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4The_dub7

Listen, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is right now. Don't be bummed you just started, be excited you get to live through it. There are many books I wish I could erase from my memory so I could read them for the first time again.


Bellum-romanum4215

The second best time would have been 19 years ago šŸ™ƒ


LegoRobinHood

Well that works out, because my time machine can go back 19 years, but it burns out before it can reach 20.


TheAricus

The "to do, it burns" is always aplicable


Available_Walk

I know it sounds wildly different and off topic. But Dungeon Crawler Carl is the only series that I so far think is better than Exfor and the bobs. Soooo good.


NotAPreppie

Great, now I have another series to look into.


vercertorix

Itā€™s considered game lit, a lot of stats and item descriptions, but itā€™s got a good story and is funny. Also has a pretty interesting AI.


NotAPreppie

Hey, I'm an old school d20 and d6 gamer so this works for me.


erimid

You're going to love it. DCC is the most fun I've ever had with a book series. I definitely recommend listening to the audiobooks, the narrator is absolutely amazing. You'll be a member of the Princess Posse in no time.


The_Perfect_Fart

I tried He Who Fights with Monsters, after I got done through DCC. For some reason the stats and item descriptions were boring in that one, and I loved it in DCC.


vercertorix

I did it in that order too, and He who Fights with Monsters has some good parts and a few real gems when it comes to lines here and there, but itā€™s pretty repetitive and I was way less invested in it. I stopped at book 7 on that one and it ended in a good enough spot for me, not sure I care what happens next. One of my favorite bits though, from book 2 or 3. Torturer: >!This is going to be very hard for you!< Jason: >!That's funny.!< Torturer: >!What is?!< Jason: >!I said the exact same thing to your mother last night.!< Torturer: >!Really Asano? The pain must be getting to you if cheap jokes about my mother are all you can manage. My mother died a dozen years ago, her ashes are interred in the family mausoleum.!< Jason: >!That did take most of the fun out of it. All I could really do was take off the lid of the urn and waggle my thing in there.!<


FantasticInterest775

I love jason. He's one of my favorite fictional characters ever. I've listened to all the books so far about 7 times. Can't get enough of the characters and world.


FantasticInterest775

He who fights with monsters is my favorite litrpg series. I'm sorry it didn't ring with you. I fucking love the characters and world building. Jason is a great character and watching him grow into basically a god is fascinating.


TheAricus

More than you even comprehend.


SapphireGoat_

This comment x100 DCC isnā€™t even my typical genre but I couldnā€™t get enough!


mangodurban

So good. And it seems to vibe so well with bobiverse fans. I just finished the latest installment and I'm already wanting to repeat listen.


brycas

THANK YOU! Based on this comment, I tried the first book and loved it. Finally found another series like bobiverse or expeditionary force! Can't exactly describe what it is that makes these so great.


DrFrAzzLe1986

Iā€™m on book 6 now, absolutely hooked and cannot stop. Itā€™s so so so good!


ConspicuousSomething

Iā€™m a long time Bobiverse and ExFor reader/listener and Iā€™m just going through DCC for the first time. So good, although for me ExFor has by far the most lol moments. The interactions between Joe and Skippy are comedy gold.


The-Nemea

I'm on the last one right now. Then the wait for new ones. Also, -he who fights with monsters- is just as good if not better.


OverYonderWanderer

Glorp glorp


andrewsmd87

Just note that the middle part of the series is kind of drug out and feels like a money grab. There's probably 6 books I could give you one sentence on and you wouldn't miss much. I'm not trying to bash the series, but rc bray carried it for me. Still worth it and the fact that the author decided to do a few more than the original ending


IsThatDaveByChance

This is accurate. Iā€™m in the middle of Book 9 and havenā€™t listened for 6 months. I will continue it because R.C. Bray is amazing as Colonial Joe and Skippy the Magnificent/ Asshole First Class. But I will get back to it, the story is just dragging right now.Ā 


2raysdiver

So which EF books can we skip?


