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SNAFU: An Anthology of Military Horror #5
SNAFU: Future Warfare
Join the military, they said. See far-flung worlds, they said. Meet interesting creatures, and kill them all. Soldiers fighting aliens in unforgiving landscapes, where every breath could be their last. Featuring stories by Weston Ochse, Mike Resnick, and others. From near-future to far-future, featuring some of the best writers working in the field today.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2016
49 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Brown
87 books129 followersGeoff Brown aka G.N. Braun is an Australian writer and twice Australian Shadows Award finalist-editor raised in Melbourne’s gritty Western Suburbs.
He is a trained nurse, and holds a Cert. IV in Professional Writing and Editing, as well as a Dip. Arts (Professional Writing and Editing).
At graduation, Brown was awarded ‘Vocational Student of the Year’ and ‘2012 Student of the Year’ by his college.
He writes fiction across various genres, and is the author of many published short stories. He has had numerous articles published in newspapers, both regional and metropolitan. He is the past president of the Australian Horror Writers Association (2011-2013), as well as the past director of the Australian Shadows Awards. He was an editor and columnist for UK site This is Horror, and the guest editor for Midnight Echo #9.
His memoir, Hammered, was released in early 2012 by Legumeman Books and has been extensively reviewed. It has been expanded on for rerelease in 2019.
He is the co-founder/director of Cohesion Press and Asylum Ghost Tours.
He is a trained nurse, and holds a Cert. IV in Professional Writing and Editing, as well as a Dip. Arts (Professional Writing and Editing).
At graduation, Brown was awarded ‘Vocational Student of the Year’ and ‘2012 Student of the Year’ by his college.
He writes fiction across various genres, and is the author of many published short stories. He has had numerous articles published in newspapers, both regional and metropolitan. He is the past president of the Australian Horror Writers Association (2011-2013), as well as the past director of the Australian Shadows Awards. He was an editor and columnist for UK site This is Horror, and the guest editor for Midnight Echo #9.
His memoir, Hammered, was released in early 2012 by Legumeman Books and has been extensively reviewed. It has been expanded on for rerelease in 2019.
He is the co-founder/director of Cohesion Press and Asylum Ghost Tours.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 4, 2016
Have you ever found yourself staring manically at your eReader waiting for a book to download? To the point where you wanted snap it in half, and hurl it across the room in frustration and whilst screaming abuse at the sky? Yes?
Well that was the predicament I found myself in last weekend as I waited for Amazon to get its shit together and send me my pre-ordered copy of SNAFU: Future Warfare.
Why the rage? It's a fair question. And the answer is simple.
I wanted to read SNAFU: Future Warfare so badly that a six minute wait after its time of release was deemed incredibly unacceptable to me!
I was that pumped up for it that as the seconds ticked by I found myself starting to turn green and wanting to smash things whenever my eReader found nothing new to sync with.
So when it finally arrived I breathed a sigh of relief, settled into my chair, and let myself be taken by the unicorns and rainbows..... if you actually think SNAFU: Future Warfare has unicorns and rainbows stop reading this review right now and leave my site. You don't belong here.
So did SNAFU: Future Warfare live up to my incredibly high expectations of it?
Yes.
And then some.
SNAFU: Future Warfare is the epitome of a good military horror anthology. It arrives with the subtlety of a freight train loaded with speakers blaring Iron Maiden, and then refuses to leave as it tears shit up with power armour, alien horrors, and future worlds that have been broken by invasion and bloodshed.
And goddamn, it is fucking glorious and relentless!
From exo-mechs defending farming homesteads (SUITS) and a brilliant homage to Aliens and Predator (Under Calliope's Skin) through to rescue missions within downed supply ships (Outpost) and a special insertion mission to a floating space hulk (Invasive Manoeuvres), SNAFU: Future Warfare has it all.
No joke. It really does.
Love chaotic mayhem? Future Warfare has it.
Dig horror that will make your blood go cold? Future Warfare is right up your alley.
Get a rush from high grade military action? Future Warfare will jack you up even more.
They are all cosy bedfellows in this scintillating anthology that kicks ass and takes names over and over again.
