What do you think?
Rate this book
Citizens
A hard-hitting specialized anthology written by military veterans selected by armed forces veteran and New York Times best-selling author John Ringo and Hugo-nominated editor Brian M. Thomsen. Science fiction legends – and citizen warriors, military veterans all – deliver science fiction military adventure tales on a grand scale in this star-studded collection.
Legendary science fiction writers – and citizen warriors – deliver science fiction military adventure tales on a grand scale. Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Laumer, Wolfe, and other greats. Giants of science fiction. Plus all new fiction by recent vets who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military veterans all. This is the Book of Dreams for anyone who enjoys military science fiction. Gritty takes on future combat. Penetrating looks into the warrior’s character, the harsh reality of a life under arms – and how society deals with those it desperately needs and often fails to honor as it should.
Genius-level storytelling at its very best – introduced and edited by multiple New York Times best-seller and U.S. Army veteran John Ringo and noted scholar Brian M. Thomsen.
About editor & contributor John Ringo:
“[O]ne of the best…practitioners. . .of military SF.” –Publishers Weekly
"[F]ast-paced military SF peopled with three-dimensional characters and spiced with personal drama as well as tactical finesse." – Library Journal
“[Ringo’s work] attains a terrible beauty not unlike that of the Norse Eddas…” – Publishers Weekly
"If Tom Clancy were writing SF, it would read much like John Ringo.” – The Philadelphia Weekly Press
Legendary science fiction writers – and citizen warriors – deliver science fiction military adventure tales on a grand scale. Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Laumer, Wolfe, and other greats. Giants of science fiction. Plus all new fiction by recent vets who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military veterans all. This is the Book of Dreams for anyone who enjoys military science fiction. Gritty takes on future combat. Penetrating looks into the warrior’s character, the harsh reality of a life under arms – and how society deals with those it desperately needs and often fails to honor as it should.
Genius-level storytelling at its very best – introduced and edited by multiple New York Times best-seller and U.S. Army veteran John Ringo and noted scholar Brian M. Thomsen.
About editor & contributor John Ringo:
“[O]ne of the best…practitioners. . .of military SF.” –Publishers Weekly
"[F]ast-paced military SF peopled with three-dimensional characters and spiced with personal drama as well as tactical finesse." – Library Journal
“[Ringo’s work] attains a terrible beauty not unlike that of the Norse Eddas…” – Publishers Weekly
"If Tom Clancy were writing SF, it would read much like John Ringo.” – The Philadelphia Weekly Press
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published July 26, 2011
15 people are currently reading
325 people want to read
About the author
John Ringo
101 books1,831 followersJohn Ringo is a prolific author who has written in a wide variety of genres. His early life included a great deal of travel. He visited 23 foreign countries, and attended fourteen different schools. After graduation Ringo enlisted in the US military for four years, after which he studied marine biology.
In 1999 he wrote and published his first novel "A Hymn Before Battle", which proved successful. Since 2000 Ringo has been a full time author.
He has written science fiction, military fiction, and fantasy.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
In 1999 he wrote and published his first novel "A Hymn Before Battle", which proved successful. Since 2000 Ringo has been a full time author.
He has written science fiction, military fiction, and fantasy.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 30, 2019
A solid collection of tales from writers like Heinlein, Clement, and Pournelle to the new guys like Williamson and Ringo. They range from comedy and fantasy to tech-heavy, military science fiction. Every writer is a veteran of one or more wars and conflicts, and their short bios are an amazing read just by themselves.
All of the entries here are excellent and the anthology is probably going to stay in print for some time. If you love good science fiction and want a set of tales you can read over a few weekdays, a holiday weekend, or a late night when you can't sleep anyway, this is a great choice.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
All of the entries here are excellent and the anthology is probably going to stay in print for some time. If you love good science fiction and want a set of tales you can read over a few weekdays, a holiday weekend, or a late night when you can't sleep anyway, this is a great choice.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
August 23, 2021
I thought the anthology, 'Citizens' would be good, since it was military science fiction written by veterans. I also like John Ringo's writing in general, and he has a story in here. But it exceeded my expectations.
Not only are there crackling good stories in this book, but it's also a survey of great science fiction writers over the past seven decades. Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, are here as well as Murray Leinster, Gene Wolfe, and Keith Laumer. Then there are some newer writers as well, veterans of the Iraq war with their unique takes on military scifi.
If you like military scifi, don't miss this one.
Not only are there crackling good stories in this book, but it's also a survey of great science fiction writers over the past seven decades. Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, are here as well as Murray Leinster, Gene Wolfe, and Keith Laumer. Then there are some newer writers as well, veterans of the Iraq war with their unique takes on military scifi.
If you like military scifi, don't miss this one.
August 5, 2018
I enjoyed this collection a great deal. I was quite pleased that authors from across the political spectrum were represented: after all, having served in the military is no guarantee of ideology.
I had read the Clarke and Heinlein stories before (although I had remembered Clarke’s story but not that he wrote it), and both stand up quite well to rereading.
Patrick Vanner and Kacey Grannis’ contributions make we want to read more of their work.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes MilSF, or as a way for someone to decide whether they like it.
I had read the Clarke and Heinlein stories before (although I had remembered Clarke’s story but not that he wrote it), and both stand up quite well to rereading.
Patrick Vanner and Kacey Grannis’ contributions make we want to read more of their work.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes MilSF, or as a way for someone to decide whether they like it.
September 13, 2019
This is a solid anthology, with a good mix of classics and stories by current authors, of reprints and stories written just for this book. Some are standalone stories, while others clearly belong to the writer's established 'verse.
I particularly liked David Freer's light touch with "Neither Sleet, Nor Snow, Nor Alien Invasion...", but I also appreciate the deeply serious stories of self-sacrifice in Robert A. Heinlein's "The Long Watch" and Michael Z. Williamson's "The Price," in which characters go forth knowing they most likely will not survive.
I particularly liked David Freer's light touch with "Neither Sleet, Nor Snow, Nor Alien Invasion...", but I also appreciate the deeply serious stories of self-sacrifice in Robert A. Heinlein's "The Long Watch" and Michael Z. Williamson's "The Price," in which characters go forth knowing they most likely will not survive.
November 28, 2018
A short story collection by both authors I have heard of but never read as well as new unknown authors to me. Good entry point if you want to see if their writing style compliments your reading needs. In my case most stories did this for me.
September 5, 2019
Good collection from a some great writers. some stories stand out more than others, but the majority were interesting.
October 11, 2019
Scanned the stories. I had read some of them before this time.
March 6, 2012
Some stories were better than others, quite true. Yet all were good, and some were exceptional. Considering that many of the stories in this book were written almost 60 years ago, that really says something. I loved this book!
May 5, 2012
Some of the stories were older, and I had read them before, but I loved the idea of this collection - military sci-fi written by military veterans. The whole was more than a collection of its parts. A good read.
December 31, 2011
Anthology - some stories were better than others. Just wasn't in the mood for all the sudden starts and stops.
June 14, 2012
Most stories are okay, but for military sci-fi written by veterans, it was not wha I expected.
June 25, 2012
Loved the concept. Wonderful execution
November 10, 2014
excelant short stories found myself reading copyright dates after a few. Reconected with sum old authors and met a couple of new
October 14, 2013
Most of these are. Pretty darn good. Both the newer and the old classics.
Kcb 2013.
Kcb 2013.
June 10, 2014
Some old stories, some new, some good, some so-so. Was looking for more contemporary authors so a bit disapointed.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews