Remember when I called it quits on the ‘Expeditionary Force’ series?

You are currently viewing Remember when I called it quits on the ‘Expeditionary Force’ series?

Over a year ago, I decided to call it quits on the Expeditionary Force book series. I didn’t like how the audio drama Homefront contained story points crucial to the continuing story. You could not read the seventh book in the series, Renegades, and then continue to the eighth book in Armageddon. If you wanted to know what was going on storywise, you had to listen to Homefront.

I did not want to listen to Homefront

I tried to listen to it. I didn’t like it based solely on its poor production quality. It was hard to listen to. I thought the audio was muddy. I went over why I didn’t like it and what I found wrong with it in my original post.

Time went by. I went on to read or listened to a lot of other books.

A few months ago, I reached a point where I was craving some quality military science fiction. I tried a few different books, but I didn’t really take to them. I then thought back to the Expeditionary Force series. Author Craig Alanson had churned out other books in the series. I realized that if I could just force myself to get through Homefront, the reward three new books in the series. So that’s what I did.

Homefront wasn’t as bad as I remembered

My problem was never with the story. It was with the quality of the audio. Unlike the first time I tried to listen to it, I listened to it with my Apple AirPods. It was much easier to hear the dialogue being said through my AirPods. The first time, I tried to listen to it over my car’s stereo system. This was back before COVID-19 and when I was driving for Uber and Lyft daily. I listened to audiobooks over the car stereo system. Never when I had a passenger in the car. When I had someone in the car, I would listen to my audiobooks through a single Bluetooth earpiece in my left ear.

Sure, the audio quality wasn’t the greatest, but I heard everything that was being said except for Homefront. If you are going to sell an audiobook, you have to make it listenable over a car stereo.

Please do not tease me with the possible nuclear destruction of Dayton, Ohio

Remember when I called it quits on the ‘Expeditionary Force’ series? - Bent Corner

My only issue with Homefront storywise was when it seemed Dayton, Ohio, would get targeted with a nuclear weapon. Having spent time in Dayton back when I worked for NCR, I was looking forward to this. If there is anywhere in the United States that could use a good cleansing by nuclear fire, it’s the armpit of Ohio, the city called Dayton.

After Homefront, I binged the following other books in the series:

I lucked out with the last book, Brushfire. It came out on December 15, 2020. I finished Critical Mass the following week. I was able to go from book 10 to book 11 without waiting.

So now I’m all caught up with the Expeditionary Force series. I’m glad I changed my mind and gave Homefront another try. I was wrong to call it quits on the series.

Author Craig Alanson is, without a doubt, the best military science fiction writer there is right now. It’s not even close.

Rick Rottman

My name is Rick Rottman, and this is my personal website. I was born and raised in Southern California, but I've lived most of my adult life in Maryland. I'm an U.S. Air Force veteran. I collect a plethora of frivolous things. I'm a WordPress enthusiast.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Kurt

    I know this is an old article but the audio levels of the sound effects were releveled after the initial release and made the dialog easier to hear. It was a common complaint among fans which was later corrected.

    1. Jordan

      Good on ya for being honest and admitting your mistake.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.