Military Science Fiction: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
[[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|Cool Starships]]), while the organization structure is mostly based upon contemporary [[Yanks With Tanks|US]] or [[The UK Armed Forces|Commonwealth military]].
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* [[Person of Mass Destruction]]
* [[Person of Mass Destruction]]
* [[Powered Armor]]
* [[Powered Armor]]
* [[Putting On the Reich]]
* [[Putting on the Reich]]
* [[Real Robot]]
* [[Real Robot]]
* [[Rock Beats Laser]]
* [[Rock Beats Laser]]
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=== Works with notable [[Military Science Fiction]] elements include : ===
=== Works with notable [[Military Science Fiction]] elements include : ===


* ''[[Alien (Film)|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
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* ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic]]''
* ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic]]''
** ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined]]''
** ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined]]''
* ''[[Battle Tech (Tabletop Game)|Battle Tech]]''
* ''[[BattleTech]]''
** And by extension, the [[Battle Tech Expanded Universe]].
** And by extension, the [[BattleTech Expanded Universe]].
* [[Bolo]], originally by [[Keith Laumer]]
* [[Bolo]], originally by [[Keith Laumer]]
* [[Carreras Legions (Literature)|Carreras Legions]], by [[Tom Kratman]]
* [[Carrera's Legions|Carreras Legions]], by [[Tom Kratman]]
* 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 [[Co Dominium]] 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 (Video Game)|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 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]]''.
* ''[[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 ''[[Honorverse (Literature)|Honorverse]]'' (Drake's Honorverse short story ''A Grand Tour'' influenced what became the [[RCN (Literature)|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, 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 (Literature)|Hammers Slammers]]''
** ''[[Hammers Slammers]]''
** ''[[RCN (Literature)|RCN]]''
** ''[[RCN]]''
** ''[[The General]]''
** ''[[The General]]''
** ''[[Belisarius Series]]''.
** ''[[Belisarius Series]]''.
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*** ''[[Redliners]]''.
*** ''[[Redliners]]''.
* ''[[Dread Empires Fall]]'' Trilogy, by Walter J. Williams.
* ''[[Dread Empires Fall]]'' Trilogy, by Walter J. Williams.
* ''[[Ender's Game (Literature)|Ender's Game]]'', by Orson Scott Card
* ''[[Ender's Game]]'', by Orson Scott Card
* ''[[Exo Squad (Animation)|Exo Squad]]''
* ''[[Exo Squad]]''
* ''[[First Encounter Assault Recon (Video Game)|First Encounter Assault Recon]]''
* ''[[F.E.A.R.|First Encounter Assault Recon]]''
* ''[[The Forever War]]''
* ''[[The Forever War]]''
* ''[[Gears of War (Video Game)|Gears of War]]''
* ''[[Gears of War]]''
* [[Gundam]], pretty much every incarnation of it, except ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam (Anime)|G Gundam]]'' and ''[[After War Gundam X (Anime)|Gundam X]]''
* [[Gundam]], pretty much every incarnation of it, except ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam|G Gundam]]'' and ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]''
* The ''[[Halo (Franchise)|Halo]]'' games, books and comics.
* The ''[[Halo (series)|Halo]]'' games, books and comics.
* ''[[The Helmsman Saga]]''
* ''[[The Helmsman Saga]]''
* ''[[Iji (Video Game)|Iji]]''
* ''[[Iji]]''
* ''[[Kris Longknife]]'' series, by Mike Shepherd
* ''[[Kris Longknife]]'' series, by Mike Shepherd
* The ''[[Lacuna (Literature)|Lacuna]]'' series by David Adams is basically this.
* The ''[[Lacuna]]'' series by David Adams is basically this.
