What is Military Science Fiction?

Military science fiction (MSF) is a genre of science fiction that deals with military themes and the interaction between humans, aliens, robots or other forms of artificial intelligence, and the military forces.

Military science fiction can be categorized as one of two types: Future War SF and Space Opera. The former usually focuses on wars in the near future, while the latter tends to focus more on space opera adventures. Both are often set in an alternate history setting, though not always. Some authors use both genres within their work.

Here’s some more subgenres of Science Fiction.

History of Military Science Fiction

The first military science fiction stories were written by H.G. Wells in his novel “War of the Worlds” from 1898. In this story, humanity was invaded by Martians who used weapons that combined technology and biology. This invasion created panic throughout Europe.

In 1915, Jules Verne wrote the classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea which featured submarine warfare. It was followed by the sequel Twenty Thousand Leagues After the Sun in 1926.

Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (1959) is considered the first modern military science fiction novel. It tells the story of a group of young people recruited for the military service called ‘The Bugs’. They are trained in combat tactics, but eventually they become disillusioned when they realize that the war is being fought mainly against civilians.

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series (1951–1993) features a galactic empire based on a hierarchy of social classes whose members are genetically engineered to have specific talents. At the top of the pyramid are the genetic supermen known as the Foundations, who rule over all others.

Since then, many books have been published under the banner of military science fiction. Examples include, Frank Herbert’s Dune (1965), David Weber’s Honor Harrington series (1987-present), Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six series (1986-present), John Ringo’s Cobra novels (1990-present), and Jack Campbell’s The Blackcollar War (1996).

Today there are several websites devoted entirely to military science fiction, including www.militarysf.com, www.militaryfantasy.org, and www.militariesciencefiction.com.

Military Sci Fi Themes

Most military sci fi stories feature some sort of conflict between human beings and alien races. There are three main ways these conflicts take place:

1. Wars between Humans and Aliens

2. Wars between Humans and Robots

3. Wars between Aliens

Wars Between Humans and Aliens

Many books deal with wars between humans and aliens. Most of them involve conflicts between Earth and Mars. Others involve various extraterrestrial species fighting each other. These wars may be intergalactic or interstellar in nature.

There are also books about wars between different factions of Earth’s own military forces. For example, there are books about wars between the United States Army and the Marines versus the Air Force versus the Navy. Other examples include the US Marine Corps vs the Russian Spetsnaz, the US Army Rangers vs the British SAS, and so forth.

Wars Between Humans and Robots

There are also books about wars involving robots. Usually, the robots are designed to fight other robots and humans. However, sometimes they are built to attack enemy soldiers.

Wars Between Aliens

Finally, there are books about battles between aliens who live on planets very far away from Earth. Sometimes these aliens are hostile towards humans. Other times they are friendly and want to help out the humans.

A few books have included all three types of conflict. Some of these include:

• The Star Trek universe has had numerous wars between humans and aliens, especially Klingons. In addition, there were two major wars between the Federation and the Romulans.
• Stargate SG-1 featured an ongoing war between an ancient race of aliens known as Goa’uld and the Ancients, which was later replaced by a war between the Goa’uld and their followers, the Replicators.
• Babylon 5 featured a war between the Minbari and the Centauri. In this case, it wasn’t really a war between aliens and humans; it was more like a war between aliens and another alien race.
• Firefly featured a war between the Alliance and the Independents. This was not really a war between humans and aliens, because both sides consisted mostly of humans. However, it did feature a war between humans and robots.
• The X-Files featured a war between the FBI and the Cigarette Smoking Man and his organization, the Syndicate.
• Battlestar Galactica featured a war between humans and Cylons. It was not a war between humans and an alien race, but rather a war between humans and machines.
• Doctor Who featured a war between the Daleks and the Time Lords. This was not really an intergalactic war, though; it was more like an internal struggle within the Time Lord government.
• Terminator featured a war between Skynet and Sarah Connor. It was not really a war against an alien race, but instead a war between robots and humans.
• Stargate Atlantis featured a war between the Wraiths and the Ancients. This was not really between humans and aliens, but rather between humans and other human beings.
• The Andromeda Strain TV show featured a war among humans, aliens, and mutants.

Characteristics

Most of the time when we think of wars, we think of people killing each other. But that isn’t always what happens. Wars can also be fought by robots. They can even be fought by other robots. And sometimes, they can even be fought by aliens.

In most cases, the war involves one side trying to destroy the other. The goal is usually to kill as many enemies as possible, capture prisoners, or to take over territory. On occasion, however, the war ends up being a stalemate. Or, the war may end before any real damage is done.

Sometimes, the war is between two groups of people. One group wants to defeat the other group for some reason. This could be because the opposing group threatens them or attacks them in some way. Or, it could be because the opposing groups share something in common. For example, if you’re fighting with your neighbors, then you might fight them because they annoy you. If you’re fighting with your family members, then you might fight with them because they make fun of you.

Sometimes, the war is actually between two countries. These wars tend to be much larger than those fought between individuals or families. Usually, the two nations involved are at odds over political issues. They disagree about whether or not certain things should happen. For example, one nation might want to invade another country. Another nation might oppose such action. A third nation might support the invasion. And so on.

Classic Military Science Fiction Books

Some classic military science fiction books include:

BattleTech

BattleMechs are large weapons systems that combine firepower and mobility into one package. In this book, the main character is part of a mercenary unit known as Clan Ghost Bear. Their job is to protect the planet Kellion from invaders.

Starship Troopers

Starship troopers are soldiers who serve aboard starships. In this book, there’s a conflict between Earth and a neighboring world called Klendathu. The two worlds have been at war since their ancestors first met. Now, the war has escalated into a full scale battle.

Star Trek

Star trek is a television series that features space battles. There are several episodes where the crew fights off enemy ships. In addition, there are episodes where the crew must negotiate with alien races to avoid war.

Star Wars

In this series, there are three major conflicts. First, there’s the Galactic Civil War. Second, there’s the Clone Wars. Third, there’s the Rebellion.

Types Of Warfare

There are different types of warfare. Some involve armies, while others do not. Here are some examples of these kinds of conflicts:

Criminal Gang Warfare – Criminal gangs often use violence to achieve goals. Sometimes, the gangsters will try to eliminate rival gangs. Other times, they’ll just rob people. Still other times, they’ll commit crimes like murder.

Guerrilla Warfare – Guerrillas are rebels against a government. They don’t have an army behind them. Instead, they rely on small bands of fighters. They also depend on civilians to help them. Often, guerrillas will attack enemy forces using guerrilla tactics.

Civil War – During civil wars, there is a dispute between two groups of people who want control of a country. They both claim that the other group doesn’t deserve to rule the area.

Police Action – Police officers work together to keep order in a city. They carry out patrols to prevent crime. When necessary, they can arrest criminals.

War Games – War games are simulations designed to train troops. It’s similar to training exercises, but instead of being done on land, it takes place in a controlled environment.

Military Strategy – Military strategy involves planning how to win a war. This includes deciding what kind of weapon you need, how many men you need, how long the war will last, and more.

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