SNAFU: Future Warfare latched onto my brain from the opening page and steadfastly refused to let go. And just when I hoped I would be able to finally relax after an insanely riveting story... BAM... I was kicked in the nuts and dropped over the precipice to deal with yet another nightmare inducing scenario.
Alien horrors stalking a squad of power armoured soldiers. BAM... you got it.
Genetically enhanced female soldiers fighting a drone army? BAM... you asked for it!
A gigantic alien monster chasing your APC as you try and get a vital asset to an airfield to escape... BAM... YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE MEATBAG!!!
But it's not all guns and explosions (although you have to admit, that shit is pretty cool). There are pop references to ponder and munch on (Arnie, the killer robot!), subtle nods and salutes to geek culture and military science fiction, and laugh out loud moments (although perhaps I have a dark mind?) that add body to what is already a brilliant collection of tales.
And every story stands on its own two feet! One of the common pitfalls of anthologies is that they are usually a mixed bag of tales. SNAFU: Future Warfare avoids this by changing things up nicely as the anthology unfolds. Every story is wonderfully constructed, and none of them take the easy way out by succumbing to generic tropes or cliched endings. That is a sign of great editing, story selection, and great writing.
Cohesion Press has done yet another magnificent job with this instalment of their much loved SNAFU series. If you love military horror, science fiction, aliens, power armour, apocalyptic scenarios, and blistering action then you will adore this anthology. Fuck, if you love fairy bread and nothing else you will probably still adore this anthology. It is THAT good.
I cannot recommend this anthology highly enough. It sucks you in, enthrals and entertains you, and spits you out leaving you wanting more and more.
5 out of 5 stars... and I can't wait for the next instalment of SNAFU!
*Starts to turn green*
Well that was the predicament I found myself in last weekend as I waited for Amazon to get its shit together and send me my pre-ordered copy of SNAFU: Future Warfare.
Why the rage? It's a fair question. And the answer is simple.
I wanted to read SNAFU: Future Warfare so badly that a six minute wait after its time of release was deemed incredibly unacceptable to me!
I was that pumped up for it that as the seconds ticked by I found myself starting to turn green and wanting to smash things whenever my eReader found nothing new to sync with.
So when it finally arrived I breathed a sigh of relief, settled into my chair, and let myself be taken by the unicorns and rainbows..... if you actually think SNAFU: Future Warfare has unicorns and rainbows stop reading this review right now and leave my site. You don't belong here.
So did SNAFU: Future Warfare live up to my incredibly high expectations of it?
Yes.
And then some.
SNAFU: Future Warfare is the epitome of a good military horror anthology. It arrives with the subtlety of a freight train loaded with speakers blaring Iron Maiden, and then refuses to leave as it tears shit up with power armour, alien horrors, and future worlds that have been broken by invasion and bloodshed.
And goddamn, it is fucking glorious and relentless!
From exo-mechs defending farming homesteads (SUITS) and a brilliant homage to Aliens and Predator (Under Calliope's Skin) through to rescue missions within downed supply ships (Outpost) and a special insertion mission to a floating space hulk (Invasive Manoeuvres), SNAFU: Future Warfare has it all.
No joke. It really does.
Love chaotic mayhem? Future Warfare has it.
Dig horror that will make your blood go cold? Future Warfare is right up your alley.
Get a rush from high grade military action? Future Warfare will jack you up even more.
They are all cosy bedfellows in this scintillating anthology that kicks ass and takes names over and over again.
SNAFU: Future Warfare latched onto my brain from the opening page and steadfastly refused to let go. And just when I hoped I would be able to finally relax after an insanely riveting story... BAM... I was kicked in the nuts and dropped over the precipice to deal with yet another nightmare inducing scenario.
Alien horrors stalking a squad of power armoured soldiers. BAM... you got it.
Genetically enhanced female soldiers fighting a drone army? BAM... you asked for it!
A gigantic alien monster chasing your APC as you try and get a vital asset to an airfield to escape... BAM... YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE MEATBAG!!!
But it's not all guns and explosions (although you have to admit, that shit is pretty cool). There are pop references to ponder and munch on (Arnie, the killer robot!), subtle nods and salutes to geek culture and military science fiction, and laugh out loud moments (although perhaps I have a dark mind?) that add body to what is already a brilliant collection of tales.
