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Favorite Military Science Fiction
Ground Pounders
Here are my Favorite Military SF novels where the action mostly involves military ground troops/spacefaring infantry.
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Heinlein's classic is still the granddad of military science fiction, a gung-ho military campaign against a pair of allied alien races. It's the origin of "power suits" for the soldiers, and also steeped in political rhetoric. (Don't let the movie put you off.)
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Forever War is the seminal post-Vietnam War military science fiction in which war is a lot less glorious, an almost satirical counterpoint to Heinlein's classic. It's also an excellent hard SF novel looking at the effects of relativistic time changes both on the progress of the war and on those soldiers who must endure the dislocation.Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards (1976).
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Turns the old saying, "old men start wars and young men fight them," on its head, in a galaxy teeming with intelligent alien races, advances in human science mean it's the old retirees who get to fight humanity's wars. The story continues with several ongoing sequels, starting with The Ghost Brigades. Winner the Hugo award (2006.)
That's my must-read triptych.
More Suggestions:
Armor by John Steakley
The concept of power-suited soldiers fighting insectoid aliens seems familiar from Starship Troopers, but this has a greater focus on the psychological effect of prolonged warfare on the soldiers, and a lot more combat action than the Heinlein novels. Steakley only wrote two genre novels, and this one is surely worth a read.
Confederation (Torin Kerr) series by Tanya Huff
in the first book of this series, Huff re-tells the battle of Rorke's Drift (Zulu war), but with a multi-alien confederation versus a more primitive local native population that vastly outnumbers them. The main character, Sgt. Kerr, has unswerving belief in the infallibility of sergeants.
Dorsai series by Gordon R. Dickson
Earth's major nations, the Western Alliance and the Eastern Confederation, fight it out by surrogate on colony worlds using mercenaries. aka Childe Cycle.
Hammer's Slammers by David Drake
Vietnam War veteran Drake offers a collection of stories of a band of mercenaries in an interplanetary tank army for hire, where war is just a business and nobody really cares about which side is right or wrong, just which side is signing the paychecks.
The Red by Linda Nagata
This trilogy takes place entirely on a future Earth, following a power suited soldier whose various cybernetic enhancements and implants seem to have been infiltrated by... something that may be and artificial intelligence that may or may not be benign, but definitely seems helpful to the protagonist.. A military/AI trope fusion.
Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos
Kloos's story of a ground combat engineer begins with the usual boot camp to begin his "Frontlines" series. Kloos divide his attention between insurrections on Earth, international rivalries out among space colony worlds, and a good old-fashioned alien invasion.
Stark's War by John Hemry (aka Jack Campbell)
Before he became a best-selling author under the name "Jack Campbell", John Hemry wrote this tale of power-suited US infantry soldiers fighting other nations on the moon.
Here are my Favorite Military SF novels where the action mostly involves military ground troops/spacefaring infantry.
Starship Troopers by Robert HeinleinHeinlein's classic is still the granddad of military science fiction, a gung-ho military campaign against a pair of allied alien races. It's the origin of "power suits" for the soldiers, and also steeped in political rhetoric. (Don't let the movie put you off.)
The Forever War by Joe HaldemanForever War is the seminal post-Vietnam War military science fiction in which war is a lot less glorious, an almost satirical counterpoint to Heinlein's classic. It's also an excellent hard SF novel looking at the effects of relativistic time changes both on the progress of the war and on those soldiers who must endure the dislocation.Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards (1976).
Old Man's War by John ScalziTurns the old saying, "old men start wars and young men fight them," on its head, in a galaxy teeming with intelligent alien races, advances in human science mean it's the old retirees who get to fight humanity's wars. The story continues with several ongoing sequels, starting with The Ghost Brigades. Winner the Hugo award (2006.)
That's my must-read triptych.
More Suggestions:
Armor by John SteakleyThe concept of power-suited soldiers fighting insectoid aliens seems familiar from Starship Troopers, but this has a greater focus on the psychological effect of prolonged warfare on the soldiers, and a lot more combat action than the Heinlein novels. Steakley only wrote two genre novels, and this one is surely worth a read.
Confederation (Torin Kerr) series by Tanya Huffin the first book of this series, Huff re-tells the battle of Rorke's Drift (Zulu war), but with a multi-alien confederation versus a more primitive local native population that vastly outnumbers them. The main character, Sgt. Kerr, has unswerving belief in the infallibility of sergeants.
