Military Science Fiction presents some unique opportunities to explore villains. 

The same rules of great villains apply, but in MILSF you get to play with rank, weapon systems, politics, aliens, a whole gamut of special jerks that the civilian world doesn't get to experience. Motivations can be personal, cultural, or purely professional, but on the whole nobody is satisfied by an incompetent jerk as a villain.

Come hang out with us as we discuss some of our favorite villains, the difference between an obstacle and a villain, and how to make sure the reader understands that the author and their villains don't share the same values, morals, or political leanings.

Let us know what you'd like to see in the comments!

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The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

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Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.

On the first day of 2025, we round the corner into Season 2 of the podcast! Today we're talking about plans for the new year, for ourselves and for the show. When you look forward, you can't help looking back a bit, so there's also some review of 2024 and how things went. 

Let us know what you'd like to see in the comments!

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The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

Join the Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/milsfpod

Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.

It's one thing to love Military Science Fiction, another thing to have written a MILSF book, and yet another to keep doing it, even when sales might be down or a story's reception different than you hoped (sometimes in a great way!) 

In today's episode we talk about what kept us writing and what keeps us going, even when the going gets tough. (In Rick Partlow's case, on to 75+ novels!)

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The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

Join the Discord:  https://discord.gg/cWhYFdAZ

Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.

The 2014 film Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton, has all the fixin's of an excellent milsf story, with the added twist of time travel (or is it multiverse?), showcasing a soldier who experiences a riveting journey from coward to hardened veteran. Do we have to say we like this movie? It's great, and if you haven't seen it, stop reading this and seek it out. Sure, we have some criticisms, but we critique out of love, and there's still plenty to learn from this story.

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The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

Join the Discord:  https://discord.gg/dkWb9ejQ

Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.

We came to Military Science Fiction from a love of military history, lessons learned, mistakes made, and the hard decisions made by real people in the past. Today we talk about how we love to see history used in stories, and what works and what doesn't.

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The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

Join the Discord:  https://discord.gg/RjGG4vH7

Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.

Finishing a book, selling books and building audience are all different skills, and today we talk about some of the industry advice that gets left out of new author pep talks. We're nice, we promise.

The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

Join the Discord:  https://discord.gg/RjGG4vH7

Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.

From Clip vs Magazine to Unit Details to calling NCOs sir, Military Science Fiction might have more pitfalls than any other genre. Readers have expectations in a great story, military action dictates certain responses, and relying on historical examples doesn't always make sense... 

Today we talk about some of the mistakes Military Science Fiction authors make in their stories and characters and how we think about stories.

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The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

Join the Discord:  https://discord.gg/ub2Mjpsq

Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.

Despite being science fiction, periods in Military SF are often defined by the conflicts readers are most familiar with. From World War II to Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, the types of conflicts characters face, weapons systems and politics are often reflections of current times.

As we move away from the last twenty years of conflict, what can we expect to see in future military science fiction stories? What are some of the timeless tropes that endure no matter the conflict?

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The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

Join the Discord:  https://discord.gg/xbtdhcB8

Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.

A second in-depth discussion of story-building around invading a hostile planet. What are some analogs with history? What makes this sort of story better? Hang out with us while we point out what Avatar 2 does wrong, among other things.

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The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

Join the Discord:  https://discord.gg/xbtdhcB8

Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.

Today we answer some viewer questions about interacting with fans and how to respond to reviews. A good discussion on dealing with criticism in general, and how Military Science Fiction can appeal to anyone who loves great stories.

Check out Burn Enough's channel! https://www.youtube.com/@BurnEnough

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The Military Science Fiction Podcast, with Rick Partlow, Josh Hayes, Jeffery H. Haskell and James S. Aaron. 

Published weekly.

Our Books:

Join the Discord:  https://discord.gg/zr3apbET

Tell someone about the podcast or do pushups.