Top 15 Best Military SciFi Series (Ranked!)

[@JimBro317]

I was so pleased to see Ringo's Posleen series make the cut. It's a favorite of mine which usually is overlooked. Earned you a subscriber, too!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥 Thanks for the sub, that series is top notch!

[@mikebiorn9660]

Berserker, BOLO, Expanse, Hammer’s Slammers, Armor

[@spartanspyke]

Bolo surprised me with how good it was.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥 thank you

[@sullyway51]

Mike I totally agree with your list. I would also add Gordon Dickson's DORSAI series, Taylor Andersen's Destroyermen series, Eric Flint's Ring of Fire series and William R. Forstchen's Rally Cry: The Lost Regiment .

[@KLanio-lr8yv]

the undying mercenaries, and technickally battletech. and perry rhodan

[@KLanio-lr8yv]

and the starks war.. that moon rebellion

[@calebcox4963]

My favorite is the Childe Cycle (aka Dorsai series) by Gordon R. Dickson. These focus more on strategy and tactics from a commander's point of view rather than a foot soldier. Some of the books might not strictly fit the definition here (e.g. one book's main character is a war correspondent rather than a member of the military), but I really enjoy them and I think they're very much worth checking out.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks for the reccs!! 🎖️🪖

[@georgebush6002]

I liked this unfinished series too.

[@kevinbergeman4069]

Childe Cycle definitely should be on the list. Along with Hammer’Slammers and the Bolo books

[@kenglasson2920]

I agree, Dorsai was a good read.

[@davidboivin7996]

Tactics of Mistake among my favorites.

[@ironjade]

Many of David Drake's books are available from Amazon so they can't be that hard to find. I'm amazed that he doesn't appear on your list. His RCN and Hammer's Slammers books, inspired by C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian, are great fun.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

👍🏻

[@zedeyejoe]

I just find Hammers Slammers really boring

[@randallturner9094]

If drake’s not on this list it’s not worth reading. 🙄

[@thomaslueckenhoff8862]

Mundy is one of my favorites

[@warhawke223]

The Sten Chronicles by Alan Cole and Chris Bunch, Starfire series by Steve White and Dave Weber, Empire of Man series by John Ringo and David Weber might qualify as Prince Roger is technically in the military. Starwolf series by Edmond Hamilton.

[@spartanspyke]

Empire of man would qualify since it's the story of prince Rogers bodyguard battalion and then trying to keep the idiot alive on Marduk. Not gonna lie besides Cort, pahner was my favorite character. And I really enjoyed how Roger grew from the pampered princeling to a true scion of house McLintock.

[@zedeyejoe]

Empire of Man, love it. Good in every part.

[@BrianRPaterson]

Spot on about The Empire of Man series!

[@Blitters7]

Gotta love Sten!

[@thomaslueckenhoff8862]

Wish they finished the series all of the above

[@michaelshostak93]

I enjoyed David Drake's DAHAK series. Only 3 books but very readable: MUTINEER"S MOON, THE ARMAGGEDON INHERITANCE, and HEIRS OF EMPIRE. Again, very enjoyable, and I'm re-reading them now.

[@chrisnm7922]

Totally Agree!

[@1994chocolatemilk]

David Weber wrote Dahak, not David Drake. Don't worry, I've gotten the two of them mixed up a lot and it doesn't help that they cooperated on a lot of projects, particularly Honor Harrington side stories.

[@johnbast6614]

No Jerry Pournelle (The Mercenary) or David Drake (Hammer's Slammers and others)? Otherwise, great video, you've introduced me to a couple of series I didn't know about.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

👍🏻

[@randallsanchez3161]

Hammer's Slammers would fall into the Private section at best. It just doesn't come off as too serious and has a bit of Mary Sue in it.

[@Katzbalger001]

Exactly. Pournelle's Mercenary series is fantastic and Drake's hammers Slammers is fantastic. Drake does also have the Leary books as well, which are very good.

[@randallturner9094]

This is insane. It’s a list by someone who doesn’t read combat sci-fi?

[@dougsundseth6904]

Series I would recommend: RCN, David Drake Honor Harrington, David Weber Starfire, Weber & Steve White Empire of Man, Weber & John Ringo Janissaries, Jerry Pournelle The General, S.M. Stirling & Drake Childe Cycle, Gordon Dickson Frontlines, Marko Kloos Commodore Grimes, A. Bertram Chandler Falkenberg's Legion, Pournelle Lost Regiment, William Forstchen Vorkosigan, Lois McMaster Bujold Hammer's Slammers, David Drake Seafort, David Feintuch D'Shai, Joel Rosenberg Dirigent Mercenary Corps, Rick Shelley Empire's Corps, Christopher Nuttall Vatta's War, Elizabeth Moon - Note that by the end of the series, Kylara Vatta is running a military force, so I do consider it Mil SF. Honorable Mention Lensman, E.E. Smith - I'm too old to find this interesting anymore, but when I read this as a teen, it was amazing. I wouldn't consider Ender's Game to be a Mil SF series, since only the first book is Military SF.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🤩 🤯 this is an incredible list!!! Thank you for typing it up for everyone!!! 😃

[@Warpdriver]

Don't forget Bolo series by Keith Laumer

[@glorymanheretosleep]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft You could have done the same thing to prevent us from having to watch the episode....