Dorsai series by Gordon R. Dickson
Earth's major nations, the Western Alliance and the Eastern Confederation, fight it out by surrogate on colony worlds using mercenaries. aka Childe Cycle.
Hammer's Slammers by David DrakeVietnam War veteran Drake offers a collection of stories of a band of mercenaries in an interplanetary tank army for hire, where war is just a business and nobody really cares about which side is right or wrong, just which side is signing the paychecks.
The Red by Linda Nagata
This trilogy takes place entirely on a future Earth, following a power suited soldier whose various cybernetic enhancements and implants seem to have been infiltrated by... something that may be and artificial intelligence that may or may not be benign, but definitely seems helpful to the protagonist.. A military/AI trope fusion.
Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos
Kloos's story of a ground combat engineer begins with the usual boot camp to begin his "Frontlines" series. Kloos divide his attention between insurrections on Earth, international rivalries out among space colony worlds, and a good old-fashioned alien invasion.
Stark's War by John Hemry (aka Jack Campbell)
Before he became a best-selling author under the name "Jack Campbell", John Hemry wrote this tale of power-suited US infantry soldiers fighting other nations on the moon.
Starship Fleet Battles
Instead of fighting it out with power suits and rifles down in a gravity well, these are my favorite novels featuring fleets of attacking starships flashing C-beams off the shoulder of Orion:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Bunch of kid geniuses play wargames in the zero-G rec room and on video screens as they practice battle strategies for use against aliens in space. (If I recall correctly, a couple of the sequels featuring the Bean character might be characterized as earthbound military sci-fi.)
Honor Harrington series by David Weber
This now-lengthy series started with the simple idea of re-creating CS Forester's Horatio Hornblower, but with starships instead of Hearts of Oak, with human cultures remarkably reminiscent of 18th-century England and France. (Each of the early books in the series is pretty much a self-contained story, with some continuity.)
The Lost Fleet serie by Jack Campbell
Campbell offers a 6-part series detailing the efforts of a starship fleet trying to fight its way back home following a disaster as engagement deep in enemy territory (modeled after the Greek tale of the "Ten Thousand" who invaded Persia circa 400 BC.) Continues with another "Beyond the Frontier" sequel series.
Vatta's War series by Elizabeth Moon
Moon offers a five-part series detailing a conflict in a star-faring human culture. One could easily read the first book and wonder why I include it as military, since the protagonist is captain of an unarmed merchant trading vessel, but patience is rewarded in a very nice progression through the 5-part story.
More Suggestions:
The Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold
The lengthy Vorkosigan series only occasionally offers space-based combat (it's as likely to detail individual adventures or politics), but every now and then it breaks out the starships.
Heris Serrano / Esmay Suiza series by Elizabeth Moon
The early books in this series offer more fox hunting and dressage then actual military activity, but like Vorkosigan its large cast of characters occasionally starts throwing missiles at each other.
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
Mixes fleet & ground action in an unusual universe where the laws of physics themselves are up for negotiations.
Instead of fighting it out with power suits and rifles down in a gravity well, these are my favorite novels featuring fleets of attacking starships flashing C-beams off the shoulder of Orion:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott CardBunch of kid geniuses play wargames in the zero-G rec room and on video screens as they practice battle strategies for use against aliens in space. (If I recall correctly, a couple of the sequels featuring the Bean character might be characterized as earthbound military sci-fi.)
Honor Harrington series by David WeberThis now-lengthy series started with the simple idea of re-creating CS Forester's Horatio Hornblower, but with starships instead of Hearts of Oak, with human cultures remarkably reminiscent of 18th-century England and France. (Each of the early books in the series is pretty much a self-contained story, with some continuity.)
The Lost Fleet serie by Jack CampbellCampbell offers a 6-part series detailing the efforts of a starship fleet trying to fight its way back home following a disaster as engagement deep in enemy territory (modeled after the Greek tale of the "Ten Thousand" who invaded Persia circa 400 BC.) Continues with another "Beyond the Frontier" sequel series.
Vatta's War series by Elizabeth MoonMoon offers a five-part series detailing a conflict in a star-faring human culture. One could easily read the first book and wonder why I include it as military, since the protagonist is captain of an unarmed merchant trading vessel, but patience is rewarded in a very nice progression through the 5-part story.
More Suggestions:
The Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster BujoldThe lengthy Vorkosigan series only occasionally offers space-based combat (it's as likely to detail individual adventures or politics), but every now and then it breaks out the starships.
