(Part 2) Best military science fiction books according to redditors
We found 610 Reddit comments discussing the best military science fiction books. We ranked the 111 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO RECOMEND THIS
FALLOUT FANFICORGINAL AND EXCITING TAKE ON THE POST APOCALYPSE GENRE BY MY DEAREST FRIEND, DAVIS AURINI WHO AGREES WITH ME THAT THE BIGEST ISSUES IN THE WORLD TODAY IS ANITA SARKEESIAN & SEX OBSESSED CULTURAL MARXISTSIs it “One Day on Mars” by Travis Taylor?One Day on Mars
https://www.amazon.com/Emperors-Gift-Warhammer-40-000-ebook/dp/B01N942WJS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1557243151&sr=8-1
>Annika burst into tears. I’d never seen anything like it – one moment she was composed, staring daggers at Kysnaros; the next she was weeping softly, her hands up to her rebreather mask, the tears freezing into silver trickles down her cheeks.
>I turned from the advancing war machine to glance at her. ‘Mistress?’
>She was already sliding down to her knees, still weeping, staring up at the approaching figure.
>‘He’s real,’ she said in a whisper over the vox. ‘Don’t you understand? Don’t you see? He’s real.’
>The Dreadnought stomped closer, drawing to a halt some ten metres away. Moonlight became bladed lines on the edges of its dense armour plating. Tribal paintwork marked its old, old hull. One of the war machine’s arms was a heavy, brutal rotary cannon – lowered and aiming away from us. The other arm was closer to humanoid, ending in a curved, vicious array of metal talons.
>Annika wouldn’t stop weeping. It wasn’t a display of undignified wailing – but the soft, muffled weeping was becoming unnerving. They were a pilgrim’s tears, shed in a temple at the end of a long journey.
>‘You’re real,’ she whispered to the towering war machine.
>‘Of course I’m real.’ The Dreadnought’s voice was bionic thunder. ‘Get up off your knees, foolish girl.’
>‘My lord,’ I said, as I went to one knee myself.
>‘I am Ghesmei Kysnaros,’ Kysnaros said to the Dreadnought. ‘A ranking lord in His Holy Majesty’s Inquisition.’
>The Dreadnought turned slightly on its waist axis, with a low growl of sacred mechanics. ‘Enough of this. Get up.’
>‘…and a duly appointed representative of the God-Emperor…’ Kysnaros finished, still unsure where to look.
>‘God-Emperor?’ The Dreadnought made the sound of gears slipping, grinding together. From the booming augmetic tone, I assumed it was supposed to be laughter. Either that, or an internal weapons system reloading. ‘Calling him a god was how all this mess started.’
>[...]
>He took a lumbering step forwards. His claw could have wrapped around any one of us with ease, so to see the gentleness with which he touched Annika was almost heartbreaking. The war machine rotated his wrist servos, rattling and grinding as he rolled his claw. Then, with the flat of one savagely sharp talon, he tilted her head to one side, then the other, showing the tears of ice on her pale cheeks.
>‘Enough tears now, little maiden. You have the look of the frostborn about you. What tribe, huntress?’
>‘The Broken Tusk, Great King.’ Her voice was a mouse’s, no louder than that.
>‘I still remember them. Vicious bastards, every one. A blessing in a battle if they were on your side, and a curse if they weren’t. Awful sailors, though. That’s the sad truth.’
>The Dreadnought stepped back, releasing her cheek. ‘No finer sight on any world than a frostborn maiden. Especially a beauty with black hair. Rare back when I had eyes to stare, and surely even rarer now.’
>I stared at the towering figure, wondering if there was some difference in the process by which gene-seed was once cultivated compared to the method now. He seemed to be able to determine that Annika was attractive. I wasn’t sure I could make that perception myself, and I had a thousand other questions to ask: about the warrior’s experiences in the age of the Heresy; about witnessing the Emperor in person; about the classes of vessels that once sailed the stars and now no longer saw use…
yes there is, there's a sci-fi series called Empire from the Ashes. http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Ashes-Dahak-ebook/dp/B00APADQWE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374318030&sr=8-1&keywords=empire+from+the+ashes I freaking love this book series. It has it's week points but yeah.
