Suggestions for Mecha Novels?

[wraith1701]

Hey folks. I greatly enjoy reading Sci-Fi, and I'm a big fan of Giant Robots. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble finding any sci-fi novels featuring mecha.

The closest thing to mecha fiction I've come across in the past few years are Heinlein's Starship Troopers, the novel Armor (both of which feature armored suits, not actual mecha), and the various Battletech books. I've read all of these, and enjoyed them, but they just aren't quite what I'm looking for. I've also read the novelizations of the Harmony Gold Robotech show and the English version of Tamino's Gundam trilogy, but I NEED MORE.

Does anyone out there know of any English language novels featuring Giant Robots?

[Gui]

There's some Battletech books IIRC, but I couldn't give you the titles...

Otherwise, I'd like to know more too: despite novels featuring some power armors (The Forever War, Hyperion, some books of the Culture, Sucession and a few others), I never read any novel about mechas

It's understandable though: the concept is not very credible on the scientific/technologic side

[F-ZeroOne]

My guess would be that unless you learn to read Japanese they're going to be pretty rare. Its probably a cultural thing, the Japanese don't seem to go for superheroes in the Marvel and D.C. style in the same way... Peter F. Hamilitons Fallen Dragon features a kind of biological power armour, but again human-scaled, and occasionally spider-type tanks show up in SF but other than those already mentioned I'm having trouble - wasn't there a RPG series called Living Metal once? Wasn't that based on a book?

Edited May 21, 2008 by F-ZeroOne

[Roger]

I'd think that reading about giant robots is much less interesting than watching it.

Joe Haldeman's The Forever War and the sequel Forever Free has what I believe is the best realization of the powered suit concept, although they're just treated as set dressing (as they should be). Forever Peace (no connection to the aforementioned novels) is also very good.

There's also a good anthology out there called Body Armor 2000 that was edited by Joe Haldeman and contains some neat short stories.

[mikeszekely]

I have and recommend Tomino's original Gundam novels, collected in this handy English editon.

[electric indigo]

Hmm, "War of the Worlds"?

[F-ZeroOne]

Hmm, "War of the Worlds"?

Dammit, I'm an idiot! I should have thought of that one right away! If only old H.G. had realised that giant human-piloted robots are better visually than bacteria...

[Necron_99]

I have and recommend Tomino's original Gundam novels, collected in this handy English editon.

Just bought it, Thanks for the recommendation, mikeszekely!

[Ginrai]

Try The Sand Wars books by Charles Ingrid. All of them have been collected into two omnibus volumes. http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780886779726

[wraith1701]

I have and recommend Tomino's original Gundam novels, collected in this handy English editon.

Yeah; the trilogy is pretty cool; I've read it many times.

Try The Sand Wars books by Charles Ingrid. All of them have been collected into two omnibus volumes.

Thanks, Ginrai, I'll check it out!

Any other suggestions?

[JB0]

There's some Battletech books IIRC, but I couldn't give you the titles...

Otherwise, I'd like to know more too: despite novels featuring some power armors (The Forever War, Hyperion, some books of the Culture, Sucession and a few others), I never read any novel about mechas

It's understandable though: the concept is not very credible on the scientific/technologic side

The Lensman series had powered armor in the later installments.

It also got an anime adaptation at some point, though I've never seen it.

And I know ONE sci-fi novel series with mechs in it...

STAR WARS!

[lord_breetai]

The Lensman series had powered armor in the later installments.

It also got an anime adaptation at some point, though I've never seen it.

There was an anime TV series and movie... and if you like the sanctity of the books you'll skip both. But if you want to there's three dub versions out there...

A HAXOR dub of the TV series called "The Secret of the Lens" produced by Harmony Gold... the edits that they make to the story oddly make it closer to the books.

A Harmony Gold Dub of the movie with the original soundtrack dumped and music from Robotech II the Sentinels used instead (I'm not even joking)

and a streamline pictures dub of the movie (that keeps the original music, which is pretty awesome)

The movie also features gobs of horrible 3D animation.

Anyway back to the topic of mecha books... hmm, surely some steampunk novels have to have something?

