Top 15 Best Military SciFi Series (Ranked!)

[@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!

[@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.

[@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

[@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]

👍🏻

[@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

[@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!!!

[@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

[@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! 🪖

[@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!!! 🤣💥

[@sirnitsalot]

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

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! 🪖

[@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. ;)

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@scottmaryfree]

Some other MilSF for you: Ian Douglas - Warstrider, Star Marines, Star Carrier. If you are going into Warhammer fiction, go for BattleTech (sometimes referred to as Game of Thrones before there was a GoT). Timothy Zahn's COBRA and Blackcollar series. John Hemry (aka Jack Campbell)'s "JAG in Space" the Paul Sinclair books. I'll also give a thumbs up to the Dorsai books (SHAI DORSAI!)

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Oooooh good more reccs!! Will have to look around for these….

[@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!

[@roaldeuller]

I don't know if it qualifies a purely 'military' science fiction, but C. J. Cherryh's Union-Alliance universe is excellent. Start with Downbelow Station.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

👍🏻

[@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]

🔥

[@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

[@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

[@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!!!

[@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

[@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!! 👀

[@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!

[@johnkuklewicz627]

Thank you for this list. Good to revisit some old favorites, and find some new series and authors to check out. Might I suggest checking out the following: The Last Hunter by by J.N. Chaney (Author), Terry Mixon Against All Odds: A Military Sci-Fi Series (Grimm's War Book 1) by Jeffery H. Haskell No Honor in Death: A Military Science Fiction Adventure (Siobhan Dunmoore Book 1) by Eric Thomson Contact Front (Drop Trooper Book 1) by Rick Partlow Sentenced to War by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee

[@BongoBeary]

Quick commen about Lost Fleett: - the main series is actually 14 books, which is sort-of divided into parts for some reason (maybe following sub-plots) - and the other 8 books are every bit as good as the first 6 (or even more so.) Worth the time, for sure. The 14 books bring the whole story to an epic conclusion and turn the whole circle. The 2 spinoff series are: - Genesis Fleet (starting with "Vanguard") and - Lost Stars (starting with "Tarnished Knight") Having said that, if you enjoyed the Lost Fleet so much, an absolute MUST READ is the Odyssey One series by Evan Currie (and also his Hayden War / On Silver WIngs series.) I was actually very surprised you did not have it in your list at all... The series is in my absolutely top tier! Easily equal to Lost Fleet in my book... Another good series is Koban by Stephen Bennett. This does not really start as military scifi in strict sense, but takes you there rather quickly, and absolutely amazing read! Sort-of military scifi without military... Honorable mentions: - Siobhan Dunmoore by Eric Thompson (starting with "No Honor in Death") - Black Fleet by Joshua Dalzelle (3 trilogies = 9 books, starting with "Warship") Others have mentioned Star Carrier and Kris Longknife, both great series.

[@paulblase3955]

Some other recommendations: * Anything by Tom Kratman. He has a number of stand alone books, but his Carara series is very good. He knows his military stuff. He writes with John Ringo a lot. * One absolutely classic series is the Bolo series, started by legend Keith Laumer and continued by both David Weber and WIlliam Keith. (Also featured on the "Dinochrome Command" KZbin channel). A Bolo Combat unit is a cybernetic tank, the later versions of which are fully sentient. They are actually the main characters in the series, always depicting honor and valor, sometimes in contrast to their human companions. What's interesting is that Laumer started with a series of stories in the 1960's, and his depiction of how the Bolos began is starting to come true today with the Army's emphasis on autonomous vehicles. * Eric Flint's various series. I haven't read too many, but he's a very good writer.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thank u so mich for the recommendations!!

[@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!!

[@thomascollins3513]

Well, I am glad this popped up in my feed. I quite enjoyed it, and thank you for a few new series to try. Read thru the comments, and I can't add any suggestions. I would say, of all the books mentioned, Drake's RCN series is by far the best. Very consciously modelled on Aubrey's Aubrey-Maturin books,it features solid world building, exciting action, and great characters.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I’m glad too! I have quite the list, but plan to do my best to get to them all!!

[@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!

[@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

[@Hbfhvvhgfgb]

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

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks!! 😊

[@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??