Heris Serrano / Esmay Suiza series by Elizabeth MoonThe early books in this series offer more fox hunting and dressage then actual military activity, but like Vorkosigan its large cast of characters occasionally starts throwing missiles at each other.
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha LeeMixes fleet & ground action in an unusual universe where the laws of physics themselves are up for negotiations.
Rally Cry! By William Forstchen Rally CryRanks of Bronze by David Drake Ranks of Bronze
World War by Harry Turtledove Worldwar: In the Balance
I like Ender's Game and Star Ship Troopers.
The Vorkosigan saga Is one of my favorite Science Fiction series. As stated earlier not all of them are true military. Warrior's Apprentice and Vor Game are two of the best that are. Miles has to be one of the most inspired characters space opera ever written.
I find it interesting, since I read a lot of military sci-fi, that so many much of the novels and series that involve battles between fleets of starships share a very similar, fictional model of the physical universe. This seems to be true of universes created by McCaffrey, Weber, Moon, Bujold, and Campbell, as well as series I didn't particularly care for, such as Douglas and Hunt. This has almost become a "standard fleet universe":
Interstellar travel is made possible by Hyperspace faster than light (FTL) travel. Entry and exit to hyperspace is only possible far away from stars (well beyond the orbital distance of even the most distant planets of a system.) And that entry and exit it is usually at only specific locations ("jump points"), and these jump points are usually connected to other specific jump points (that is, you can only reach specific destinations; you can't just jump to any old place in the galaxy.) Travel through hyperspace is not instantaneous, but takes time, though very little happens in hyperspace.
Why? I think this seems to be simply a necessity of the genre. Without FTL, there's no interstellar travel and a lot less to fight about. If there weren't specific routes through hyperspace, there would be no "strategic systems" requiring defense. If you could enter and exit hyperspace anywhere, you could never assemble a fleet and you could never conclude a battle since the losing side would immediately jump away.
Within that basic structure, different authors like to emphasize different things. Weber's Honorverse began mimicking CS Forester's Hornblower novels in space, so he has spent a lot of time describing spaceship design and propulsion with defensive sidewalls and "impeller wedges" that let his ships fight small battles, even one-on-one, with the same maneuvering tactics as old sailing ships angling for a broadside.
Campbell and Moon seem most interested in the limitations of lightspeed on information within a star system, meaning you can only see where other ships were, not where they are, with increasing ambiguity as they move further away.
A few authors have faster than light communication. Moon has large, non-mobile "ansibles" that provide rapid communication between most star systems throughout the galaxy, but not on individual ships. (In Vatta's War, Moon considers the impact that portable FTL communication between individual ships has on fleet tactics. Weber (and later Campbell) eventually introduce low-band with FTL communication within a star system, but not between stars. In Weber's case that's all part and parcel of the emulation of old sailing ship warfare, where warships were out of touch with home for months or years.
The one Fleet-Battle sci-fi I'm not sure fits this mold is Ender's Game. (view spoiler)
Interstellar travel is made possible by Hyperspace faster than light (FTL) travel. Entry and exit to hyperspace is only possible far away from stars (well beyond the orbital distance of even the most distant planets of a system.) And that entry and exit it is usually at only specific locations ("jump points"), and these jump points are usually connected to other specific jump points (that is, you can only reach specific destinations; you can't just jump to any old place in the galaxy.) Travel through hyperspace is not instantaneous, but takes time, though very little happens in hyperspace.
Why? I think this seems to be simply a necessity of the genre. Without FTL, there's no interstellar travel and a lot less to fight about. If there weren't specific routes through hyperspace, there would be no "strategic systems" requiring defense. If you could enter and exit hyperspace anywhere, you could never assemble a fleet and you could never conclude a battle since the losing side would immediately jump away.
Within that basic structure, different authors like to emphasize different things. Weber's Honorverse began mimicking CS Forester's Hornblower novels in space, so he has spent a lot of time describing spaceship design and propulsion with defensive sidewalls and "impeller wedges" that let his ships fight small battles, even one-on-one, with the same maneuvering tactics as old sailing ships angling for a broadside.
Campbell and Moon seem most interested in the limitations of lightspeed on information within a star system, meaning you can only see where other ships were, not where they are, with increasing ambiguity as they move further away.
