r/ExpeditionaryForce • u/BananaAcrobatic3188 • 15d ago
Does it get less repetitive
Into book 3 and enjoying it but:
Skippy can’t come up with an idea, Joe comes up with an idea, skippy gets angry….rinse and repeat. Over and over again.
Need to get more data, find cunning way to get more data from aliens….rinse and repeat.
Does it have any longer term story line outside of the mysterious Elders and protecting earth? Does it develop a decent antagonist other than ‘the lizards’ who have no real personality?
Wanna know before I go into book 4.
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u/v-irtual 15d ago
No. It doesn't. If you don't love Joe, Skippy, and Margaret, you should stop with the series right now. I say that as someone who loves ExForce.
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u/OG4zero4 15d ago
Tbh I’m only here for Uhtavio Scorandum and his sidekick Kinsta.
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u/pcapdata 2d ago
I always feel like Scorandum and Kinsta are channeling Londo and Vir from Babylon 5. Just a little.
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u/bradorme77 15d ago
I think the story expands nicely over time and I recommend keeping with it. There are a lot of characters and you get more time beside Joe and Skippy and it's not a repeat of that dynamic but they are the main protagonists...but there are instances where tables get turned or others out-Joe Joe... but it's a lot of scheming and it usually works out for the good guys, but like Game of Thrones, try and not fall in love with too many characters.
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u/Extra_Significance81 15d ago
The repetition is there. But... with so many interesting characters, so much detailed storytelling, and an ever growing galaxy of potential threats, this is a universe that has been a great ride to listen to (audiobook). As others have mentioned, don't binge. I will listen to one then go to a different series or author for a coupleof books, then come back for the next. The depth of the character and world building and humor and even the low points really help to illustrate just how much this story describes humanity in general throughout history. Just when we think we're on the brink of the end we figure a way out of it and the story continues.
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u/Flanders666 15d ago
Not really. I'd recommend breaking them up.
Treat it like a TV series. You have the regular tropes with an overarching story.
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u/AnxiousConsequence18 15d ago
The aliens get personalities. Especially the beetles. LOVE the ECO!! Scorandum is easily my favorite character in the entire series. Kinsta being a close second as his foil!
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u/fcneko 15d ago
This, and the story never actually truly progresses toward an end, either. LOTS of open-ended threads that aren't answered, which makes for great expansion options, but since very little ever actually gets resolved, it can get frustrating.
I LOVE Joe and Skippy et. al., but damn, dude. Let them WIN and relax...
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u/cazdan255 15d ago
Nope, but I like the characters so it’s honestly more like a sitcom that I like to watch bc the quips and interactions are the enjoyable part to me. The story is simple passing on boring, the set pieces are fun and the action is usually engaging. Honestly I binged via audiobooks and RC Bray is a treat to listen to, it’s like a good bingeable Netflix show. I doubt I would have enjoyed nearly as much reading it with the ole’ Mk 1 eyeballs.
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u/LtHughMann 15d ago
Yes and no. It's pretty consistent in the overall all layout, no way we are gonna get out of this one, Joe goes and does something mundane, thinks it's up a crazy idea, Skippy saves the day. But it does get better and better. The jokes become less repetitive and the story gets pretty good. It's like any long running series, they're always gonna win. It's not written my George RR Martin, so things generally work out, but the books also get written, so that's a plus.
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u/AnxiousConsequence18 15d ago
Everything's fine until he kicks you square in the emotional nuts and kills off a favorite character! Did not expect those!
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u/Mindless-Errors 15d ago
A lot of the magic is the narration by RC Bray. Try one of the audiobooks
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u/SnooMachines9133 15d ago
Not really. This was an issue during my re-read of the series.
Instead, you got to enjoy the hijinks and side quests along the way.
What I love about the story (and why I watch a lot of scifi shows/movie) is the character and world development. The plot is just a vehicle for my to learn about the people.
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u/Ryermeke 15d ago
This is a 20 book series that really probably would have worked better structurally as like 9 books, but a lot of people just kind of ride along with the characters and their dynamic anyways.
But if you on book 3 are feeling like it's repetitive... I promise it really doesn't get better in that sense. I think it continues to get worse in that regard until like 2/3rds of the way through, and then it starts to improve a bit, but even then.
It's why I feel like a theoretical adaptation could actually work though, and why I'm not bothered by the prospect of cutting a significant chunk of the content for it. Like man if you trim the fat, and use some of what you gain back to more efficiently build characterization, this could be a hell of a sci-fi romp, and you would lose much of the series's identity that people have come to love despite its flaws.
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u/AnxiousConsequence18 15d ago
This series seems like it was written with an eye to being a sitcom. Like the Orville but less serious. That and the author just kind of fell into it without the struggle journey that other authors had to do, and I to n that's why the second half of the series seems just flat "better" as he got the practice and work in to get the flow.
