military science fiction n.

a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on the military and warfare, esp. set in outer space or on other worlds

SF Encyclopedia

Wikipedia


SF Criticism

Genre

  • [1966 R. Lekachman in Commentary Jan. 81/1 (review of Seymour Melman’s Our Depleted Society)

    The ingenious, inventive minds that might have turned to the making of revolutions in social welfare and mass housing, or to more radical assaults on poverty, are instead wasting themselves either on the improvement of nuclear technology or the production of ‘military science fiction’ which is the specialty of the Rand Corporation, the Hudson Institute, the Institute of Defense Analysis, and other lesser fabricators of hurtful dreams.]

  • 1977 S. Komatsu H. G. Wells & Japanese Science Fiction in D. Suvin H. G. Wells & Modern Science Fiction 185 page image 小松左京 Sakyo Komatsu bibliography

    Shunroh Oshikawa, who wrote military science fiction, began publishing during the Russo-Japanese War, and had considerable influence, especially on the thinking of young people.

  • 1979 J. Pournelle Mercenaries & Military Virtue in D. Drake Hammer’s Slammers Introd. p. ix Jerry Pournelle bibliography

    Military science fiction is a highly specialized art form. It is attempted often, but there are few writers who know science, society, and the military well enough to write a good story of war in the future.

  • 1988 W. Forstchen in Thrust Fall 21/1 page image William R. Forstchen

    My next series could be identified as military science fiction. The first book will be about Alexander the Great.

  • 1992 B. Fawcett in Amazing Stories Mar. 67 page image Bill Fawcett

    Few of the people who write military science fiction succeed in creating a real feel not only for high-tech battles, but also for the people involved. David Drake is one of those few.

  • 2001 H. Turtledove Best Military Science Fiction 20th Century Introd. p. xi, Harry Turtledove

    The last two decades of the twentieth century saw a revival of written military science fiction. Jerry Pournelle, a Korean War veteran, has written a number of stirring novels with strong military themes, both with Larry Niven (notably in The Mote in God’s Eye, a first-contact story, and Footfall, a fine tale of alien invasion) and by himself.

  • 2006 N. Spinrad On Books in Asimov’s Science Fiction Apr.–May 230/2 page image Norman Spinrad bibliography

    This is another science fiction novel of literary quality that…does partake of some of the attributes of space opera, and the sub-genre, if you want to call it that, of so-called military science fiction.

  • 2023 S. C. W. Korsgaard The Reference Library in Analog Science Fiction & Fact May–June 201/2 Sean C. W. Korsgaard bibliography

    One of the stranger trends in modern military science fiction has been watching how some of the tropes and mechanics common in first person shooters have started making their way into the genre. To name one example, the past couple years we’ve seen several works explore how the familiar gaming respawn mechanic would look applied to actual combat, removing death from the battlefield.

Research requirements

antedating 1979
Earliest cite

Jerry Pounelle, in "Hammer's Slammers"
Research History
Katrina Campbell submitted a cite from Jerry Pournelle's introduction to a 1985 reprint of David Drake's "Hammer's Slammers"; David E. Siegel verified it in the 1979 first edition.
Jeff Prucher submitted a 1993 cite from an interview with Lois McMaster Bujold in Quantum.
Douglas Winston submitted a 2002 cite from David Drake's introduction to Gordon R. Dickson's "Dorsai Spirit".
Irene Grumman submitted a 2004 cite from an advertisement in Asimov's.
Irene Grumman submitted a 1996 cite from an advertisement in Analog.
Bill Mullins submitted a 1982 cite from a review by Stanley Hoffmann in the New York Times Book Review, in a slightly different sense.

Last modified 2025-02-06 16:18:16
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.