Examples of some of the banter from The Guns Above (that are officially available online):
The main characters involved in the banter are Captain Josette Dupre and Lord Bernat Hinkal

• The Guns Above: On the Safe and Effective Use of Gunpowder-Filled Shells
•     While the crew cut wide beechwood fuses and hammered them into shells, Bernat quietly asked Josette, "Is this entirely safe?"
      "May I remind you that you're aboard an airship," she said. "Nothing we do is entirely safe."
      He frowned. "I mean to say, where would we be if a stray spark set off one of these shells?"
      She stared at him. "Technically speaking? We'd be in a lot of places. The surrounding woods and countryside, to begin with. If these winds hold up, parts of us might even make it to Halachia."
      As Bernat watched another load of shells being carried down from the magazine, he said, "Well, I've always liked to travel."
  Copyright © 2017 by Robyn Bennis    See the full scene at Tor.com www.tor.com/tags/the-guns-above-excerpts/
• How "Tallyho!" is Not Always Applicable to Airship Battles
•     "Good God," he screamed. "They're shooting at us!" Only then did the shriek of the rocket reach his ears.
      Behind him, Dupre sighed and said, "It would be more remarkable if they weren't, Lord Hinkal."
  Copyright © 2017 by Robyn Bennis    See the full scene at Tor.com www.tor.com/tags/the-guns-above-excerpts/
• Excerpt (published as part of an Interview with the Author)
•     She said in a quiet hiss, "I swear, if that isn't a roll of coins in your trousers, I will throw you overboard and tell everyone it was a tragic accident."
      The object in his pants was, in fact, a roll of coins---part of his first week's payment from Uncle Fieren. "My dear captain," he said, loud enough for the entire work party to hear, "take it as a compliment."
      She tensed even more. "Are all aristocrats such uncouth animals?"
      "If I have given any offense," he said, "you need only call me out, and I will happily offer satisfaction."
      This elicited some snickers from the crew, which Dupre silenced with a glance. "I take that to mean a duel," she said, "and I am sorely tempted by the thought."
      "Would you prefer pistols at dawn, or shall I visit you in the night with my longsword?"
  Copyright © 2017 by Robyn Bennis See the interview at http://maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/favorite-bit-robyn-bennis-talks-guns/.

The Beginning Chapters of The Guns Above (though this is before the banter)And excerpts:
Chapters 1 and 2 from the Publisher www.torforgeblog.com/2017/03/07/sneak-peek-the-guns-above-by-robyn-bennis/
And some excerpts at www.tor.com/tags/the-guns-above-excerpts/

Summary of The Guns Above (on the publisher's site):
Military Action and Gallows Humor: The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis (www.torforgeblog.com/2017/03/07/sneak-peek-the-guns-above-by-robyn-bennis/)

Reviews of The Guns Above with spoilers or excerpts
A funny, well-written, and well-characterized book like this one certainly shows that Bennis could go very far.

Interviews with & Articles by the Author of The Guns Above:

• Take to the Skies with Robyn Bennis' The Guns Above
• Robyn Bennis Talks Military History and Gender Roles in The Guns Above
• The Evolution of Technology in The Guns Above (or "The Guns Above has not always been the book it is now.")

The British Broadcasting Corporation has televised fifty-two episodes of the "Blake's 7" saga, thirteen each for the spring seasons of 1978, 1979, 1980, and the autumn of 1981. Each set of stories reveals changes in the team, in the enemy, and in the relationships among them.

Introduction | The Beginning | The Production Team | Background Characters | Morality & Humor | Sex & Death | Conclusion | Summary

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Quotations & other material copyrighted to Terry Nation, BBC, et al.
Email bewarne@blakes7-guide.com to report mistakes, make comments, ask questions.
A continuity guide to "The West Wing" is also available,
And a guide to the 70's series "Kung Fu".