It is an absolute shame that One Day on Mars by Travis S. Taylor isn't here.
Real Talk Time.
It's 300 pages of high-tech science fiction fighting with tanks, mechs, combat suits that make marines move like Pilots in Titanfall, written by one of the leading minds in the world of theoretical physics, the guy who mathmatically proved the warp drive to be feasable, multi-phd holder as all around badass (he's the guy that the discovery channel goes to when they talk about weapons and war in the future).
AND IT'S GOT ROBOTS.
Okay, not robots. It's got Robotech-style transforming mech fighters because it's FUCKING AWESOME and yet, somehow, he makes it believable.
A fight starts around page 30 and doesn't stop until 290. Each page has more explosions per capita than most real wars.
You want action? You want mayhem? You want overpowered fuckoff mechs dogfighting around giant space cruisers in orbit around a planet that's filled with marines bouncing off of walls of a city under siege?
Go get some.
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
amazon.com.au
amazon.in
amazon.com.mx
amazon.de
amazon.it
amazon.es
amazon.com.br
amazon.nl
amazon.co.jp
amazon.fr
Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
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Lois McMaster Bujold's The Warrior's Apprentice, The Vor Game, and Brothers in Arms, in that order. Hilarious but vivid and highly detailed space operas, all three. :)
https://www.amazon.com/Stone-Man-Science-Fiction-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00AHJIJF2
Recommended
I feel weird posting a book I just explained all the mistakes I made on it, but I suppose that goes back to #1.
http://www.amazon.com/Soldiers-Misfortune-Parasite-Kyle-Aho-ebook/dp/B00EFDZE9A/
Hope whoever reads enjoys it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003UHVYQE?cache=5b847278ca9f9fe917bdfa70d40545c2&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1412782900&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1
Some of them might be 'hidden' in anthologies. I know that a few of his T'au shorts and a fantastic novella are collected in this anthology
Eisenhorn Story about an Imperial Inquisitor's career, as he fights Daemons, Aliens, and Heretics who try to destroy the Imperium.
Ravenor A spin off from Eisenhorn, about his once-pupil Ravenor who has now become an Inquisitor in his own right, as he fights a shadow war against an evil genius heretic trying to destroy the Imperium while a bigger threat looms in the background.
The Emperor's Gift Story about the Grey Knights, who are a special chapter of Space Marines who fight Daemons specifically, and work with the Inquisition. Has a cool tie in with Ravenor, but I don't want to spoil it.
Gaunt's Ghosts Stories about the Imperial Guard, the grunt troopers of the Imperium, as they fight the forces of Chaos. Has a cool tie in with Eisenhorn, set a little bit after it in the 40k timeline. This is omnibus 1, books 1-3. There's literally 15 books in this series, it goes for a while. Very good stuff though.
Titanicus Story about the god machines, the Titans, that are the most powerful weapons of war in the Imperium.
Those should give you a pretty firm grounding, and it's basically the order I read them in (except the Emperor's Gift, I read that one later, I just included it because of the Ravenor tie-in). I read Eisenhorn with no background on 40k, and found it easy enough going to understand when I was in Highschool. I didn't even know it was a 40k novel, I was just looking for sci-fi. It's still my all-time favorite 40k book.
Lesser known but still really worth a read. Peace Warrior by Steven L Hawk. And it is free if you have a kindle.
I've got an interesting suggestion:
Dead Six by Larry Correia and Mike Kupari
95% of this book is entertaining characters and action packed story line but that last 5% is horror fantasy. You're left wondering which way the story goes and I loved that!
Not dead. https://www.amazon.com/BattleTech-Academy-Incident-Jennifer-Brozek/dp/1942487711/ref=la_B0031SXNCU_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525562861&sr=1-2
There was also new fiction released for the new PC game via Kickstarter.
came here to post this. It's only a short story - 30 pages - but it's exactly what the OP is looking for. Kindle version is $0.99:
https://www.amazon.com/Dinosaurs-Walter-Jon-Williams-ebook/dp/B00JQPSBTM
I read it for the first time only a few months ago and thought it was brilliant.
