Aroooo Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 shameless plug Originally posted by 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. http://www.foot-sloggers.com, sanctioned by Carl Potts. And I've got to second the Bolo series. Great treatment of AI's combined with really big powerful machines. Aroooo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Originally posted by AlHazred Actually, I've always thought a Bolos-versus-Berserkers setting could be pretty interesting... Wow, what an image that just conjured for me: two races of sentient machines, one programmed to protect life, the other to exterminate it, locked in eternal war long after the races that created them are extinct. How poignantly tragic. I'll have to work on this. (Sorry for the preemption, Steve.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevenall Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Millitary SF There is a military sf web comic at http://www.schlockmercenary.com. It's a lot to slog through, but worth it. Especially if you start at the beganning. Besides being funny, there is some well though out and interesting weapons technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Mhoram Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Originally posted by Steve Long 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.) I'd second the Ender's Game, Dorsai and Mote In God's Eye. And while they are "someone elses propery" the X wing books by Stackpole and Allston are really fun. Fighter pilot space combat, lots of combat details and ship to ship battles. I'd also recomend the Gap Series by Donaldson. Like his other works it is very adult, and sometimes too sexual, but it has some really nice space battles and tactics. I'd also recomend the comic book Sigil from Crossgen. Space opera and lots of combat. In reference to the Enders books (and not military SF in particular), if you didn't like the first sequel skip the next two, but do read Ender's Shadow. It is set during Ender's game, and is told from the pov of Bean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawangaKid Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 MILITARY Stuff - there was a good compilation on Military SF in particular in the past year. Something like "The Year's Best Military SF" or something like that. Also, I liked Babylon 5's approach to the military - having ground pounders and the space fleets, etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McCarthy Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 I don't know if I'd read it... Gregory Benford has an arc of novels which include bands of refugee or nomadic humans trying to survive after the robots have ejected them from the cities they built. Essentially, the AIs have decided to eliminate them and they are struggling to survive and find a way off planet. This is the fringe of military SF, since it's SF, combined with tactics and combat, but with more 'pack' culture than military heirarchy culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyGuardian Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 I have to toss in a vote for the Lois Bujold series. Absolutely great space opera / military science fiction. Timothy Zahn has done quite a few military SF novels in his Cobra Series and some of his other novels. In general a good hard science - science fiction author. Also have to say that babylon 5 has some excellent military and diplomatic action that is relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 I'll Second David Weber's Path of the Fury. The most interesting and fun drive system for ships in sci-fi. I would highly recommend David Drake's The General series: The Hammer, The Anvil, The Forge, The Steel, The Sword. Very well done military series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Most of my favorites are already listed but.... Originally posted by Monolith 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. Insurrection Crusade In Death Ground The Shiva Option The first two ( I & C ) are complete stories each describing complete campaigns. IDG and TSO are part one and two of a single campaign/war. The emphasis of the stories is Fleet actions. Fleets with a capital F. These are really good reads, especially if you like fleet level carnage Also John Ringo's series A Hymn Before Battle, Gust Front, When the Devil Dances and Hell's Faire are pretty good. And last but not least all seven of Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonalds Mageworld novels are really good scifi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightybec Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Althought it's probably not what you're looking for, the Lost Regiment series by William Forstchen was the best series I've ever read. Mightybec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 2 good ones! Also David drakes "ranks of bronze", and "foreign legions" and David Webber's "Excaliber option" HUman low techs kidnapped to serve as janissaries in space. Originally posted by AlHazred snip 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. snip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 In some ways Path of the fury is one of his very best. And I love them all. Originally posted by 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 I apologize if these have been mentioned, I don't have time to read the rest of the thread thoroughly. "Future War". Short story collection editted by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois. A little closer to modern technology than most people would consider Sci-Fi, but there are lessons to be learned from some of the scenarios. There Will Be War. Never actually read this myself, but I've had it recommended to me so many times it's on my "really oughta read someday" list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starwolf Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 The Siege of Earth by John Faucette, a great story combining land, air, and space warfare in the far future, as it applies to a planetary siege operation. Also the Wing Commander novels by Mercedes Lackay, tells of outstanding carrier based space warfare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starwolf Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Sheesh, I almost forgot the most important novel of them all The Voyage of the Starwolf by David Gerrold delves into leadership, crew morale, and lots of space hardware and combat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Speaking of David Gerrold, his War Against the Chtorr series would probably be good reading for preparation for Alien Wars. Try to get the first run of books. He produced three, then had writer's block. A few years afterward, he came out with book four, and took the opportunity to go back and rewrite the first three. In my opinion, his first run was a better, tighter, series; in his revised books, he has too many sidetracks into alternative lifestyles and bizzare sexualities. He's better with action, and less good with preachy philosophical asides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent Escafarc Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 Let me add the Starfist series by David Sherman & Dan Cragg. Chameleon suits, Dragons, and Raptors rule:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechnoViking Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 Most of the solo work by Jerry Pournelle is good military sci-fi. I would also suggest: Planet Run by Keith Laumer and Gordpn Dickson Tactics of Mistake by Gordon Dickson There is a couple of good compulations editted by Gardner Dozois: Space Soldiers & Future War. I like these the best since I think the short story and novella is the best format for military sci-fi. I also would add a vote John Ringo, I think he is writing the best military sci-fi currently being published. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Taylor Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 Anybody mentioned Iain M. Banks's Consider Phlebas and Use of Weapons? Some other of Banks's novels would probably be appropriate too, but these two are the most military-themed in nature, especially Weapons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 AAARrrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!! :mad: :mad: All these titles and only four. FOUR! I haven't read..... :( All I can say is someone better get to writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Mhoram Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 While not exactly in the vein you were after Steve, a good book to put into the bibliography (and that you should read just because it is good) is The Uplift War by David Brinn. There is some frontline action, but it is about a planet being blockaded and invaded. Has a lot of nifty stuff about the consequences of war, and some cool social things going on by the conquerers. As well as a lot of stuff on people in hiding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Taylor Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 Originally posted by Spence AAARrrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!! :mad: :mad: All these titles and only four. FOUR! I haven't read..... :( All I can say is someone better get to writing. Which four? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf5 Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 ...heard Pournelle mentioned and would definitely recommend Falkenberg's Legion. Bujold and Weber are mainstays, and Bujold's works go beyond the military genre. I also enjoyed Moon and Ringo, and the various collaborations those two did with others, especially the Weber/Ringo series. While not really military SF, I'd also recommend James Alan Gardner's Expendable and subsequent titles. Ender's Game is one of my desert island books (along with the Stand and, of course, Tolkien's collected works) and I thought Ender's Shadow was also quite good, but never really enjoyed Speaker..., Xenocide, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 Originally posted by Spence All these titles and only four. FOUR! I haven't read..... Would those be (or at least include) the Phule's Company books I cited? (Just curious; nobody else seems to be seconding it or even addressing it in any other way.) All I can say is someone better get to writing. Well, I do have an unpublished series of my own; but I guess that's not very helpful, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbuter Posted June 28, 2003 Report Share Posted June 28, 2003 Another couple recommendations: C. J. Cherryh Downbelow Station - seriously, if you haven't read this, go out and buy it right now! Jerry Pournelle Falkenberg's Legion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.