Murdoc has been remiss in not mentioning this sooner:
The Veil War by Stephen Gustav
The Veil is a door between worlds, long closed. One day, it opens. Through the door come creatures half-forgotten, creatures of legend and myth. We feared them once – for a reason. They want blood, dominion, and power. And they have the power to take it.One company of Marines is trapped in Iraq, pursued and hunted by the invaders. This is their story.
Murdoc’s not very far in, but it’s a good read so far. Nine chapters online already. And it looks like there are plans to keep it churning. This is a great example of web fiction. Free installments, Marines, and goblins. What’s not to love?
I know we’ve got a number of military SF readers here and this could be right up their alley.
There are also a number of options to subscribe or follow The Veil War on the About page.
Murdoc’s toyed with something like this in the past but never followed through. This has got him thinking again.
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I’m trying to figure out a way to work in the USS Iowa land battleship idea but no luck yet.
That would be Murdoc’s FAVORITE BOOK EVER.
(Notice the all caps)
I will redouble my efforts.
Hmmm. Magical equivalent of EMP weapon disables nuclear fleet, so Iowa put back into service…
No that won’t work… still has electronics and you’d still need like 5,000 sailors who know how to work the thing. Or…ok, ok…maybe you just need a few dozen guys to make the guns work that one final time when it counts?
Failing that, how about a giant just throws it at somebody…?
Orc wizard casts transmute rock to mud on Iraq, allowing the Iowa to sail right in. It’s there because of a previously-cast temporal distortion (just made that up) but it is incapable of turning the tide.
Then Gandalf (who looks just like Billy Mitchell due to the temporal distortion””) shouts “FLY YOU FOOLS!”, the USS Enterprise arrives, and the Dauntless dive bombers of Bombing 6 and Scouting 6 hit the orcs while their flight deck is packed with loaded planes.
Or maybe just keep reading THE VEIL WAR because it’s, you know, good.
It would be better if Gandalf looked (and sounded) like Billy Connolly.
Dae ye no ken my surrender terms wee goblins?
I have a nuclear bomb here; it’s a cracker; it will kill every f*er this one. It’s a f*ing cracker.
As a matter of fact *hair toss* this is the only bomb in the world that cockroaches are frightened of. It’s a f*ing beauty!
(borrowing slightly from Nuclear weapons segment from Billy & Albert: BC at the Albert Hall)
“*hair toss*” brilliant.
Which would be pretty much like the Mighty Enchanter Tim from the Holy Grail, except better.
This sounds exactly like Ringo’s “Through the Looking Glass”.
Wait, wait, wait. Just hold up here for a second.
How has there been no discussion of infantry in Haldeman/Heinlein armored suits thus far in this thread?
Too busy with battleships so far. You know how it is.
The Veil War is a real breakthrough in fiction, because it features *magic* powered armor. Thus upstaging sf hacks like Haldeman and Heinlein.
Because it’s magic.
You know, *magic*
And I’ll thank you now to replace my keyboard, covered as it is with laugh-snot.
We are not responsible for incidental damage to computer equipment.
Hey, that’s kinda like magic, too. Say an incantation, and you are protected from harm!
Magic!
@bram I didn’t read that one – but if I remember my back cover blurbage, wasn’t it about aliens and warp gates?
Yeah, that’s the one. It was excellent. Highly recommended.
THE VEIL WAR (though I’m not very far) puts a fantasy-style twist on that basic concept. Certainly doesn’t feel like a clone, to me, though I am sure that there will be some overlap given the similar ground.
Alternate casting for LoTR:
Gandalf – Billy Connolly
Aragorn – Michael Biehn
Boromir – Duane Johnson
Legolas – Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Gimli – Vin Diesel
Elrond – Brad Pitt (cuter than australian dude)
Arwen – Kristen Bell
Galadriel – Cate Blanchett
Saruman – Billy Connolly
Radagast – Billy Connolly
Sauron – Billy Connolly
Just cut the hobbits and recast the whole thing as an action flick.
This would be a sacrilege, a travesty, and an insult to the original vision. I would not stoop to see it more than three or four times.
Just imagine LoTR as Being John Malkovich, only with Billy Connolly instead of John Malkovich.
I also like the twist of Cate Blanchett as Galadriel. That’s frikkin BRILLIANT.
Wait, why would you make Gimli gay?
Did you see the movies? They already did.
You ever see any girl-dwarves?
Ehhhh…. outside of a web site catering to a very specific audience, no.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Or in this case, maybe there is.
Marilyn Monroe was tres petite, would she count?
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-24/hollywood-auction-ends-myth-of-zaftig-marilyn-virginia-postrel.html
Cheers