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Military Sci-Fi

Doran

Doran

New Member
I need some suggestions on some military sci-fi books. Ive read a couple and have liked the genre.

Books like Armor, Forever War, and Starship troopers is basicaly what im looking for.

Thanks for the help.
 
If you like Naval Military Sci-Fi you might want to try the Seafort Saga, although the main character does spend the entire six books wallowing in pity as all his mates get killed off one by one :)

Phil
 
most military scifi is naval (space-shiip based) I like David Weber, Honor Harington Series. Read 5 so far. Weber has written lots of other books as well.

How about Harry Turtledove, alternative history stuff, was not my cup of tea though. Just do a search at Amazon.

David Drake, he wrote Hammers Slammers. You might like this.

I'll try and think of some more
 
William H. Keith Jr. wrote some great grunt's-perspective sci-fi. Some of his titles include Bolo Rising, Bolo Strike, and Bolo Brigade, plus the original Battletech books from twenty years ago.

John Ringo, who is one of Keith's understudies, has a decent run in books such as A Hymn Before Battle and Gust Front, but he tends towards overly-detailed descriptions of hardware and tactics, almost to the point of a futuristic Tom Clancy, so you have to be prepared for such.

Tanya Huff has started building a rep as a military sci-fi author with her Torin Kerr series, Valor's Choice and The Better Part of Valor. The main character is a Marine sergeant who starts out in the series as the typical Iron Maiden that many authors feel military women must be, but becomes more believable as time goes on.

Ian Douglas is a terrific author, and I think he does for groundpounders what David Weber did for starship combat. If you're looking for grunt action, try his Heritage trilogy -- Semper Mars, Luna Marine, and Europa Strike -- followed by his Legacy trilogy. Both are very US-centric, but are still a good read for hard mil-sci-fi fans.

That's a start for now. I know there are more good ones out there; just give me some time to think of them.
 
There are also an increasing number of books coming out based on the Warhammer 40,000 table-top game - Space Marines and other such beasties :) I havnt read any myself, but apparantly they are not all absolute dogs-dinners :eek:

Phil
 
if its warhammer 40k you want to read read the Gaunts ghosts series by dan abbnett because they are infantary fighting all the way their are 7 novels at the moment which tell the tale of Commisar Ibrahm Gaunt & the tanith first & only a guard company who have nothing left to live for when they are made "ghosts" when their home world of Tanith is destroyed by the forces of chaos. their are two more on the way with 1 cross over novel also due out
the seven novels are (in order so u would know whats what)
First & only
Ghost maker
Necropolis
Honour Guard
Guns of tanith
straight silver
sabbat martyr
I read them all in 2 week's because they were that good they are seriously addictive an abbnett has no fear of offing characters 1 by 1 :eek:
 
I'd also suggest David Gerrold's War of the Chtorr. He really is going to finish the series! ;)

I can't remember if anyone mentioned Harry Turtledove. I haven't read him, but I've heard good things about him and think that his books fall under this classification.
 
I suggest you try Gordon R Dickson's Dorsai novels, I think the first one is Tactics of Mistake. Jerry Pournelle has also written some highly enjoyable military SF with a leaning towards infantry, from memory: Prince of Mercenaries, Falkenberg's Legion, Prince of Sparta, Go Tell The Spartans.
 
Well I went to Barnes & Noble and Borders, niether place had David Gerrolds War of the Chtorr. Apparantly there out of print, and I hate buying things off the internet. Can't seem to make a decision on any other books.
 
Dream chaser said:
if its warhammer 40k you want to read read the Gaunts ghosts series by dan abbnett because they are infantary fighting all the way their are 7 novels at the moment which tell the tale of Commisar Ibrahm Gaunt & the tanith first & only a guard company who have nothing left to live for when they are made "ghosts" when their home world of Tanith is destroyed by the forces of chaos. their are two more on the way with 1 cross over novel also due out
the seven novels are (in order so u would know whats what)
First & only
Ghost maker
Necropolis
Honour Guard
Guns of tanith
straight silver
sabbat martyr
I read them all in 2 week's because they were that good they are seriously addictive an abbnett has no fear of offing characters 1 by 1 :eek:
Click to expand...
Have you read any of these?

By DAVID FERRING:

SHADOWBREED; 239 page B format.

WARBLADE; 255 page paperback.

KONRAD; 228 page B format.



By JACK YEOVIL (these 3 are in best condition):

BEASTS IN VELVET; 269 page paperback.

DRACHENFELS; 247 page B format.

