Honorverse

thumb|400px|A fan-made map of the regions in which the "Honorverse" stories are set

The Honorverse is a military science fiction book series, its two subseries, two prequel series, and anthologies created by David Weber and published by Baen Books. They are centered on the space navy career of the principal protagonist Honor Harrington. The books have made The New York Times Best Seller list.

The series began with On Basilisk Station in 1993.

Plot

The series follows Honor Harrington, military heroine and later, influential politician, during a time of extreme interstellar change and tension. Most of the more than 20 novels and anthology collections cover events between 4000 and 4022 AD with "PD" (Post-Diaspora) dating beginning with a dispersal to the stars from the Sun ("Sol") in 2103 AD. The main series novels are set primarily in a timeline beginning 40 years after Harrington's birth on October 1, 3962 AD (1859 PD), and some short stories flesh out her earlier career. Additional novels and shorter fiction take place up to 350 years earlier, and still-earlier canon history is filled in between narratives and in appendices attached to the main novels and anthologies.

The political makeup and history of the series frequently echoes actual history, particularly that of Europe in the last half of the second millennium. The series is consciously modeled on the Horatio Hornblower series by C. S. Forester, and its main character, like Horatio Hornblower, on a mix of Thomas Cochrane and Admiral Lord Nelson. Weber originally planned for Harrington to die in the fifth book. This was later changed to parallel Nelson by having her die at the peak of her career in the climactic Battle of Manticore in 1921 PD (4024 AD), then continue the series with her children as the main protagonists. However, collaborating author Eric Flint intervened, asking for the invention of a mutual enemy for both the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Republic of Haven to oppose in a spy-and-counterspy spin-off sub-series the two contractually agreed to co-write, just as they have contracts to write in Flint's 1632 universe. This "rethink" and redesign caused Weber to move the series' internal chronology up by about 20 years and begat the Crown of Slaves novel, first in the "Crown of Slaves" sub-series based on a number of the short stories of the first four collections. In this scenario, proxies for Manticore and Haven oppose the same hidden enemy, the genetic slavers and powers behind the government and corporations of the planet of Mesa. Mesa is later revealed in Mission of Honor to be part of a secret cabal of about a dozen highly capable planets that are busily building a secret navy using advanced technologies at a secret planet and known to itself as the Mesan Alignment. The Mesan Alignment's navy has new technology and conducts a sneak attack on Manticore in 1922 PD during the twelfth mainline novel, Mission of Honor. The Mesans have a 600-year-old

The first name of his character—Honor—had come to Weber long before the last name did. Weber knew that if the Honor novels worked, she was inevitably going to be compared to C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower, so he saw to it that she had the same initials. He said, "There are certainly, clearly, similarities between the two. There are also huge differences. And Honor has never been as neurotic as Hornblower was. Hornblower always carried a massive sense of inferiority around with him. Honor never did." Weber also feels that in the later books in the series, she has more in common with Admiral Horatio Nelson than Hornblower.

Honor Harrington series

On Basilisk Station (April 1992) / HH1
The Honor of the Queen (June 1993) / HH2
The Short Victorious War (April 1994) / HH3
Field of Dishonor (December 1994) / HH4
Flag in Exile (September 1995) / HH5
Honor Among Enemies (February 1996) / HH6
In Enemy Hands (July 1997) / HH7
Echoes of Honor (October 1998) / HH8
Ashes of Victory (March 2000) / HH9
War of Honor (October 2002) / HH10
At All Costs (November 2005) / HH11
Mission of Honor (June 2010) / HH12
A Rising Thunder (March 2012) / HH13
Uncompromising Honor (October 2018) / HH14

The Honor Harrington series has been produced several times in audiobook format, at first in cassette (90 min) format by Library of Congress, narrated by Madelyn Buzzard (books 1–10), later by Audible Frontiers beginning in 2009, narrated by Allyson Johnson.

Spin-offs

The Honorverse is a tightly plotted, highly organized invention that was designed with a specific overarching storyline. Its storyline has shifted from the original plan to include new enemies, and did not result in the battle death of heroine Honor Harrington, as was planned originally for book five,—a title that was re-used for a different book in 2011.

In Fire Forged (February 2011) / HHA5
Beginnings (July 2013) / HHA6
What Price Victory? (February 2023) / HHA7—stories by Timothy Zahn & Thomas Pope, Jane Lindskold, Jan Kotouč, Joelle Presby and David Weber
Challenges: Tales from the Earliest Days of the Star Kingdom (November 2025)

Crown of Slaves series

The story of agents Anton Zilwicki (Manticore) and Victor Cachat (Haven) and their strange alliance to uncover the dark power that manipulated their two nations into war, and put an end to the true enemy's plans. This series is concurrent with the main Honor Harrington series.

From the Highlands (short novel in Changer of Worlds) by Eric Flint—introduces the main characters of the series.
Fanatic (novella in The Service of the Sword) by Eric Flint—furthers the character of Victor Cachat.
Crown of Slaves (September 2003) / CS1; with Eric Flint—the two character groups introduced in From the Highlands re-encounter each other at a state funeral in Erewhon. High-level international politics and spy-craft ensue.
Torch of Freedom (November 2009) / CS2; with Eric Flint—Victor Cachat and Anton Zilwicki, the universe's two top spies, work together to undertake a dangerous mission to the heart of Mesa, home of the evil corporation Manpower Unlimited, to gather information that may end the second war between their respective governments, Haven and Manticore.
Cauldron of Ghosts (eBook March 15, 2014, hardcover April 8, 2014) / CS3; with Eric Flint—Zilwicki and Cachat return to Mesa—only to discover that even they have underestimated the Alignment's ruthlessness and savagery.
To End in Fire (October 5, 2021) / CS4; with Eric Flint—Agents of the Grand Alliance join forces with Solarians to uncover the vast interstellar conspiracy operating against them.

Shadow series

The story of Admiral Michelle Henke and several graduates of Saganami Island when the Star Kingdom annexes the Talbott Cluster to become the Star Empire. (Also referred to as the Saganami Island series.) This series is concurrent with the main Honor Harrington series.

The Shadow of Saganami (October 2004) / SI1: The novel is primarily set in the remote Talbott Cluster, connected to Manticore via a newly discovered junction terminus, and includes characters already introduced in other works, such as Helen Zilwicki and Abigail Hearns, as well as brief appearances by many others.
Storm from the Shadows (March 2009) / SI2: The novel continues the events in the Talbott Cluster (now Quadrant), and centers around Honor Harrington's best friend Admiral Michelle Henke and characters from the original book of the series. The events of the book include the results of Talbott government's signing its constitution and becoming part of the Star Empire of Manticore. The shadow conflict between Mesa and Manticore heats up as more Mesa-orchestrated incidents accrue to bring about war between Manticore and the Solarian League.
Shadow of Freedom (March 2013) , / SI3: The novel continues the events in the Talbott Quadrant as the conflict with the Solarian League turns to outright war. Attacks on Manticoran shipping by Frontier Security and continued manipulation by the Mesan Alignment spur Admiral Henke to first react, then adopt a policy of offensive (versus defensive) operations. This culminates in Manticore's first offensive victory of the war, the previous Manticoran victories having been defensive in nature.
Shadow of Victory (November 1, 2016) / SI4: The novel continues events in the Talbott Quadrant as the war with the Solarian League heats up, more local star systems rebel against the Solarian League's domination, and the Mesan Alignment becomes increasingly active behind the scenes. Concludes with Michelle Henke's invasion of the Mesa system in an attempt to get to the bottom of the growing pile of circumstantial evidence about the Alignment's activities.

The Star Kingdom series

This series features Stephanie Harrington, Honor Harrington's distant ancestor, and the first human to be adopted by a treecat. This series precedes the main Honor Harrington series.

A Beautiful Friendship (October 2011) / SK1
Fire Season (October 15, 2012) by David Weber and Jane Lindskold / SK2
Treecat Wars (October 1, 2013) by David Weber and Jane Lindskold / SK3
A New Clan (June 7, 2022) by David Weber and Jane Lindskold / SK4
Friends Indeed (March 4, 2025) by David Weber and Jane Lindskold / SK5

Manticore Ascendant series

This series, which begins eleven years after the first book in The Star Kingdom series, features Travis Uriah Long, an enlisted Navy man and later an officer, and is centered on the small Manticoran Navy of that time. This series precedes the main Honor Harrington series.

A Call to Duty (September 15, 2014) by David Weber and Timothy Zahn. / MA1
A Call to Arms (October 6, 2015) by David Weber and Timothy Zahn with Thomas Pope. / MA2 It is expanded from the short story of the same name originally published in the Beginnings anthology.
A Call to Vengeance (March 7, 2018) by David Weber and Timothy Zahn with Thomas Pope. / MA3
A Call to Insurrection (February 1, 2022) by David Weber and Timothy Zahn with Thomas Pope. / MA4
A Call to Deception (estimated release date September 1, 2026) by David Weber and Timothy Zahn with Thomas Pope. / MA5

A Call to Insurrection won the 2022 Dragon Awards in the Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel category.

Expanded Honor series

This series only has one published novel as of 2024, but based on publisher Simon and Schuster's marketing, is likely to contain standalone stories featuring minor characters from the mainstream novels.

Toll of Honor (April 2024)

Companion

In 2013, Baen published House of Steel: The Honorverse Companion (May 7, 2013). The book is divided into two sections: a new novella written by Weber titled I Will Build My House of Steel and The Honorverse Companion, a collection of information about the Honorverse setting compiled by a fan group. The novella follows Roger Winton, a naval lieutenant who later becomes king. A reviewer for Analog Science Fiction and Fact wrote "I can't imagine a fan of the Honorverse who wouldn't want this book".

Ad Astra databooks

:* Honor Harrington: Saganami Island Tactical Simulator (2005)

; Saganami Island Tactical Simulator fleet boxes

Honor Harrington: Saganami Island Tactical Simulator: Manticoran Fleet Box 1 (2006)
Honor Harrington: Saganami Island Tactical Simulator: Havenite Fleet Box 1 (2006)
Honor Harrington: Saganami Island Tactical Simulator: Andermani Fleet Box 1 (2006)
Honor Harrington: Saganami Island Tactical Simulator: Silesian Fleet Box 1 (2006)
Honor Harrington: Saganami Island Tactical Simulator: Havenite Fleet Box 2 (2010)

; Ship books

Honor Harrington: Saganami Island Tactical Simulator: Shipbook 2: Silesian Confederacy (2006)
Honor Harrington: Saganami Island Tactical Simulator: Shipbook 3: The Short Victorious War (2010)

; Jayne's Intelligence Review

Jayne's Intelligence Review: The Royal Manticoran Navy (2006)
Jayne's Intelligence Review: The People's Republican Navy (2007)

; Ships of the Fleet

Honor Harrington: Ships of the Fleet: 2006 (2005)
Honor Harrington: Ships of the Fleet: 2007 (2006)

Appearances in anthologies and collections

Anthologies

The Warmasters (May 2002) : An anthology, containing the Honorverse short novel Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington. The story has previously appeared in a Worlds of Honor collection.
Letter from Stephanie (2011) (Baen.com) Baen Free Stories 2011 By David Weber
Grayson Navy Letters Home (2012) (Baen.com) Baen Free Stories 2012 By Joelle Presby
Infinite Stars (October 2017) : A Bryan Thomas Schmidt anthology that contains the previously unpublished Honorverse short story "Our Sacred Honor".
Dark Fall (2018) (Baen.com) Baen Free Stories 2018 By David Weber
Noir Fatale (May 2019) : An anthology edited by Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell that contains the previously unpublished Honorverse short story "Recruiting Exercise".
Give Me Libertycon (June 2020) : An anthology edited by Christopher Woods and T.K.F. Weisskopf that contains the previously unpublished Honorverse short story "Heart of Stone". The story is expanded on in the Star Kingdom series novel A New Clan.
Onward Libertycon (June 2022) : An anthology edited by Christopher Woods and T.K.F. Weisskopf that contains the previously unpublished Honorverse short story "A Travesty of Nature". The story is expanded in Toll of Honor.
Requiem: An Honor Harrington Story (2023) (Baen.com) Baen Free Stories 2023 By David Carrico

Collections

Worlds of Weber (September 2008) /: A David Weber collection that includes nine short stories, set both in and out of the Honorverse. The two Honorverse stories have previously appeared in Worlds of Honor collections.
Worlds (February 2009) : An Eric Flint collection containing the Honorverse short novel From the Highlands. The story has previously appeared in a Worlds of Honor collection.

In other media

In 2006, an Honor Harrington movie was announced by Echo Valley Entertainment.

However, later information suggested that it would actually be a television series, to be written and produced by Peter Sands. When David Weber was asked which actress he envisioned as Honor Harrington, he replied, "I don't think there's anyone out there who has the proper combination of height, physicality, and demonstrated acting ability to be 'perfect' for the role, so my mind is fairly open on this topic." Actress Claudia Christian, who plays Susan Ivanova on Babylon 5, has been suggested as a potential candidate; Weber says "She's much shorter than Honor, but so are most women, and I think she could handle the physicality... I think it's more important to have someone who can portray Honor's character and command style than it is to have someone who is six feet two inches tall." Weber's concern is that the director would push Christian to re-create Ivanova's character while playing Honor and "Ivanova's command style is totally different from Honor's."

An Honor Harrington wargame, Saganami Island Tactical Simulator (SITS), was released at Gen Con in 2005 by Ad Astra Games.

An Honor Harrington video game called Honorverse: The Online Game was announced in August 2008; a beta was scheduled to be released in the Spring of 2010.

In 2014 Evergreen Studios announced plans to make a multi-platform adaptation of the Honor Harrington character, under the title Tales of Honor. A mobile game called Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet was released that year for Android and iOS platforms. Tentative plans at that point also included a television series and a feature film. Evergreen Studios shut down in 2015, which led to the cancelation of most of their projects, including the mobile game, which is no longer available.

Also, in 2014, a five-issue comic book miniseries Tales of Honor: On Basilisk Station from Top Cow Productions, adapting the novel, began on March 5, 2014, concluding later that year. In 2015, Top Cow also released Tales of Honor: Bred to Kill, an original story.

Stories listed by internal chronology

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Honorverse year (from)

! Honorverse year (to)

! Story title

! Author

! Published

! Code

| 250 P.D. (2352 C.E.)

| 250 P.D.

| "By the Book"

| Charles E. Gannon

| (in Beginnings)

|HHA6

| 552 P.D. (March)

| 1916 P.D. (March)

| "Dark Fall"

| David Weber

| (on Baen website, also in Baen Free Stories 2018)

|—

| 1512 P.D.

|1512 P.D.

| "Traitor"

| Timothy Zahn & Thomas Pope

| (in What Price Victory?)

|HHA7

| 1518 P.D.

| 1519 P.D.

| "A Beautiful Friendship"

| David Weber

| (in More than Honor)

|HHA1

| 1518 P.D.

| 1521 P.D.

| A Beautiful Friendship (novel)

| David Weber

| (young adult novel)

| SK1

| 1519 P.D. (January)

| “Letter from Stephanie”

| David Weber

| , Baen Free Stories

|—

| 1520 P.D.

| "The Stray"

| Linda Evans

| (in Worlds of Honor)

|HHA2

| 1522 P.D.

| Fire Season

| David Weber & Jane Lindskold

| (young adult novel)

| SK2

| 1522 P.D.

| Treecat Wars

| David Weber & Jane Lindskold

| (young adult novel)

| SK3

| 1522 P.D.

| "Heart of Stone"

| David Weber

| (in Give Me Libertycon—also forms first chapter of A New Clan)

|—

| 1522 P.D.

| A New Clan

| David Weber & Jane Lindskold

| (young adult novel)

| SK4

| 1523 P.D.

| "Deception on Gryphon"

| Jane Lindskold

| (in What Price Victory?)

|HHA7

| 1523 P.D.

| 1524 P.D.

| Friends Indeed

| David Weber & Jane Lindskold

| (young adult novel)

| SK5

| 1529 P.D.

| 1533 P.D.

| A Call to Duty

| Timothy Zahn

| (in Beginnings)

| HHA6

| 1543 P.D. (end)

| 1544 P.D. (December)

| A Call to Vengeance

| David Weber & Timothy Zahn with Thomas Pope

| MA3

| 1542 P.D. (Prologue)

| 1546 P.D. (end)

| A Call to Insurrection

| David Weber & Timothy Zahn with Thomas Pope

| MA4

| c. 1652 P.D.

| "What Price Dreams?"

| David Weber

| (in Worlds of Honor)

|HHA2

| 1842 P.D.

| "Beauty and the Beast"

| David Weber

| (in Beginnings)

|HHA6

| c. 1844 P.D. (December)

| c. 1914 P.D. (December)

| "I Will Build a House of Steel"

| David Weber

| (in House of Steel: The Honorverse Companion)

|—

| March 1846 P.D.

| December 1877 P.D.

| "First Victory"

| David Weber

| (in What Price Victory?)

|HHA7

| c. 1870 P.D.

| "Our Sacred Honor"

| David Weber

| (in Infinite Stars anthology)

|—

| 1872 P.D.

| "The Best Laid Plans"

| David Weber

| (in Beginnings)

| HHA6

| 1873 P.D.

| "Recruiting Exercise"

| David Weber

| (In Noir Fatale)

|—

| c. 1880 P.D.

| "Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington"

| David Weber

| (in Changer of Worlds)

| HHA3

| c. 1883 P.D.

| "Queen's Gambit"

| Jane Lindskold

| (in Worlds of Honor)

| HHA2

| c. 1890 P.D.

| "The Hard Way Home"

| David Weber

| (in Worlds of Honor)

| HHA2

| c. 1892 P.D.

| "Promised Land"

| Jane Lindskold

| (in The Service of the Sword)

| HHA4

| c. 1895 P.D.

| "Ruthless"

| Jane Lindskold

| (in In Fire Forged)

| HHA5

| c. 1899 P.D.

| "Let's Dance"

| David Weber

| (in In Fire Forged)

| HHA5

| c. 1900 P.D. (March 3)

| c. 1901 P.D. (January)

| On Basilisk Station

| David Weber

| HH1

| 1902 P.D.

| "With One Stone"

| Timothy Zahn

| (in The Service of the Sword)

| HHA4

| c. 1903 P.D. (April)

| c. 1903 P.D. (May)

| The Honor of the Queen

| David Weber

| HH2

| ?

| "A Grand Tour"

| David Drake

| (in More than Honor)

| HHA1

| c. 1904 P.D.

| c. 1905 P.D. (May)

| The Short Victorious War

| David Weber

| HH3

| c. 1905 P.D. (June)

| c. 1906 P.D.

| Field of Dishonor

| David Weber

| HH4

| c. 1905 P.D. (March)

| c. 1907 P.D. (August)

| Toll of Honor

| David Weber

| 1906 P.D. (c. September)

| 1906 P.D.

| "Deck Load Strike"

| Roland J. Green

| (in Worlds of Honor)

| HHA2

| c. 1907 P.D.

| c. 1907 P.D. (August)

| Flag in Exile

| David Weber

| HH5

| Spring 1907 P.D.

| "A Ship Named Francis"

| John Ringo & Victor Mitchell

| (in The Service of the Sword)

| HHA4

| 1907 P.D.

| "Requiem"

| David Carrico

| , Baen Free Stories

|—

| c. 1908 P.D. (September)

| c. 1910 P.D. (March)

| Honor Among Enemies

| David Weber

| HH6

| c. 1910 P.D.

| "Changer of Worlds"

| David Weber

| (in Changer of Worlds)

| HHA3

| c. 1911 P.D. (July)

| "A Whiff of Grapeshot"

| S. M. Stirling

| (in More than Honor)

| HHA1

| c. 1911 P.D.

| c. 1911 P.D. (December)

| In Enemy Hands

| David Weber

| HH7

| c. 1912 P.D. (February)

| c. 1913 P.D. (December)

| Echoes of Honor

| David Weber

| HH8

| 1913 P.D.

| "Let's Go to Prague" {between ch. 2 & 3 of Ashes of Victory}

| John Ringo

| (in The Service of the Sword)

| HHA4

| c. 1913 P.D. (December)

| c. 1915 P.D. (May)

| Ashes of Victory

| David Weber

| HH9

| c. 1914 P.D.

| "An Act of War"

| Timothy Zahn

| (in In Fire Forged)

| HHA5

| 1914 P.D.

| "From the Highlands"

| Eric Flint

| (in Changer of Worlds)

| HHA3

| c. 1914 P.D. (December)

| "Nightfall" {expanded ch. 33 of Ashes of Victory}

| David Weber

| (in Changer of Worlds)

| HHA3

| c. 1915 P.D. (May)

| "Fanatic"

| Eric Flint

| (in The Service of the Sword)

| HHA4

| c. 1918 P.D. (June)

| c. 1918 P.D. (August)

| "The Service of the Sword"

| David Weber

| (in The Service of the Sword)

| HHA4

| c. 1918 P.D.

| c. 1919 P.D.

| War of Honor

| David Weber

| HH10

| c. 1918 P.D.

| c. 1919 P.D.

| Crown of Slaves {takes place after the beginning and before the end of War of Honor, insert before ch. 22}

| David Weber & Eric Flint

| CS1

| c. 1919 P.D.

| "The Silesian Command"

| Jan Kotouč

| (in What Price Victory?)

| HHA7

| 1919 P.D. (November)

| 1922 P.D. (April)

| Torch of Freedom

| David Weber & Eric Flint

| CS2

| c. 1920 P.D. (June)

| c. 1921 P.D. (June)

| The Shadow of Saganami {between ch. 14 & 15 of Torch of Freedom}

| David Weber

| SI1

| c. 1920 P.D. (July)

| c. 1921 P.D. (August)

| At All Costs {between ch. 14 & 15 of Torch of Freedom}

| David Weber

| HH11

| 1921 P.D. (October)

| 1922 P.D. (April)

| “Grayson Navy Letters Home”

| Joelle Presby

| , Baen Free Stories

|—

| c. 1921 P.D. (March)

| c. 1921 P.D. (December)

| Storm from the Shadows

| David Weber

| SI2

| 1921 P.D. (December)

| 1922 P.D. (May)

| Mission of Honor

| David Weber

| HH12

| c. 1921 P.D. (December)

| c. 1922 P.D. (March)

| "Obligated Service"

| Joelle Presby

| (in Beginnings)

| HHA6

| c. 1922 P.D.

| "If Wishes Were Space Cutters"

| Joelle Presby

| (in What Price Victory?)

| HHA7

| c. 1922 P.D. (March)

| 1922 P.D. (August)

| A Rising Thunder

| David Weber

| HH13

| 1922 P.D. (February)

| 1922 P.D. (August)

| Shadow of Freedom

| David Weber

| SI3

| 1922 P.D. (May)

| 1922 P.D. (October)

| Cauldron of Ghosts

| David Weber & Eric Flint

| CS3

| 1921 P.D. (February)

| 1922 P.D. (October)

| Shadow of Victory

| David Weber

| SI4

| 1922 P.D. (July)

| 1923 P.D. (March)

| Uncompromising Honor

| David Weber

| HH14

| 1923 P.D. (February)

| 1924 P.D. (July)

| To End in Fire

| David Weber & Eric Flint

| CS4

References

External links

Baen Books, publisher of Honorverse works
Honorverse wikia
HonorverseCD/ David Weber CD free versions of Honorverse works
Baen Free Library free versions of On Basilisk Station, The Honor of the Queen, Changer of Worlds, Crown of Slaves, and The Shadow of Saganami.
The Universe of Honor Harrington, a detailed description of the Honorverse, by David Weber
Joe Buckley's InfoDump, includes maps, a timeline and a collection of Weber's forum posts relating to the Honorverse

Plot

Honor Harrington series

Spin-offs

Crown of Slaves series

Shadow series

The Star Kingdom series

Manticore Ascendant series

Expanded Honor series

Companion

Ad Astra databooks

Appearances in anthologies and collections

Anthologies

Collections

In other media

Stories listed by internal chronology

See also

References

Further reading

External links