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Tales of B-Company: The Complete Collection Kindle Edition

4.0 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

In Michael Bunker’s Pennsylvania Omnibus, Jedediah Troyer becomes the hero of TRACE’s fight against the Transport Authority. But even before Jed’s adventure begins, the Second War for Pennsylvanian Independence has raged for a generation.

Originally published as separate stories, Tales of B-Company: The Complete Collection captures the struggle, tragedy, and heroism of a company of TRACE commandos as they wage war for the freedom of New Pennsylvania. In this collection, fans of Bunker’s novel will discover cameos by some of his most-beloved characters, as well as a new appreciation for the struggle of TRACE against Transport.

“Gelassenheit” tells the origin story of a fan-favorite character in the B-Company tales, recalling the conflict established in The Pennsylvania Omnibus as an Amish family tries to maintain its cultural identity under a despotic Transport Authority. In “Gettysburg,” the commandos of B-Company fight to secure much-needed okcillium—the miracle mineral and power source of Transport’s dominion over its citizens—to even the odds in their rebellion against the Authority. “Susquehanna” finds our heroes desperate to secure TRACE’s vital food supply from the Amish Zone, and circumstances force them to make an uncomfortable alliance with The Wild Ones, the salvager-homesteaders of New Pennsylvania. And in “Columbia,” an unsanctioned raid to free the captured QB, B-Company’s beloved captain, becomes a race against time when Transport sets a ticking time-bomb to destroy the City.

In Tales of B-Company, heroes fight and heroes fall. Loyalties are tested and friendships forged. And TRACE wages bloody battle to win freedom for an entire planet.
________________________
“Chris has populated the now more tactile and detailed Pennsylvania world with unforgettable characters who live and breathe and leap from the page—characters for whom I began to care more deeply the more I read about them… what Chris has produced here … is on par with or better than my original Pennsylvania story. And it should be read as an expression of Chris Pourteau’s own original and fantastic art—a piece of literature in its own right. I think it’s that good, and I bet you will too. —Michael Bunker, author of The Pennsylvania Omnibus and Brother, Frankenstein

“Pourteau handles Military SciFi with a deft literary gift for both the regular and the heroic that reminds the reader of Bernard Cornwell. Brilliant in scope, nuanced in execution. Read this and enjoy.” —Nick Cole, author of The Wasteland Saga, Soda Pop Soldier, and Apocalypse Weird: The Red King

“Chris Pourteau just gets better and better writing in this world. Crisp and engaging, his words bring you into the action and tension of the Pennsylvania universe with immediacy and drama. The B Company stories are great military tales, but are also stories of humanity and relationships torn in the midst of the ongoing conflict between the Transport Authority, TRACE and the rest of the population of New Pennsylvania." —AnneHope, Amazon reviewer (5-star review of Columbia: A Third Tale of Bestimmung Company)
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Currently residing in College Station, Texas, Chris Pourteau has made a living at one time or another as a teacher, a lab technician helping to recover one of Christopher Columbus's ships, and a technical writer and editor. Pourteau cites writers both modern and classical as influences, notable among them Bernard Cornwell, Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Toni Morrison, Edgar Allan Poe, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Mark Twain. Other major influences include fellow Texan and singer-songwriter James McMurtry, Groucho Marx, and a little-known comedy troupe from England you've probably never heard of named Monty Python. (Python is always happy to have someone shill their name as long as they don't have to pay for it and might get a chance to sell you something, so there you go, guys. Regards from Texas.) As far as reading interests go, Pourteau prefers fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction, which you could probably guess from his list of influences. Occasionally, he likes taking random chances on new writers--new to him, anyway--and has recently become enamored of the works of Roberto Calas, Nick Cole, Suzanne Collins, Tess Gerritsen, Manel Loureiro, and John Scalzi among others. He's also a die-hard Star Trek fan and prefers gritty dramas like Breaking Bad, Hell on Wheels, Homeland, and The Killing when he flips on the tube. If you'd like to say howdy, feel free to email him at c.pourteau.author@gmail.com or visit him at chrispourteau.thirdscribe.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00YJK0Y8U
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ James C. Pourteau; 1st edition (May 29, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 29, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.4 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

About the author

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Chris Pourteau
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Chris Pourteau is the bestselling author of the sci-fi thriller novels of the SynCorp Saga (co-authored with David Bruns), the post-apocalyptic Serenity Strain novels, and the military sci-fi collection Tales of B-Company. His first novel, Shadows Burned In, earned the 2015 eLit Book Awards Gold Medal for Literary Fiction. The Lazarus Protocol, the first novel in the SynCorp Saga, placed in the Top Ten in Read Freely's 2018 50 Best Indie Book of the Year contest; it was the highest-rated Sci-Fi novel in the contest.

He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded. His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum.

When he’s not writing, editing, or working the dayjob, Chris loves exercising regularly, watching shows like Star Trek and Stranger Things, and reading his favorite authors. Those include Bernard Cornwell, Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Edgar Allan Poe, and Max Collins. He lives in Texas with his wife, son, and two dogs. (He’s a HUGE dog person, by the way.)

Find out more about Chris and his writing through his newsletter. Sign up and get free stuff at https://chrispourteau.com/newsletter.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
62 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the book's storytelling, with one noting how it sets up important storylines. They appreciate the character development, with one customer particularly enjoying the development of Mary's character.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

7 customers mention "Story quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, with one customer noting how it sets up important story lines, while another appreciates its unique approach to storytelling in an Amish setting.