And every story stands on its own two feet! One of the common pitfalls of anthologies is that they are usually a mixed bag of tales. SNAFU: Future Warfare avoids this by changing things up nicely as the anthology unfolds. Every story is wonderfully constructed, and none of them take the easy way out by succumbing to generic tropes or cliched endings. That is a sign of great editing, story selection, and great writing.
Cohesion Press has done yet another magnificent job with this instalment of their much loved SNAFU series. If you love military horror, science fiction, aliens, power armour, apocalyptic scenarios, and blistering action then you will adore this anthology. Fuck, if you love fairy bread and nothing else you will probably still adore this anthology. It is THAT good.
I cannot recommend this anthology highly enough. It sucks you in, enthrals and entertains you, and spits you out leaving you wanting more and more.
5 out of 5 stars... and I can't wait for the next instalment of SNAFU!
*Starts to turn green*
April 17, 2019
Read the story "Suits" by Steve Lewis. Remade for the TV show Love, Death and Robots
June 9, 2019
SUITS - Steve Lewis
Great story that was in Love Death Robots on Netflix. They changed some things, but I think I liked that version better anyway. This one's a little better in the fighting but even then this version just had some odd choices.
Under Calliope's Skin - Alan Baxter
Really awesome story idea, though humans always think they can control what they make. It never works out in the end.
The ASH at Ft Preston - Case C. Capehart
Awesome story that could be part of a pretty awesome bigger universe, would love to see more. And again, humans always think they can control everything.
Human Strain - Benjamin Cheah
Another good story that hints at a pretty cool universe.
Kill Streak - Samson Stormcrow Hayes
Imagine The Last Starfighter set in roughly today's political climate and combine that with Ender's Game but instead of remote fighting you have to do it yourself and you've almost got this one. Really interesting ideas in here.
Scout Mission - Jack Hillman
I liked the story but the descriptions of the aliens didn't work for me, possibly because they were too abstract to visualize well. Not the authors fault, I just couldn't see them. Though the idea that they could infect plantlife and turn anything into a weapon (of a sort) was novel. (no pun intended)
Outpost - Anthony Izzo
Pretty cool story where the aliens can inhabit the dead. But not like zombies, they are actually piloting the bodies. Cool weapons and gigantic aliens drive this one.
Invasive Maneuvers - Tim Marquitz & J.M. Martin
Love the end-of-the-war stories like this were the mission is basically going to either be the end of the war or the end of the human race. High stakes.
Romeo and Julie - Mike Resnick
This one seemed way out of place for a book with this much macho in it. I probably would have liked it if I had read it in a MR collection instead of surrounded by these stories.
Acting Private Tantas Jackson - Deborah Walker
Hard to get into because of the syntax used by the aliens but it evened out by the end. Middling story.
Perfect War - Jay Werkheiser
Very futuristic war where piloted drones are used to kill people. Has my favorite line in the book. To set the scene, the "bad" guys figured out how to kill the pilot of the drone, not just the drone itself. The conversation has this line:
"It's just funny how we get pissed when they come up with a way to return the favor."
So true...we go to 'war' and always get upset when the war comes back to us and hurts.
Emeralds - Asher Wismer
Ah yes, the "aliens were actually friendly but because we are stupid humans we shot first and asked questions later after half the population was decimated" story. It's a common story idea because it's true and doesn't appear to want to change much.
Great story that was in Love Death Robots on Netflix. They changed some things, but I think I liked that version better anyway. This one's a little better in the fighting but even then this version just had some odd choices.
Under Calliope's Skin - Alan Baxter
Really awesome story idea, though humans always think they can control what they make. It never works out in the end.
The ASH at Ft Preston - Case C. Capehart
Awesome story that could be part of a pretty awesome bigger universe, would love to see more. And again, humans always think they can control everything.
Human Strain - Benjamin Cheah
Another good story that hints at a pretty cool universe.
Kill Streak - Samson Stormcrow Hayes
Imagine The Last Starfighter set in roughly today's political climate and combine that with Ender's Game but instead of remote fighting you have to do it yourself and you've almost got this one. Really interesting ideas in here.
