Recommendations For Steve's Military SF Reading

[Steve Long]

Hi, folx! It's time to start another "recommended reading" discussion.

 

In another few months, I'll start working on Alien Wars, which is the sort of "Military SF" setting in the Hero Universe timeline. As part of this book, I'm currently planning to have a section on Military SF in general -- some of the issues that arise in Military SF stories, and if appropriate how to simulate them in HERO System terms.

 

To make that section as good as possible, I'd like to delve back into Military SF, which I haven't read in a while. So, I thought I'd ask for some reading recommendations. Casting my eye over my bookshelves, I see the following:

 

Drake, David. Various books.

Haldeman, Joe. The Forever War.

Heinlein, Robert. Starship Troopers.

Modesitt, L.E. The Parafaith War.

Niven, Larry, et al. The Man-Kzin Wars

Steakley, John. Armor.

 

So, what else is out there that you might recommend? If you can, please indicate why you're recommending it -- what does it show/illustrate/use that makes it interesting, how might it be useful for gaming?

 

I am primarily interested in novels or stories depicting combat between starships, or ground combat featuring SF-tech weapons (hovertanks, teleporting artillery, and so on), though lower-tech stuff (a la Aliens would also do). I am specifically not interested in "alternate history" novels such as much of Harry Turtledove's stuff.

 

Thanx for your help!

[SirViss]

I would suggest David Webber's «Honor Harrington» series. I like the space battles of that series alot, and there are even a few good planet-based battles.

[Darth Sarcastic]

Almost anything by Steve Perry:

 

The Alien(s) War Series

The Matador Series (The Man Who Never Missed is a must)

 

I think Steve Perry's daughter (S.D. Perry) did a few Alien(s) books incl. an Aliens vs. Predator that wasn't half bad.

 

These are all mainly ground war type stories. Star Trek: Rogue Saucer and Ship of the Line are good ship battle stories.

[Rigel]

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This book puts a very interesting spin on the classic space battle by training child geniuses through a series of games so they can lead the human fleets. Ender Wiggins is one of these young students and it is essentially his story. There are severl Ender novels out now, but I must admit I haven't read them.

 

There was also an athology of sci-fi war stories called Battlefields Beyond Tomorrow published back in 1987 or so. I bought it as a member of the SciFi Book Club. I have seen used copies around at bookstores and online from time to time. It's a great source of scifi war short stories, from authors such as Orson Scott Card (the original Ender's Game short story btw), Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Herbert, Jack Vance and so on. It's a great book for people like me that love the novella or short story format. I found a complete listing of the included stories online.

[Nato]

Don't forget to read The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted just for kicks.

[Talon]

Niven's "Mote in God's Eye". Lots of military action with some specific technologies displayed, and usual Hard SF focus of Niven.

[BobGreenwade]

Absolutely, positively Robert Asprin's "Phule's Company" series -- Phule's Company, Phule's Paradise, Phule and His Money, and Phule Me Twice. They have the same tongue-in-cheeck approach as his "Myth" series, as well as the same wonderfully colorful characterizations and some good thoughts on how military functions might work in the future (okay, it's the Legion and not the Army, but you get the idea). On those rare occasions where the hardware takes center stage, it does so in a very interesting manner -- my personal favorite is the "instant base" in Phule Me Twice.

[Monolith]

I also liked the Honor Harrington series by David Webber. I think there were 10 books in that series.

 

David Webber (with Steve White) also did 4 books which encompass the Starfire Universe. The series covers a number of years from beginning to end, so you get a perspective of the entire immediate timeline as every race just continues returning to war.

[TheDude2371]

There's also a pretty good book series by Rick Shelley... namely the Dirigent Mercenary Corps . Book titles are:

Officer Cadet

Lieutenant

Captain

Major

Lieutenant Colonel

Colonel

 

He's also written another series called Spec Ops Squad, but I haven't read any of that one as of yet.

[Derek Hiemforth]

In addition to his essential Starship Troopers, I'd add Heinlein's classic The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. It deals with civilian revolutionaries instead of an organized military, but many of the themes cross over.

[Nevenall]

I would recommend The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois Bujold McMaster.

There are two other books that come before that one in the series, namely Shards of Honor and Barrayar, and lots more that come after, but it you only have time to read just one...

[Tom McCarthy]

http://www.concentric.net/~Los/ft/lossf.htm

 

Rot Hafen isn't conventionally published SF, but it's interesting to see Military SF written by an actual Special Ops soldier/instructor, and it really is an Alien War story.

 

You've got Armor, Starship Troopers, adn Forever War, so I'd say you've got 3 very distinct tones for the power armoured grunts. You've got that well covered.

 

Dune, for better or worse, had some things to say about how to build an elite fanatical unit of warriors, and those ideas have certainly been used by Games Workshop, among others.

[JohnTaber]

Hi Gents,

 

I have a great comic recommendation...

 

Alien Legion by Carl Potts - Footslogging group of misfits. Sort of a French Foreign Legion in space. Has a great Dirty Dozen flavor that I just love and the art from Cirocco and Stromann (later on) is just rad.

[Killer Shrike]

Bill the Galactic HERO?

 

{smirks}

[Lord Liaden]

The Dorsai novels by Gordon R. Dickson focus on a futuristic planet-nation of professional warriors, and deal with the hardware and tactics of warfare (more planet-based than starship based), but also on military training, mindset and philosophy. The first book in the series, Dorsai!, is considered one of the seminal works of the military sci-fi genre, along with Heinlein's Starship Troopers.