[@glorymanheretosleep]

You and I have read a lot of the same!

[@philhealey2520]

This is a good list

[@TheLibraryChamber]

Keith Laumer's Bolo and subsequent Chronicles of the Dinochrome Brigade is an essential reading for Sci-Fi ground warfare.

[@taun856]

For your consideration: H. Beam Piper's "Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen" continued by John F. Carr - "Great Kings War", "Kalvan Kingmakerr", "Siege of Tarr-Hostigos", "The Fireseed War", "GunPowder God", "The Hos-Blethan Affair" and "Down Styphon". While it is set in a Musket and pike level civilization, it has strong Sci-Fi overtones. Jerry Pourrnelle's "Janissaries" series. (Janisaries, Clan And Crown, Storms of Victory and Mamelukes (started by Jerry Pourrnelle, finished by David Weber and Philip Pournelle)

[@mormengil]

One military scifi series I cannot recommend enough is the Gaunt's Ghosts series by Dan Abnett. Yes it takes place in the warhammer 40k universe, but instead of focusing on space marines and other superhuman beings, it focuses down to the common grunts, the imperial guard, and specifically a half formed regiment and it's misadventures in decades of war in the Sabbat Worlds crusade. It stars off slow, and takes a bit to ramp up, but by necropolis it has become amazing, and later books are constantly ramping up in quality. I loved this series so much. There is also a long game played by Abnett, where he plants some stuff very very early on, and it comes into play many books later, and it hits like a dumb truck. A couple of incidents broke me completely, and I was literally in tears. Very fun series, and I highly recommend it.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Could i start there if i have read literally zero warhammer books? Or do i need to dive into the universe first?

[@mormengil]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft Well, do a basic read of what the universe is like and what is going on, like a 3-4 min wikipedia read, and even that is arguably not necessary. The series doesn't explain much about the universe, but also doesn't ask much, since it really is about the common folks and not the more fantastical elements of the 40k lore. The basic things you need to know is the imperium of man is a totalitarian militaristic state where life is super cheap, and literally everything out there is out to get you. Including your fellow man. The term "grimdark" originates from the 40k universe after all.

[@BenjaminsBookclub]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft Another great Warhammer Mil Sci Fi book is Double Eagle, Fighter Pilots on a ground war. Again 40k but another good entry into the setting. I dont think you need to go spending time on the wiki or familarizing yourself with the setting to just read some good books. Gaunts Ghosts, Double Eagle, Eisenhorn, all great entry points that do a good job of introducing you

[@PolarRed]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft for WH40K try starting with Eisenhorn Trilogy. It's not military, but it's a great introduction to the universe as a whole.

[@breckenridgelong7692]

​@@secretsauceofstorycraft Dan Abnett is by far the best writer in the Warhammer 40k universe and you don't need to start with any particular series but my favorite is the Eisenhorn trilogy.

[@paulblase3955]

I had to binge read The Expeditionary Force series. Alanson has the best depictions of military tactics and space combat ever. His related series of the Mavericks is also very good.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yayaya i loved it too

[@thomaslueckenhoff8862]

Mavericks need to do a deep dive?

[@maxturgeon89]

One more comment! I really appreciate how you take time at the beginning of your videos to set up the parameters/criteria behind your lists. It's really helpful!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thank you! 😊 i’m glad it helps!

[@Yesica1993]

Agreed!

[@clarksmith5308]

For fun, may I suggest “Phule’s Company” side splitting sf military.

[@DrVesuvius70]

Skippy The Magnificent would like a word about your description of the Expeditionary Force series that focussed on that dum-dum Joe and the smelly monkeys instead of the real star of the series. Exoforce managed to be a hilarious read while still taking the perils of the plot seriously, because the humour comes from the characters rather than being gratuitous.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥 🔥 🔥 yayaya

[@krendynkenvirr9932]

Trust the awesome

[@seiboldtadelbertsmiter3735]

Let me tell you about our Lord and Savior Skippy the magnificent. It will only cost $10 for you to sign up for skipway.

[@erbernaljr]

Great recommendations, there are a few I haven't heard of and will definitely check them out. I recently finished the "Empire of Man" series by David Weber and John Ringo. Four books, very entertaining, but simultaneously too long and too short. The main character is royalty, so he has entire regiment who are his body guard, has no real military experience to speak of despite, being their commanding officer. Well written, very original, good character development, and imperial politicking and backstabbing.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Sounds like something i would enjoy! 😊 thanks!!