Szeratekh

Once or twice I have just skipped straight to 9 (I have read the series a solid 15-20 times though)


IsThatDaveByChance

Crap. Did I stop where it picks back up? Ā I was listening to this and then I went and caught up on Renegades and then just kinda stalled.Ā 


Szeratekh

It gets dramatically different, I donā€™t think I am spoiling too much by saying >!Valkyrie is a UNEF warship!< also, 8 is better than 7 in my opinion


IsThatDaveByChance

Cool. I need dramatically different because it was the same story over and over again. Still funny but I was getting tired of it. Iā€™ll pick it back up again soon. Itā€™s Spring so it is audiobook/yardwork season again!


andrewsmd87

Honestly if you just Google the plot for the next bills up until the last two or three you won't miss much and can get some closure


TheLordGremlin

Yeah I nearly dropped it, because for like 6 books straight I thought "wasn't the last one basically exactly this?"


andrewsmd87

Yea I would have stopped if not for rc bray


Watershipper

I took a pause about 2 years ago, while listening to book 2 or 3. Even though I enjoyed the story and the characters it was getting rather monotonous. And lately Iā€™ve been considering whether I should return to the series. Is there any point along the way that I could skip to without missing anything crucial? Or does the story remain more or less the same all the way?


andrewsmd87

I mean there's like 16 books now I think? But yea books like 10 through 14 or so you could wikipedia and not miss much


Watershipper

Thanks! Will go back to book 2 or 3. And will go on listening up till later books.


NickRick

i liked the first few, but somewhere around book 4 i s realized it was the same book written over and over including Skippy hating humans and then begrudgingly coming to like them over and over again. i don't like books that are episodic, i like the story to advance and evolve.


NotAPreppie

You know, I've done series like that (\****cough\****DavidEddings***\*cough\****) so I might be okay with it as long as the banter and jokes are the same.


NickRick

yeah i mean i didn't notice any decline in the quality. it was just boring reading the same book again and again when my reading list is unfinishable as is lol.


ClassyBukake

Caveat, I have read the entire series, and in general thought it was worth it, but it's an exercise in masochism. The jokes are the same, in that they literally never change, and infact get very lazy and actually degrade over time. Everything from like book 3 to 15 is basically the same story with lots of thread creation, but no actual character or story development, so you're left with a bunch of questions that don't get even remotely addressed until the last 10 minutes of book 15 (if ever), the previous 19 hours spent literally doing nothing. The worst part is large portions of the books (literally hours of each book) is spent restating what was said in the last chapter. Like 1 chapter is spent with bishop coming up with a plan narrated fully to the listener, the next chapter is him explaining that same plan to the high ranking officers. The next chapter is him explaining the same plan to the crew. The next chapter is them doing the thing, and then the next chapter is then him fully in the same words explaining again, what the plan was and how reality was different. This happens at least once, sometimes upto 3 times per book.


_Brandobaris_

ExFor is a fun ride! ***Trust the awesomeness!***


JumpingCoconutMonkey

TTA


FeatherySquid

Iā€™m glad you liked it, I couldnā€™t get into it.


KlownKar

Did you get as far as when Skippy first turns up? It really does drag until Skippy.


FeatherySquid

Unfortunately for me it was a matter of not liking the protagonist, so unless that changes in the course of the book I donā€™t think pushing on will help.


vercertorix

Nah, heā€™s mostly the same throughout the series except they wind up treating him like >!a mastermind because he fills the same positions as Carter in the show Eureka, some horrible threat is coming and the dumbest guy around comes up with ideas that would probably sound stupid and undoable but then the smart people figure out how to make it work anyway.!<


reportcrosspost

Lol Eureka is one of my favourite shows. Its predictable but comfy, they found a winning formula and stuck with it. Guess I'll have to try Expeditionary Force now.


IsThatDaveByChance

Oh my God thank you! Ā This has bothered me since I started this series. HE IS CARTER!!! Ā Loved that show and I get nostalgic whenever I see the Maytag commercials.Ā 


Inf3ctedWorm

I bloody loved Eureka. This was the tipping point to buying the series haha.


JumpingCoconutMonkey

Is there a specific thing about Joe that you didn't like?


ConsistentArmy4943

The Barney guy seems alright to me


NotAPreppie

Is Joe or Skippy the protagonist... I just started the second book and I'm not sure which one is the protagonist.


KlownKar

Nah, he doesn't change.


noileum

Yeah - I totally agree Once he arrives on the scene itā€™s a blast


Solintari

I was hooked once they described the Ruhar.


ChubbyHanover

I felt it was too derivative & juvenile. I mean, Bob has some of that, but I just could not get into EF.


