recent reading
The collection of short stories in Christopher Anvil's War Games is EXACTLY how I like my military SF. They're not all brilliant (the story in which racism was eliminated by a handwavy suncream that allowed people to change the colour of their skin on a whim? I'm looking at you) and he has a serious lack of female characters, but the military stuff is pitch-perfect. It's remarkable how relevant the Cold War feel still is, too. I think my favourite was 'Babel II', mostly because that is about an ongoing argument I have with my husband about technological jargon, but I'm rather enjoying the post-apocalyptic replay of the Cold War too. The science is simple but effective and he has a knack for humour and characterisation that I really appreciate. I picked the book up at random in the library, and it's turned out to be a damn good choice.