I once read a book where a submarine gets turned into a space ship; basically because subs are designed for long-term fully enclosed missions and the navy for operations far from bases. Makes perfect sense to me that any future "space force" will come from the navy. https://www.amazon.com/Vorpal-Blade-Looking-Glass-Book-ebook/dp/B00AP9477S
Embers of War set in 3067 came out in 2016
Betrayal of Ideals set in 2822 telling what happened to Clan Wolverine came out in 2016
The Nellus Academy Incident set in 3067 came out in 2018, but it's getting mixed reviews because it sounds like it's more of a Young Adult novel and some people have issue with how some elements in the book were handled.
Catalyst also lists some other books coming to print later on.
For Grandma, I'd recommend the works of Anne Tyler. Most notable of these is Saint Maybe.
Ian Bedloe, a nineteen-year-old college boy, blames himself for his brother's death after a particularly vicious argument. When his sister-in-law dies a few months later from an overdose of sleeping pills, his guilt is amplified. Half-mad with grief, and desperate for forgiveness, Ian stumbles across a tiny storefront church--the Church of the Second Chance. Under the guidance of the pious but gentle Reverend Emmett, Ian resolves to raise his orphaned nieces and nephew.
For Grandpa, I'd say he may enjoy Larry Correia and Mike Kupari's Dead Six series
Michael Valentine, veteran and former member of an elite private military company, has been recruited by the government to conduct a secret counter-terror operation in the Persian Gulf nation of Zubara. The unit is called Dead Six. Their mission is to take the fight to the enemy and not get caught.
Lorenzo, assassin and thief extraordinaire, is being blackmailed by the world's most vicious crime lord. His team has to infiltrate the Zubaran terrorist network and pull off an impossible heist or his family will die. When Dead Six compromises his objective, Lorenzo has a new job: Find and kill Valentine.
As allegiances are betrayed and the nation descends into a bloody civil war, Lorenzo and Valentine must face off. Two men. Two missions. Only one will win.
Alternative fiction like this has already been done several times and ways; it's one of my favorite genres.
Rally Cry
Jannisaries
Excalibur Alternative
Keep up the tradition, PruFrock451!
His book might answer it. http://www.amazon.com/As-Walk-These-Broken-Roads/dp/1480121827/ref=asap_B009SDSZK2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414529881&sr=1-1
Well, no one else has so I'll nominate something to kick things off.
An Exchange of Hostages by Susan R. Matthews
> Andrej Koscuisko is a surgeon. Much against his will, but in compliance with the wishes of his family, he has come to Fleet Orientation Station Medical to learn how to be a Fleet chief medical officer under Jurisdiction, where he’ll learn how to be a torturer and an executioner for the brutal and unforgiving system of government called the Bench. He finds his duty morally repugnant—he finds the whole system morally repugnant—but he also comes to discover that he has a terrible talent for the work itself, and a capacity for taking pleasure in pain that repulses him on a moral level even as it attracts him on a physical one.
I've been wanting to read these books since coming across Liz Bourke's write-up of the series. They're supposed to be excellent character-driven SF, although as dark and gritty as SF gets.
The first book I bought was an E book full of other books.
The Tau Empire A Legends of the Dark Millennium book
Aun'Shi
Commander Shadow
Shadowsun: The Last of Kiru's Line
A Sanctuary of Wyrms
Out Caste
Fire and Ice
Farsight
The Patient Hunter
The Kauyon
The Tau'va
This book is from the perspective of a Rogue Trader and the first crusade attacking the Tau Empire.
Rogue Trader Omnibus
This book is about an Imperial Guard regiment fighting Gue'vesa and Tau forces.
Fire Caste
Fire Warrior Is about an individual fire warrior absolutely wrecking imperial forces on his own. It gives a lot of interesting views on imperial culture from the perspective of the fire caste.
I would absolutely buy the first book listed again, it's 10 stories. Some of them are pretty short but it's neat how you hear about some of the characters again in other books.
behanchod.