A few authors have faster than light communication. Moon has large, non-mobile "ansibles" that provide rapid communication between most star systems throughout the galaxy, but not on individual ships. (In Vatta's War, Moon considers the impact that portable FTL communication between individual ships has on fleet tactics. Weber (and later Campbell) eventually introduce low-band with FTL communication within a star system, but not between stars. In Weber's case that's all part and parcel of the emulation of old sailing ship warfare, where warships were out of touch with home for months or years.
The one Fleet-Battle sci-fi I'm not sure fits this mold is Ender's Game. (view spoiler)
Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison is a classic, its the reply to ,Starship Troopers
I'm starting the 3d book of E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth series in audio format. I read the series as it came out in paperback & have all the books, but it's been a decade since I started it. After reading a book a year or so, it was great to get back to it in audio format.This is a post apocalyptic series with a very strong military thread set in a blend of SF & fantasy. Our world with 'vampires' & other monsters, but not of the usual UF or PNR sort. Very realistic in most ways, putting aside the basic world change.
I've gotten a bit behind on reviewing the series since Mom came to visit, but here are my 5 star reviews of the first 2 books.
Way of the Wolf:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Choice of the Cat:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Lots of good suggestions here, this is what I was hoping to find when joining this group.I have something to add:
The Frontiers Saga series by Ryk BrownThis series focuses on the crew of a starship who, after being stranded in a remote part of the galaxy, have to survive in the face of a hostile empire trying to dominate the local area. The series focuses mainly on ship-to-ship space combat, though surface encounters also feature occasionally.
The Legion series by William C. DietzThe Legion series is about a far-future, cybernetic version of the French Foreign Legion. Battle-hardened, fatalistic and somewhat crazy, the Legion does what other divisions of the military will not, or cannot do. This series focuses mainly on surface engagements, though some encounters happen in space.
I would recommend the Gabriel trilogy starting with
by Steve Umstead. An unfairly disgraced soldier is called back to duty to lead a special mission to an ice world. The author does an excellent job of world building and his military descriptions are very good.
Starship Troopers, followed by the Star Crusades series, then anything by Ian Douglas.Starship TroopersSiege of TitanSemper Mars
Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison...a true classic, writen as a reply to Starship Troopers....a lol-fest as well
Gavin Smith's the Veteran and Gary Smith's Final Days are a couple of good ones I've read in the last few months.I've just downloaded the Ian Douglas book James mentioned and I'll try that one next.
Angie wrote: "I've just downloaded the Ian Douglas book James mentioned and I'll try that one next."
Let us know what you thought of it. I tried reading Douglas's other SF-military series, Earth Strike (Star Carrier #1), but despite some interesting tech I really didn't care for the characters and abandoned both the series and the author.
Let us know what you thought of it. I tried reading Douglas's other SF-military series, Earth Strike (Star Carrier #1), but despite some interesting tech I really didn't care for the characters and abandoned both the series and the author.
I've only given a lot of time to Anne McCaffrey's tower and the hive, Damia's Children which ducks a lot of conventions of the genre by making the FTL telekinetic, and therefore driven by gifted individuals rather than ship design. On the downside, since the Hive aren't TK it's not the most evenhanded war in fiction.
Spooky1947 wrote: "Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison...a true classic, writen as a reply to Starship Troopers....a lol-fest as well"Excellent book! Also the last two parts of the Altered Carbon series Woken FuriesBroken Angels
A bit late I know but how about "Future History" by Jerry Pournelle.
I guess I haven't read much "military" sci-fi but I did love what I read:The Vatta's War series
A Galaxy Unknown series
Halo (I've only read the first three or four)
I saw mention of Anne McCaffrey but I don't know if I'd consider any of her work that I've read "military" sci-fi.
I haven't gotten around to the Honor Harrington series or The Lost Fleet but I'm positive I'll love them.
My current favorites are the A Galaxy Unknown series by DePrima, The Frontiers sage by Ryk Brown, and The Crimson worls sags by Jay Allan. Military sci-fi is what I'm most into now. Sara King has an interesting take on military sci-fi as well with her Zero novels.
Eric wrote: "My current favorites are the A Galaxy Unknown series by DePrima, The Frontiers sage by Ryk Brown, and The Crimson worls sags by Jay Allan. Military sci-fi is what I'm most into now. Sara King has..."Yay, DePrima fan!
What is the consensus on the definition of what military sci-fi is, exactly? Must there be extensive tech? Must there be a heavy focus on military life? What's the check-list?
