I read Starship Troopers and Forever War (+ all sequels). But Vatta's War i don't know.

I enjoyed Old Mans War by Scalzi, Honor Harrington by Weber and pretty much most of John Ringos books. So as to give you a hint for what kind of books i am looking for.

I highly recommend every book I've read so far by Moon. She writes both SF and Fantasy, but they all have a serious military style to them. She was in the Marines, so she knows her shit, militarily.

Also i really don't mind a good portion of ground combat action like in Valor's Choice series by Tanya Huff.

well, John Ringo's books were the first to come to mind for me. Guess I'll have to go check my bookshelf later on.

John Steakly's "Armor" - awesome, in the flavor of Starship Troopers in some ways

Yes Armor was indeed a nice read. Together with A Mote in God's Eye by Nivens one of the books that hooked me on the genre.

Have you read the sequels to the Scalzi book? They are pretty good as well.

Yes i did read them. Sad there aren't more of them but freeing earth from the yoke of the colonial union in the end was a nice touch.

ok, I remembered the series I was thinking of, Jack Campbell's "Lost Fleet" series. Much more accurate in terms of space battles using actual physics and not like a StarTrek/StarWars type of physics. Meaning that light speed (in terms of seeing when an enemy appears in system) and Relativity affect strategy and tactics.


There's also Mike Resnick's "StarShip" series. Though those are more of a fun read than a serious military read. SPOILERISH: They do have one my favorite sceens in all of sci-fi that made me go "Why didn't I think of that?" when an attacking force enters a turbo lift on a ship and they just shut off the intertial dampers in the turbo lift and then order an emergency stop on the turbo lift. Splat.

Y'all have pretty well covered it. Nivens and Scalzi are the best. The Draka series by S.M. Stirling is alt-history/military/sci-fi and I enjoyed it.

The Lost Fleet i know. I am desperatly waiting for the next book of the sequel series Beyond the Frontier.

The StarShip series i don't know and will check them out. Even tough i got to say i am really looking for more serious stuff.

Some other things i have read already are:
Enders Game (complete with all sequels)
Virtues of War
Hammer's Slammers (complete series)
The Moon is a harsh Mistress
Assiti Shard's Series (complete)
Axis of Time (complete series)
Bolo
Destroyermen (complete series)
Legion (first two books up to now)

I don't think calling it "not serious" was the right term. Maybe "lighter reading" or "quicker/easier reading" is what I'm looking for. I managed to get through each of the books in the series in one evening of reading. They were enjoyable and fun to read, but didn't have the same feel as an epic storyline, such as The Lost Fleet. But I'm also not sure they'd be for everyone.

Well since i also enjoyed some of the Warhammer 40K novels which most definitly do not qualify as "serious" i might as well check the StarShip stuff out. :)

Well if you're willing to broaden the horizen to include legal-political-cultural-psychological factors along with an armed struggle, then I recommend the following: James Schmitz's Demon Breed, which features psychological factors that affect a military invasion by a foreign species; Lloyd Biggle Jr.'s Monument, which has cultural and legal aspects to a lopsided invasion, and Cherryh's Foreigner series as well as others of hers the Chanur series which feature how different species deal with conflict etc.

@ PS

Have you read the first Syndic spin-off to The Lost Fleet? I'd been worrying that it would be a bit strange and avoided it for a while, but it was rather good.

@Mujus: The Chanur series i know, and yes i am quite willing to broaden my horizon and thus thank you for the tips.

@Octavius: No i have not read that spin-off. Didn't even know there was a syndic one, i really need to check that one out.

I do indeed enjoy SciFi/Fantasy crossovers aswell like The Dragon Riders of Pern or the Nano Wars.

The Man-Kzin Wars is a series of shorts stories by various authors. There are currently 13 books in the series and counting. All are set in Larry Niven's "Known Space" future history. One of them is my all time favourite military sci fi story. It's called "The Children's Hour" by Jerry Pournelle and S.M. Stirling. You can find it in Man-Kzin Wars II. Other series authors include Poul Anderson, Donald Kingsbury and Hal Colebatch. Highly recommended. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-Kzin_Wars)

"Earth Light" by Arthur C Clarke - set on the Moon during a conflict between Earth and her colonies.

"Dune" by Frank Herbert is very political but is also a war story.

The "Bolo" stories by Keith Laumer are short stories about "intelligent" (perhaps I should say "thinking") war machines.

I second the suggestions of "Starship Troopers", "The Forever War" and "The Mote in God's Eye". They're classics.

I think "Red Storm Rising" and "The Hunt for Red October" by Tom Clancy qualify as military Sci Fi too. They're also a damn good read.

In addition to Hammer's Slammers and all it's sequels and side stories by David Drake, you must read Harry Turtledove's Darkness series. They are lengthy and there are six of them so prepare to spend a year reading (if you have a life outside reading that is).

Oha, some more nice suggestions. I do know the Man-Kzin Wars, Dune, Bolo, Starship Troopers, Forever War, The Mote in God's Eye, Red Storm Rising and The Hund for Red October but i did not get around to Earth Light. I heard of that one before, it is now added to my list.

The Darkness Series i do not know yet but six books does not seem to be that much. I read about 60 - 90 pages per hour in english, 80-100 in german. It comes with the job. I am a lector for a publishing house and reading is kind of my favourite hobby.

One of my favorite sci-fi authors is Walter John Williams. His Dread Empire's Fall trilogy was very good. It starts off with the last of an alien race of beings dying. This alien race had conquered humans and several other alien races while creating an empire. Then things get rather chaotic in the scramble to fill the vacuum of power.

Also, if you like good military history stories, I recommend everything by Jeff and ? Michael? Shaara, both father and son. The dad wrote the first one and the son all the rest, in the same style. They are supremely readable and incredibly interesting. I think I learned more about the Civil War on one page of the first book than in all my years of school. My favorites are the WWII stories but they are all way up there and we own all of them.

Draug - the Turtledove Darkness series -- is that the fantasy series that seems to really parallel WWII? I think I read the first one a long time ago, and always wanted to read it again. damn...like my reading list isn't already long enough! can't wait for the long drive to Florida.

I think it is Krellin. I personally loved it. Made me wanna keep ginger in the house always.

Ginger in the house? I miss the reference....but...sigh...I shall now have to acquire new books for the nook...I always wanted to finish that series, as I recall. In general I like the Turtledove stuff I have read.

I read one book (two I think) where the Japanese succeed in capturing Hawaii - good story.

and then Guns of the South, where a time traveler brings the designs for the AK-47 to the South during the Civil War - interesting story how he shows the South still eventually suffering a political collapse.

Well read the books and you'll get it.

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. It's not military sci fi in the sense of Armor, but it's sci fi with substantial military overlap. Worth a read if you haven't.

I recommend The Black Company series by Glen Cook as a mix of fantasy and military fiction.