"Military SF Relationship to SF Wargames on Paint it Pink" Topic

As some of you who follow me will know, I'm on several panels at this years World SF convention being held in London, called LonCon 3. So I thought I'd write something about some of the novels that I like, or have found influential in my SF wargaming.

Also, there is a link to my other site, giving detail about the panel I'm on with Joe Haldeman and Myke Cole. Stoked or what?

tinyurl.com/ozzg4py

All I do now is 6mm Sci-fi since '90 … Mil Sci-fi rules !

Thank you Paint it Pink for a rational and insightful commentary about "Starship Troopers". All to often I find it is misunderstood and dismissed.

I very much like your comments on the relationship, often misunderstood, between ST and "The Forever War" as well.

"Forever War"… Now that was a book ahead of its time.

Nice article, Ashley, I've read everything on the list, except for maybe some of the Bolo stories (and I sometimes forget what was original Laumer and what is a pastiche). Have you posted anything on how we're now at a time where (video) games result in fiction (usually bad), rather than how we used to try to figure out ways to create games from fiction?

It's a nice list Ashley, but why did you omit three of the more recent authors in the field?

Nothing by John Ringo? His Postleen series is quite the commentary on technology and war.

David Weber? Ummm…game designer AND sci-fi author?

John Scalzi's Old Man's War? An insightful update on Starship troopers and modern advances in both technoglogy and biology.

Second what GDog said, and add that there's also Steve White, whose books are based directly on Starfire.

Also, there was a Hammers Slammers board game a few years back. And David Drake's Leary books are pretty good as well, and NOT based upon Vietnam and the entire meme associated with that era.

Rob

Great post!

Good write-up, PiP!

It's a nice list Ashley, but why did you omit three of the more recent authors in the field?

Nothing by John Ringo? His Postleen series is quite the commentary on technology and war.

David Weber? Ummm…game designer AND sci-fi author?

John Scalzi's Old Man's War? An insightful update on Starship troopers and modern advances in both technoglogy and biology.

Gosh what a lot of feedback, thanks for reading.

OK. Webber mostly space, and will come later when I do a piece on books about space warfare, but don't hold your breath waiting. I will write it when the mood takes me.

Scalzi was excluded, because no real power armour, cyber-tank goodness. I am planning on writing real soon now a piece on military SF that focuses on the sociocultural aspect of war, which I think Scalzi does best.

As for Ringo, I'm in two minds about him. I like his writing, but it's Science Fantasy rather than Science Fiction, or if you prefer the science is so advanced it's magic. I'm more interested in near future tech, but again I might write about him in relation to William Keith's work.

I could, and probably will write a load more about military SF and SF wargaming, because there are so many books and games to talk about.