Edit: back off topic... if you're interested in the Lensman anime here's the opening for the TV series http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY6WXiSxLcE and here's the intro to "The Secret of Lens"

Edited May 22, 2008 by lord_breetai

[Ginrai]

I would loooove to see the Lensman TV series. The movie is dopey but energetic and fun.

[Valkyrie]

The first 2 volumes of the Full Metal Panic novels are out now, english translated by Tokyopop. I picked up volume 1, but I haven't had time to read it yet.

And they're not quite mecha, but the three Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex novels were quite good too.

[Seon]

Iron Five on Smashwords.com

Let me know what you think...and be brutally honest if you do read it.

I know I'm 11 years late on this post, but...why not.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Seon
Clarification of time-frame relating to response and post.

[Knight26]

4 hours ago, Seon said:

Iron Five on Smashwords.com

Let me know what you think...and be brutally honest if you do read it.

I know I'm 11 years late on this post, but...why not.

Holy Necro-Post Batman.
A quick word of advice, might be best to introduce yourself before posting to ask for feedback on your book.  There are a couple of authors and writers on this group who would probably like to help you in between projects, but this is probably not the way to start.

[sqidd]

Not mecha, but, if you like mecha (like I do), you will like this. Three book series. I've read it three times.

https://www.amazon.com/Germline-Subterrene-War-T-C-McCarthy/dp/031612818X/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1569307648&sr=8-2

The three books all take place in the same place/time, but they're pretty much stand alone stories. I loved them all. I think I like the third best though. You absolutely have to read the first two to get the third though.

Edited September 24, 2019 by sqidd

[Graham]

Try this:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/1/16934424/peter-tieryas-mecha-samurai-empire-alternate-history-science-fiction-book-q-and-a

I haven't ready it but it's been mentioned on a few groups I a member of.

[TehPW]

On 5/21/2008 at 4:36 AM, Gui said:

There's some Battletech books IIRC, but I couldn't give you the titles...

Otherwise, I'd like to know more too: despite novels featuring some power armors (The Forever War, Hyperion, some books of the Culture, Sucession and a few others), I never read any novel about mechas

It's understandable though: the concept is not very credible on the scientific/technologic side

Although it has been some time since the end of the FASA era of published books, there are new books out in some forms. Your mileage will vary but I've come to enjoy some forms of fan fiction (specifically Alternation Historical Universes or AU) that asks 'What If?'. There are quite a few, some complete and some unfinished for reasons but it can be worth the effort to look at.

 

here's the links to 3  Four stories that I personally like, because the author succeeded in drawing you into their stories:

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=49460.0 this story is based on the idea of Hanse Davion NOT dying at the end of the initial Clan Invasion...

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=61566.0 this story is set in the Magistracy of Canopus region of space prior to the 4th Succession War (and based on a regular game session).

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62173.0 an SI type of fan fic. If I could wave a magic wand, I would make this cannon... Excellent reading.

and this https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=47909.0 a Star Trek-based story... with Kerbils (eventually).

[hachi]

Hmm, what immediately comes to mind (after Full Metal Panic) is Knights & Magic. The anime was sourced from a light novel. However there is not an official English translation, unfortunately.

Now these don't have giant robots, but almost there:

• All You Need Is Kill / Edge of Tomorrow (this was the light novel that Tom Cruise movie was based on)
• The Stories of Ibis (interconnected stories about androids)

The 2 are Haikasoru books, I recommend that line if you're into sci-fi. There's also another LN called Heavy Object, though I am not that familiar with it. It supposedly has mecha.

And lol, in the course of my research, TIL this exists: https://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Suit-Gundam-Escalation-Confrontation/dp/1611720052/

I'm sure there's another Gundam light novel out there, but my eyes are tired now of searching. Also, there's more mecha in manga it seems, that alternative should be more satisfying.

[Seto Kaiba]

4 hours ago, hachi said:

Hmm, what immediately comes to mind (after Full Metal Panic) is Knights & Magic. The anime was sourced from a light novel. However there is not an official English translation, unfortunately.

There's always the Macross novelizations, esp. the Macross the Ride light novel.

@Gubaba is working on at least one Macross novelization, AFAIK.  I've got another that's a WIP.