[@sirnitsalot]

Picked up a few I hadn’t heard of before. Great video.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! 🪖

[@sullyway51]

I would add to your list the following, Gordon Dickson's DORSAI series, Taylor Andersen's Destroyermen series, Eric Flint's Ring of Fire series and William R. Forstchen's Rally Cry: The Lost Regiment . I would further add Saberhagen's Berserker series, David Drake's Hammer's Slammers and Keith Laumer's BOLO series. Oh and as a USAF Veteran i can say that most servicemen will agree that a soldiers life is 90% boredom ho-hum and 10% SHEER TERROR...... OH! I almost forgot this one. Horseclans by Robert Adams it is set in the future, 11 books, passed away in 1991.

[@dalejones4322]

This is a spectacular video. The editing was superb. All the funny inserts were great. The list of books is absolutely insane. I could have put them all on my To Be Bought list but I limited it to 9 of the 15. Thanks so much for all the hard work you put into this video

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks dale!!!

[@sched75]

what do you think of company wars serie of C.J.Cherryh (Downbelow station, Merchanter's Luck, Rimrunners, etc...) ? I loved it as the space battle were exceptionaly realistic

[@BenjaminsBookclub]

What a fantastic video! Brilliant editing, and what a great list! I have loved all the mil sci fi I have read, but Lost Fleet has been hands down my faveorite, I am currently reading Star Carrier and enjoying it a lot, but Expeditionary Force has been on my list for years now, you've convinced me to pull the trigger and pick it up! I also need to get to the spin off series of Lost Fleet, I have picked up the first two books of the sequel series. Warhammer books are an absolute faveorite of mine, and are often my palate cleansers between more series or hard reads! Would love to hear what you think of some of the 40k books!

[@BenjaminsBookclub]

I forgot I wanted to talk about Ninefox! I adored the first two books in the trilogy, but I bounced off the third one hard, I tried to like it, but got to like 70% of the way through and DNF'd it :( I felt like all the characters I liked so much from the first two were either gone or so different they may as well of been different characters, and there were so many sexy scenes that just seemed jammed in there, that I didn't remember being in the first two. I will probably give it another go one day but I felt it was missing that super fun tactical combat planning and execution of the first two in favour of romantic sort of sub plots i didn't care for.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I will say ninefox series in general has a very different vibe than most other mil SF. And i cant really put my finger on why…. I heard from friends that the short stories really fill in alot of the gaps… i will have to give those a try

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks!!! Lost fleet as multiple spin off, 3 different ones i think. I have the beyond the frontier ones, but havent gotten there yet. Yeah warhammer is intimidating because there is no easy place to start so we will see how horus rising does📚

[@BenjaminsBookclub]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft yeah beyond the frontier is the one I have the first few books of. I will get to it after I finish Star Carrier I think.

[@thomasdattilo3591]

My TBR list getting unwieldy. You are a quite the temptress. Thanks for another outstanding video, keep up the great work!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Ty!!! 🤣💥

[@kenmccaslin7096]

Some series that I have really enjoyed are: the Fury Series by David Weber, the Vixen War Bride Series by Doscher, the Caine Riordan Universe by Gannon, the Empire of Man Series by Weber and Ringo and finally the Looking Glass series by Ringo.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

This is a specific list! Thank you! 😊 ill probably start with david weber…..

[@thomaslueckenhoff8862]

Literally rereading the vixen series some of the best military humor ever as well as some of the best characters ever

[@TheRezro]

Big advantage of Military SF is that it hold middle point between Hard SF (so actual legitimate futuristic military tech, at least in the good series) and Soft SF with focus on charakter drama, what also is big aspect of realistic military service.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I agree!!

[@HarryTo1]

Great video with some amazing editing! I have the omnibus of Forever War and can't wait to read the second and third book. Also the WH40K novels are great, theyre very serious and intense but have a lot of depth to them!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I had less fun with forever free :( but im hopeful for forever peace

[@thomaslueckenhoff8862]

There is a series in warhammer with character Ciaphas Cain who is an inquester But the most no serious one ever well worth ready(if you like say Kelly’s Hero’s)

[@greggonzalez661]

This is what I have been looking for a long time. Thanks for the reviews and rankings.

[@bradcathyruppel8908]

Have you read any of Jerry Pournelle's Falkenberg's Legion books? Would Martha Well's Murderbot series meet your criteria? I have enjoyed both very much. Thanks for the video - I have the first Cry Pilot book and will circle around to finish that out straight away.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Hey! Havent ready any of falkenberg’s legion… will check it out. Also sadly murderbot doesnt fit, not technically member of military- it is technically property

[@PeterNebelung]

Posleen wars Hymn before battle has plot holes? Such as? I've read it 3x now and found it flowed quite nicely, and didn't leave any blanks to wonder about. I've read the entire series, and wish Ringo would do more of them. It drops you off a cliff at the end.

