In a moment of Full Disclosure, I admit that I am a Solitary Reader.
I read a LOT. I always have a book (or two or three or four) 'going' all the time. I read a book at home in the evening to put myself to sleep, I read another book in the morning to while away the time as I try to wake up ... I am not A Morning Person. I have a book at work, which I dip into for a couple of chapters during lunch and/or breaks, and in-between times I have a book or two in my briefcase, which goes everywhere with me.
I love mysteries, adventure stories, spy novels, and almost any kind of fiction.
What I like best is Science Fiction (I was a charter subscriber to Galaxy Magazine), and of all the various sub-genres of SF, I am particularly fond of MSF.
I blame this on two writers:
E.E. "Doc" Smith (the "lensman" series), and Robert Heinlein (especially the "Juvenile Novels" which he often published in "Boys Life Magazine", and the "Woodrow Wilson Smith" novels).
During this article I will attempt to name the most important writers in this genre, and provide links to either their personal websites or more often to the AMAZON.COM links where you can purchase these books. This is an attempt to appeal to catholic (in the sense if 'universal', rather that relikgious-themed) tastes. Not every author/series/theme will appeal to every reader, but I want to explore the subject thoroughly, if not exhaustively. I'll provide as much information as possible within a one-hour timeframe initially, and it will be incomplete. I intend to continue building on this theme in future days. I won't try to complete the exploration of MSF in a single article. Instead, I'll continue to author Part 2 through Part "n" in future days, as I expect to expand on the theme. I haven't outlined this project, so at this point I have no idea how many parts to expect. Extrapolating at least 4 authors per artice, you can look forward (or not) to at least 16 authors in at least four Parts. Expect most authors to receive the most cursory attention: I'm dealing with a lot of information and don't wish to exclude laudatory authors. The intent is to expand your interest, if it exists, to sample MSF authors which are new to you.
Here is the first of a long list of MSF writers I admire, and frequently read.
David Drake:
... is perhaps the Dean of MSF authors. Drake is a Vietnam Vet, a doctoral-level scholar of History, and an exceptionally prolific writer. He got his start writing 'horror stories' with a MSF them based on his experiences during the Viet Nam war. He hit the ground running in the 1970-1980 period with his "Hammer's Slammers" series, expanded into slightly divergent themes (he loves to use his scholastic expertise to introduce the SF interpretation of historical figures, such as his "Belisarius" series), and then turned to collaborative projects such as his "General" series ("The Forge", "The Hammer", "The Anvil", "The Steel", "The Sword") with S.M. Stirling (see below). This series has been re-published in a 2-book series; "War Lord" and Conqueror". I read this last series annually, but I have just bought the two-book reprint version because my original 5-book series is in paperback format and they are becoming too ragged. Drake has many other MSF series, many with co-authors, and for the past five years he has branched out into the "Science/Fantasy" novel field ... which is no science, and all fantasy. If you like that genre, it's not bad. Also, Drake has continued with his "Lieutenant Leary" series to satisfy his hard-core MSF fans.
Steven M. Stirling:
Steve Stirling started his carreer as an independent writer, but his writing never gained full acceptance until his collaboration with Drake in "The General" series. Since then his "Draka" series became more popular, and he wrote two more books on the same theme. He gained much recognition when he teamed with Anne McCaffery in "The Ship Who Sang". He gained a LOT of attention with his 3-book "Nantucket" series (What happens when an island is transported 3000 years into the past), and even more when he followed it up with his (so far) 5-book "Corvallis" series (What happens to the rest of the world which is 'left behind'?)
Stirling has become an almost definitively "Apocalyptic" author, dealing with such themes as an isolated portion of 20th century culture being transported 'magically' into the deep past (see FLINT and "1632").
He has also written some Fantasy novels, in minor series. Because Stirling is such an excellent writer his characters are appealing and the reader discovers a concern for their progress and safety. This is, I believe, the mark of a Master.
David Weber:
David Weber is redoubtably best known as the author of the Honor Harrington series, which has spawned a plethora of related novels (that is, embodied in the "Honorverse", but in which H0nor Harrington is not the main character).
He has several other series which are usually minor to this one (exception: see John Ringo) but he has made a living and a career writing about his most famous hero Honor Harrington.
Reading Weber is an act of will. His style includes excruciating detail in side-stories ... all of which unarguably advance the plot and provide useful color and background to the main story. My opinion is that these diversions from the main theme often detract from the reader's area of interest, but that may be a personal bias. Regardless of your ultimate evaluation, there is no question that Weber is a craftsman, providing appealing characters, fully realized plots, and continuity which proves he has always, ALWAYS scoped his story-line at least 3 books ahead of whatever book he is writing.
Either that, or he covers any errors seamlessly.
If this seems a criticism of Weber, I apologize for damning him with faint praise. He is, above all, a story teller. If you doubt that, see the evaluation of the next author, John Ringo.
John Ringo:
Ringo co-authored the MARDUKE series (aka: "March Upcountry", et al) with Weber. Readers really liked the series, which portrayed a futuristic interstellar empire, a foppish prince with an assigned company of dedicated bodyguards, all dumped on a mankilling primitive planet as part of an empirical coup d' etat. Hint: the prince grows, the bodyguard company shrinks.
Ringo has a couple of other series, including the Posleen Wars (earth invaded by particularly nasty aliens in current time) and The Council Wars. The posleen are never-ending, but if you enjoy a series of tales about an implacable foe who eats their defeated enemy ... along with their young, and their fallen, then the Posleen Wars is for you. The Council Wars is very much like David Drake's NORTHWORLD trilogy, in which technology passes for magic and allow an 'elite-ocracy" to take over a world (somewhat simalar again to Zelazny's "Chronicles of Amber" series), this one
In the next MSF article ("Part 2") I will discuss John Dalmas, Rick Shelley, Jerry Pournelle, and Larry Niven ... with a cursory homage to Harry Turtledove.
In Part 3, we'll visit women MSF authors, including Elizabeth Moon, Anne McCaffery, Lois McMaster Bujold and perhaps a fourth woman author yet to be named.
In Part 4, we'll talk about The Masters. A more extended discussion of Robert Heinlein, plus Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, Poul Anderson, and "all their ilk". Possible contenders: Hal Clement, A.E Van Vogt, and ... well, we'll see.
In Part 5, we'll hover around the John Ringo books to talk about his c0-authors (subsequent to David Weber) such as Tom Kratman, Julie Cochrane, Travis S. Tyler, Michael Z. Williamson, Linda Evans, and the author of the BOLO series, Keith Laumer. This promises to be a big one, because Ringo is the current Pocket Rocket of the MSF world and his co-authors are making hay while the sun shines.
In Part 6, wrap up with such luminaries as Eric Flint, John Scazi, Orson Scott Card, perhaps a Surprise Guest (Terry Pratchett?), and anyone who seems to be inadvertently left out.
If you're not interested in the subject, it will be easy enough to avoid these articles. If the title is "Military Science Fiction: Part *", you'll know what to expect, and can avoid it or pounce upon it at will.
After all, it's my blog and I write about things that interest me.
One of us must enjoy this. It may seem selfish, but I hope it's ... you.
And ... oh yes ... as you read this series, you will perhaps be struck by the manner in which themes originate by one author (drake NORTHWORLD) only to be continued by another (Ringo, preceded by another. See WHOM it is next time.)
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