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{{trope}}
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[[Military Science Fiction]] is a subgenre of both [[Science Fiction]] and [[Military and Warfare Tropes|Military Fiction]], commonly sliding into the [[Space Opera]] territory. At its most basic, [[Military Science Fiction]] is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Science Fiction that focuses on the military]], but the genre has more specific nuances than that.
'''Military Science Fiction''' is a subgenre of both [[Science Fiction]] and [[Military and Warfare Tropes|Military Fiction]], commonly sliding into the [[Space Opera]] territory. At its most basic, '''Military Science Fiction''' is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Science Fiction that focuses on the military]], but the genre has more specific nuances than that.


[[The Protagonist]] in this genre is normally part of the chain of command (or [[Field Promotion|becomes part of it in progress]]), while an ensemble cast is [[The Squad]]. The story is usually set against the backdrop of a large-scale (space) war but war is optional. The [[Science Fiction]] part mostly manifests in futuristic weaponry and vehicles (first of all, [[Cool Starship|Cool Starships]]), while the organization structure is mostly based upon contemporary [[Yanks With Tanks|US]] or [[The UK Armed Forces|Commonwealth military]].
[[The Protagonist]] in this genre is normally part of the chain of command (or [[Field Promotion|becomes part of it in progress]]), while an ensemble cast is [[The Squad]]. The story is usually set against the backdrop of a large-scale (space) war but war is optional. The [[Science Fiction]] part mostly manifests in futuristic weaponry and vehicles (first of all, [[Cool Starship]]s), while the organization structure is mostly based upon contemporary [[Yanks With Tanks|US]] or [[The UK Armed Forces|Commonwealth military]].


Often, the writers would cheat a little by having a [[Mildly Military]] organization instead of realistic military for the sake of good story. One particular subgenre of MSF in [[Video Games]] is [[A Space Marine Is You]]. Another that's especially particular (but by no means exclusive) to anime is the [[Real Robot Genre]].
Often, the writers would cheat a little by having a [[Mildly Military]] organization instead of realistic military for the sake of good story. One particular subgenre of MSF in [[Video Games]] is [[A Space Marine Is You]]. Another that's especially particular (but by no means exclusive) to anime is the [[Real Robot Genre]].


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=== Tropes commonly used in MSF (in addition to most [[Military and Warfare Tropes]]): ===
== Tropes commonly used in MSF (in addition to most [[Military and Warfare Tropes]]) ==


* [[Air Jousting]]
* [[Air Jousting]]
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* [[Death Ray]]
* [[Death Ray]]
* [[Drop Ship]]
* [[Drop Ship]]
⚫
* [[Eager Young Space Cadet]]
* [[Earthshattering Kaboom]]
* [[Earthshattering Kaboom]]
* [[Forgotten Superweapon]]
* [[Forgotten Superweapon]]
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* [[Real Robot]]
* [[Real Robot]]
* [[Rock Beats Laser]]
* [[Rock Beats Laser]]
⚫
* [[Space Cadet]]
* [[Space Fighter]]
* [[Space Fighter]]
* [[Space Marine]]
* [[Space Marine]]
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=== Works with notable [[Military Science Fiction]] elements include : ===
== Works with notable Military Science Fiction elements include ==