E.D. wrote: "What is the consensus on the definition of what military sci-fi is, exactly? Must there be extensive tech? Must there be a heavy focus on military life? What's the check-list?"
Part of the fun of discussing science fiction is there are no hard boundaries. To my mind, it stars members of a military or para-military group, and is primarily about that military activity. (I tend to discount people who are technically soldiers but are running around on their own, such as say Ensign Flandry of (usually) Miles Vorkosigan.) As for the "science-fiction" aspect, I usually think futuristic: there is some speculative technology with military implications. Mostly, I categorize things more on gut feeling than a scientific checklist.
Part of the fun of discussing science fiction is there are no hard boundaries. To my mind, it stars members of a military or para-military group, and is primarily about that military activity. (I tend to discount people who are technically soldiers but are running around on their own, such as say Ensign Flandry of (usually) Miles Vorkosigan.) As for the "science-fiction" aspect, I usually think futuristic: there is some speculative technology with military implications. Mostly, I categorize things more on gut feeling than a scientific checklist.
Thanks, G33z3r! Categorizations and sub-categories are sometimes self-evident, sometimes not. Always good to get clarification when possible. :}
E.D. wrote: "What is the consensus on the definition of what military sci-fi is, exactly? Must there be extensive tech? Must there be a heavy focus on military life? What's the check-list?"I think its just an extension from the basic military fiction genre. It has to focus on war or special ops conflicts. There doesn't have to be extensive tech for it to be military sci-fi, but it does have to be from the military point of view.
Most importantly the plot is driven by a military conflict, whether that be large scale armies style conflict or small scale special ops or border skirmish style conflict. There is a goal either offensive or defensive in nature which can only be met through violent conflict.
Lots of great military SF titles here. Have read a lot of them. Starship Troopers was a great read in high school for me. Since then I've enjoyed Dickson's novels, those by Elizabeth Moon and David Drake, and recently stuff by Michael Z. Williamson. I enjoy reading books that combine starship battles that involve Humans vs. Aliens, and exotic Alien cultures. Tom.
T. Jackson wrote: "Lots of great military SF titles here. Have read a lot of them. Starship Troopers was a great read in high school for me. Since then I've enjoyed Dickson's novels, those by Elizabeth Moon and David..."Tom, I thought I would add in an old favorite fun read that matches what you enjoy...
Antares Dawn
Antares Passage
Antares Victory
I've read just the first in a series The Regiment by John Dalmas. It's very interesting SF military. I just got the second book & haven't had a chance to read it yet.
Two already mentioned: The Forever War and Ender's game. Another one:
Myself, I didn't really care for "The Dark Wing," because I didn't like any of the characters. The "hero" was a little too enthusiastic about genocide for my taste (though he didn't actually go through with it, because of some alien prophecy he embraced and caused them to worship him instead, which is a solution I only expect of Capt Kirk. :)
The forever war - Joe Hadleman all time fave.Old mans war - John Scalzi brand new favourite
Takashi Kovacs series by Richard Morgan
The Seafort Saga by David Feintich ( Master and commander in space)
What about David Brins The Uplift War?
Soldier Harlan Ellison
Fallen Dragon Peter F Hamilton ( not his best!)
I have heard really good things about Old Mans War. It is on my shelf to read. I hear it is a modern day Startship Troopers.
I loved Halo the fall of reach. Its what made me a fan of the series. Starship troopers was also a great book.
I am a big fan of the Warhammer 40000 universe as well.
Amazing Stories Online has a nice
Article on Elizabeth Moon's Military SciFi & Fantasy
. (Vatta's War, Herris Serrano-Esmay Suiza, & Paksenarion)
Military Science Fiction is one of my favorite types of books to read. I read all of your posts and have found some that I have not read. I did not see anyone mention E.E. Smith's books. They may be classic but they sure are fun to read. There are not many books being written today that crash two suns together to beat the bad guys.Thanks for recommendations above. I will read most of them except Vorkosigan books. Could not get past first hundred pages.
The books in military science fiction that I would recommend is The Forever War and Ender's Game.
Some favorites not mentioned:Sassinak by Anne McCaffrey First book of the planet Pirates series, co-written with Elizabeth Moon.
The Fleet edited by David Drake first of a five (short story) book series that is actually a collective universe w/ different authors writing stories for each book. Drake, McCaffrey, Morris, Bruner, lots of others.
