To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond

by Steve Leonard, Steven Leonard (Editor), Mick Ryan (Foreword)

“A rich exploration of sci-fi universes we know and love, merged flawlessly with discussions on leadership, national security . . . diplomacy, and more.” —Diplomatic CourierAs a literature of ideas, science fiction has proven to be a powerful metaphor for the world around us, offering a rich tapestry of imagination through which to explore how we lead, how we think, and how we interact. To Boldly Go assembles more than thirty writers from around the world—experts in leadership and strategy, senior policy advisors and analysts, professional educators and innovators, experienced storytellers, and ground-level military leaders—to help us better understand ourselves through the lens of science fiction Each chapter of To Boldly Go draws out the lessons that we can learn from science fiction, drawing on classic examples of the genre in ways that are equally relatable and entertaining. A chapter on the burdens of leadership by Ghost Fleet author August Cole launches readers into the cosmos with Captain Avatar aboard the space battleship Yamato. In another chapter, the climactic Battle of the Mutara Nebula from The Wrath of Khan weighs the advantages of experience over intelligence in the pursuit of strategy. What does inter-species conflict in science fiction tell us about our perspectives on social Darwinism? Whether using Star Deep Space Nine to explore the nuances of maritime strategy or The Expanse to better understand the threat posed by depleted natural resources, To Boldly Go provides thoughtful essays on relevant subjects that will appeal to business leaders, military professionals, and fans of science fiction alike.

Genres: Leadership, Science Fiction, Military Fiction

305 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 7, 2023

Reviews

[Joshua Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding set of stories and analysis across a variety of topics to appreciate the value of science fiction. Insightful and fun read for any sci-fi fan and/or military member.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

What lessons (if any) can be learned from science fiction? In this collection of essays, readers are provided with examples from literary and visual science fiction exploring what skills are required for effective leadership.

Klug has compiled a great selection of essays on some thought provoking issues. Readers need to be aware that some of the essays provide minor spoilers for key works of science fiction.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s take a journey! A journey into the minds of over 30 authors. They combine their science fiction and field of study knowledge into short stories that tackle hard issues and problems.

If you like one of the authors or science fiction you will quickly fall in love with this book. In some ways each story is different, while at the same time they are intertwined masterfully.

Steve and Jonathan have really put a work of art together that explores new heights in the story telling realm.

I had a chance to talk with Steve Leonard and Max Brooks where we talk about this book. Why it’s important now and will be for years to come!!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space

Awesome, just awesome. Military discussions of leadership, strategy and tactics in facing pacing threats and counter insurgency juxtaposed with your favorite science fiction. This creative and easy read is both entertaining and educational.

[Mikey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great! Emthralling! Selarrious! Deeeep Sppaaaaaace! (w don petite - in spaaace)

[Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Ender Wiggins to Grand Strategy

Why Death Stars are stupid, Kautilyan colonization policies of the CDF are ultimately unsustainable, and the fight for Arrakis is ultimately the war of the (sand) flea. A fun set of essays on strategic topics using popular science fiction as the backdrop.

[Kate Germano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writer and activist Susan Sontag once wrote, “Science fiction films are not about science. They are about disaster, which is one of the oldest subjects of art.” I would argue that disaster is also one of the oldest subjects of leadership, making Jonathan Klug and Steven Leonard’s To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond an intriguing examination of the leadership lessons to be gleaned from classic science fiction stories.

More than a strategy book, the 30 diverse contributors of To Boldly Go provide a critical and moral lens by which to examine how familiar science fiction heroes and heroines move through the pandemonium and conflict of their worlds, for better or worse. The resulting lessons about command and control, humanity, technology, and the limits and appropriate uses of power, provide a means by which to challenge the thinking of earth-bound leaders as they grapple with and try to make sense of their own intentions and the complex problems of the post-industrial era.

