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  • #130565
    Avatar photoRhoderic
    Member

    I’m in the mood for a military sci-fi novel, or a series of novels. I’ve only read some Heinlein, some Drake and about 1/3 of the Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett (it’s just 40K franchise literature, but good franchise literature, because GW managed to get Abnett on board). Of those, I honestly have to say I prefer the quasi-pulpy, adventure-oriented style of Abnett. I’m maybe not hugely into the “deeper”, more commentary-laden vein of military sci-fi (e.g. Drake) that bangs on and on, didactically, about the alleged primacy of military veterans’ understanding of the world over that of life-long civilians. Also, I probably don’t want anything too dark. Obviously almost all military sci-fi is kind of dark, but I fear some of it might be going too far into “misery porn” territory with all too many tragic, ugly deaths for death’s own sake. As a final guideline, I might be more interested in newer military sci-fi franchises (books published in the past 2-3 decades) than in the older, foundational stuff.

    Any suggestions? I’m interested in both “dirtside” warfare and spaceship warfare. Feel free to suggest anything you think is worth reading, regardless of what I said about my personal tastes in the previous paragraph. But maybe write a sentence or two to describe the style and mood of whatever book or series of books you’re suggesting?

    I’m considering the Honor Harrington and Lost Fleet series. (EDIT: …but I don’t actually know much about them.)

    #130566
    Avatar photoMr. Average
    Participant

    Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War is a good place to start. The classic Lensman stories, as well.

    #130574
    Avatar photoRhoderic
    Member

    The Forever War and Lensman are both in my backlog of “foundational sci-fi” novels/series to read, but I have already been working that backlog lately (mostly getting Niven out of the way) and was hoping for some other sci-fi to distract me from the pressure of racking up “nerd cred” points.

    I had never perceived Lensman as particularly military-themed, though. Having never read those stories, that is.

    #130575
    Avatar photowarwell
    Participant

    I enjoyed the Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell

    #130578
    Avatar photoDeleted User
    Member

    In order of goodness, although I have weird taste.

    Old Man’s War – John Scalzi
    Good humor and setting. 80 year old enlist into space army. Not much combat.

    The Praxis (Dread Empire’s Fall) – Walter Jon Williams
    Darker more serious space civil war, less opera and more tactics than most space books.

    Human Reach books – John Lumpkin
    Hard scifi, both spcae and ground, kind of dark.

    Subterrean War books – T C McCarthy
    DARK, near future warfare with clones and stuff.

    Vatta’s War – Elizabeth Moon
    Space trading with combat, in early books and then gets confusing after book 3. Not as good as others but might be of interest.

    First few books in Honor Harrington series (starting with On Basilisk Station) are OK. After say, 4 books in it gets too politics heavy and the techo ex-machina takes over, the protagonist never loose. Mostly the books goes, event on bad guy planet makes them agressive and makes a move, something happened on Mantitore and Honor Harrington gets sent to exactly the same spot, through her super tactics and special technology Honor wins, gets a bucket loads of medals and rank up. Basically Napoleonic War in space.

    Lost Fleet is similar to Honor Harington but feels less one sided. Spaceship captain wakes up from cryo, finds out he’s a hero but the war is still on going and his fleet is trapped behind enemy lines. There’s tactics in both series but Lost Feet felt more dynamic and less by the numbers, slightly. Having said that I really feel like re-reading the first 3 HH books again.

    Since you already liek 40k why not check out the horrus Herresy books? Dan Abnett also wrote the first one (Horus Rising), the first three books were good and not grimdark.

    I’m actually interested in suggestions for ground sci-fi, haven’t read many that was memorable.

    #130582
    Avatar photoMr. Average
    Participant

    Anything by Kieth Laumer, especially the Bolo series. That’s also good stuff.

