The Gun Counter

The character created by Clive Cussler. The first few books are great, but over time they seem to have become a bit cliche and formulaic.

What say you all? Love 'em or hate 'em? A bit of both? Let's not even confine it to the Dirk Pitt character. Including the other characters he has created, which are your favorite Cussler books?

Fire Away!

My favorite... That is a hard one... Sahara was great, as was of course Raise the Titanic... I am pretty sure I have read them all though a couple of the recent ones might be missing.

I've thought about starting such a series, but feared they'd be close to the same as the Mitch Rapp (Vince Flynn) series.

Any input/guidance regarding the differences between the two series?

I really liked the books a few years back, but even I will admit that I have trouble distinguishing one book from another. The last good Dirk Pitt book was Atlantis Found any thing before that ranges from ok to good and anything after pretty much sucks.

I've thought about starting such a series, but feared they'd be close to the same as the Mitch Rapp (Vince Flynn) series.

Any input/guidance regarding the differences between the two series?

Dirk Pitt is not a spy and is instead a scientist/engineer working for an oceanic research organization called NUMA. His work happens to land him in trouble with everyone from treasure hunters to terrorists to lone mad man attempting to take over the world. The plots and the characters are a bit further out there than Vince Flynns work and the series has a Indiana Jones had a lovechild with James Bond feel to it. I think this adds a bit more variety to the series as opposed to the Rapp series which sticks with the blacks op specialist fighting terrorists theme in all of the books.

I have to credit Cussler/Pitt with teaching me to read (No shit, honest).

My reading age was waaay below what it should have been when I was about 10ish. Then I stole my Dad's copy of Mayday (The Mediterranean Caper, to you guys) which AFAIK was the first of the series. It had violence, swearing, sex and all that good adult stuff that is missing from the sterile books allowed for a child of my age. My reading age then shot way ahead of my classmates. Within a couple of months I had gone from being referred to a 'Special School' to reading Mayday, Vixen 03, and other novels such as Star Wars. I guess I was just plain bored with Roderick the Red Pirate!

Back on topic, I liked the early books and thought 'Titanic was a classic. But I have now totally given up reading them, they have descended into drivel. Two main things grip my shit about the author: Anybody that writes themselves into one of their own adventure stories is losing it, big time. Second, from a none-US standpoint the stories can come across as a bit arrogant. Honestly, the idea of Canada sitting back and quietly accepting becoming part of the US is laughable.

Cheers- Rusty

Rusty Ray wrote:Anybody that writes themselves into one of their own adventure stories is losing it, big time.

Given how many authors blatantly, blatantly write their protagonists as idealized versions of themselves*, I think that Clive Cussler's tendency to self-insert cameos is a healthy way to keep oneself in check as an author.

Second, from a none-US standpoint the stories can come across as a bit arrogant. Honestly, the idea of Canada sitting back and quietly accepting becoming part of the US is laughable.

Cheers- Rusty

True, but so is the idea of Canada being able to do anything about it if the US seriously wanted it.


*[spoiler]*Tom Clancy, Laurell K. Hamilton, even Larry Correia...[/spoiler]

Rusty Ray wrote:Honestly, the idea of Canada sitting back and quietly accepting becoming part of the US is laughable.

Maybe so, but I can think of a couple of provinces that would likely be willing to join a Northwestern Federation along with Alaska and a few other states.

I loved the early books: Titanic, Vixon 03, etc., but somewhere along the line I got bored and wandered off.
I think it got a little tedious when he began using "deus ex machina" too liberally. It seemed as if he would purposely write his characters into an inextricable corner just so he could write himself in.
Then there are the seemingly non-connected historical/scientific mysteries, sometimes three in one story, which all get solved at the same time by the end of the book, i.e.: the vikings in North America, teleportation and the submarine Nautilus. (I don't even remember the name of that one)
It's a shame because I enjoy(ed) his writing style, but when an author slips too far off the rails, suspension of disbelief becomes too much of an effort.

Rusty Ray wrote:I have to credit Cussler/Pitt with teaching me to read (No shit, honest).

My reading age was waaay below what it should have been when I was about 10ish. Then I stole my Dad's copy of Mayday (The Mediterranean Caper, to you guys) which AFAIK was the first of the series. It had violence, swearing, sex and all that good adult stuff that is missing from the sterile books allowed for a child of my age. My reading age then shot way ahead of my classmates. Within a couple of months I had gone from being referred to a 'Special School' to reading Mayday, Vixen 03, and other novels such as Star Wars. I guess I was just plain bored with Roderick the Red Pirate!

Back on topic, I liked the early books and thought 'Titanic was a classic. But I have now totally given up reading them, they have descended into drivel. Two main things grip my shit about the author: Anybody that writes themselves into one of their own adventure stories is losing it, big time. Second, from a none-US standpoint the stories can come across as a bit arrogant. Honestly, the idea of Canada sitting back and quietly accepting becoming part of the US is laughable.

Cheers- Rusty

I am fairly sure that Dragon was my first adult novel so I am there with you.

Rusty Ray wrote:I have to credit Cussler/Pitt with teaching me to read (No shit, honest).

My reading age was waaay below what it should have been when I was about 10ish. Then I stole my Dad's copy of Mayday (The Mediterranean Caper, to you guys) which AFAIK was the first of the series. It had violence, swearing, sex and all that good adult stuff that is missing from the sterile books allowed for a child of my age. My reading age then shot way ahead of my classmates. Within a couple of months I had gone from being referred to a 'Special School' to reading Mayday, Vixen 03, and other novels such as Star Wars. I guess I was just plain bored with Roderick the Red Pirate!

Back on topic, I liked the early books and thought 'Titanic was a classic. But I have now totally given up reading them, they have descended into drivel. Two main things grip my shit about the author: Anybody that writes themselves into one of their own adventure stories is losing it, big time. Second, from a none-US standpoint the stories can come across as a bit arrogant. Honestly, the idea of Canada sitting back and quietly accepting becoming part of the US is laughable.

Cheers- Rusty

I guess I'm of a different generation because Robert Heinlein was my epiphany.