Whether you are a science fiction aficionado simply looking to be entertained or a leader and strategist trying to create meaning and direction from the chaos and uncertainty of your work environment, To Boldly Go’s contributors offer valuable insights about how science fiction stories can inform just leadership, meaningful relationships, and sound decision making and strategy.

[Chainsaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

An improvement over its related text, "Strategy Strikes Back," this collection of essays by various authors primarily describes positive and negative leadership traits by using examples pulled from recent popular science fiction and fantasy (SF/F) stories.

As with any collection of works by multiple authors, the content varies in the effectiveness and readability of its authors, but if you can get past some substandard editing (which cost it a star on this reader's rating scale), the book provides an easily readable and unique approach to the topic of leadership.

Best appreciated by SF/F fans, this collection uses well-enough-known characters to be applicable to almost any reader interested in leadership traits and techniques.

Recommended!

[Thor Toms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book that I have read in the last year. I love the way it makes leadership and strategy relatable to those that may fine the topic daunting to get into. Each of the 35 essays offer a wealth of information that can be used to broaden views. It is refreshing to see such a diverse representation of authors, not only by gender, but by branch of service and nationality. I particularly liked Steven Leonard's the "Mirror Crack'd" and Mick Cook's "Adama's Unequal Dialogue", with an honourable mention to Will Meddings' "Your Not Ender Wiggins." Can't wait to see what this group of authors comes up with next!

[Lysander VK · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I was excited to check out this book as a fan of sci-fi and sci-fantasy, but it left me pretty cold. A lot of these essays had big problems that made the whole thing a misfire for me. Some essays only use the sci-fi property discussed as a light dressing to present their points. I was hoping for analyses of tactics, strategy, and comparisons to real-life shot-callers, but a lot of it boiled down to "Vader killed people for mistakes, that was dumb; Leia used brains instead of brawn, that was good"

[Jens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some short chapters analyse the works of science fiction as the metaphors they are, only slightly longer than you would recount over a beer at a bar. That said, the comments on strategy/leadership in the book add to your experience of sci-fi, not vice versa. To be honest, I've only skimmed the many chapters on Star Wars and Star Trek, since the moral is mostly lost on you, if you're not familiar with the story. So, it's more for fun than for learning.

[Jonathan Z. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the layout - very easy to use book with lots of extrapolated leadership lessons from around Sci Fi. Lots of material with which I was ot familiar and that hurt the lesson. Those are easily skipped.

[Aaron Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some fantastic chapters. A couple maybe not as good as the others, but only 1 or 2 that I didn't think were great just good.

Definitely worth the read, especially if you want some ideas on how to think about sci-fi and it's application in life.

[Des Paroz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and thought provoking

A great analysis of various aspects and examples of science fiction as it can relate to leadership in military and other settings

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Strategy Strikes Back. But some very interesting chapters none the less.

[robodoge · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a self-help book, this was disappointing and somewhat cringy. I perhaps shouldn't have expected so much.

[Nicolas Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such wonderful and fun read that challenged thinking while grinning

[Scott Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This compilation of essays comparing various Sci-Fi works, from Starship Troopers to Star Trek to Star Wars to various aspect of the modern military and modern warfare is one of the better works out there. The various writers have a ton of experience for military to entertainment and science fiction. Perhaps it will not replace the higher-level academic writing nor the classics theorists like Clausewitz or Jomini. Yet, there is much to take from it. If nothing else, this emphasizes the ability of sci-fi to help expand modern thought and action (if you still have questions, think about the impact of your cell phone. Where did that first appear…some low-budget show on NBC back in the 1960s…something like Star Trek).

If you like Sci-Fi and/or military affairs, this is one you should read whenever you can get to it.

(5/31/2023) (Audiobook) Still a great a read as before. Took more from it this time. Appreciated the greater balance of sci-fi pulled from (not just the standard Star War/Star Trek/Starship Troopers/Ender's Game). Good diversity/mix of sci-fi, but lots of applicable lessons for reader, whether they are in the military or not.