[@jaquigreenlees]

The General Series, Hammer Slammers, Belisarius and RCN all by David Drake. The General co-authored with Steve Stirling, Eric Flint, and Tony Daniel, Belisarius by Eric Flint. Though you can call all of Drake's work military Science Fiction since his own time serving in Vietnam was always a major influence on his work. Now, a series of novels you are very unlikely to have heard of, all written by the same author. Amazon kindle published: Death Dealer Saga by Jessie Wolf sadly the first in the series isn't showing in my amazon search but I have my own copy of the first 8 books from when she posted them free on a different site.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Wow! 🤩 thanks for the suggestions!! I will have to go hunting and see what i can find. Sounds like you were lucky to find the ones you did

[@bryandow2827]

Great list have read lots of these series so know and love them, and you have given me lots of new ones to read.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

So glad u liked them 😃 thanks for watching

[@blackboots7477]

Not sure if it quite fits completely in the category but the Lensman Series is great if you like 1950 Sci-fi

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

i have had a few recommendations for this series. i own triplanetary i think...

[@SciFiScavenger]

Fantastic work, and some great sounding books, some i didn't know. I read the ninefox trilogy, enjoyed it a lot. Very enjoyable video, well done! 👌

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks! 🪖

[@archangel_rx6009]

Military Sci-Fi is my absolute guilty pleasure. Frontline Series and the Posleen War Series are some of my favorites. Battletech is more of an anthology series and easy read. I’ve done about 40 Books in the BT Universe. Looking forward to pick a up some of your recommendations. They are always great. You were right with embassytown. Man, that’s heavy and quite a challenge. Still enjoying it. ❤

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🪖

[@gzsprout]

Any suggestions on where to start with BT? I love mech and military sci Fi, but BT has such a long history I don't know where to start eating the elephant

[@Grizabeebles]

I enjoyed the video. Great topic, great editing, and a charismatic presenter. If I can share 1 piece of advice, it's the first one I learned when I started doing stand-up comedy: You need to reduce the word count in your script's second draft by at least 10% compared to the first. You will find that your videos will develop better flow and pacing. In turn, that will save you time and effort in the editing bay.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks! 😊 i dont have a script just a list of each book and their main characters names since i forget often……. Maybe i should start scripting! 🫡🪖🎖️

[@Yesica1993]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft Oh, please don't! I like the "normal conversation" feel of your videos! It's like you're a real person. ;)

[@sarafairchild2588]

I am so thankful for this video and the comments with more. I couldn’t believe that of the sci fi sub genres, military is one of my favorites. Also Michael Mammy mentioned this week that he is finished with another in the Planetside series.

[@EdwardSengstacken]

Keith Laumer's BOLO stories and the Dorsai stories don't recall the author at the moment

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I just got dorsai!!!

[@michaelmcmeel914]

Gordon Dickson.

[@Yesica1993]

I'm never, ever, ever going to get to the end of my TBR list, am I?

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Its one of life’s great mysteries 😆

[@erbernaljr]

Isn't it nice to always have something to look forward to?

[@TheMike28212]

What an amazing video! I hope to finish Old Man's War at some point. I'm also really interested in the Honor Harrington series. I think I have the first two Confederation of Valor books in a bind up somewhere. I loved the Yoon Ha Lee series so very much. I want to try the Elizabeth Moon series as well.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Sounds like u got your work cut out for you

[@TheFallenFaob]

When you read the Honor Harrington series make sure to look up the reading order first. There is a side series that plays an important part of the main story line and you could get lost on some events

[@TheMike28212]

@@TheFallenFaob Thanks for letting me know!

[@darttrapdoor9842]

Thanks for putting this up, that's added to my reading list. I recommend that try The Legend of the Galactic Heroes by Yoshiki Tanaka (translated of course).

[@treyjustice2117]

A good video. I don't know if you're aware of the Hammer's Slammers series by David Drake (a means of his dealing with his experiences in Vietnam) and The Prince- (or The Co Dominium Stories or the) by Jerry Pournelle.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

No! Hmmm thank you 🙏 hard to get ahold of…

[@geoffkrassy6983]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft Drake would often rewrite classic (as in Homer "classic" 🙂) stories into a mil sci-fi setting... The Hammer's Slammers had many stories from his experience (as mentioned above) as a interpreter (cough: interregator) in Viet Nam attached to the Blackhorse (a Tank regiement). Within the came universe (and with overlap of some characters) he did the Odyssey and Jason and the Argonauts ( Cross The Stars and The Voyage).... Then his Lt Leary books are another variation of the "navy in space"... Sadly he passed December of 23. He will be missed.