[@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! 🪖🎖️

[@mariushudea2711]

I really liked reading Jean Johnson's series "Theirs Not to Reason Why" and "First Salik War" - sci-fi, military, space opera, in a future Earth with a global government and where we got it contact with several alien species. Lots of tropes but also really well built universe... First Salik War is a 3 book series about humanity's first contact with alien species and Theirs not to reason why is a few decades after the events of the first series and it has much more action. In this future Earth some humans gain abilities like telekinesis, learning other languages fast and others ...in the First Salik War the main character is a diplomat with very high telekinetic and language abilities, ideal for making contact and learning languages ... in the other series, the main character has an incredible (explained why) ability to see events that will happen in the future and basically sees that hundreds of years in the future the galaxy will be destroyed by an outside enemy unless she starts messing with the timelines of some people, and those people's children, and joins the army in order to be in the right place at the right time to tweak enough people's lives during her life and after she's dead (by practically establishing a religion and having the priests of that religion follow her notes) so that the right people to fight that enemy in the future will be born and will be trained right.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Oooh sounds great!!! 👍🏻 thanks for sharing. Will keep an eye out.

[@gasguy5386]

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

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Ooh thanks for the recc! 🪖🎖️

[@CxOrillion]

Good to see Honor Harrington here. I defintiely agree with your assessment. I think it starts to get a little worse when the tie-in series start affecting things. There's the Shadow series and the Crown (Spy thriller) series, and they are both pretty good on their own. They just act to slow down the main series as well Also, the Posleen War series is another one I agree with you on. The first book is ok. The series out through Hell's Faire is ogreat. And there's some really interesting stuff even after that that happens, but the series departs from a military focus after Hell's Faire.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥 yay! 😀 looks like we have similar taste!

[@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!!

[@jasonshortphd]

WH40k is a league of its own. I have read 11 of them. Each is DENSE and takes time to read, no easy mode on these books. I enjoy them, and I hate them. So I stop and pick them back up again a year or two down the road. I have read almost everything on this list. :) I didn’t know the lost fleet had a 6th book, just grabbed that. Your ranks didn’t match the symbols you put up, but I got what you were trying to do.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks for watching!! I appreciate the feedback! Yeah i totally messed up on the ranks- i should have checked more carefully…. *sigh*

[@joebrooks4448]

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

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@LiamsLyceum]

When I was younger I lived reading Halo novels and some of them are actually quite good. A big favorite of mine these days is The Spiral Wars by Joel Shepherd, book 9 comes out soon!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I’ve heard joel sheperd but havent gotten to him yet! And halo books do deserve more credit!

[@pqfire0950]

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

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yay!! 😁 im glad u found mine!

[@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!!! 😃

[@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

[@rfdarsie]

Thanks for this. I will definitely be checking some of these out. You might be interested in the ISC Fleet series by Rock Whitehouse. There's an initial three book series covering Earth's first interstellar war, which wraps up at the end of the third book. There are two additional books in the universe which deal with some of the aftermath of the war. I'd say those two also qualify as military scifi. I have enjoyed these and read them multiple times. The author addresses some of the contingencies involved in fighting a war over multiple light years.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thanks!! 😊 ill look into it

[@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]

👍🏻

[@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]

🔥 🎖️🪖

[@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?

[@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.

[@godsbadkarma]

The ExForce Series is SO stinkin good! Gotta love Skippy!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Skippy the a-hole! Hahaa!! Glad u like it too!!

[@jayblake682]

You were so right about Honor Harrington. Absolutely love the first books, but after about book 6 Honor does seem to go Mary Sue. I will say I love David Weber’s writing. Have you read his Safehold series?

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

No i havent read anything else by weber but i have start of 2 of his other series…. I need to get on that soon

[@jayblake682]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft it’s quite a departure

[@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

[@chokog2446]

What an awesome video! Thank you! 😊

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Glad you liked it!

[@chokog2446]

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

[@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.

[@Unknown_Pie]

Midshipman's Hope by Feintuch is similar to The Lost Fleet. Tin Men by Golden is a stand alone I really liked.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Ooh thanks for the reccs!!

[@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.

[@yomama211]

i like your sense of humour, thanks for the review

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥 thanks 😊

[@nstents7781]

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

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Awwww 🥰 thats so kind! Thank u! ☺️

[@lukebanks9007]

Great video. I have really liked the novels written by J.S. Dewes the Devide series. Starting w The Exiled Fleet. There is 2 books so far and the 3rd is coming out in December 2024. Her other book Rubicon is really good too

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Loved rubicon but as of now its a standalone….

