[Keyoke]

Anyone know of some scifi out there that is about gritty futuristic combat? Like, we're talking Power Armor, tanks, ships, fighters, etc..

I do know about Armor.. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif And the line of Battletech novels. I am looknig for something new, or possibly authors that I havent heard. Anything.. Help! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

Keyoke

[SusF]

David Drake is your man. He writes very gritty militaristic science fiction. Good stuff, too. He's written several titles. Just check him out in the SF aisle.

He's also written a bit of fantasy, but I think military SF is his best.

Susan

[Lamanai]

These may be a bit too obvious, but...

Battlefield Earth -- L. Ron Hubbard
Starship Troopers -- Robert Heinlein

[Hobbit]

Was about to put David Drake (the Tank Lords, Hammer's Slammers), but then noticed that SusF beat me to it. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif S.M Sterling also writes a lot with Drake and would also suggest this militaristic view.

Would also add (my favourites) - Gordon Dickson's Dorsai series; then probably Jerry Pournelle's Falkenberg's series (Future History, Prince of Sparta etc), and John Dalmas's The Regiment. Have also heard a lot lately about John Ringo/David Weber collaborations, March Upcountry and March to the Sea (but haven't read them so can't say). John Ringo's Gust Front and A Hymn Before Battle have had some good comments.

Mentioned elsewhere - Elizabeth Moon's series starting with Hunting Party; I know others have enjoyed the Sten books by Chris Bunch & Allan Cole (though I've got to be honest and say that I've read the first couple and thought that IMO they were no better than OK.

Have heard good things about Tanya Huff (Valor's Choice) and Julie E Czerneda (Beholder's Eye and In The Company of Others)who seem to be recent newcomers to the genre but pushing a lot of people's buttons.

Techno-Hobbit

[aldiboronti]

Fred Saberhagen`s Berserker series is good, and Joe Haldeman`s Forever War is one of the best novels about future combat ever written.

[Vitriol]

Iain M. Banks is also pretty good; particually Use Of Weapons and Against A Dark Background (which contains the Lazy Gun; in my opinion the funkiest piece of sci-fi weaponry ever).

[mundanemies]

Can't for the life of me recommend March Upcountry. It was dismally dull, paint-by-numbers and the first book, which really delighted me, the big fan of not-finished series-guy http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif.

Drake has his uses. I quite like his style (like little short, sharp bursts) of writing. Elisabeth Moon is really good too. Tanya Huff and Czerneda, yes. And Joel Rosenberg, the man responsible for me ever reading another military-SF in my life. His book Not Ffor Glory convinced me that there was something more than Jerry Pournelle... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif

[matthewajg]

Although the combat is not neccessarily "gorey", the story is "gritty" and involves many of the elements you have mentioned as being of interest....Orson Scott Card's ENDER'S GAME and successive novels in the series. While not as heavy on the mechanized battlesuits and combat as say, STARSHIIP TROOPERS or BATTLETECH, the storytelling is very gripping, sometimes disturnbing in its insights into the human condition. As an examination of the human condition, and our capacity for acts of war, it is quite an achievement. Even if it does fill your desire for battle and cool technology, it is worth the read.

[karljah]

Someone probably needs to correct the title, but didn't Harry Harrison write a trilogy called "Tomorrow The Stars"? Rich man gets convicted/ sent off to colony world; helps start a revolution against Earth. Cut to climax of battle: they're showing STAR WARS and laughing at the idiocy of that kind of space battle. In the book, they use mass drivers to throw "buckshot" and large rocks. They destroy enemy fleet.

First impression of "real" space battle that I read.

[Alucard]

Is david drake's sci-fi better than his fantasy? I picked up lord of the isles sometime back and really didn't like it.