Military science fiction

Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction that depicts the use of science fiction technology, including spaceships and weapons, for military purposes and usually principal characters who are members of a military organization, usually during a war; occurring sometimes in outer space or on a different planet or planets. It exists in a range of media, including literature, comics, film, television and video games.

Military science fiction examples

Artist's impression of a military science fiction vehicle.
Standalone novels
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells New Model Army by Adam Roberts
Novel series
Carrera by Tom Kratman Clone by Steven L. Kent CoDominium by Jerry Pournelle The Council Wars by John Ringo Death's Head by David Gunn Dread Empire's Fall by Walter Jon Williams Empire of Man by David Weber and John Ringo The Forever War by Joe Haldeman Galactic Marines by Ian Douglas The General by S.M. Stirling Hammer's Slammers collection by David Drake The Helmsman Saga by Bill Baldwin Honorverse by David Weber Jason Wander by Robert Buettner Legacy of the Aldenata by John Ringo The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell Man-Kzin Wars by Larry Niven, et al Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee RCN by David Drake Safehold by David Weber Star Carrier by Ian Douglas Starfire by David Weber, Steve White StarFist by David Sherman and Dan Cragg The Expanse by James S.A. Corey The Sten Chronicles by Allan Cole and Chris Bunch The Uplift War by David Brin Valor Confederation by Tanya Huff Vatta's War by Elizabeth Moon Worldwar series by Harry Turtledove Warhammer 40,000 novels by Dan Abnett et al. Frontlines by Marko Kloos
Games
BattleTech from FASA Command & Conquer series from Westwood Studios/Electronic Arts Gears of War from Epic Games Halo series from Bungie and 343 Industries Mass Effect series from BioWare StarCraft series from Blizzard Entertainment Warhammer 40,000 from Games Workshop
Comics, manga, animation, and anime
Armored Trooper Votoms series Gundam series Macross series Mazinger Space Battleship Yamato Star Wars: Clone Wars comics from Dark Horse Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series (2003) Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series (2008) Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series animated series (2009)
Television and film
Aliens Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda Battle: Los Angeles Battlestar Galactica The Expanse Predator Stargate Atlantis Stargate SG-1 Stargate Universe Star Trek: Enterprise
List of military science fiction works and authors

A detailed description of the conflict, belligerents (which may involve extraterrestrials), tactics and weapons used for it, and the role of a military service and the individual members of that military organization form the basis for a typical work of military science fiction. The stories often use features of actual past or current Earth conflicts, with countries being replaced by planets or galaxies with similar characteristics, battleships replaced by space battleships, small arms and artillery replaced by lasers, soldiers replaced by space marines, and certain events changed so the author can extrapolate what might have occurred.