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Speculative Fiction Writer’s Guide to War–part 1, Reasons

For what reasons do human beings fight wars? And how can we apply understanding these causes of conflict to speculative stories? · Travis Perry

Speculative Fiction Writer’s Guide to War, Part 2: Balance of Power

Balance of Power–a key factor in how nations reason through whether or not to go to war with each other, in both fact and fiction. · Travis Perry

Speculative Fiction Writers’ Guide to War, Part 3: Levels and Types of War

As Star Wars: Rogue 1 showed, warfare normally happens at three levels: tactical, operational, and strategic. And has many different types. · Travis Chapman

Speculative Fiction Writer’s Guide to War, part 4: Spectrum of Conflict

The spectrum of conflict shows many shades of color when we use the term “warfare,” as illustrated in Tolkien’s Middle Earth. · Travis Perry

Speculative Fiction Writer’s Guide to War, part 5: Psychology of War: Essential Fears

Essential fears shape much of what humans do on a battlefield, driving them to fight, flight, or surrender responses. · Travis Chapman

Speculative Fiction Writer’s Guide to War, Part 7: The Fearless Elite

How likely is it to find the farm kid who is fearless in the face of danger and ready to kill the enemy? Rarer than you think. · Travis Chapman

Speculative Fiction Writer’s Guide to War, Part 9: Perceptual Distortions in Combat

Tunnel vision, slow-motion time, abnormal hearing, memory loss, and intrusive thoughts are just a few possible effects of combat stresses. · Travis Perry

Speculative Fiction Writer’s Guide to War, part 10: The Aftermath of Combat

In the aftermath of combat, post-traumatic stress creates changes in a warrior. · Travis Chapman

Speculative Fiction Writer’s Guide to War, part 11: Training a Spartan, Samurai, or Starship Trooper

The elite training of warriors as different as Spartans, Samurai, and Starship Troopers show many features in common. These features drill warriors to prepare them to face the harsh realities of combat. · Travis Perry

Speculative Fiction Writers Guide to War, part 12: Military Training Types

The military training of hereditary warrior castes, barbarians, paid professional soldiers, draftees, militias, and levies have varied. Use these types of training in your stories–or use knowledge of them to stand tropes on their head. · Travis Chapman
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