Triplanetary by E.E. "Doc" Smith first of the Lensman series. Series evolves quickly and really takes off with the third book Galactic Patrol. Ground and space battles, and real origin of powered armor. No suns are smashed together in this series, but planets are later on.
I really like Marko Kloos and everything I've read by him so far I've read for free through Amazon Prime... so if you have that subscription and you enjoy e-books he's your guy.
Terms of Enlistment is the first in his Frontline series. Admittedly the ratings are all over the place, but I liked it. It's not very ambitious, fate-of-the-universe-in-the-balance stuff... just very simple military stories from the front line soldier's/pilot's perspective.
Terms of Enlistment is the first in his Frontline series. Admittedly the ratings are all over the place, but I liked it. It's not very ambitious, fate-of-the-universe-in-the-balance stuff... just very simple military stories from the front line soldier's/pilot's perspective.
Paul didn't mention his own Military sci-fi novel but I am about halfway through and like what I have read so far.
Dan Abnett's Gaunt's Ghosts series. The opening books of which can be found in omnibuses: Gaunt's Ghosts: The Founding, Gaunt's Ghosts: The Saint, The Lost. Yes, they're in the tie-in section, they are still good military SF.And then there is Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium and Ciaphas Cain: Defender of the Imperium, which are also in the tie-in section and military SF, but leavened with humor. Also a great source of fannish debates on exactly how inaccurate a narrator Cain is.
Ender's Game was my first introduction to Military Sci-Fi and while I have liked many others in this sub genre, it still is my favorite.
First and OnlyMutineer
Defiant
I would list everything by those two, and I love ringo and drake...
But my first love is and always will be "Bolos"
Bolo Strike EVERYTHING lol :D
Fred wrote: "First and Only
Mutineer
Defiant"
I've been curious about the Kris Longknife stories, guess I will add Mutineer to my list.
Mutineer
Defiant"
I've been curious about the Kris Longknife stories, guess I will add Mutineer to my list.
People might enjoy John G. Hemry's Paul Sinclair series, starting with A Just Determination, even though they all climax in courtroom dramas. It's all military.
G33z3r: The Kris Longknife Series is awesome, Ive read them all including the prequel books under his real name Mike Moscoe which are of Kris's Grand parents, doing what those damn Longknife's do, well and the nuu family as well. I just started on the series about Kris's old friend and rival, Vicki Peterwald.
deleted user wrote: "I really like Marko Kloos and everything I've read by him so far I've read for free through Amazon Prime... so if you have that subscription and you enjoy e-books he's your guy. I have listened to this series on Audiobook (3 books now so far, 4th arrives in a few months) and it has really gotten me hooked. I would suggest giving it a try. Mix between ground-pounding and space/fleet combat.
I am really intrigued by the alien race introduced and how everything is reacting to it.
G33z3r wrote: "Starship Fleet BattlesInstead of fighting it out with power suits and rifles down in a gravity well, these are my favorite novels featuring fleets of attacking starships flashing C-beams off the shoulder of Orion:"
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
It needed to be said. :)
Lori wrote: "Rachel Bach's Paradox series is great, she does a really great job of building the story through the different books, I also enjoyed Tuf Voyaging by George RR. Martin, the main character is just so clever, quite the departure from Game of Thrones!!..."
Sharon wrote: "I would recommend the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. A good place to start is with The Warrior's Apprentice which is the first of the Miles Vorkosigan adventures. I think it's more solidly written than Shards of Honor which was one of the author's earliest works. If you like The Warrior's Apprentice you may want to go back and read about Miles' parents in Shards of Honor and Barrayar. This is character-driven fiction at its finest and one of my all-time favorite book series. ..."
Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy
Books mentioned in this topic
Ninefox Gambit (other topics)First Light (other topics)
Terms of Enlistment (other topics)
Angles of Attack (other topics)
Lines of Departure (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Yoon Ha Lee (other topics)John G. Hemry (other topics)
Sandy Mitchell (other topics)
Dan Abnett (other topics)
Anne McCaffrey (other topics)
More...
As you might've guessed, I'm about to name some of my favorites. What are yours?
(I think I'll define "military science fiction" as SF novels with a substantial portion of the story told from the point of view of a member of a military / mercenary organization engaged in some form of organized group military action. For example, I think I won't include Ensign Dominic Flandry, not because those novels aren't a fun read, but because Flandry's always off on solo heroics.)