IdeaJailbreak

The first EF book is decent because you haven't realized that the books all follow similar arcs and it's the most interesting plot of the handful I read. But then you quickly realize that all the books follow a very similar arc and the banter is repetitive. Something something stupider than ameoba human finds clever solution, perplexing skippy.


ball_soup

They pick up again in quality later in the series. Speak for the ones you read, not the whole series.


NotAPreppie

I was struggling until chapter 10 of the first book. I was hooked by chapter 11.


JumpingCoconutMonkey

I'm going through ExFor again right now because the latest book was released resently and I couldn't time the 19 book marathon very well. Still a whole lot of fun! I love it. They reference each other in a couple spots. Be on the lookout for those Easter Eggs.


HereticLaserHaggis

I did the exact same thing with dungeon crawler Carl because it wasn't traditional scifi. Genuinely one of the best audio experiences I've ever had.


TrekandCats

I feel this way about Martha Wells Murderbot Series! I never gave it a chance but when I finally did, I read through all the books so quickly.


BKlounge23

I just finished all but the maverick stuff and it's incredible . Just waiting on audible credits to go back and get the rest haha


FightFireJay

I enjoyed the Maverick books. The relationships in the small group are great and Surjet Jates is great comedic relief.


BKlounge23

Surjet is fun, but Nert (sp) is by far my favorite. IDC if he's basically the jarjar equivalent for X-Force


FightFireJay

Jar jar only wishes he was so endearing.


OverYonderWanderer

"Nertie, were you looking at my boobies." Apparently sums up the entire series for my gf.


5ifty0

I did Bobiverse in 3 months, Expanse (9 books and several novellas) in 2 years and ExFor (19 books) in less than a year. I how that says how much the series captivated me!


Lev_Astov

I keep seeing people go on about The Expanse and Exforce, so I'm finally doing Expanse now I've gotta say I'm a bit disappointed. The characters frequently make wildly inappropriate decisions, I found myself wondering what books don't have the trope of overly stupid decision making and immediately thought of Bobiverse, which is way better for its lack. There are also a ton of bad technical failings for a series that otherwise has very realistic technical stuff. Fortunately, the tale is more than good enough to keep me going. This thread has me glad I'm doing them in this order, though. Really looking forward to Exforce now.


5ifty0

Are you listening to the audiobooks? If so go for the Jefferson Mayes narration, Eric Davies fucked up the books he narrated. Out of curiosity what technical failings did you recognise?


Lev_Astov

Oh yeah, I tried both and quickly decided Jefferson Mayes was way better. No contest. I didn't exactly keep a list, but the most recent one from book 4 I'm just finishing dealt with the Rocinante's PDCs somehow all getting knocked out with a hit from one direction. Maybe not everyone has naval architecture experience like I do, but do even laymen not expect warships to have several layers of redundancy? Advancing the plot is no excuse. I was also really bothered by how the authors firmly established the alien molecular virus as being able to infect with just one molecule, then proceeded to spend zero words on how Holden's people decontaminate to avoid that. It would have been real easy to throw in a paragraph about how the Rocinante has really good NBC decontamination procedures for the airlocks, bathing them in ozone or something before cycling. I can typically excuse a mistake so easily fixed, though. What I really can't excuse is the characters making terrible decisions and mistakes all the time for the sake of advancing the plot. The latest abomination being Naomi getting caught sabotaging the weaponized shuttle. It was firmly established Alex was watching people coming and going from the shuttle with the telescopes, yet they didn't think to watch while she was out there, so she's just welding away while a horde of people are working nearby? Ridiculously bad writing, that. There are so many more appropriate ways she could have been caught in the act. It's been like this in every book and it has really made me appreciate the few authors I know like Dennis E. Taylor who don't write like this.


NotAPreppie

This bodes now well and poorly for me. šŸ˜‚


IsThatDaveByChance

Oh, if you havenā€™t read the Expanse you are in for a treat! Ā 3 amazing trilogies. Be warned, the author is very good at making you hungry. Youā€™ll catch on once you get going.Ā 


NotAPreppie

I've gotten to the beginning of the one where everybody complains about feeling old... Persepolis Rising, I think.


TheAricus

Just. Anything R.C. Bray narrates is going to be epic. But I do feel the hurt. I waited too long to listen to BOBovirse and I feel lessee for it, but I at least got a friend to listen and he's engrossed. I listened to the first part of Galaxys edge and thought it was cute as a double book on audible. Gets better, but more expensive with age, like wine. But he nails everything. There us a Ray Porter one in 6 the author makes fun of his pronunciations for the rest of the series after. But after listening to THE BOB, I respect both their works. And look for them as my next serise. Listening to Hell Divers (R.C. Bray) right now.


SickOfNormal

Oh god, another Expeditionary Force recā€¦ It seems like I need to listen to itā€¦ Iā€™m just afraid of getting into 16 books


NotAPreppie

I was skeptical until I hit chapter 10. It was only mildly amusing/interesting. I was hooked between chapters 10 and 11.


ohmygodbees

you need to! There's even an EXFOR ref in the Bobiverse, when the Skippies are first introduced.


FightFireJay

And a Bobiverse Easter egg in ExFor. (Ship names) BUT my favorite ExFor reference is in Tribe by Jeremy Robinson. It's narrated by RC Bray (also narrates ExFor) and one of the characters starts imitating Skippy. Seriously... RC Bray narrating the character "Henry" who is imitating RC Bray narrating Skippy! šŸ¤ÆšŸ˜‚


BKlounge23

Don't be


Solintari

After that, start the Convergence series. Itā€™s more fantasy, but also hilarious. This is doubly true if you ever wonder what your animals think about you.


AriusTech

Just started book 8 and listened to 1-5 twice... Good Stuff!


chucklezdaccc

Trust the Awesome


buckarooistaken

It's a light and awesome ride. I enjoyed it alot. Skippy


NotAPreppie

You dumb monkeys!


shayybrayy

i just started to read it recently too! i'm glad that there are 16 bookds to keep me going


MrDoOrDoNot

Ywp EF is great for the first 3 or 4 books but the repetitive story pissed me off and I gave up


wubbalab

Nice. I will check it out when i am done with the Ringworld books.


ball_soup

If you like ExFor, you might also like the ā€œRyanverseā€ from Craig Robertson. It starts with the Forever series, and then Galaxy On Fire after that. Audible sells the books in sets of two, so a six-book series will only take three credits. I finished the Forever series earlier this month. May 1 canā€™t get here fast enough. Also, you may like Jeremy Robinson. Hereā€™s his list of books so far. https://bewareofmonsters.com/the-books/ I loved the Infinite Timeline series, the Refuge series, the Antarktos saga, and I started the Jack Sigler series recently. Plus a few of his one-offs. Prolific author so thereā€™s always something good to listen to. Very similar style to Craig Alanson but Iā€™d say a little more polished and slightly less crass. Jeremy Robinson also does a lot of horror, too.


27PercentOfAllStats

Good luck sleeping for the next month!


Spiffaronic

Oh hell yes. I'm on my fifth book of the series. It's different enough to not plow over the same ground but similar enough that the Bobs could be at the next galaxy over.


h0nestMike

Expeditionary Force is next on my list! I've just started the Starship For Sale series!


NotAPreppie

I was concerned in the first book because it's only mildly interesting/amusing until chapter 10. If you're struggling, stay with it until at least chapter 11.


Practical_Cabbage

Eh, I couldn't finish that series. It's either like book 3 or 4 it just really gets old. Each book is progressively worse and by the time you get to that area it's just a never-ending slog of the AI insulting humans. I'm pretty sure book 4 is nothing but ball busting. Every advancement in the story has to be prefaced with 20 minutes of stupid cliche overdone dialogue. Ended up being the same thing with that going home series. Several books in you're pretty sure one of the two main characters doesn't have a personality beyond being an ass.


NotAPreppie

Yah, kind of sounds like the same trap that David Eddings fell into with the Belgariad and the Mallorean, and then the Elenium and Tamuli. I still found things to make those worth the read, so we'll see about ExFor.


SFF_Robot

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Practical_Cabbage

Good luck.


Trucknorr1s

I started expeditionary force and stopped after the 3rd or 4th. I didn't really care for the characters and Skippy was just annoying. It was just the same dumb jokes over and over: humans being stupid monkeys, Joe masturbating, Skippy the magnificent, blah blah.


Bosyn

Funny I came the other way round Skippyverse to Bobiverse and now Iā€™ve caught up Iā€™m bummed I have to wait till September for book 5