    #130583
    Avatar photoThorsten Frank
    Participant

    Haldeman – Forever War, Forever Peace
    Heinlein – Starship Troopers, The Moon is a harsh Mistress
    Gordon Dickson – Dorsai series (interesting comcepts)
    David Drake´´ s Hammers Slammer´ s (despite you already ruled them out)
    Keith Laumer – Bolo books (one of the inspirations for SJG´  s OGRE)
    H.Beam Piper – Space Viking (that one was a surprise for me)
    Jerry Pournelle – The Mercenary, The Prince and other CoDominium novels (WARNING!)
    Pournelle/Niven – The Mote in God´ s Eye (intereting first contact and war comination)
    Roland J. Green – The Peace Company series and Starcruiser Shenandoah series (IMHO not on the top of the list)
    Eric Frank Russel – Wasp (SOE in the future!)
    Peter L. Rice Damned If We Do, Frost Death, Monsoon (the first two are Team Yankee in the Renegade Legion universe and surprisingly good, Monsoon is a collection of short stories on one planet)
    Various Battletech novels for sure too.
    Antologies:
    Combat SF
    There Will Be War
    The Military Dimension II

    EDIT: And if your stomach can take enhanced, nunchaku-wielding, crossbow-shooting Ninja/US Special Forces in space – Timothy Zahn – Blackcollar series (the first one is pretty solid)

    TV series: Space: Above and Beyond (for it´ s time revolutionary and I like it still much more than BSG!)

    SECOND EDIT: Yes, that´ s a pretty “dark” list and I may add Bujold´ s Vorkosigan books and the Leijiverse animes (Leiji Matsumoto´ s Space Pirate Captain Harlock and Space Battleship Yamato) as lighter entries.

    "In strange grammar this one writes" - Master Yoda

    #130585
    Avatar photoRhoderic
    Member

    David Drake´´ s Hammers Slammer´ s (despite you already ruled them out)

    It’s not that I’ve ruled them out, just that I’ve already been reading them, and probably will keep reading them, one short story at a time, at my own pace. They leave me a bit cold, to be honest. I’m not terribly interested in having my sci-fi be real-world commentary on what Vietnam felt like to people who were there, and his ideas for future military technology don’t really do it for me (largely because the way he tries to justify it scientifically feels doomed-to-fail and, consequently, counterproductive). Still, I do consider these stories part of a canon of seminal sci-fi literature that I’d like to assimilate –  even if I don’t quite place Drake on the top tier of sci-fi authors in terms of significance. Incidentally I’ve also read his Venus novellas, though I consider them much less significant, culturally, than Hammer’s Slammers.

    #130588
    Avatar photoThorsten Frank
    Participant

    A bit of a problem is that many of the authors do give political commentaries in either direction. Finding a rather light-hearted approach is difficult IMHO because of the theme. I read a lot stuff over the decades and I, personally, do actually enjoy the more political books especially due to on experiences plus a hard sci-fi approach.
    You should also give standard space opera a chance. (like the mentioned Lensmen or the Blackcolla books).
    While I read some of the WH40 books they made me dislike the whole even more. But, however, that´ s my personal view.

    "In strange grammar this one writes" - Master Yoda

    #130591
    Avatar photoJohn D Salt
    Participant

    Finding a rather light-hearted approach is difficult IMHO because of the theme.

    For a more light-hearted approach, I recommend Bob Shaw’s “Who Goes Here?” and Harry Harison’s “Bil the Galactic Hero”.

    Also, if one is prepared to stretch to graphic novels, everyone should read “The Ballad of Halo Jones”.

    All the best,

    John.

    #130592
    Avatar photoMike
    Keymaster

    I enjoyed Bill The Galactic Hero.

    Whilst it has been 30 years or more since I read it?

    Does it not make social commentary?

    #130594
    Avatar photoThorsten Frank
    Participant
    Harry Harison’s “Bil the Galactic Hero”. Also, if one is prepared to stretch to graphic novels, everyone should read “The Ballad of Halo Jones”.

