Sci-Fi Books with Futuristic Soldiers Defending Humanity

I love the idea behind Old Man’s War: only those over the age of 75 can enlist. They leave their aging bodies behind, given “green bodies” that are genetically engineered for perfection, and sent off to fight. Their synthetic forms are impressive weapons in their own right, with nanotech blood, fast-repair capabilities, enhanced reflexes and strength, and a BrainPal neural interface that can do everything from translating unknown languages to facilitating “telepathic” communication between soldiers. What makes this story such a delight, however, is that it’s still an old man’s mind trapped in a young man’s body. Talk about existential and identity crises!

Who ever said all futuristic soldiers had to be human? In Dogs of War, battles are fought by Bioforms, animal-human hybrids genetically engineered and cybernetically augmented to be easily controlled killing machines.

Rex, Honey, Dragon, and the rest of the bioforms we get to see in this series have been programmed to serve and protect, but as the story progresses, instinct is overridden by the inevitable questions of “Is this right?” and “Can I trust my master?” I love how it twists the “master and pet” dynamic into something bloody, action-packed, and beautifully dark.  

In the Galaxy’s Edge universe, the “Full Battle Rattle” is a true terror of any battlefield. A fully powered exoskeleton with integrated HUD, shoulder-mounted recon micro drones, comms-linked targeting system, and advanced atmo filtration systems are just a few of the advances incorporated into this futuristic Marine armor. The Legionnaires who wear them, too, are genetically enhanced and augmented with all sorts of cybernetics. At their core, however, they are still true men of valor, soldiers born of discipline, loyalty, and the determination to fight for the soldiers at their side. Theirs is a simple yet powerful code: Live Free, Die Well.

Starship Troopers is the original futuristic soldier story. Published during the days when sci-fi was still young and discovering its full capabilities, it gave us our first glimpse into powered exo-suits, integrated helmet HUDs, basic AI tactical support, and even mini-nukes to light up a whole mess of “Bugs” and Skinnies at once. Each soldier is intended to be a one-man tank, scout, and artillery battery. These walking war machines gave rise to every one that has come since.  

Altered Carbon gives us a look at Takeshi Kovacs, a former soldier who may no longer be in military service, but still can handle himself in any situation. He’s an Envoy, a member of the elite United Nations military force and peacekeepers that travel across the interstellar colonies. His mind is transferred via a Stack (essentially a hard drive that stores all his neurological and personality data) to various Sleeves, bodies that are cloned or vat-grown. Some feature reflex boosters, subdermal armor, or synthetic components that work together with his muscle memory to make him a true badass. He’s the ultimate un-killable soldier—so long as his Stack survives, he can be implanted into an endless number of Sleeves to keep fighting one battle after another.

One of my favorite things about the Warhammer universe was how unstoppable the soldiers seemed when in their power armor. Well, in Contact Front, I was treated to a look at both the men inside the suits and the suits themselves.

The Drop Troopers are augmented with basic cybernetic implants that jack them into their drop suits, which feature AI-linked helmets with integrated comms and HUD, mag-accelerated rifles with guided smart munitions, auto-stabilized thrusters for both controlled landings and short flights (hops), environmental seals, combat med-injectors, even a steady water supply—everything needed to keep them alive in battle. But the soldiers beneath are utterly unenhanced. It’s only their training, discipline, and courage that makes them badass—and none more so than our hero, Cam Alvarez, even if he gets off to a rocky start.