Military Science Fiction (Merge of 3 threads)

**DurzoBlint** · March 23rd, 2009, 05:59 PM

Any of the David Sherman Starfists books- Space Marines in the distant future.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_...fix=david+sher

Also Dan Abnett and his Warhammer series about the Ghost squadron (Gaunt's Ghosts). It starts with first and only if I recall.

**worldmaker** · March 27th, 2009, 04:36 AM

Okay,

I'll agree with everyone else - Hammer's Slammers.
Also consider the Larry Niven(?) Falkenberg's Legion stories, so long ago I can barely remember it all. (Set in the same universe as "The Mote In God's Eye")

Try Niven/Pournelle(?) - "Footfall"

I've just finished back-to-back reading of "On Dead Ground" and "The Shiva Option" (absolute, total bug war and so many battles, dreadnoughts and star battles you'll come out with blasters and nukes ringing in your ears).

The bolo series of books anyone? I've only read one - "Road To Damascus".

A.E. Van Vogt - "War Against The Rull"
The Berserker novels from Saberhagen.

And just for a smile: Robert Asprin's "Phule's Company" et al.

**Riluss** · April 12th, 2009, 02:51 AM

as mentioned before the Honor Harrington series if you like space battles, and if you like that series,

Elizabeth Moon has two series'
the Vatta Series, teenage girl gets kicked out of a space academy, goes to her rich family to become a pilot and works her way up from a run down freighter to a heavy cruiser over the course of 6? books,

(elizabeth moon is ex-military)
she also has another series Serrano
also about a female captain leaving a military but she pilots a rich ladies yacht and gets into various points of trouble, this one isn't as good as the Vatta series, imo, but they are both similar to the Harrington series.

**psikeyhackr** · April 12th, 2009, 09:34 AM

There must be another military sci-fi thread because I KNOW I mentioned this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_General_series

before.

I think it is better military sci-fi than Harrington but it is not in space. The politics is more interesting too. Harrington gets tiresome. Bujold's Vorkosigan series is better but there are not as many battles. I think Honor of the Queen, the 2nd book is about the best.

psik

**psikeyhackr** · April 12th, 2009, 11:49 AM

Yeah, we need all the warmongering in one place.

psik

**OrphuofIo** · April 25th, 2009, 08:12 PM

I recommend E.E. Doc Smiths' Chronicles of the Lensmen. Particularly the first three books. Triplanetary, First Lensman, and Galactic Patrol. I'm sure most would find them outdated, but still great reads. You'll see where all the others got their ideas. A Classic series, and IMO a must read.

**Geoffrey Thorne** · July 19th, 2009, 12:25 AM

Originally Posted by Arith

Hi guys. I am relatively new to the Sci-Fi genre. I have read some Starwars books and that's about it but while at the book store the Fade Sun Trilogy by C.J.Cherryh caught my eye and i picked it up. After thnking for a bit i have decided to give more Sci-Fi a chance and have a few questions for you guys. I am mainly a fantasy reader and i love books with a heavy military theme like GRRM Song of Fire and Ice Series or Ericsons Malazan Book of the Fallen Series. What books in sci-fi would you guys recomend that have a heavy military theme to them, i want starfighters, spaceships, battles, intrege, politics, kind of like the 3 Star Wars books by Timothy Zahn. Thanks guys!

This is the last time I'm doing this in this forum but I think you'll like FULL THROTTLE SPACE TALES #3: SPACE GRUNTS. it is exactly what you say you wan and the stories are all novella-sized or under.

**Perspicuus** · July 27th, 2009, 11:53 AM

I'd Like to suggest Death Head by David Gunn.

Really enjoyed it.

The style reminded me somewhat of John Ringo with the Ghost series without the American Marines\gov righteous bias thing going.

**psikeyhackr** · July 27th, 2009, 01:38 PM

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/24122...-h/24122-h.htm

We need to merge the military sci-fi threads.

psik

**Rob B** · July 27th, 2009, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by psikeyhackr

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/24122...-h/24122-h.htm

We need to merge the military sci-fi threads.

psik

Done and done.

Chronicles of the Lensmen is not really Military SF, it is the father of all Space Opera. Granted, there's a lot of overflow between Space Opera and Military SF, but few people would consider Chronicles of the Lensmen to be Military SF.

**BlackVoid** · July 30th, 2009, 01:55 PM

My main issue with military SF is that most of the time it is not realistic at all (true for most non SF military books as well).

For example in Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series the author considers relative speed differences, time lags due to vast distances, very short engagement times - this is realistic. This is a nice touch, but unfortunately his spaceships turn and can preserve a speed advantage after a turn. This is just silly. Space is empty, you cannot turn the way you can turn on land or water or in air. Most other books do not even deal with physics or reality, ships just shoot each other.

Can anyone recommend some military SF which is REALISTIC?

Ender's Game was pretty good as I recall and Alastair Reynolds has a few battle scenes that feel real, but that is about all.