    Oh, yes, Bill the Galactic Hero – totally forgotten about that one. I recommend it too.

    And since I discovered the 2000AD stuff last year I´m a total fan of some of the strips. You clearly see the influence from Rogue Trooper on a certain franchise. And some of the J.Alpha and Sternhammer stories blew me away. Halo Jones is on my to do list too!

    "In strange grammar this one writes" - Master Yoda

    #130605
    Avatar photoMike Headden
    Participant

    I’d like to offer

    The Expanse by James S. A. Corey, pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The first novel, Leviathan Wakes, was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2012.[1] The series as a whole was nominated for the Best Series Hugo Award in 2017.

    To date, The Expanse consists of eight novels, three short stories and five novellas, with more planned..

    It’s a mix of war, politics and action adventure. Initially it features a high-tech militaristic Mars facing off against a more numerous but less well equipped Earth while both of them try to keep the Belters in their place and an alien threat lurks in the background.

    The series was adapted for TV by Syfy Network. Syfy did three seasons and cancelled, Jeff Bezos picked up the rights and Amazon made series 4. The four series are available through Amazon Prime and the first three, at least, are on DVD and Blu Ray.

    The books are better than the TV series and the TV series is stonkingly good.

    Failing that, play the board game. One of the best asymmetrical games I’ve come across in a long time.

    There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

    #130606
    Avatar photokyoteblue
    Participant

    John Birmingham Axis of Time are fun reads.

    #130607
    Avatar photoThaddeus Blanchette
    Participant

    CJ Cherryh’s Downbelow Station has the best space combat scenes EVER to my mind, but is definitely not pulpy and Cherryh writes from a tight first person perspective which you will either love or hate.

    But the real pearl of great price, to my mind, goes to A Small Colonial,War by Robert Frezza.

    This is  a very hard book to find but well worth it. It is much more in the David Drake line, but not so  much “Yay vveterans OOOOrah” as Drake. It describes a bush war with relatively low tech. The good guys are believable and cynical heroes. There’s no hidden libertarian political message, as in so much military scifi. It’s also not pacifist, like The Forever War. It’s a story about a bunch of old slags sent out to do a thankless task for a corrupt and incompetent empire. They are very good at what they do, their core unit being the remnant of a Finnish and Russian regiment that survived World War III.

    Just excellent and will definitely make you want to start a minis project!

     

    We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

    #130608
    Avatar photoThaddeus Blanchette
    Participant

    Also, Turtledove’s The Guns of the South. I am not a big Turtledove fan, but this is the exception that proves the rule. Confederates with AK-47s.

    We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

    #130609
    Avatar photoRhoderic
    Member

    I’ve not read the books, but the TV series of The Expanse doesn’t really fall squarely into the military sci-fi genre for me, even if it does have a fair deal of militarism going on in the background. I have been intending to give the books a go though, even if what has been spoiled to me about the later ones gives me the impression that the story/setting eventually makes some extreme pivots in terms of premise, and that seems a tad freaky to me. As for the TV series, yeah it’s quite good, though IMO the production values have faltered a bit at times (especially with some of the zero-G scenes).

    As an aside, since we’re talking about TV series: What reignited my interest in military sci-fi the other day was the “Lucky 13” episode of the Netflix anthology Love, Death + Robots. It’s only about 15 minutes long, and some of the combat is very OTT, but I recommend it to anyone who’s up for a high-production-value, trope-filled genre romp.

    #130610
    Avatar photoThaddeus Blanchette
    Participant

    Let me lay a section of Frezza on you as an appetizer. In this scene, our boys, led by a brand spanking new captain fresh from the academy, are trying to take over the only factory complex on the planet with a minimum of bloodshed. If you like this, you will love A Small Colonial War…. (note that I only do this because Frezza SHOULD be a classic, yet hardly anyone knows his work):

    ……….

