Military science-fiction
The future is war!!!*
A list for military science-fiction (MSF) movies and TV. However, actually pinning the definition down can be tricky.
David Weber, author of the Honor Harrington series, has defined military science-fiction as:
It is a strict definition and few on here tick all the boxes, but most manage to satisfy the majority of his criteria. Although it is purely subjective (and eventually comes down to "I know it when I see it"), my rule-of-thumb is along the lines of: future (or near future) conflict where some of the protagonists are members of a military organisation, possibly opposed by another such group (or hordes of alien beasties). Just don't hold me to that too strictly.
Further reading: TV Tropes, MSF film and TV at militaryscifi.com, Future War Stories a MSF blog, The Problem with Military Science Fiction, and What is Military Science Fiction? and Your Military Science Fiction Isn't Really Military Science Fiction at io9.
See also: Space horror, another list of mine focusing on the the crossover of horror and sci-fi in deep space (in the same way this isn't just where the war and sci-fi genres intersect). The horrors of war list is more a direct intersection of war and horror and might include some sci-fi elements where supersoldier programs go wrong. The madder superscience on my Nazi occult list could include films that come close to this list (Iron Sky perhaps?).
* A phrase lifted from the end of Atari Teenage Riot's "The Future of War."
A list for military science-fiction (MSF) movies and TV. However, actually pinning the definition down can be tricky.
David Weber, author of the Honor Harrington series, has defined military science-fiction as:
I would differentiate between what I consider to be "military science-fiction" and what I consider to be ... something else masquerading by the same name.
For me, military science-fiction is science-fiction which is written about a military situation with a fundamental understanding of how military lifestyles and characters differ from civilian lifestyles and characters. It is science-fiction which attempts to realistically portray the military within a science-fiction context. It is not "bug shoots." It is about human beings, and members of other species, caught up in warfare and carnage. It isn't an excuse for simplistic solutions to problems.
It's an opportunity to explore responsibilities, morality, sacrifices, and costs.
It is a strict definition and few on here tick all the boxes, but most manage to satisfy the majority of his criteria. Although it is purely subjective (and eventually comes down to "I know it when I see it"), my rule-of-thumb is along the lines of: future (or near future) conflict where some of the protagonists are members of a military organisation, possibly opposed by another such group (or hordes of alien beasties). Just don't hold me to that too strictly.
Further reading: TV Tropes, MSF film and TV at militaryscifi.com, Future War Stories a MSF blog, The Problem with Military Science Fiction, and What is Military Science Fiction? and Your Military Science Fiction Isn't Really Military Science Fiction at io9.
See also: Space horror, another list of mine focusing on the the crossover of horror and sci-fi in deep space (in the same way this isn't just where the war and sci-fi genres intersect). The horrors of war list is more a direct intersection of war and horror and might include some sci-fi elements where supersoldier programs go wrong. The madder superscience on my Nazi occult list could include films that come close to this list (Iron Sky perhaps?).
* A phrase lifted from the end of Atari Teenage Riot's "The Future of War."
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