rising” is my favorite and that’s a really old title that doesn’t even feature his hero, Jack Ryan! Again, I appreciate the advice!
TXCOMT
I’d like to meet John Taffin as well.
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