[@gasguy5386]

A fun & exciting video. Thank you. Please investigate the "Starfist" series by Sherman & Cragg.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Ooh thanks for the recc! 🪖🎖️

[@captcardor]

I have to agree with you. Jack Campbell and "The Lost Fleet" and it's spin offs are the best SciFi military novels I have ever read. Thanks. BTW. I am now reading "Rebecca Roanhorse" on your recommendation. A great find!!!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yes!!! 🙌🏻 hope u enjoy her stuff. And i gotta start some of the spin offs, i just havent gotten to them yet

[@alans3023]

Great video, thank you, and I had never heard of Planetside so I've added that to my TBR, but, and it's a big one, I don't think you can discuss military SF without including Starship Troopers which practically started the whole sub-genre. I know you set the criteria to exclude single books, but that just felt like a way of not having to discuss Starship Troopers. You'll have to do a second video of standalone military SF novels. 😊

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yep as a matter of fact that IS my plan! I also have a third video on military scifi as well :) all to come this year!!!

[@BobbyHall-eu1xv]

Great video, Military Sci-Fi is not a genre I've dipped my toe into yet, so I will be revisiting this video again in the future no doubt - I'm going to start with The Forever War.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Its a good place to start

[@michaelrandold4656]

You enjoy it? Ender’s game is top notch. Starship Troopers as well. Those three are the best of scify. Add in Dune, Red Rising, and a few others.

[@GeraldJSmith]

You might enjoy the Star F.I.S.T. series. It's written by a couple of veteran NCOs and covers a number of operations by what could best be termed "naval infantry," the Fleet Initial Strike Team. I'd probably put it at the Corporal rank. Multiple viewpoints, a number of recurring characters, a variety of enemies from human separatists to actual aliens. And, as others have mentioned, Hmmer's Slammers by David Drake and the John Christian Falkenberg(?) books by Jerry Pournelle are well worth checking out.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks for the recommendations!! I did finally get the first hammer slammers. Havent heard of star FIST tho

[@KhanTrav]

It’s official, your number one is fantastic! I am in love ❤. Black Jack Geary is a legend.

[@OrangeTiramisu]

Thank you for such an informative and enthusiastic execution! I loved your presentation and your energy, and definitely will be looking forward to more of your videos.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thank you 🙏 more to come

[@joebrooks4448]

Really fun and informative video! There is a lot here to consider reading!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@chetaclaudiu4570]

Great video!! but there are 3 good series missing. Considering they are 20+ books each it is understandable. 1. Undying Mercenaries by B. V. Larson. light SF 2. The Empire's Corps by Christopher G. Nuttall . 3. Galaxy's Edge by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole. Gritty military SF with lots of twists and ausom caracters. The audiobook version for this series are very well done. Thanks for the video . I cant wait to start some of your picks . Best of luck

[@DocSherbert]

New sci-fi fan, your channel is very thorough and scratches my itch for knowledge about this genre. Thanks!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Wow 🤩 thank you so much!

[@lurchEbean]

Kink of surprised to see Forever War in the General section. The first book is great, but I don't know if I've ever heard anyone say good things about the sequels.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Forever free started good but ended up not being great 😞 Im more hopeful for forever peace… we will see

[@Hbfhvvhgfgb]

This is awesome thanks for making these videos. Love your takes!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks!! 😊

[@bazoo513]

21:07 - Mammay awaits in my Kindle library to be read - I will push it a bit up, if you have so good words for it. 22:00 - But I hate cliffhangers, even within a completed series.

[@david124cherrington5]

The Cobra series by Timothy Zahn might be worth looking into. Technically it doesn't meet your definition of space battles. It deals with the aftermath of a war and the human cost.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥 thank you

[@pqfire0950]

Oh awesome I've been looking for a list like this.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yay!! 😁 im glad u found mine!

[@AlSmith-o4d]

Thank you for mentioning Expeditionary Force by Craig Allinson you are the first person I have seen recommend this my favourite SF series, I will take the heat for saying experience this series through Audible the narrator R.C.Bray just adds so much to this story in his character creation, thank you again

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thumbs up 👍🏻!! I love it

[@TheFallenFaob]

Also there is the one part that is only an audio book because it has a full cast reading for characters

[@thomaslueckenhoff8862]

A friend of mine and I shared a love of that series(yeah Skippy) who has since passed and it brings back fond memories

[@starstrk]

I agree on that the Childe Cycle should be included. I also think the Hammer's Slammers novels from David Drake should be on the list.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Haha as soon as i can get ahold of it - no problem!

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

No David Drake? I watched both the Series and the Stand Alone books and - no David Drake. I wrote a bunch of other stuff but it was about things you can't do anything about so I deleted it. I've read some of the books mentioned but was unaware of most of the rest. So - now I'm aware of them. Thank you for that. .

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Haha i bet it was the mess up of the rankings and stars… i should have paid closer attention. 😩 but you are not alone in recommending the hammer slammers. I was able to find a used copy in one of my local bookstores and hope to get to it early next year! Thanks for the recommendation!

