Military Science Fiction (MilSciFi)

Television, Movies Games and Books Other Science Fiction
#1

I would like to ask two questions about Military Science Fiction.

  1. What is your definition of what Military Science Fiction actually is and what does it encompass.

  2. What are your favorite MilSciFi books/movies/shows?

I’m basically looking at generating a coherent definition of MilSciFi for a project I’m working on as well as potentially finding some new material to consume.

Thank you for your time. :slight_smile:

#2

Starship Troopers is definitely --MilSciFi. It’s probably the most classic MilSciFi novel.

Oh, and WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!

I haven’t read the Honor Harrington books, but from what I hear about 'em certainly MilSciFi

I guess I would define MilSciFi as a science fiction story where the core story/characters/plot revolves around war/battle. And I suppose pure MilSciFi is when the main characters are specifically in a military organization.

Star Trek, in it’s conception, took great pains to NOT be all about battle and war, so I wouldn’t classify it as MilSciFi.

Anyway, interesting question. And when I think about it, there’s quite a lot of SciFi that are at least partly MilSciFi (maybe cuz what could be cooler than a space battle?:D)

#3

Welcome aboard, and good questions.

The easiest definition of military science fiction is science fiction about the military. Of course, the definitions of “science fiction” and “military” are equally problematic.

There’s the obvious ones; David Drake’s books, Scalzi’s Old Man’s War books, etc. I’d also include Eric Flint’s 1632 series, although military matters are but a component of them (to varying degrees.)

Hrm, now that I think about it, most of SciFi is concerned with military matters on some level. Star Trek, the original Star Wars trilogy, even Lord of the Rings.

#4

I dig Military Sci Fi. Starship Troopers is one of my fav books of all time. Enders game is also a great MilSciFi. Perhaps even better is the corresponding Shadow series that is a tangential mirror story following the character of Bean from Enders Game is even more so a military story. If you are looking for some hard MilSciFi there is a collection of stories in a book called Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century. I read it a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

Now if you want some comedic hard MilSciFi you should check out Bill, the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison. It lampoons the military stories but is very hard sci fi.

#5

Harry Trtledove produced an military sci-fi series in the World war series. It’s a series where Lizard aliens attack erth during WW2. It’s a pretty good set. Lasts for 7-8 books! It’s also kinda alternate history… but the presense of lizard aliens makes it military sci fi in my opinion.

Also… I would think tha Aliens would be and example. ( as opposed to Alien being Horror-sci-fi)

#6

Originally Posted by Papathanatos
I would like to ask two questions about Military Science Fiction.

  1. What is your definition of what Military Science Fiction actually is and what does it encompass.

  2. What are your favorite MilSciFi books/movies/shows?

I’m basically looking at generating a coherent definition of MilSciFi for a project I’m working on as well as potentially finding some new material to consume.

Thank you for your time.

MSF for me has to have some of these key elements:
1- Warfare
2- The future
3- Alternate realities
4- The author has some idea of what they are writing about.

As for some of my favorites, here they are:

  1. Robert A. Heinlein - Starship Troopers. Perhaps the finest example of MSF and political science that I can think of. The movie made me want to vomit. Heinlein was a naval officer in WWII.
  2. David Drake- Hammer’s Slammers series. Mercs and hovertanks.
  3. David Weber- Bolo and Honor Harrington series. Sentient battle tanks and naval warfare.
  4. Jerry Pournelle- Birth of Fire, Lucifers Hammer and the Falkenberg’s Legion universe.
  5. Taylor Anderson- Destroyermen series. WW2 destroyer is sent through to a parallel universe.
  6. Ian Douglas- The Heritage, Legacy and Inheritance trilogies. These follow the USMC over the next couple of thousand years. He was also a navy corpsman.
  7. Karen Traviss- Star Wars: Republic Commando series. If you are checking out Military Science Fiction, do not skip this series. It’s all about squad level warfare in the Star Wars universe and it is really good. She also has a military background and writes small unit tactics very well.
  8. Harry Turtledove - He does alternate history extremely well. Check out the timeline that begins in How Few Remain. It goes from the Civil War all the way through WWII.
#7

MSF for me would probably require only people in uniform and some kind of military structure.

There’s a b-grade movie around ten years ago that had Dean Cain as a general running around in caves for the most part, with his crew tagging along looking for some kind of weapon that turns out to be a giant hand! (not kidding!)

#8

Thanks for the welcomes and the replies.