     

     

    The high, featureless reinforced concrete face of the alcohol farm loomed like a castle wall. Beyond it was the main building, its smooth surface marred by a single door.

    Sanmartin touched the contact and squeezed his fingers together. “Nine two point Akita. Break. We’re set. Fix bayonets so they’ll know we’re not selling brushes. The door’s out front, you can see the path leading from the main building, so that’s where we go. Remember, don’t shoot unless you see a weapon and can hit what you’re shooting at. The last thing we want is a few thousand liters of alcohol spilled on the floor. Who’s in charge of prisoners?” His slight nervousness was mostly hidden.

    “Fripp and DeKe,” the section sergeant replied with commendable patience.

    “Aksel, you drop off with the gp as we go in. Cover the main building and be ready to move up. Don’t blow anybody away unless you have to. Any suggestions? Is there anything I left out?”

    If there was, they failed to mention it. Like wraiths, they moved into position in front of the door to the alcohol plant. Sanmartin poised his foot to kick it in.

    Section Sergeant Beregov halted him with a hand signal.

    He turned the knob and walked in. Sanmartin slowed just enough to get trampled.

    Beregov fanned four men out on either side among the vast yeast tanks. Two more stayed to watch the door. Feeling slightly useless, Sanmartin watched Roy de Kantzow, Filthy DeKe, grab the only man in sight by the shoulder and slam him to the floor, flipping him neatly on to his stomach.

    ‘ ‘Goede morgen. Wij zijn keizerlijk soldaaten, ’ ’ de Kantzow emphasized in what was evidently intended to be the bastard Dutch they’d learned aboard ship. He was holding his bayonet lightly against the side of the man’s head. It was the longest continuous sequence of clean words Sanmartin had heard from the Deacon’s mouth.

    Fripp picked up the man’s clipboard and patted him down. “The Deacon is not a linguist. He does better with the ladies when he uses sign language,” Fripp explained sagely.

    Sanmartin, no better linguist than the Deacon, watched the little robots scuttle about on their appointed rounds. “Where’s everybody else?” he asked the fellow on the floor.

    “In the cafeteria,” the bearded Boer blurted out in strongly accented English.

    “Where’s the cafeteria?”

    The man looked up at de Kantzow and pointed out the door toward the section of the main building where sugarcane bagasse was converted into paper. Beregov appeared from behind one of the massive cane presses with a light machine gunner and half a dozen prisoners in tow.

    “Berry, give me Fripp’s team while I run next door. I’ll take Miinalainen and the gp. If you find a window, cover me,” Sanmartin said, knowing Fripp to be the superior private Beregov trusted most to keep his company commander out of trouble.

    Beregov tugged on his mustache and nodded.

    Running out the door with Fripp at his heels, Sanmartin pointed to the entrance for Miinalainen and the gp machine gun to shift fire lanes. He reached the door. Waving up the 88 and the gp, he put an ear to listen.

    He couldn’t hear a thing.

    He thumbed his radio. “C for Chiba point two. Break. Sanmartin. Hans, what is your progress?” he asked his executive officer.

    “Raul. What kept you? We’re almost through cleaning up the north side.”

    Sanmartin fought down an urge to blaspheme. “We’re just outside what I think is the cafeteria. The workers are supposed to be concentrating there.”

    “I wouldn’t doubt. Check with Lev. Shall I send someone by to give you a hand?”

    “Miserable lump.”

    Coldewe laughed and closed the circuit. Sanmartin tapped out another.

    “Recon point one. Break. Sanmartin. Lev? We’re outside the main door on the southwest side. Is that the entrance to the cafeteria?”

    Two clicks, which meant yes. It also meant Yevtushenko was too close to someone unfriendly to speak aloud.

    “Are all the workers gathered there?”

    Three clicks, which meant, “who knows?”

    ‘‘I’m going in. In thirty seconds, I want you on the loudspeakers. Can you do it?”