[@Titan-ul5bu]

If you like the whole military sci-fi thing with 40K. I highly recommend Guant’s Ghosts series, Caiphas Cain series, and Helsreach. Others recommended are the Horus Heresy (it’s really long like 50 books)and The Eisenhorn series. Guant’s Ghosts follows the Tanith First and Only, an imperial guard regiment whose homeworld gets destroyed and they fight for their future and the possibility of a new home. It has something that is very rare in the theme of 40K which is hope. But these guys go through a lot. Caiphas Caine, is about Commissar Caiphas Caine hero of the imperium. Or is he? We follow Caine on his misadventures with his loyal assistant Jurgen occasionally Inquisitor Vale. It’s more of a light hearted series with unreliable narrators and thrilling action. Helsreach is about the Third War for Armageddon. It follows the Chaplain of the Black Templars named Grimaldus. As he is tasked with defending the Hive City of Helsreach with not enough men, resources, and time. Against an overwhelming Ork invasion which is the biggest that the Imperium has ever faced. It’s a classic Space Marine Battle book with great characters. Horus Heresy follows the time of Civil War in the Imperium. When 9 of the Emperor’s sons betray him and lead one of the most devastating wars the galaxy has ever seen. It has betrayal, drama, action. In short it’s a space epic. Finally is Eisenhorn, which is not really military sci-fi. It’s more like a spy or detective novel. It follows inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn and his retinue. You follow him into the secret war of the inquisition. Fighting demons, heretics, and traitors. It has a little of everything and can Eisenhorn keep his soul in this world. Well that’s my spiel.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Ooh guant’s ghosts sounds awesome!! Could i start there if i know nothing about the 40k world??

[@thomaslueckenhoff8862]

I love the Cain series

[@archercolin6339]

I seem to recall hearing that the Old Man's War series ends on a cliff-hanger - is that correct? I generally recommend that anyone who reads Starship Trooper follow it up with The Forever War, for two different takes on a similar theme. If you haven't read him, could I suggest you try Christopher Nuttall? I first came across him through a Posleen War fan-fiction, but he is a prolific writer in his own right. The 'Empire's Corps' series is very much military SF, with both a main story and several side-paths.

[@chokog2446]

What an awesome video! Thank you! 😊

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Glad you liked it!

[@chokog2446]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft Have you tried The Starfisher series by Glen Cook?

[@LanceMan]

So here are some of mine; Ark Royal by Christopher Nuttall - Human first contract goes badly Castle Federation + Glynn Stewart - Earth are the bad guys. Angel in the Whirlwind - Nuttall + Strong female lead. Alexis Carew - JD Sutherland - Somehow makes sailing work in space. Stewart and Nuttall have others also but here are my favorites.

[@Bboiblack]

Great list, looking forward to reading some of these. Speaking for myself, could have done without the ai art, though it's clearly the future of both art for these stories as well as writing..

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Fair enough! Althought it does make for easier access to visuals

[@brettleach9281]

If you decide to do a ranking of military fantasy, I have an author and series to suggest. The Paksennarion series, by Elizabeth Moon, is awesome. Be sure to read all 6 books, though the main character changes in the last three.

[@8enable]

Great choices. And yeah - The Lost Fleet Series rocks, have read 3 times now. I'm going to nominate the Fast & Furious franchise I'm pretty certain that pretty soon it'll be all Black-Ops only, set in Space 🤣

[@michaelsudsysutherland5353]

What, no "Hammers Slammers" short story compilations by David Drake?!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I’d love to get a copy of it if you know where to find it

[@richardfedora]

Good job - loved it!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

So glad! 😃 yay 😁

[@stephenwolnisty4013]

Have you checked out The Spiral Wars series by Joel Shepherd? It's 8 or 9 books starting with a book titled Renegade. I've only read the first three so far, but I thought they were pretty solid military sci-fi (eh, I'm still counting it as military sci-fi, despite some plot elements in the first book that some might say disqualify it). Another military sci-fi-adjacent series worth checking out is The Quantum Evolution trilogy by Derek Künsken. It technically does not qualify as military sci-fi under your standards, since the main protagonist is not enrolled in a military, but they do work with one as sort of a contractor? It's a military sci-fi meets heist scheme plot; I read a review for the first book that referred to it as the lovechild of Ocean's Eleven (in space) and a physics textbook. I enjoyed the entire trilogy.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I own derek kunsken’s first book and hope to get to it sooon. I also own renegade but havent gotten to it yet

[@setherd]

Another good series is "Hammer's Slammers" by David Drake. He was a tanker in the Vietnam war and translates that experience well. great video! I subscribed. Please consider reviewing "Armor" by John Steakley. Only a stand alone, but the story is amazing. unfortunately the author died and only had 2 novels published.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥 i plan to read armor!! Its on my shelf

[@StevenGill-h3b]

Thank you for some new series, however I have already your top tips been reading expeditionary force since the first book definitely worth reading early books does fall into trap " Dragonball ". Would act the David Drake naval stories (RCN series), not top tier but good adventure romps.