* ''[[Legend of Galactic Heroes]]''
* ''[[Legend of Galactic Heroes]]''
* The [[Lensman]] series, by [[EE 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 Striker S (Anime)|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 (Franchise)|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 (Video 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 Mans War]]''
* ''[[Red vs. Blue (Machinima)|Red vs. Blue]]''
* ''[[Red vs. Blue]]''
** ''[[Red vs. Blue the Blood Gulch Chronicles (Machinima)|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 (Machinima)|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]]''
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** ''[[Posleen War Series]]''
** ''[[Posleen War Series]]''
** ''[[Prince Roger]] Series'' (aka ''Empire of Man'', co-written with [[David Weber]])
** ''[[Prince Roger]] Series'' (aka ''Empire of Man'', co-written with [[David Weber]])
** ''[[Troy Rising (Literature)|Troy Rising]]''
** ''[[Troy Rising]]''
* ''[[Rogue Trooper]]''
* ''[[Rogue Trooper]]''
* ''[[Schlock Mercenary (Webcomic)|Schlock Mercenary]]''
* ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]''
* ''[[Sea Quest DSV (TV)|Sea Quest DSV]]''
* ''[[SeaQuest DSV|Sea Quest DSV]]''
* ''[[Shadow Ops (Literature)|Shadow Ops]]''
* ''[[Shadow Ops]]''
* ''[[Sixth Column (Literature)|Sixth Column]]''
* ''[[Sixth Column (novel)|Sixth Column]]''
* ''[[Space Above and Beyond]]''
* ''[[Space: Above and Beyond]]''
* ''[[Spots the Space Marine]]''
* ''[[Spots the Space Marine]]''
* ''[[Starcraft (Video Game)|Starcraft]]''
* ''[[Starcraft]]''
* ''[[Stargate (Film)|Stargate]]'', and its spin-offs, first of all, ''[[Stargate SG-1 (TV)|Stargate SG-1]]''
* ''[[Stargate (film)|Stargate]]'', and its spin-offs, first of all, ''[[Stargate SG-1]]''
* ''[[Starship Troopers (Franchise)|Starship Troopers]]''
* ''[[Starship Troopers]]''
* ''[[Starsiege]]'', and its pre/se-quels.
* ''[[Starsiege]]'', and its pre/se-quels.
* ''[[Star Trek (Franchise)|Star Trek]]'' drifts in and out of the subgenre; later entries in the franchise tend to make it more explicitly military, a tendency which its original creator violently opposed.
* ''[[Star Trek]]'' drifts in and out of the subgenre; later entries in the franchise tend to make it more explicitly military, a tendency which its original creator violently opposed.
** ''[[Star Trek Online (Video Game)|Star Trek Online]]'' is ''very'' militaristic, so much so that it took fan outcry to get the developers to patch diplomatic solutions into missions.
** ''[[Star Trek Online]]'' is ''very'' militaristic, so much so that it took fan outcry to get the developers to patch diplomatic solutions into missions.
* ''[[Star Wars (Franchise)|Star Wars]]'', obviously.
* ''[[Star Wars]]'', obviously.
* The ''[[Sten]]'' series, written by two men who are (respectively) ex-CIA and ex-military, craft a very cool saga about a [[Space Marine]] who eventually graduates into an Ambadassador.
* The ''[[Sten]]'' series, written by two men who are (respectively) ex-CIA and ex-military, craft a very cool saga about a [[Space Marine]] who eventually graduates into an Ambadassador.
* The [[Takeshi Kovacs]] series, particularly ''Broken Angels.''
* The [[Takeshi Kovacs]] series, particularly ''Broken Angels.''
* The [[Tau Ceti Agenda Series]], by Travis S. Taylor
* The [[Tau Ceti Agenda Series]], by Travis S. Taylor
* ''[[Tour of the Merrimack]]'', a series by R. M. Meluch
* ''[[Tour of the Merrimack]]'', a series by R. M. Meluch
* [[Traveller (Tabletop Game)|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 (Tabletop Game)|Warhammer 40000]]'', and most of its spin-off literature, notably ''[[Gaunts Ghosts]]'' and ''[[Ciaphas Cain]]'' '''[[Memetic Mutation|HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!]]'''.
* ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'', 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:
** ''[[Empire From the Ashes]]''
** ''[[Empire From the Ashes]]''
** ''[[Hells Gate]]''
** ''[[Hell's Gate]]''
** ''[[Honor Harrington (Literature)|Honor Harrington]]''
** ''[[Honor Harrington]]''
** ''[[Out of the Dark]]''
** ''[[Out of the Dark]]''
** ''[[Safehold]]''
** ''[[Safehold]]''
** The four ''[[Starfire (Tabletop Game)|Starfire]]'' novels with Steve White (''Crusade'', ''In Death Ground'', ''The Shiva Option'', and ''Insurrection'').
** The four ''[[Starfire]]'' novels with Steve White (''Crusade'', ''In Death Ground'', ''The Shiva Option'', and ''Insurrection'').
* ''[[Wing Commander (Franchise)|Wing Commander]]'', particularly [[Wing Commander (Literature)|the novels by William Forstchen]], and ''[[Wing Commander Academy (Animation)|Wing Commander Academy]]''.
* ''[[Wing Commander]]'', particularly [[Wing Commander (novel)|the novels by William Forstchen]], and ''[[Wing Commander Academy]]''.
* ''[[X Wing Series (Comic Book)|X Wing Series]]''
* ''[[X Wing Series (Comic Book)|X Wing Series]]''
* ''[[Vorkosigan Saga]]'', by [[Lois McMaster Bujold]], has many elements of this, though it varies from book to book.
* ''[[Vorkosigan Saga]]'', by [[Lois McMaster Bujold]], has many elements of this, though it varies from book to book.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Military_Science_Fiction"