Source: read in this book https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AP9477S/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_2
Today was the release date for the fourth novel in my post-apocalyptic saga 'A Freak Among Strangers'.
The series revolves around a pair of mercenaries in the years immediately following the disintegration of the United States. Volume Four focuses entirely on Sergeant First Class Decatur (aka The Stoic), a former National Guardsman, and his campaign against a paramilitary group that has claimed most of the Midwest. I highly encourage any readers to seek out Volumes One through Three prior to reading this volume if you're going to keep up with the overall plot of the series.
$12.87 for the paperback edition, and there is also a Kindle version for $2.99. 358 pages.
Paperback Edition
Kindle Edition
The Janissaries by Jerry Pournelle
I recommend 2 series by BV Larson:
First Swarm Book 1 of "Star Force"
Second Steel World Book 1 of the "Undying Mercenaries"
Also The Synchronicity War by Dietmar Wehr
Now for a shameless plug for my favorite Sci-fi book: We Are Legion book 1 of "Bobiverse" There is some ship to ship fighting. But its more Sci-fi comedy.
http://www.amazon.com/Mars-Stupid-Skip-Mantleton-ebook/dp/B00HZD8CAA
The new covers aren't all that great either. Except this cover which made me smile. But only because I read the book.
As already mentioned below, The End Of The World Running Club.
MR Carey's The Girl With All The Gifts is set in England. It was nicely weird for me to find small market towns very close to my childhood home mentioned :)
Luke Smitherd's The Stone Man is set in the UK too. My brother loved it; I thought it OK.
Of course, you've got John Wyndham, and HG Wells?
Just finished one of the best sci fi novels I've read in years. My only complaint was something they called a "GUPPI interface". As soon as I read it, I knew the I in GUPPI would be 'interface'. Ugh. The book was amazing otherwise: We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse) (Volume 1)
Congrats to him!
I thought his story was a good variant of Janissaries, by way of the Final Countdown, but I've been around a bit too long for much to seem original.
Maybe Hollywood should just go mine all of the "The Years' best Sci-Fi 19XX" compilations from. There are tremendously good short stories out there that could easily become movies.
Susan R. Matthews Jurisdiction series
In this novel, Andrej Ulexeievitch Koscuisko is a graduate of the Mayon Surgical College with highest honors in Surgery and honors in Pharmacology. The Koscuisk family has a tradition of the eldest son joining the Fleet and, despite his desires to practice medicine as a civilian, Andrej is forced into Fleet Medical by his father. Since his father's time in the Fleet, however, the Writ to Inquire on its vessels has been taken from Security and invested in the Chief Medical Officer; that is, the CMO is responsible for the torture of prisoners under a judicial writ. So Andrej has to attend Fleet Orientation Station Medical where he is taught to torture prisoners. Unfortunately, he is good at torture and, to his shame, he enjoys it.
Dinosaurs by Walter Jon Williams
One of David Weber's lesser known series, the Dahak trilogy.
https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Ashes-Dahak-combo-volumes-ebook/dp/B00APADQWE/
While anime doesn't have anything like that which is done well, there is a book series called Janissaries which is exactly that. It's about a group of US mercenaries who were cut off and left for dead before being rescued by an alien race and taken to a planet where they would use guns and what he learned in school as far as science(such as introducing black powder and modern tactics) to subjugate the local people and then grow a mysterious crop for the aliens, or that was the plan at least. The books protoganist is a college dropout and leader of the mercs who suffers a mutiny as soon as he gets put on planet. Now he must use his wits and military know-how to lead the local populace and figure out exactly why this planet full of humans exists and what plans the aliens have once they get the desired harvest. The most interesting thing is not only is the author a veteran scifi writer but he also holds a masters degree in psychology from university of Washington and a PhD in political science from the same school. I like it because while it is a scifi novel, none of the actions of the characters or events that play out actually seem illogical.
https://www.amazon.com/Janissaries-Book-1-Jerry-Pournelle-ebook/dp/B00APARD0K
http://www.amazon.com/Mars-Stupid-Skip-Mantleton-ebook/dp/B00HZD8CAA