Scout Mission - Jack Hillman
I liked the story but the descriptions of the aliens didn't work for me, possibly because they were too abstract to visualize well. Not the authors fault, I just couldn't see them. Though the idea that they could infect plantlife and turn anything into a weapon (of a sort) was novel. (no pun intended)
Outpost - Anthony Izzo
Pretty cool story where the aliens can inhabit the dead. But not like zombies, they are actually piloting the bodies. Cool weapons and gigantic aliens drive this one.
Invasive Maneuvers - Tim Marquitz & J.M. Martin
Love the end-of-the-war stories like this were the mission is basically going to either be the end of the war or the end of the human race. High stakes.
Romeo and Julie - Mike Resnick
This one seemed way out of place for a book with this much macho in it. I probably would have liked it if I had read it in a MR collection instead of surrounded by these stories.
Acting Private Tantas Jackson - Deborah Walker
Hard to get into because of the syntax used by the aliens but it evened out by the end. Middling story.
Perfect War - Jay Werkheiser
Very futuristic war where piloted drones are used to kill people. Has my favorite line in the book. To set the scene, the "bad" guys figured out how to kill the pilot of the drone, not just the drone itself. The conversation has this line:
"It's just funny how we get pissed when they come up with a way to return the favor."
So true...we go to 'war' and always get upset when the war comes back to us and hurts.
Emeralds - Asher Wismer
Ah yes, the "aliens were actually friendly but because we are stupid humans we shot first and asked questions later after half the population was decimated" story. It's a common story idea because it's true and doesn't appear to want to change much.
August 8, 2016
Yes. I am a SNAFU addict and I accept that I will just about anything in the brand. Of the several installments however, I think that 'Future Warfare' is one of the best. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the others with their standout gems but 'Future Warfare' has to possess a larger percentage and cohesiveness than the other books. Well of course it would as the setting for all the stories is the same. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed. Right out of the gate, the story "Suits" b. blew me away with its homesteader/mech mash up with a dash of last stand. "Kill Streak" b. Samson Stormcrow Hayes a tale about a kid's prowess on video games while a war is raging kind of hit this former gamer were it hurts. Surprisingly, there was even a bit of humor to be found in the tale of "Romeo and Julie" b. Mike Resnik, the only real odd ball in the collection, but one so endearing that I had to let its lack of horror or action slide. You get a couple of recon stories, a few alien invasion yarns, and again they are all highly entertaining. Definitely worth the read :)
June 22, 2018
Full disclosure -- I have a story published in this anthology. However, as my story comprises only about eight percent of the content, I feel it fair to rate the remaining 92 percent. And I can happily say that I'm proud to be published in these pages alongside such other fun and exciting action stories. This really delivers exactly what you'd expect from such an anthology, but in a way that never gets old or boring.
There were a couple of stories I wasn't as into or that didn't work for me, but the majority of the book was pure cinematic action. I would definitely recommend this book whether or not I was published within its pages for any SF action junkie. My one regret is that there isn't a hard copy of this book as I would love to proudly display it on my bookshelf.
There were a couple of stories I wasn't as into or that didn't work for me, but the majority of the book was pure cinematic action. I would definitely recommend this book whether or not I was published within its pages for any SF action junkie. My one regret is that there isn't a hard copy of this book as I would love to proudly display it on my bookshelf.
September 15, 2016
Real mixed bag of stories quality-wise. Most are starship troopers or aliens knock offs. Great Weston story is the one stand out of true original stuff
December 24, 2020
First time I'm hearing of SNAFU.
I was attracted to Suits because it was on Love, Death & Robots and while for some I liked the visual media better, for this case I loved the original text more. Much more fleshed out and the world building is succinctly but effectively done. A farming community like those in rural America fighting aliens on another colonized planet is one of the best plot ideas I've ever had the pleasure to read.
As for the other stories, most are not really my cup of tea, and I'm talking as a fan of Starship Troopers, though not a fan of Alien, or Predator so the problem must be me here, because that's pretty much the mix you get in this anthology book. For example, the squad dynamics in Under Calliope's Skin was a bit off putting to me and the Predator vibe didn't do it for me at all. But if you like big guns, aliens and all sorts of high octane style plots, you should love this.