[@brianjuergensmeyer8809]

Run. Do not walk. Run to either Amazon or Kobo and grab "The Treasons Cycle". A series of 2 books (so barely qualifying for your list) by J. L. Doty. In many ways, it's a more "hard" SciFi than many of the series on your list. In "Of Treasons Born", York Ballin (the protagonist) grows literally from a pre-teen boy through a career as an enlisted man, and ends with him as an officer. As he grows and matures, he's used very adeptly by the author to point out some of the absurdity of the society in which he lives. In the second book, "A Choice of Treasons", York is fairly static, but this time it's the situations in which he finds himself that grow and change. A constant subplot is York's origin and how he came to be in the situations in which he finds himself. Part of me hopes that there will end out being a third book in the series, but the loose ends were tied so neatly at the end of the second book, the plot for a third book would have to be VERY contrived. One other thing that impressed me - at least 3 of the series (the "Forever War" series, "Columbus Day", and the "Posleen War" series) I've either recommended to others as a former service member or have had other former service members recommend to me.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Im going now!!!!!

[@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

[@mndrew1]

Not listed that I really enjoy include: Phule's Company by Robert Asprin - a more humorous take on MilSF. The Childe Cycle, tragically unfinished by Gordon R. Dickson; The Thousand Worlds by Joel Rosenberg; and the classic Lensmen series by E.E. Smith. :)

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thank you!! You are second or third person to mention phule’s company! Sounds pretty great 😊

[@amazingbollweevil]

Glad to see the Forever War here as I was such a huge fan and read it more than a few times back in the twentieth century. I re-read it a few years ago and realized how dated it feels today. Still, a fascinating story.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I really liked it!!

[@Dontbestupid999]

Galaxy's Edge by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole -- I'd say its significantly better than Anspach's Wayward Galaxy. I'd put it with or above Expeditionary Force. They just released book 18 (Series 3 episode 1).

[@chocolatemonk]

Ender's Game was the first series I dove into. I have yet to read a lot of this genre but Twilight Company by Alex Freed is in the Star Wars universe, follows a combat group of rebels, and it gives you a look at a neglected area of that franchise. I have the Old Mans War on the shelf to read

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Ooh i hadn’t heard of alex freed! Thank you!

[@chocolatemonk]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft I haven't read his other stuff. . .some Assassin's Creed and other Star Wars. Normally I don't put Star Wars, Star Trek type books in these lists but that book at least is a standout

[@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…..

[@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!!

[@BurnEnough]

Oh yes! Military Science Fiction is also my favourite subgenre! I dedicated my whole channel to just one series.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Wow! 🤯 must be a good series!

[@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

[@IamTinyJoe]

The Ember Wars by Richard Fox. Great series. Void Wraith by Chris Fox.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Oooh thanks!!

[@TheFallenFaob]

The only problem with the Ember wars is its so damn long with all the spin off series

[@hollairis]

A few other suggestions.The Final Architecture Series by Adrian Tchaikovsky - at least partially military and fully epic :) And an older series : The Helmsman by Bill Baldwin, i read the first book , was pretty good/classic / goodreads quote : "lower caste military hero meets imperial princess"/ with some technically advanced and detailed stuff !

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Wow thanks! I’ll look into to baldwin…. Of course i have the first teo books in tchaikovsky’s series but i didnt know it was mil SF

[@richardfedora]

Good job - loved it!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

So glad! 😃 yay 😁

[@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

[@sethpurifoy6025]

My dad told me, “If you want to write; read, read, read!” Well, I hope to write a hard sci-fi series with a couple of military focused books, so this video gave me some great pointers.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Wonderful!! Thanks for watching…

[@maxturgeon89]

Thanks for sharing this list. I don't read a lot of military scifi, so most of them beyond the private category were unknown to me. I think I'll pick up Planetside and give it a try! Also, I think you missed a great opportunity to use a clip from Forrest Gump where he says "Lieutenant Dan!!" 😆

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Hahaha 😂 i didnt even think of it!!! So sad!!! 😭 next time

[@gorski1234]

I was shocked by how many of these I had not heard of. Possibly my favorite series of all time is the Cassandra Kresnov series by Joel Shepherd.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

!!

[@bradleyreed8876]

In your montage of all the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold, you include top-center the book Local Custom by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Good eye! I didnt notice that!

[@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.

[@Marximus999]

You have made a top notch video. However, you are on a journey, and the best is yet to come. The only series that tops Campbell's Black Jack Geary, in my mind, are written by Ian Douglas. Do yourself a favor and check out first his 9 books about Marines In Space, then his 2 books Star Corpsman about military medicine, and finally his 9 book series about a Space Carrier crew.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Oooooh!!! Exciting!!

[@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.🙂

[@soniascs8238]

🌟brilliant as always

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🪖🎖️🥰

[@holyfreak8]

"the Forever War" was actually a response to "Starship Troopers", since it talks about the worst side on those kind of intergalactic war and militarism.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🤔 interesting

[@holyfreak8]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft it came out 10 years later I think.

