competence; Dick Francis

[kate_nepveu]

My new motivational reminder is "be the competence porn you want to see in the world," because I realized that I get the same nice warm glow when I accomplish what I know that I'm capable of. (Shocking, I know.) We'll see how long that is effective.

Meanwhile, rec your favorite competence porn, ideally text because time and access, and ideally not dude-heavy, as I have just finished an Aubrey-Maturin skim/skip re-read and am likely about to embark on a Dick Francis binge.

Also, speaking of Dick Francis, rec me your favorites. I think all I've read is Proof--or at least if I've read more, I don't remember a thing about them. I've already checked rachelmanija's tag and seen skygiants's review of The Edge.

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[schulman]

Janet Kagan certainly counts as competence porn, but alas, there isn't any more. :-( Also Martha Wells, and happily she has a longer backlist. Have you read any Phryne Fisher books yet?

"Be the competence porn you want to see in the world" is my new mantra, thank you.

[kate_nepveu]

I love Wells's Raksura & Murderbot series but somehow they don't quite scratch the same itch; I'll have to think about why.

I found the first Phryne Fisher book's ending so distasteful that I have not read any others.

[melita66]

Hmmm, Martha Wells was who I was thinking of recommending as well. Maybe they're not competence porn, but main characters are usually quick-thinking and won't quit, although they might wait until a better opportunity to take out the enemy.

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller? although I have a feeling you don't/won't like the Liaden series. Maybe try Scouts Progress. There's a scene that I feel is (and so does TV Tropes) a Crowning Moment of Awesomeness.

Melissa Scott and Jo Graham's The Order of the Air series, maybe.

I particularly like the mid-to-latter books in the Peabody-Emerson series by Elizabeth Peters like The Falcon at the Portal, He Shall Thunder in the Sky, and Children of the Storm.

Kristine Smith's Jani Kilian series.

Laurie R. King--my favorite is Justice Hall. The later books haven't been as good. The one set in Japan was...ugh.

[kate_nepveu]

I've been meaning to read those Smith books, thanks!