Soldiers of the Future :: Jerry Pournelle

I have never liked "hard science" science fiction, or military science fiction, except for one writer -- Jerry Pournelle. He writes about both, and makes them absorbing. I've read three of his novels -- The Mote in God's Eye, King David's Spaceship, and Janissaries. I've never been disappointed. Not even close.

One of the things he does is take different old cultures, and portrays what would happen when the military tactics of one goes up against another.

What would happen when Roman centurions had to face Welsh longbows, when aliens place both cultures on a far-off planet? Try Janissaries for that one.

Or, in King David's Spaceship, Pournelle points out there were viable spaceship plans in the 1890's. Dammit, where's my flying car? By now I should be able to go to the Moon on weekends to play golf!

Somehow, I missed Pournelle growing up. Too bad.

Posted by Bob Wallace, who has three arms, like those Moties.