    Two more clicks. Sanmartin turned and nodded. “I’m first, Fripp, DeKe, the light, then the gp. Aksel, you’re last, set?” he said, fingering the wooden singlestick he had tucked into his webbing. “Now.”

    Fripp shrugged. He flung open the door and adrenaline pushed Sanmaitin through. He found himself behind someone who was shouting from a tabletop and gave the man a helpful shove. De Kantzow lightly butt-stroked a very short man carelessly holding a rifle. The rifle hit the floor first. The light and the gp moved to cover the crowd from either side.

    Sanmartin said the first thing that came into his head. “His Imperial Majesty sent us. You can all go home for lunch.”

     

    Excerpt From
    Frezza, Robert – [Colonial War 1] – A Small Colonial War (2013)
    This material may be protected by copyright.

     

     

     

     

     

    We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

    #130611
    Avatar photoThaddeus Blanchette
    Participant

    As you can see, there is plenty of dry humor in Frezza’s work. It’s more of a Russian view of war than an American one, if you get my drift. And the man is a talented writer with a knack for writing believable military characters.

    “Oh, we’re having a war, and we want you to come!”
    So the pig began to whistle and to pound on a drum.
    “We’ll give you a gun, and we’ll give you a hat!”
    And the pig began to whistle when they told the piggies that.
    -Excerpt from “The Whistling Pig,” anonymous”

    Excerpt From
    Cain’s Land
    Robert Frezza
    This material may be protected by copyright.

    We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

    #130622
    Avatar photoThorsten Frank
    Participant

    I agree with Thaddeus on Downbelow Station, however, while it´s an excellent science-fiction novel it´s not MSF per se. But definetely a worth (IMHO one of the best) read. In fact all of her Alliance-Union works are worth a read. And btw, The Faded Suns trilogy is worth a read too in MSF regards.

    "In strange grammar this one writes" - Master Yoda

    #130625
    Avatar photoGrimheart
    Participant

    Despite the overblown title a decent compilation:

    The best military science fiction of the 20th century – edited by Harry Turtledove, published 2001, ISBN 0-345-43989-9

    A random selection:

    War in Heaven – Gavin Smith

    various books by Neil Asher or Iain M Banks, they vary but many are heavily war centered

    Man-Kzin wars series – Larry Niven and others

    Janissaries – Jerry Pournelle

    pretty much any thing by David Drake

    The High Crusade by Poul Anderson

    Crusade by David Weber/Steve White

    Space Soldiers – short stories ISBN0-441-00824-0

    and seconded from above posts:

    Old Mans War series by John Scalzi

    Dorsai series by Gordon R Dickson

    The Forever War and others by Joe Haldeman

    Hopefully a few of the above are of interest.

    Regards

     

    Interest include 6mm WW2, 6mm SciFi, 30mm Old West, DropFleet, Warlords Exterminate and others!

    #130627
    Avatar photoGaz045
    Participant

    Just finished this on my kindle…..Valkyrie (The Elai War) by Lucas Marcum. A promising start without much politicking!

    "Even dry tree bark is not bitter to the hungry squirrel"

    #130632
    Avatar photoDarkest Star Games
    Participant

    I am going to DITTO everything Thomaston has listed, all of those are GREAT series and are among my favorites and are very much in-line with your wishes.  You also can’t go wrong with Piper.  These are not as dark as many of the other series.

    I’ll also add “We are legion (We are Bob)” by Dennis Taylor.  The Boboverse series is more of a sci-fi series but there are some very interesting space battles and the humor is quite excellent.  I did it in audiobooks (my very first audiobooks to boot) and thoroughly enjoyed them.

    And you REALLY should give Old Mans War and the Vata’s War series a go, they are quite excellent!  I was very surprised by how much I liked them.

    "I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

    #130638
    Avatar photoPaul Cordell
    Participant

    For mostly space combat try the ARK ROYAL series from Christopher Nuttall – 14 books so far!