[@strikevipermkII]

Please, if you love the Lost Fleet series, read the Lost Stars, Beyond the Frontier, Outlands and Genesis Fleet. They are almost must have additions and really develop Black Jack's character in ways I did not expect. Th development of the supporting cast was a delight as they all came into their own as captains and commanders, handling various situations with all the lessons they'd learned as Black Jack as their commander. Also, pick up Stark's War by Jack Campbel as well. Nice short little story about a fight on the moon filled with rebellion and tough decisions. On a similar vein if you like those books, I would highly recommend the Star Carrier series by Ian Douglas. Very similar style of writing, but much different plot. Also by Ian Douglas the Heritage Trilogy is another very similar kind of story, this one mainly about Marines in Space. There's two more trilogies in this one, the Legacy Trilogy and Inheritance Trilogy, all in the same universe following various groups of marines and fleet personnel over a thousand years or so, all fighting the same enemy. This one gets a little more hard sci-fi when explaining the tech, but its quick and reads well so you don't get bogged down by it.

[@JJGlyph]

I'm glad The Lost Fleet is your favorite too. I just recommended it to a friend the other day and was hoping it was as good as I thought it was. :)

[@JJGlyph]

Came back to say thanks for Expeditionary Force! Read the first 3 books in the past week. It's so good!

[@vircervoteksisto5038]

I'd also add Live Free or Die by John Ringo. It doesn't start out as mil sci-fi but it eventually follows a group of space marines fighting in earth's first interstellar war. The whole series felt like it could have been written by Heinlein's ghost.

[@ButOneThingIsNeedful]

I would always have said that great editing alone does not a great video make. I'll still say it, but yours come the closest and I wanted to express my admiration. All your creative touches in framing your videos' content are superb, be they artistic, funny, clarifying, visual, or auditory. They're excellent! Thank you for taking such time & care. Lastly, I'm in no way implying anything low-key lacking about the information and opinions your vids relate. Not at all. That's high-quality too, for sure. Two last things (sorry): 1) Really like your Salvador Dali melting clock on the shelf! 2) If you're interested I remember Robert Heinlein writing that his last name rhymed with "fine line". :)

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Wow thanks! So glad you appreciate the effort 👍 it is nice to be recognized! that dali clock is super popular! And sorry im not great with pronounciations…. Will keep it in mind tho

[@melbaker9495]

You may have jumped the gun on the "Forever War" triology. The first is a masterpiece, the second one is a completly mess. The protaganists actually end up a Disney World. I'm not kidding. For the Vorkosigan Saga you could aregue they are all military sci fi in that they include esspionage and politics in a militaristic society. Still for the best character stories in SF, the Vorkosigan Saga is top notch.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yeah-- forever war was the best for sure… forever free is best to pretend it didnt happen… but forever peace was pretty ok.

[@DonnaBallentine]

Nothing about the Bolo's???

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Bolos???

[@jaimeosbourn3616]

You use officer names for some of your categories but enlisted rank badges.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yeah-- i found out after i put it up 😓 i apologize

[@jaimeosbourn3616]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft Wasn't looking for an apology. Just giving you a heads up.

[@mvhuber]

This was great. I just finished the amazing David Webber Honorverse, and loved it, and wanted more options. You put that one as a cadet, which surprised me, and I guess I will let you know if these options are better than Honor Harrington!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Please do!!!

[@psikeyhackr6914]

Destroyermen Series by Taylor Anderson starting with: *Into the Storm* I suppose that I think of it more as a parallel Earth story but it is very military but without futuristic weapons.

[@kithran]

Um one minor point - your screenshot of books in the Vorkossigan saga includes Lucal Custom by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, totally different series

[@blackspade1]

Pretty disappointed to see that neither David Drake's 'Hammer's Slammers' series and SM Stirling/Drake's 'General' series are on this list. Both are top notch reading.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Haha 🤣 never read em. they are hard to find here

[@strikevipermkII]

Oh and please look at the Ember War series by Richard Fox, narrated by Luke Daniels. It's an audible exclusive, so its only available in narration I think, but it is very much worth the read. Has a few spinoffs that are worth a look as well, the Terran Armor Corps especially. These are short reads, only about seven to eight hours a pop, but the writing, the characters and Luke's spectacular narration make it worth a look.

[@yomama211]

i like your sense of humour, thanks for the review

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥 thanks 😊

[@RosLanta]

You've got several of my favourites on here but one I adore which isn't here is the Serrano Legacy series by Elizabeth Moon. Book 4 Once a Hero is easily my favourite military scifi book. For a popcorn read, I enjoyed the Kris Longknife series - it's got some great characters and is a lot of fun

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥

[@davedaniels356]

I would suggest the Battletech series and The Event Group series. Both have kept me going for many years.