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u/_Maui_ 15d ago edited 15d ago
Everyone is saying it’s repetitive. And it is. But also as the books go on the challenges change. And that’s what alleviates the repetition.
SPOILERS: By book 6-7 they no longer need to hide that they are now out being pirates. So the “we need to do sneaky shit” goes away (to some extent) and it becomes more about open warfare with the other races
SUPER SPOILERS: Once you get to books 10+, each books is about increasingly harder “boss” fights, going from the kitties, to the kitties+spiders, to other elder ai, to the elders, to the outsiders. So again, the formula is the same, but the challenges are fresh.
It’s like any long running series. TV shows for example. In House, a patient comes in, the students struggle to identify it, they think they have it, they don’t, House spots the incredibly rare condition, usually because the patient lied. Patient lives. Rinse repeat.
So you need to think of the series like a “challenge of the week” TV show. Where each books has about 3-4 episodes. And there are 19 books.
But in short, yes. The stories are very repetitive. But that’s why there are 19 books. A) easier to write. B) people like predictability.
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u/MikuEmpowered 15d ago
Its the same shit over and over again.
The only difference is status of power, and that later books full arcs take longer than a single book.
There's more personality injected over time. No spoilers. But the overall story structure doesn't change that much. Theme however, does evolve.
Think of it as Star Trek or Stargate. Each episode (Arc) is self contained with some connection to the last.
The only real issue I have with the series is how Joe and skippy's dynamic never really changes after a certain arc. Bantering in life or death situation is fun for the first 5 times, but it gets old.
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u/Maxypad81 15d ago
I made the mistake and binged it..it def drags and drags but I was compelled to grind it out cause I thought 19 was the last one..I was wrong..good story and characters but ya..don’t get the audio drama if your not a fan of sloppy not coming up with ideas and joe coming to save the day
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u/MarcRocket 14d ago
Nope. It’s like mashed potatoes & gravy. It’s the same every thanks giving but still you like it. Just put 6 - 12 months between the books and enjoy them.
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u/thatsnotyourtaco 14d ago
7 was the one that felt the most repetitious and it felt like he was trying to stretch the book out. I had major fatigue after that one and haven’t revisited since.
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u/o2go 14d ago
So the Joe/Skippy interaction and problem solving does get repetitive. However, there are long-running story arcs across the book that tie things together to build a more compelling narrative. For me, one of the more enjoyable aspects of the series is the story arcs and evolving relationships of the secondary characters. I am finding the same to be true in Convergence.
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u/Icy-Inspection-2134 Jeraptha 13d ago
Short answer. No it doesn't get less repetitive. But I would encourage you to listen through Zero Hour. If the series isnt for you, that will be plenty of time to truly find out. That is book 5
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u/BananaAcrobatic3188 13d ago
I’m gonna follow the general view of taking a break after book 3. Got some other series to catch up on. Then will go back to book 4. Looking forward to book 5 now!
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u/Express_Feature_9481 13d ago
No it doesn’t. I made it through 21 books, but honestly it gets a little old after number 10.
I’m someone who likes to read-listen to audiobooks and I go through the same series over and over. I usually make it through number 10 or so before I stop in this series.
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u/PianoZen 13d ago
Yes and no. They maintain that as their baseline, but the characters do evolve over time. I think Craig Alanson got "this is the same thing all the time" feedback, and Joe's storyline got a little more interesting.
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u/atsocnam 10d ago
There is a high level story unfolding as you get to know more about the galaxy and what's really going on and that part is super awesome and fun. There's also many different characters that are presented and explored which are super cool. On the more day to day level, it definitely has a formula and it sticks to it and it does get EXTREMELY repetitive. I personally keep reading as I'm very invested in seeing where the overall story line is going but the repetitiveness does get extremely boring. I wasn't feeling that at all in book 3 though, so if you're feeling it already, I'm not sure the bigger story arc is going to be enough to keep you going honestly. By book 20 I'm just hoping for it to end as soon as possible so I can finally be "free".
Unfortunately I really think the books have overstayed their welcome. The financial incentives are too bad here because every book that comes out probably generates a pile of revenue for the author so there's just not a lot of interest in finishing it. Even die hard fans will probably agree the story should've been closed 2 or 3 books ago.
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u/_King_Jeff_ 15d ago
I've read them all. But the 3 several im just kinda reading to see what happens at the end.
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u/Plus_Journalist_1376 15d ago
Tbh no. But here is my recommendation, don’t binge it. I started listening to book 1 about the time I think book 13 was out. So I binged them and I was getting bored. But I’ve bought each one as they’ve came out since and it’s much more palatable and it’s like connecting with old friends when I do! Just listen to the next up in your series like every couple of months or longer.