    It’s the Royal Navy with spaceships so it makes a change from Americans in space.

    Also, see the Union series from Phillip Richards, who is a serving British infantryman (colour sergeant). Five books in the series.

    It follows a British soldier/unit in the EU space forces fighting the Chinese!

    regards,

    Paul

    The Emperors Library - A World of Military History

    #130647
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    Lovely to see  some of the classic sci-fi books I read 30+ years ago, I think I will have to re-buy some of them to read again.

    “Bill the galactic hero” is one of the best as is “The Stainless Steel Rat” series of books and “The Death World series” you could make some dam fine skirmish games out of them.  “The High Crusade” is one of my all time favourites I love the concept of medieval yokels kicking the buts of aliens.

    Thank you to all who have posted on this thread as it has encouraged me to buy some sci-fi books and re-read or buy some new.

    #130648
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    For mostly space combat try the ARK ROYAL series from Christopher Nuttall – 14 books so far! It’s the Royal Navy with spaceships so it makes a change from Americans in space. Also, see the Union series from Phillip Richards, who is a serving British infantryman (colour sergeant). Five books in the series. It follows a British soldier/unit in the EU space forces fighting the Chinese! regards, Paul

    Like this concept, cheers for the idea.

    #130656
    Avatar photoFrank Ryan
    Participant

    Neal Asher’s Polity series. AIs rule and lesser AIs and humans serve as soldiers and police. Wars against aliens, rogue AIs and humans.

    Anything by John Ringo. Though you may wish to start with the Legacy of the Aldenata. Humanity receives greetings from a highly advanced, peaceable Galactic Federation. However, all is not well, for a species of aggressive aliens known as the Posleen are attacking the Galactics. Since the Galactics are almost entirely unable to fight, they are appealing to the proven military abilities of humanity for aid. However, things are rarely as simple as they seem, and humanity soon discovers that not all the Galactics are friends at all. There are plots within plots, some going back to the dawn of humanity and beyond: plots that endanger the very survival of humanity. The first four novels cover the Posleen War in which the Posleen invade Earth. With alien tech and some aliens on our side, the heroic Earth fights for survival and then pushes back against all foes. Can the 555th Mobile Infantry defend the Cumberland gap? Can our space fleets eventually win? You know the answer!

    Timothy Zahn has a colony of normal and enhanced humans (Cobras) being attacked by the obligatory aliens. I enjoyed the books I have read.

    Anything by David Weber. Love the Safehold series (aliens look out for signs of emerging tech and zap it). Earth Federation gets wiped out. One hidden colony world Safehold survives by losing most tech and heavily cloaking and restricting the remaining tech. An oppressive medieval society evolves with strong censure for any tech. Enter the AI remains of a young female British Lieutenant (aka Merlin). Likewise the Dahal series (Mutineers Moon, etc) which sees a NASA astronaut on the moon being contacted by an AI who gives him command of the battlemoon etc and resurrects an Imperial Empire in time to see off an alien invasion.

    Have a great day, Foxtrot

    #130666
    Avatar photoMcLaddie
    Participant

     

    For the oldies, but goodies, the Dorsai series by Gordon R Dickson, particcularly Tactics of Mistake and Dorsai are enjoyable. I tend to pull them out every year to re-read.  Ground and Space tactics do predominate both books…still a good yarn.

    The Forever War series and others by Joe Haldeman is still compelling. Joe Haldeman was a combat veteran and so was his wife [military nurse]. you can tell with his descriptions of combat, army life and the silliness that can happen in the Military. [He describes how his company received training for combat under mud and swamp conditions because of the world they were to invade…only the lakes and swamps were methane in -150 degree weather.]  The series also deals with the time dialation of Space travel.

    Bill

    #130669
    Avatar photoThaddeus Blanchette
    Participant

    Shit, how could I have forgotten Iain M. Banks’ Use of Weapons? Grimheart’s right on that author, although he certainly isn’t pulp.