[@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

[@NekromDj]

Omg Expeditionary Force is by very far my favorite creative endeavor in all of fiction….. I adore this series and find one of the characters, no spoilers but it’s the asshole beercan IYKYK, the best written character ever. The number of plot twists, greatly described and ultra exciting special forces, regular army, space armada and other types of battles, the moments of loss, sorrow, happiness, celebration, underdog & I’m the baws moments. OMG this is a masterpiece. The racial politics, the shift between types of sci-fi between near future and space opera and all of that. This author should be a national treasure. And his comedy to sci-fi is what Sapkowski’s Witcher series is to fantasy in terms of snorting out your nose while reading on a bus and people watching u weirdly. Also I recommend three GREAT series u have not mentioned: Galaxy’s Edge, Rise of the Republic and Ember Wars - respectively my ranks #4, #3, #2 in the military sci fi genre if Expeditionary Force and spinoff Mavericks are #1

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Oooh 😲 thabks for the reccs and …. I know- i love that character too! So glad you also loved it!!

[@Peri_Stark]

I liked The Lost Starship series by Vaughn Heppner and for a fun lighter read the Phule's Company series by Robert Asprin.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Thank u!!

[@jesseallerdings7050]

I just finished Legion of the Damned last week, I liked it. Didn't know it was a series, I only knew about the one sequel that was listed in the back of the copy I read. I get what you are saying about the sexual part, I just looked at it as part of the story. Could look at it as an alagoie to the end times of Rome, I could see a few similarities to Caligula.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Hmm i see the tome allegory maybe…. Thanks for that perspective

[@jesseallerdings7050]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft maybe, yeah. That's just a thought I had because the emperor was giving me some Caligula vibes. The general that swooped in on the widow and was obsessed with the female general, I just thought of that aspect as a flaw in the character and I find flawed characters more realistic.

[@paulbigbee]

Gauntlet thrown down. Need a Grammaticus response. 😆 ...with you on Old Man's War: I DNF's Zoe's Tale, just too much a departure from the earlier books.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🤣🪖🎖️

[@ashley-r-pollard]

First up, missing works you might want to check out. Rick Partlow's Drop Trooper series, very compelling read. Heritage Marines by Ian Douglas, which is a trilogy of trilogies, I love it. and last, but not least, Robert Buettner's Orphanage series.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Ooooh!! Thank you!!! 😊 will go look those up!

[@ashley-r-pollard]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft My pleasure.

[@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.

[@psikeyhackr6914]

Zippy the beer can popped my top. I could not take it after that. The Empire's Corps Christopher G. Nuttall Bears an obvious resemblance to Asimov's Foundation but is way militaristic.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

👍🏻

[@Tetsujin-28]

I loved this list, but in the Fleet Admiral/Army General category (that you left out) Dan Abnett's Tanith First and Only is the top/Acme/1a.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Haha 🤣 Ill start with horus rising and see how it goes….

[@ewaguzenda9863]

Vorgosigan saga has about 18 books and you should start reading with Shards of honor. It’s a fantastic series but not hard military sci-fi.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

🔥

[@lissavanhouten6628]

Love Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series and its spinoffs. Author served in the navy I believe. He shows the tactics used when fleets have to fight each other while having to consider being light hours or light minutes apart. Another major series to consider as a military series or partially a military series (with lots of politics) is James S. A. Corey's Expanse series.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Yeah lots of ppl forget about military side of expanse, unfortunately doesnt quite meet the silly criteria i set. But still a good series

[@couespursuit7350]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft Lost Fleet Series the BEST !!!!

[@RecklessFables]

I learned three new ways to say "Basilisk" today, heh.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

👍🏻

[@soumyajyotimukherjee4752]

Ender' Game: The first book is basically the scene dressing. The real novels start from book 2

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I agree!!!

[@ThomasPalm-w5y]

As I understand it, when Card wrote Xenocide he needed a protagonist with the right back story so he went back to a previous short story he had written and expanded it to Ender's Game.

[@sergioaccioly5219]

The Planetside trilogy will become a quatrilogy laterthis year, with Darkside. Keep an eye out for it. Manmay also have a few stand alone books that are very good also. Lost Fleet is a curious case. You can see the author gettign better each book. The first I think is very weak, but bit by bit it becomes an A+ series. My favorite spin off is the Lost Stars, but the most recent one is a serious contender for the title of best one.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I agree with your assessment of Lost Fleet! Cant wait to start with some spin offs soon. And i just heard about darkside!! It was too late to put in video but im pumped…

[@sergioaccioly5219]

@@secretsauceofstorycraft Just a reminder: read them in release order. The Lost Stars series is 99% independent of the others, but is still affected - and affects - the main ones.

[@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.