"...The juice of the collection, however, resides strongly in the stories themselves...." Read more

"...Susquehanna might be my favorite tale from Company B. The story telling is great and you really get to meet some great characters that you will..." Read more

"...gem in this collection, so I will simply say that I truly enjoyed every single story and this has risen to be my favorite work of Chris Pourteau's...." Read more

"I liked the story line and the thought put I to this book. Good characters and proper scene development. Well worth feeding for SF...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one customer particularly enjoying the developing character of Mary.

"...B. The story telling is great and you really get to meet some great characters that you will love...." Read more

"...I also enjoyed the developing character of Mary, from a meek 12-yr-old in the first story to captain of the Bestimmung Company...." Read more

"I liked the story line and the thought put I to this book. Good characters and proper scene development. Well worth feeding for SF...." Read more

"...The characters are well described. The writing stile is fast paced." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2015
    I was innocent of the concept of Amish science fiction when I was introduced to Chris Pourteau, as someone who had written some military fiction in the universe of "Pennsylvania," the Amish sci-fi novel by Michael Bunker..

    I barely had time to encompass Amish sci-fi before being immersed in Military Amish science fiction. What a concept!

    Pourteau makes it work, though, and you don't need to have read "Pennsylvania" to enjoy this collection. The first story introduces Mary Brennerman, a pivotal character in the rest of the tales, and reveals her motivation for leaving the community of Plain People who have settled on New Pennsylvania to join the rebel force called TRACE.

    The remaining three tales in the collection, "Gettysburg," "Susquehanna," and "Columbia," are closer to novellas than short stories, and Pourteau traces his inspiration for each (mostly from Civil War history) in an afterword that follows each tale.

    The juice of the collection, however, resides strongly in the stories themselves. We meet Lieutenant Hatch, "Trick" to the company, and the hard-drinking "man-mountain" Sergeant Stug, whose continual complaint is not getting to hit enough people. Hawkeye, Bracer, Pusher... Each of the TRACE rebels becomes important to us, and we care what happens to them. The action of their battles is balanced by the action of their hearts and minds.

    The "B" of B-Company, by the way, is not a mere alphabet letter. It is short for "Bestimmung," a German/Pennsylvania Dutch word that can mean "regulation," "purpose"—or "destiny." While Mary Brennerman and the other evocative characters of her company move through their various battlefields, it takes on each of those meanings in turn.

    Pourteau goes on my watch-for list, along with Bunker and Amish science fiction.

    Who knew?
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2015
    I am not sure if Michael Bunker knew what was going to happen when he wrote Pennsylvania. Chris Pourteau, along with countless others, fell in love with this world. Michael Bunker then opened up his world to other authors to write stories in. Chris Pourteau jumped at this opportunity and has created a story that goes great with the Pennsylvania world.
    Gelassenheit is a great story that sets up some very important story lines.
    Gettysburg is a really good story that will draw you back to Pennsylvania and make you realize why you love the world of Pennsylvania.
    Susquehanna might be my favorite tale from Company B. The story telling is great and you really get to meet some great characters that you will love.
    Columbia is the final B Company story and it does not disappoint. Chris has done a great job writing a story in which there are characters that you will love and some that you won't like. The stories grab you from the beginning and won't let go until the end and this story is no exception. Any cliffhangers or unanswered questions you might have had will be answered in this story.
    As I said, Chris reminds you why you love the Pennsylvania world so much. He brings some great stories and characters to the world.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2015
    Others have detailed the juice of each gem in this collection, so I will simply say that I truly enjoyed every single story and this has risen to be my favorite work of Chris Pourteau's. I particularly enjoyed the clash between old and modern, between the strive to hold on to roots and tradition while pressured with the need to change. I also enjoyed the developing character of Mary, from a meek 12-yr-old in the first story to captain of the Bestimmung Company. If you love Michael Bunker's world of Pennsylvania you'll absolutely want to read this collection. And if you aren't familiar with the world of Pennsylvania, then what are you waiting for? You'll come to love it through Pourteau's eyes.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2022
    I liked the story line and the thought put I to this book. Good characters and proper scene development. Well worth feeding for SF. Military readers.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2015
    I did not like it
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2015
    I loved each and every one of Pourteau's Company B tales set in Michael Bunker's amazing Pennsylvania. From gritty to touching, with great characterization and action, it is worth having every single one of them in your collection and great that Pourteau decided to offer all of them in one place. I'm just sorry the series is over, or maybe it isn't!
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2015
    This is a very good addition to the Pennsylvania world by Michael Bunker.
    The story is well narrated and the competence on the military side is evident.
    The characters are well described. The writing stile is fast paced.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2017
    Different tact on story line in Amish setting. Difference in 3 cultures coming together, a war zone setting, and personal wants and needs. Good reading!
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Walter Scott
    5.0 out of 5 stars When the Amish go to war
    Reviewed in Canada on August 24, 2017
    This is a must-read companion piece to Michael Bunker’s New Pennsylvania universe. It is a solid story with more military emphasis than the five novels by Michael Bunker, but it does an awesome job of fleshing out life before Transport’s heavy-handed rule results in an uprising by the colonists. It reminded me of David Drake’s writing in the way some of the war components have strong echoes of key stages of “Old” Earth conflicts – in this case, the American Civil War. You will root for the characters, and be disappointed that, at least for now, there are no more of Chris Pourteau’s B-Company stories.
    The Notes providing the historical context behind the B-Company’s actions are a much-appreciated addition, especially for this Canuck who has only a vague sense of the battles, large and small, of the American Civil War.
  • Ice1
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great read
    Reviewed in Canada on August 25, 2015
    Awesome story, well done.

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