I think the definition of MilScifi, like SciFi itself, will largely be up to interpretation of the individual. The feedback you’ve given me confirms the generalization I have been using for the subject. Certain thinks, like Starship Troopers, Hammer’s Slammers, and the like, are obviously MilSciFi. The problem comes with some less obvious choices. Star Trek is an obviously vague one for classification as MilSciFi but in the end I believe it is. Starfleet is THE military force for the Federation (though again, in the Enterprise series there was a distinct division of forces, I believe the Makos were not Star Fleet, but its been awhile so I’m not 100% certain), but in later series (timeline wise, not when they were produced) there is no mention of a separate military force (please correct me if I am mistaken)

I appreciate the suggestions, they include quite a few of my favorites plus a substantial number of examples I had not previously heard of. I will be looking those up on Amazon later. My personal picks, in random order, would be:

Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein
Hammer’s Slammers Series - David Drake
Marching Through Georgia - S.M. Stirling
Legion Of The Damned - William C. Dietz
Guns Of The South - Harry Turtledove
March to the Sea (March Upcountry) - David Weber and John Ringo
Rogue Squadron Series - Various Authors
Battletech series - Various Authors
Temeraire series - Naomi Novik and Dominic Harman
Warbots series - G. H. Stine

I tend to prefer MilSciFi over other SciFi but do not exclude other flavors of stories, MilSciFi is just my first inclination. If you visit my site www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org you can probably see why, its not SciFi or MilSciFi related but it shows my militiristic bent :D.

I look forward to joining the community and getting to know everyone

#9

Heh, will all the bad MilSciFi movies I’ve watched, I wouldn’t find that hard to believe.

#10

Ok, howzabout V-for-Vendetta? How would you label it?

  • a political Military Science Fiction?

  • an Orwellian, politico MSF?

  • a British 80’s New Wave, Orwellian-based MSF?

  • a badass comic book

#11

Man I was gonna say the well known ones like ST and Old Man’s War and Forever War and stuff but you totally bogarted Ian Douglas from out from under me. I’m amazed somebody else has read those books

#12

Quote by Default Prophet

Man I was gonna say the well known ones like ST and Old Man’s War and Forever War and stuff but you totally bogarted Ian Douglas from out from under me. I’m amazed somebody else has read those books

I loved those books. I just finished reading Semper Human a couple of weeks ago.

#13

I’ve only read up to the end of the Legacy trilogy, how is Inheritance?

#14

Quote by Default Prophet:I’ve only read up to the end of the Legacy trilogy, how is Inheritance?

It’s just as good as the other two trilogies. I thought it wrapped things up nicely for the Marines vs Hunters of the Dawn conflict.

#15

Just got the library to order the 3rd book in the Horus Heresy series based on Warhammer 40K. (they’ve got all but books 3 & 4). Book 11 (or so) just came out and it’s planned to go for at least 5 more. There are several authors who work on the series, so some books aren’t as book as others :wink:
Anyway, first one is “Horus Rising” by Dan Abnett.
This series has been called “military/war sci-fi” that unexpectedly becomes horror sci-fi.

#16

Season 4 of Babylon 5 has definitely got Mil Sci Fi tones.

When I was younger I read the Wing Commander novels, and found them enjoyable, fast paced and very easy to read. If you ever played the games I highly recommend them.

#17

Military SF doesn’t have to be a space opera as the story could involve futuristic war anywhere, anytime.

As has been said, Starship Troopers is the classic that all should read IMO (book, not movie). A follow-up would be John Steakley’s Armor.

I’m in the middle of the Honor Harrington series after the podcast here a few weeks ago. Liking it so far. John G Hemry’s (as Jack Campbell) The Lost Fleet series is similar is many ways but sticks with the space battle themes more. Both compliment each other very well.

As far as Star Trek, while the series had military themes, I place it squarely in the Space Opera genre instead as it covered many other themes and subjects, as well.

#18

You know…I really wanted to like Armor but I hate books that do split storylines like that cause one always ends up being better (The actual combat story) and then one ends up sucky in comparison and it feels like a slog to get to the parts you like more again. =/

Also why the frak didn’t they issue melee weapons

#19

Thanks for the suggestion, I had never heard of this series and just ordered Vol. 1 for my Kindle (now if only I hadn’t forgotten it at my girlfriends house doh)

#20

Just finishing up Volume 3 and I must say I enjoyed this series tremendously, far more than I anticipated I would, thanks again for the suggestion. Just ordered Vol. 1 of The Heritage Trilogy by Ian Douglas.