 

There's more starship combat in Fred Saberhagen's excellent Berserker series dealing with mankind's war with a race of sentient machines programmed to exterminate all organic life (Mechanon with a star fleet!) Ace Books collected many of his short stories into one volume, entitled Berserker, which would be particularly appropriate and useful.

 

I'd also recommend Keith Laumer's novel Bolo, the title of which refers to the artificially intelligent war machines created by mankind to help them fight off an alien invader. Good depiction of hardware, and discussion of the place of AIs as servants and allies of mankind.

[Tom Carman]

Originally posted by Nevenall

I would recommend The Warrior?s Apprentice by Lois Bujold McMaster.

There are two other books that come before that one in the series, namely Shards of Honor and Barrayar, and lots more that come after, but it you only have time to read just one...

Another good one is Brothers in Arms. Miles mentions that he avoids writing interim reports because they tend to result in additional orders, and he must either obey those new orders or waste valuable time and energy evading them while getting the job done. It also has some interesting scenes on logistics and bookkeeping for a mercenary force.

[BlackSword]

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

The Dorsai novels by Gordon R. Dickson focus on a futuristic planet-nation of professional warriors, and deal with the hardware and tactics of warfare (more planet-based than starship based), but also on military training, mindset and philosophy. The first book in the series, Dorsai!, is considered one of the seminal works of the military sci-fi genre, along with Heinlein's Starship Troopers.

I was going to suggest the Dorsai series as well, but my computer at work dislikes posting (perhaps work dislikes me posting, hmm). I enjoyed the series. One of the other good books in the series is _Soldier, Ask Not_ as instead of dealing with a planet that exports well trained military experts, another planet ships out fanatics willing to die. More foot-soldiers as opposed to the military command or commando experience of the Dorsai.

[Steve Long]

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

 

No, I'd be remiss. I've got that, have read it many times, and love it. (The first sequel I disliked, often intensely; haven't read any of the others.)

 

Thanx for the suggestions, folx! Keep 'em comin', though I can guarantee I'll never have time to read all of 'em. I can always keep a list and get back to 'em later.

[lemming]

Buck Godot, Zap Gun for Hire

 

Most of my recommendations have already been mentioned.

 

Elizabeth Moon has a decent space series out as well.

[SuperPheemy]

Heir to the Dragon by Michael Stackpole and Wolves on the Border by Robert Charrette. Both are Battletech novels (so we're talking very rubber science) but were easy, entertaining reads focusing on two different takes on Warrior societies. The first being the Neo-Japanese Draconis Combine, and the second focusing on the Mercenary Battallion Wolf's Dragoons.

 

I imagine you'd be able to knock off both books in an afternoon.

[Peregrine]

David Drake's Hammer's Slammers. Futuristic armored warfare (hovertanks), great treatment of mercenaries in an interstellar setting.

[AlHazred]

Lord Liaden beat me to the Bolo series by Keith Laumer, the main inspiration for Steve Jackson Games' Ogre game. A number of anthologies were produced of his stories. A few years ago, a publisher began producing a new series of anthologies with permission. The first two are okay, but after that I'd leave it for later. They're not bad, per se, just mediocre. Actually, I've always thought a Bolos-versus-Berserkers setting could be pretty interesting...

 

I'm going to suggest Brian Daley's The Doomfarers of Coramonde (1977) and The Starfollowers of Coramonde(1979). It's the story of a modern (for the 1970s) mercenary company transported by magic from the jungles of Viet Nam to a fantasy world. They're efforts to come to grips with the circumstances, and they're gradual attempts to improve the technology of their patrons, is an interesting take on low-tech military science fiction/fantasy. The same idea was used by Jerry Pournelle in his Janissaries series, except there the mercenaries are transported by aliens from the jungles of Africa.

 

One series to avoid is Piers Anthony's Bio of a Space Tyrant. It was billed to me by the clerk as military sci-fi. It's only resemblance to military sci-fi (or, indeed, good writing in general) is the fact that it uses English, and is located in a book store.

[BlackCobra]

I would heartily second and third the books of Lois McMaster Bujold, whom I only discovered recently and was completely swept away by.

 

I would also second the Elizabeth Moon books, particularly the ones she did with Anne McCaffrey (Sassinak, Generation Warriors, etc).

 

David Weber also wrote a good, if odd, military sci-fi book called Mutineer's Moon. It's a mix of high-end military SF and good old fashioned space-opera. It does have the distinction of the largest space ships ever seen in science-fiction (and I mean ALL of science-fiction).

 

[Guest Confusinator]

Military SF

 

John Ringo is a fairly new author that has a new series out.

 

It takes place in the near future when Earth is contacted by a friendly alien race reporting that an evil alien race is soon to invade. They help Earth develop new technology to fight the invaders. Nice blend of current technology and hard core SF stuff.

[Archon]

Weber and Ringo have a collaborative series called the March. It starts with March Upcountry, March to the Sea, and March to the Stars. 4 more books to go. I personally enjoyed them.

 

Weber's single creation "Path of the Fury" is also a good one. This one is mentioned in the old Ultimate Mentalist bibliography.

 

If you want to try "Mutineer's Moon," which is the first book of the Heirs of the Imperium, you can get the book for free as an ebook at baen.com in the Free Library.