* ''[[Alien (franchise)|Alien]]'' -- Primarily the second film, although the fourth had some elements of this.
* ''[[Alien (franchise)|Alien]]''—Primarily the second film, although the fourth had some elements of this.
* ''[[All You Need Is Kill]]''
* ''[[All You Need Is Kill]]''
* [[Antares]] by Michael McCollum
* [[Antares]] by Michael McCollum
* ''Armor'' by John Steakley
* ''Armor'' by John Steakley
* ''[[The Aux]]'' series, by David Gunn.
* ''[[The Aux]]'' series, by David Gunn.
* ''[[Babylon 5]]'' had its fair share of various nasty [[War Is Hell|conflicts]]
* ''[[Babylon 5]]'' had its fair share of various nasty [[War Is Hell|conflicts]]
* ''[[Ball Lightning]]''
* ''[[Ball Lightning]]''
* ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic]]''
* The original ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|attlestar Galactica]]''
** ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined]]''
** The [[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|2004 reboot]]
* ''[[BattleTech]]''
* ''[[BattleTech]]''
** And by extension, the [[BattleTech Expanded Universe]].
** And by extension, the [[BattleTech Expanded Universe]].
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* The [[Childe Cycle]] by [[Gordon R. Dickson]], notably ''Dorsai!!'' and ''Tactics of Mistake''.
* The [[Childe Cycle]] by [[Gordon R. Dickson]], notably ''Dorsai!!'' and ''Tactics of Mistake''.
* The [[CoDominium]] series is the best-known of [[Jerry Pournelle]]'s works, but is hardly the only example of the exquisitely [[Shown Their Work|well-researched]] military SF he writes. His bibliography also includes the lesser-known but no-less loved ''Janissaries'' series, co-authored with Roland Green.
* The [[CoDominium]] series is the best-known of [[Jerry Pournelle]]'s works, but is hardly the only example of the exquisitely [[Shown Their Work|well-researched]] military SF he writes. His bibliography also includes the lesser-known but no-less loved ''Janissaries'' series, co-authored with Roland Green.
* The [[Command and Conquer]] ''Tiberium'' series of games drifts in this direction, beginning [[Twenty Minutes in The Future]] and ending with all manner of sci-fi trappings. Especially in [[Fanfic|fic]]; double-especially in ''[[Tiberium Wars (Fanfic)|Tiberium Wars]]''.
* The [[Command & Conquer]] ''Tiberium'' series of games drifts in this direction, beginning [[Twenty Minutes in The Future]] and ending with all manner of sci-fi trappings. Especially in [[Fanfic|fic]]; double-especially in ''[[Tiberium Wars]]''.
* ''[[Confederation of Valor]]'' by [[Tanya Huff]].
* ''[[Confederation of Valor]]'' by [[Tanya Huff]].
* ''[[Crusade]]'', spinoff series to ''Babylon Five'', and whose [[Troubled Production]] is the stuff of legends.
* ''[[Crusade]]'', spinoff series to ''Babylon Five'', and whose [[Troubled Production]] is the stuff of legends.
* [[David Drake]] does quite a bit of MilSF. Like with Ringo, below, he's also written in the ''[[Honor Harrington|Honorverse]]'' (Drake's Honorverse short story ''A Grand Tour'' influenced what became the [[RCN]] series, with [[The Captain|the dashing Captain]] and his [[Badass Bookworm|librarian from Hell]] friend/sidekick as the primary focus). Notable Drake series (an incomplete listing):
* [[David Drake]] does quite a bit of MilSF. Like with Ringo, below, he's also written in the ''[[Honor Harrington|Honorverse]]'' (Drake's Honorverse short story ''A Grand Tour'' influenced what became the [[RCN Series]] series, with [[The Captain|the dashing Captain]] and his [[Badass Bookworm|librarian from Hell]] friend/sidekick as the primary focus). Notable Drake series (an incomplete listing):
** ''[[Hammers Slammers]]''
** ''[[Hammer's Slammers]]''
** ''[[RCN]]''
** ''[[RCN Series]]''
** ''[[The General]]''
** ''[[The General]]''
** ''[[Belisarius Series]]''.
** ''[[Belisarius Series]]''.
** He's also done a respectable number of shorter novels
** He's also done a respectable number of shorter novels
*** ''[[Ranks of Bronze]]''
*** ''[[Ranks of Bronze]]''
*** ''[[Redliners]]''.
*** ''[[Redliners]]''.
* ''[[Dread Empires Fall]]'' Trilogy, by Walter J. Williams.
* ''[[Dread Empires Fall]]'' Trilogy, by Walter J. Williams.
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* The [[Lensman]] series, by [[E. E. "Doc" Smith]], is mostly about the adventures of individual Lensmen, but it also features major military actions involving enormous starship formations (usually laden with an overexuberant description of the scale of energies being hurled back-and-forth).
* The [[Lensman]] series, by [[E. E. "Doc" Smith]], is mostly about the adventures of individual Lensmen, but it also features major military actions involving enormous starship formations (usually laden with an overexuberant description of the scale of energies being hurled back-and-forth).
* ''[[The Lost Fleet]]'' series
* ''[[The Lost Fleet]]'' series
* ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS|Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Striker S]]'', which takes the franchise's ''Gundam'' influences to its logical conlcusion as the title character grows up to become a captain in Mid-Childa's military.
* ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS|Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Striker S]]'', which takes the franchise's ''Gundam'' influences to its logical conlcusion as the title character grows up to become a captain in Mid-Childa's military.
* The ''Man-Kzin Wars'' novels set in [[Larry Niven]]'s [[Known Space]].
* The ''Man-Kzin Wars'' novels set in [[Larry Niven]]'s [[Known Space]].
* The ''[[Mass Effect]]'' series is a mixed bag: part one is pretty clear cut, with military regulations and chain of command playing a major role in the story. In part two, however, Shepard cuts all ties to the Alliance military and goes rogue with the Cerberus, who give their agents full autonomy and only care that the job gets done--the whole "military" aspect of sci-fi quietly leaves the room. In part three, Shepard is back with the Alliance but with the Reapers attacking the galaxy, s/he is left to run around unsupervised, only occasionally reporting back to [[Big Good|Admiral Hackett]], like s/he did to the Illusive Man in the previous game.
* The ''[[Mass Effect]]'' series is a mixed bag: part one is pretty clear cut, with military regulations and chain of command playing a major role in the story. In part two, however, Shepard cuts all ties to the Alliance military and goes rogue with the Cerberus, who give their agents full autonomy and only care that the job gets done—the whole "military" aspect of sci-fi quietly leaves the room. In part three, Shepard is back with the Alliance but with the Reapers attacking the galaxy, s/he is left to run around unsupervised, only occasionally reporting back to [[Big Good|Admiral Hackett]], like s/he did to the Illusive Man in the previous game.
* ''[[Metroid]]'', occasionally. Samus is established as having been in the Galactic Federation Army, and ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' ''2'', ''Prime 3'', and ''[[Other M]]'' feature GF soldiers and marines as characters.
* ''[[Metroid]]'', occasionally. Samus is established as having been in the Galactic Federation Army, and ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' ''2'', ''Prime 3'', and ''[[Other M]]'' feature GF soldiers and marines as characters.
* ''[[New Kashubia Series]]''
* ''[[New Kashubia Series]]''
* ''[[Old Mans War]]''
* ''[[Old Man's War]]''
* ''[[Red vs. Blue]]''
* ''[[Red vs. Blue]]''
** ''[[Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles|Red vs. Blue the Blood Gulch Chronicles]]''
** ''[[Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles|Red vs. Blue the Blood Gulch Chronicles]]''
** ''[[Red vs. Blue: The Recollection|Red vs. Blue the Recollection]]''
** ''[[Red vs. Blue: The Recollection|Red vs. Blue the Recollection]]''
* [[John Ringo]]'s writing currently spans multiple genres, but he started his literary career writing [[Military Science Fiction]]. The MilSF works:
* [[John Ringo]]'s writing currently spans multiple genres, but he started his literary career writing Military Science Fiction. The MilSF works:
** ''[[Council Wars]]''
** ''[[Council Wars]]''
** ''[[Into the Looking Glass]]''
** ''[[Into the Looking Glass]]''
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* ''[[Space: Above and Beyond]]''
* ''[[Space: Above and Beyond]]''
* ''[[Spots the Space Marine]]''
* ''[[Spots the Space Marine]]''
* ''[[Starcraft]]''
* ''[[StarCraft]]''
* ''[[Stargate (film)|Stargate]]'', and its spin-offs, first of all, ''[[Stargate SG-1]]''
* ''[[Stargate (film)|Stargate]]'', and its spin-offs, first of all, ''[[Stargate SG-1]]''
* ''[[Starship Troopers]]''
* ''[[Starship Troopers]]''
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* ''[[Tour of the Merrimack]]'', a series by R. M. Meluch
* ''[[Tour of the Merrimack]]'', a series by R. M. Meluch
* [[Traveller]] RPG series. A large part of it has to do with the military aspects.
* [[Traveller]] RPG series. A large part of it has to do with the military aspects.
* ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'', and most of its spin-off literature, notably ''[[Gaunt's Ghosts]]'' and ''[[Ciaphas Cain]]'' '''[[Memetic Mutation|HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!]]'''.
* ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'', and most of its spin-off literature, notably ''[[Gaunt's Ghosts]]'' and ''[[Ciaphas Cain]]'' '''[[Memetic Mutation|HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!]]'''.
* ''[[The War Against the Chtorr]]'' novels by David Gerrold.
* ''[[The War Against the Chtorr]]'' novels by David Gerrold.
* [[David Weber]]'s work is primarily in this genre, though he has written pure fantasy works. The MilSF works:
* [[David Weber]]'s work is primarily in this genre, though he has written pure fantasy works. The MilSF works:
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Special mention must be made of [[Baen Books]], which publishes Weber, Drake, Ringo, Pournelle, and Bujold, among others. Baen is probably the foremost [[Military Science Fiction]] publisher in literature. Many of Baen's authors, including Drake, Ringo, Michael Z. Williamson, and more, are former or current military.
Special mention must be made of [[Baen Books]], which publishes Weber, Drake, Ringo, Pournelle, and Bujold, among others. Baen is probably the foremost Military Science Fiction publisher in literature. Many of Baen's authors, including Drake, Ringo, Michael Z. Williamson, and more, are former or current military.