BEASTS IN VELVET; 269 page B format.



By DAVID PRINGLE:

RED THIRST; 256 page B format.

IGNORANT ARMIES; 252 page B format.

WOLF RIDERS; 202 page paperback, never read.

DEATHWING; 243 page paperback.



By BRIAN CRAIG:

PLAGUE DAEMON; 217 page paperback.

STORM WARRIORS; 271 page B format.

ZARAGOZ; 245 page B format.



By IAN WATSON:

SPACE MARINE; 264 page paperback.

INQUISITOR; 241 page B format.

these are on ebay at the moment and I am contemplating bidding
 
Personally I don't read much of military sci-fi but I know that my father does and he has always liked Jerry Pournelle Falkenberg's Legion and Larry Niven.
If you're willing to step out of the space age I know an author that writes excellent military fantasy, Elizabeth Moon (former marine).
And one I've never read but she's a friend and I'm sure writes well Diane Thornly.
Also, if you want treatise and such on war Pournelle has out a 13 volume series called There We Were.
Hope that helps. :)
 
javelin98 said:
William H. Keith Jr. wrote some great grunt's-perspective sci-fi. Some of his titles include Bolo Rising, Bolo Strike, and Bolo Brigade, plus the original Battletech books from twenty years ago.

John Ringo, who is one of Keith's understudies, has a decent run in books such as A Hymn Before Battle and Gust Front, but he tends towards overly-detailed descriptions of hardware and tactics, almost to the point of a futuristic Tom Clancy, so you have to be prepared for such.

Tanya Huff has started building a rep as a military sci-fi author with her Torin Kerr series, Valor's Choice and The Better Part of Valor. The main character is a Marine sergeant who starts out in the series as the typical Iron Maiden that many authors feel military women must be, but becomes more believable as time goes on.

Ian Douglas is a terrific author, and I think he does for groundpounders what David Weber did for starship combat. If you're looking for grunt action, try his Heritage trilogy -- Semper Mars, Luna Marine, and Europa Strike -- followed by his Legacy trilogy. Both are very US-centric, but are still a good read for hard mil-sci-fi fans.

That's a start for now. I know there are more good ones out there; just give me some time to think of them.
Click to expand...


Interesting note, Ian Douglas and William H. Keith are the same person -- Ian Douglas is one of his pen names. I highly recommend his stuff; I haven't found any I haven't enjoyed -- although some of it is obviously for younger readers.

Other suggested mil-SF: John Ringo's Posleen books. Fun reading.

Glen Cook - The Dragon Never Sleeps
John Dalmas - Soldier
David Drake (Hammer's Slammers, especially), David Weber, Tanya Huff, Dickson, Feintuch, Heinlein, etc.

Any obscure recommendations out there?
 
Some more possibilities are:

David Sherman & Dan Cragg: Starfist series.
Marines in the future. Fairly readable. 10 books in the series so far.

Rick Shelley: 13th Spacebourne Assault Team
Marine-like soldiers in the future. There are only 2 or 3 books here.
He has another series about a soldier where each title was his rank
(Lieutenant, Captain, Major, etc.) I didn't get real excited about them.

David Drake: Redliners
EXCELLENT BOOK!!!

Bond. Paul Bond.
 
SLot Dave said:
Interesting note, Ian Douglas and William H. Keith are the same person -- Ian Douglas is one of his pen names.
Click to expand...

Hah! You're absolutely right -- I just found that out a couple of days ago, reading a short story of his in an anthology.
 
If you don't mind a little romance thrown in, Susan Grant's "2176" series is terrific! Five female pilots kidnapped in today's world and frozen to be reawoken in 2176 because they're the only ones who remember how democracies operated and are willing to fight for it.
 
Paul Bond said:
Some more possibilities are:

David Sherman & Dan Cragg: Starfist series.
Marines in the future. Fairly readable. 10 books in the series so far.
Click to expand...

Forgot about those. 34th FIST, if I remember correctly. Pretty good stuff; I really got into the first 3-4 books. After that I started losing interest.

And, how could I forget? William C. Deitz, Legion of the Damned books (although, I personally would only recommend the first two)
 
Every year a book called "The Year's Best Military Sci Fi" or something like that, is published. Its got some great stuff in it--short stories you won't find anywhere else. I don't know if a hard core Mil SF fan would approve but for your average fan Andre Norton's got a pretty good one Star Soldiers.

Its funny, I can think of a jillion books I've read where there's military action but not very many of them could be considered Military SF. I don't think.

Anyone got a handy definition?
 
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