[@celticarchie]

What about some Chilled Out Space Hippies of the Cosmos series? ;P

[@CptvonChaos]

Quite a few you missed: Conqueror's trilogy, Timothy Zahn, Caliphate series, Tom Kratman, Orphan series Robert Buettner, War World, Jerry Pournelle, Clone series, Stephen Kent, The Fleet and The General, David Drake & co authors, Subterrene Wars, T.C. McCarthy, Death Day and Earth Rise, Tom Dietz, Grunt series, Weston Ochse, Bennett R. Coles, Virtue Of War, Ghosts Of War, and March Of War. There is a character in Richard MacEnroe's book "The Shattered Stars," Deacon Hallorhan, who was a special elite soldier; part of the book deals with his memories and nightmares.

[@kadare68]

Galaxy's Edge by Nick Cole and Jason Anspach. Plenty of perspectives (sometimes from within one battle on both sides) from the military from the grunt to geneneral to spec ops to intelligence and contractors. All on a galactic level, starting with Legionnaire.

[@GoneVideo]

March Upcountry by David Weber & John Ringo

[@trizz670]

Always on the hunt for new Military Sifi. This is one of the better lists I've found. Based your recommendations, "Galaxy's Edge" and the spin off series are a must read! It reads like a Military Sifi version of Star Wars. I wasn't turned off by the similarities. Honorable mentions: - The Ember War - Renagde Star

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Ooooh!!! Thank you! 😊 i will see if i cant find these- i think i have renegade war somewhere…. Will look!! 👀

[@nstents7781]

I do, actually, look forward to your videos, and this one is the epitome of why.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Awwww 🥰 thats so kind! Thank u! ☺️

[@epiphoney]

Larson's Steel World is another fun "bootcamp" one. I liked Kloos's Palladium Wars series too.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yeah i havent quite gotten to those yet, and a few of these authors have other series that are worth it to look into also!!

[@chevalierdulys]

Probably a bit late but in terms of warhamemr 40K if you haven't read anything at all I wouldn't advice starting with Horus Heresy. If you really want military sci-fi I Would say start with Gaunt's Ghost by Dan Abnett. Think of it as Bernard Cornwell Sharpe but grim and depressing and full of battles and with well developed characters. If you want just have a brief glimpse if 40K is for you can read Eisenhorn by the same author. If you just want a solo story with Imperial Guard you can start with Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons. Btw, thank you for this. Jack Campbell is probably my favourite military sci-fi series of all time. Glad to see it here

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Its not too late!! Im just somewhat overwhelmed about which book to start

[@FacetiousE]

One I'd recommend is the Ember War by Richard Fox. Some interesting ideas in it, though the subsequent sequel series go a bit into the weeds. Tightly written and paced, plus the first book is free on Kindle and Audible.

[@Emanon...]

Forever War is a must read for everyone in my opinion. It's a bit strange with regards to mankind's evolution, but the message is powerful.

[@RosLanta]

I enjoy reading David Weber books but for whatever reason I only ever read book one in the Honor Harrington series. I recommend trying out some of his other works though if you haven't already

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🎖️ 🫡

[@maxturgeon89]

I don't know if that's what you have in mind, but I read the first two books of the "Out In the Dark" trilogy with Chris Kennedy, and they're both very fun. I plan to read the third book sometime this month

[@RosLanta]

@@maxturgeon89 I haven't read those ones yet but I plan to!

[@TheFallenFaob]

​@@maxturgeon89there is the Dahak trilogy not its actual name but it starts with mutiners moon. There is also the Safehold series that like the Honor Harrington series is a long one.

[@justinchristenson8201]

Honor Harrington should have ranked higher

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Haha 🤣

[@adrianwintle5284]

A Small Colonial War/Fire in a Faraway Place/Cain's Land by Robert Frezza.

[@khomo12]

I am not a military sci-fi fan but what a great episode!👍👍👍 I already have the lost fleet, ninefox gambit, the forever war on my tbr📚 thanks to rachel at theshadesoforange. I'm adding wayward galaxy, planetside to my tbr📚...for now!🤖🚀🐲🔫

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥 🎖️🪖

[@KujoTV]

Thanks you gave me some new books to try out. But you did get most of the insignias wrong.👍

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yeah i do know i messed those up…. Im sad about it but Cant fix it now…. But thanks for watching!

[@KujoTV]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft Don't be sad.🙂

[@bedlamspilot3662]

read and loved Vattas War and The Lost Fleet series also the first book of several others you have mentioned. Would also recommend the Lost Regiment series by William R. Forstchen as something a little different.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Oooh havent heard of that one!thank you! 🪖🎖️