I’ve already mentioned in previous blogs that I am a total sucker for tabletop wargaming, and I absolutely love a good sci-fi battle. Dropzone Commander represents so much of what I love about this gaming category, and that love is based largely on the stories. Let’s dive into the world of futuristic fighters and cunning aliens!
What is Military Science Fiction?
Military science fiction is as straightforward as the name implies: take the expectations of the science fiction genre, and then orient them to a military atmosphere. This can come in the form of characters in the military, technology used by the military, or setting your story in a warzone.
Common Tropes of Military Science Fiction
The tropes for military science fiction represent an intersection between military fiction and science fiction as a whole. Though some are more prevalent than others, it’s possible to find the entirety of each larger genre meshed within this particular niche. A few of the more common tropes are:
- The Squad: A fundamental element in military fiction is having a character somewhere within the chain of command, with a supporting cast of characters both above and below them. Sometimes, this is a group of recruits going through basic together. Other times, it is a hardened unit of veterans that has become desensitized and jaded through a long series of battles joined by a POV character who has never seen war before (think Fury).
- Weapons Tech: Wars are fought with weapons, and the addition of science fiction means these will often be unique or devastating in ways that differ from modern battlefields. Maybe defensive countermeasures have made long-range missile attacks completely impossible. Maybe missile tech has become so stealthy that it cannot be stopped at all. Military science fiction will spend at least some time familiarizing the reader with how these weapons affect the speculative battlefield.
- Alien Antagonists: Though they won’t feature in every work of military science fiction, aliens are a common element of these stories. They can be allies, enemies (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), or victims of war. Regardless, stories of our expansion into the stars are replete with alien encounters.
Why I Love Military Science Fiction
I grew up reading Tom Clancy’s books like Rainbow Six and Debt of Honor (and I was way too young to be reading some of that subject matter, but don’t tell my mom!). Their focus on military activities, and the suspense of wondering what event might tip off an escalation of battle remains compelling to me. When I realized that I could move this feeling into science fiction, I was hooked! This genre blending is something I’ve only really started exploring over the past few years, and I’ve already found so much to appreciate in the alternate settings of science fiction.
Why YOU Should Explore Military Science Fiction
The speculative element of science fiction brings so many interesting twists to the military fiction genre, opening opportunities galore for weaving a unique tale:
- A Different World: Writing about fictional military exploits in our own world creates a hotbed of potential missteps for the aspiring writer. However, moving this into a fictional setting—such as space, another planet, or a vastly different geopolitical setting in far future Earth—offers more breathing room, as well as infinitely more opportunities for creating your own scenarios for conflict.
- All About the Technology!: Ray guns, teleporter arrays, FTL travel. There are just so many options to bring new strategies and tactics to imagined battlefields of the future. What would a bizarre alien species look like when they wage war? The details are totally up to you!
- Thematic Elements in a Different Light: All military fiction offers an opportunity to showcase camaraderie, sacrifice, and the impact of war. The addition of science fiction provides new ways to show that some of these things never change. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bow, a rifle, or a laser blaster—soldiers will still develop connections with their battle buddies that are deeply profound, and this provides endless material for potential conflict and reader investment.
Military science fiction offers a combination of the wonders of science fiction and the thrills, terrors, losses, and triumphs of those caught in battle. This fertile setting is just waiting for your character’s dropship to approach.
Military Science Fiction We Love
The movie has entered the memetic consciousness in a huge way, but the book Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein is a lesser-known entity. Though the protagonist spends most of the book fighting “The Bug War,” the story is less about the actual fighting and more about the intersections of politics, civics, duty, and society. Though the book is often considered controversial, I found that it led me to question a lot of things that seem axiomatic in life; this is always a good thing, whether it changes your opinions or not! This book is also a great example of how military science fiction does not have to be about the cutting edge of combat to be profound and important.
As someone who was previously in the military, this isn’t a genre I’m big on because it can bring up some not so great memories. One book I would recommend is Terms of Enlistment by Mario Kloos. It’s a story of a boy who joins the military to get out of the slums and learns that it’s not everything it’s cracked up to be. If you’re prior military (or currently serving) you might find a kinship with the main character as he navigates his new normal and tries to get into one of the branches that goes off world. It’s a great book that shows you the grittier side of what joining the military can be like.
Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta is a mecha-smashing joyride that takes military science fiction to a whole new level. It’s a story where teenage rebels take on towering, godlike war machines with little more than grit, guts, and a healthy dose of explosives. The world-building is a grim yet electrifying landscape of oppressive empires and scrappy resistance fighters, with the added bonus of queer romance blooming amidst the chaos. If you like your military sci-fi with unapologetic heart, found family vibes, and characters who refuse to go down quietly, Gearbreakers is a must-read.
When I first saw that we’d be discussing Military Science Fiction, I thought I’d be up a creek. I’m something of a pacifist and don’t engage much with military material, but then I remembered that I had once been obsessed with the Gundam anime franchise and one of my favorite movies is Mars Attacks! Turns out, I’ve engaged with a lot of military media, one of which is Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. Ender is a gifted child recruited into Battle School with the hopes of becoming a proficient soldier who will fight against the Buggers. Through battle simulations and this rigorous schooling, Ender learns that warfare is much more than a simple game. This book has a great twist and a solid emotional core. Give it a try if you’re like me and hard military media isn’t your thing.