War Stories: New Military Science Fiction

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TO SAY THAT WAR HAS had a large part in the evolution of mankind is not only a vast understatement, it is also, misleading. It implies that war is just one of many factors shaping our past—a piece of a historical puzzle.

That belies the reality, however. War is not simply a portion of historical study—it is what we are. The idea of combat—whether it is between two people, whole armies, or even a man with his own demons—shapes the fabric of humanity to its core. Struggle between ideologies and those who hold them, regardless of the scale, lies at the heart of all we do in this world.

Clausewitz famously stated that “War is nothing but a duel on an extensive scale,” yet this is more profound than we would like to initially admit. The strategic sadly overshadows combat of the personal level. Those who partake in war are often engaged in that very duel with their own mind and body.

Within the minds of those who have experienced war first hand we learn about the battles of not just a physical landscape but of an emotional one, as well. It is the fighter’s mind that gives us the deepest insight into human nature, because they have simultaneously seen both the best and worst mankind has to offer. It is the warrior’s perspective that teaches far greater lessons than simply the taking of land or a victory of one style of government over another.

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