I’ve been a fan of Military SF for almost as long as I’ve been a fan of science fiction in general. Some of my favourite and most intricate reads fall under the umbrella of Military SF, but it remains the subgenre I go to when I need a quick and simple read. Even fairly trashy Military SF can still be quite fun. Here’s a quick roundup of Military SF novels I’ve enjoyed in the past few weeks. If you’re into the genre, I’d recommend them all.

Janissaries, by Jerry Pournelle (1979)

A group of US soldiers are abducted by aliens and forced to take over a feudal world in order to fund said aliens’ drug habit. It’s a wild premise for a novel, and Pournelle milks it for all he can. This was actually my first Pournelle, and I am confident it won’t be my last. It’s simple and direct, in a way that really works for the story. It can be a little gung-ho, but the mix-up of time periods and military styles leads to some fun battles. and fascinating tactical decisions. There is a series following on from this, but it works well as a standalone too. I listened to the audiobook of this, and would definitely recommend it.

The Final Battle, by William C. Dietz (1995)

This is actually the second novel of the Legion of the Damned series, but it works well enough as an introduction. Oddly, this was a reread for me, and I had some bad memories of the book, but I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around. This is a perfectly fun shoot-em-up of a novel, but it comes with one massive caveat. There is far too much sex. Not to sound prudish, but everyone in this book is absolutely sex-crazed. Sure, freshly graduated soldiers might head to the strip club for a good time, but then there’s the random and incredibly inappropriate hook-up between members of the same chain of command, or the man who derives sexual pleasure from killing. It’s strange to complain about graphic sex when people are being killed, but this is supposed to be Military SF, not erotica. Nevertheless, look past the constant sex, and there’s a good war story in here.

The Battle at the Moons of Hell, by Graham Sharp Paul (2007)

A strong contender for the title of ‘coolest title ever given to a book,’ the first book in the Helfort’s War series is a solid piece of military action, and gains extra points for not being written by an American, which is something of a rarity in the Military SF world. As a book, this one is honestly a bog-standard mid-2000s piece of the genre. There’s a deep love of the order and regimentation of the military, though here it never quite crosses into fetishisation. The villains, meanwhile, are a band of religious extremists who merrily stab each other in the back and generally fall over one another in a bid to see who can be the most evil. It’s fun enough, but I’m not sure I’ll rush out to buy the rest of the series.

Halo: Contact Harvest, by Joseph Staten (2007)

I’ve long since given up on my one-time plan to read all the Halo tie-in novels. Too many to keep track of, and a continuity that grew more needlessly complex with each new addition. This, however, is one of the earlier ones, and it benefits from not having to account for books that would go on to contradict it in numerous ways. Take it as a standalone prequel to the games, and you’ll have a good time. We get to see what life is like before the outbreak of war for both humans and the Covenant, and both sides are portrayed with surprising depth for a videogame tie-in. When the war starts, the action hits thick and fast, and doesn’t slow down until a satisfying climax is reached. There is a fair bit of jargon to get through (I don’t think all those weapons and vehicles really needed naming in such detail) but even if you’ve never played the games, you could probably follow what’s going on.

So there you have it. Four military SF books to keep you entertained as the nights start creeping in. If you’ve got any recommendations for me in this or any other SF subgenres, hit me up in the comments.