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Politics Tropes]]
[[Category:Politics Tropes]]
[[Category:Genres]]
[[Category:Genres]]
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:Index]]
[[Category:Military Science Fiction]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Latest revision as of 15:41, 4 May 2020

Military Science Fiction is a subgenre of both Science Fiction and Military Fiction, commonly sliding into the Space Opera territory. At its most basic, Military Science Fiction is Science Fiction that focuses on the military, but the genre has more specific nuances than that.

The Protagonist in this genre is normally part of the chain of command (or becomes part of it in progress), while an ensemble cast is The Squad. The story is usually set against the backdrop of a large-scale (space) war but war is optional. The Science Fiction part mostly manifests in futuristic weaponry and vehicles (first of all, Cool Starships), while the organization structure is mostly based upon contemporary US or Commonwealth military.

Often, the writers would cheat a little by having a Mildly Military organization instead of realistic military for the sake of good story. One particular subgenre of MSF in Video Games is A Space Marine Is You. Another that's especially particular (but by no means exclusive) to anime is the Real Robot Genre.

Tropes commonly used in MSF (in addition to most Military and Warfare Tropes)

Works with notable Military Science Fiction elements include


Special mention must be made of Baen Books, which publishes Weber, Drake, Ringo, Pournelle, and Bujold, among others. Baen is probably the foremost Military Science Fiction publisher in literature. Many of Baen's authors, including Drake, Ringo, Michael Z. Williamson, and more, are former or current military.

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Military_Science_Fiction?oldid=1775576"