    We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

    #130670
    Avatar photoian pillay
    Participant
    1. Also, Turtledove’s The Guns of the South. I am not a big Turtledove fan, but this is the exception that proves the rule. Confederates with AK-47s.

    Now Rebbs with AK-47s sounds like a great read!

     

    Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
    http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

    #130672
    Avatar photoMartinR
    Participant

    The Dorsal series, already mentioned.

    Bill the Galactic Hero for a laugh (his job on the super dreadnought still cracks me up to this day).

    Much of Ian M Banks Culture series is about war and conflict of various tyoes a couple of my favourites being Excession and Player of Games, as well as the one with Luceferous and his rampaging space Empire (can’t recall the title).

    The Forever War, naturally, and of course Starship Troopers, if you can get past Heinleins rather dubious morality in that one. Asimovs  Foundation series had enough warfare in it that inspired me and my pal Dave to convert Wooden Ships and Iron Men into a space combat game to play the battles.

    "Mistakes in the initial deployment cannot be rectified" - Helmuth von Moltke

    #130694
    Avatar photoThaddeus Blanchette
    Participant

    I have read Guns of the South many times, Ian, and it is great. Turtledove wrote the hell out of that one, unlike so many of his later works, which he just mailed in.

     

    We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

    #130703
    Avatar photoMcLaddie
    Participant

    While I’ve enjoyed a number of Heinlein’s novels, Starship Troopers is not one of them.  It is all philosophy and talk where not much happens. I still can’t understand it’s draw or why it is held up as one of his best.

    #130705
    Avatar photoThaddeus Blanchette
    Participant

    Probably because it was one of the first if not THE first, McLaddie. In fact, IIRC, Bill the Galactic Hero was written in response to it.

    We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

    #130713
    Avatar photoMcLaddie
    Participant

    In fact, IIRC, Bill the Galactic Hero was written in response to it.

    Well, I know that Bill the Galactic Hero  was a satire on the whole Space Opera genre, but I can imagine that Starship Troopers could be the specific inspiration for such a response. It certainly did with the movie. ;-7

    #130715
    Avatar photoThaddeus Blanchette
    Participant

    Here’s the story: https://letterboxd.com/michaelj/film/bill-the-galactic-hero/1/

    We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

    #130720
    Avatar photoMcLaddie
    Participant

    Here’s the story: https://letterboxd.com/michaelj/film/bill-the-galactic-hero/1/

     

    Thanks MR. B.   The movie sounds like a hoot. However, I know that other writers besides Heinlein refused to talk to Harry at one time or another, usually for the same reason.

    #130725
    Avatar photoThaddeus Blanchette
    Participant

    It does confirm what I  vaguely remembered though: Bill was the anti-ST. There’re some nice trailers of the film on youtube. Let’s just say it looks like it does justice to the source material… 🙂

    We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

    #131103
    Avatar photoJohn Treadaway
    Participant

    Well ya know what I’m gonna say before I say it….

    The Drake Slammers stuff slide’s away from the ‘just ‘Nam in space’ approach as the novels progress: there’s quite a lot of Dave’s classical history material creeping in to the later stories as well.

    But – other thn Slammers – the usual suspects. Forever War is wonderful, each successive Halderman book… well progressively less so, I think. Harry Harrison at his best (inclusing Bill the Galactic hero!) but not at his worst (usually when he was writing in collaboration with others).

    Don’t do Turtledove at all.

    John Treadaway

    www.hammers-slammers.com
    http://www.hammers-slammers.com

    "They don't have to like us, snake, they just have t' make the payment schedule" Lt Cooter - Hammer's Slammers
    #133595
    Avatar photoDeleted User
    Member

    Another book I’m still finishing and so far liked very nuch.
    Planetside – Michael Mammay
    Pretty thick coat of military culture and nice combat at the end.

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