I was attracted to Suits because it was on Love, Death & Robots and while for some I liked the visual media better, for this case I loved the original text more. Much more fleshed out and the world building is succinctly but effectively done. A farming community like those in rural America fighting aliens on another colonized planet is one of the best plot ideas I've ever had the pleasure to read.
As for the other stories, most are not really my cup of tea, and I'm talking as a fan of Starship Troopers, though not a fan of Alien, or Predator so the problem must be me here, because that's pretty much the mix you get in this anthology book. For example, the squad dynamics in Under Calliope's Skin was a bit off putting to me and the Predator vibe didn't do it for me at all. But if you like big guns, aliens and all sorts of high octane style plots, you should love this.
May 17, 2022
Lots of dumb fun with this one, but I wish it leaned a little more on the fun and less on the dumb.
Some of the stories in this collection had a gem or two of an idea at their core, but almost all of them were hastily written, with minimal description or characterization, and some were so bad they felt like rough drafts.
I'd imagine fighting a war against bug-eyed aliens on another planet would be a visceral, adrenaline-pumping experience. Many of the writers for SNAFU: Future Warfare failed to capture that, instead relaying some bland action and cheesy dialogue that happens to characters with names but no other real defining features.
Readers only care about action if they care about who takes part in the action.
Some of the stories in this collection had a gem or two of an idea at their core, but almost all of them were hastily written, with minimal description or characterization, and some were so bad they felt like rough drafts.
I'd imagine fighting a war against bug-eyed aliens on another planet would be a visceral, adrenaline-pumping experience. Many of the writers for SNAFU: Future Warfare failed to capture that, instead relaying some bland action and cheesy dialogue that happens to characters with names but no other real defining features.
Readers only care about action if they care about who takes part in the action.
July 9, 2019
Deinitely worth reading for fans of this series. Some really good stories...some not so good...
This was a decent installment in the SNAFU line of anthologies. I really liked some of the stories but a few were weak and poorly written - up to you to decide for yourself as to which is which.
This was a decent installment in the SNAFU line of anthologies. I really liked some of the stories but a few were weak and poorly written - up to you to decide for yourself as to which is which.
December 8, 2023
Robert Heinlein would be pround.
Robert Heinlein would be pround. Great to see a new aproach to the armoured suit and the different takes on warfare. And also, no matter how technology changes the basics of warfare and the soldier who fight those wars stay the same!
Robert Heinlein would be pround. Great to see a new aproach to the armoured suit and the different takes on warfare. And also, no matter how technology changes the basics of warfare and the soldier who fight those wars stay the same!
August 29, 2019
Enjoyed most of the stories.
Worth a read.
Lots of action, hi-tech weaponry and buckets of blood and gore.
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Worth a read.
Lots of action, hi-tech weaponry and buckets of blood and gore.
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 31, 2020
Needs proofreading
Good stories but like so many of the snafu anthologies full of misspellings. Coming across one interrupts the flow of the story.
Good stories but like so many of the snafu anthologies full of misspellings. Coming across one interrupts the flow of the story.
May 13, 2021
Decent
It's not as good as some of the other SNAFU, but it's engaging enough. I live the whole series though, so far they haven't bored me.
It's not as good as some of the other SNAFU, but it's engaging enough. I live the whole series though, so far they haven't bored me.
September 14, 2016
SNAFU hits...well...a snafu....
I am a huge fan of the SNAFU series of anthologies. Almost all of them are loaded with great shorts. This one...not so much. Even saying that, the stories that I thought were not up to snuff still rated three stars. That's with two exceptions, one rated a two and one a zero. The book is not by any means a total loss, so I'd still recommend it.
I am a huge fan of the SNAFU series of anthologies. Almost all of them are loaded with great shorts. This one...not so much. Even saying that, the stories that I thought were not up to snuff still rated three stars. That's with two exceptions, one rated a two and one a zero. The book is not by any means a total loss, so I'd still recommend it.
Read
May 4, 2016Won't rate as I'm the publisher, but I have read it so needed it to add to my reading challenge.
June 13, 2016
Good collection of short stories and another good SNAFU offering.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews