Aliens happened to come up while I was doing laundry this morning and it’s still One of my favorite action movies. I remember one of the things that I really loved seeing it as a kid was it was the first time I had seen the look of Vietnam and World War II war movies with science fiction. The attitudes of the soldiers and weapons all seemed like something that could from current technology. I’ve also been reading and rewatching the Expanse and Bobby Draper is one of my favorite characters. Being a series rather than a movie her character has much more depth than the marines in Aliens. What makes her very interesting is how she reconciles her duty with the betrayal she gets from her superiors. What is interesting there is that the MCRM weapons technology is more advanced than in Aliens with power armor. Since Aliens there have been a lot of movies and sci-fi series dealing with space marines and other current branches of the military in space. The Avatar series, BSG, Stargate series, and both the book and movie Starship Troopers. The book Starship Troopers is much more a practical and philosophical Look at the nature of the military and society while the movie is more about action with a specific critique at the glorification of violence and fascism. Wondering what people, especially those like @fchowd0311 who served in the military think of the depictions of Space Marines.
Wasn't in the military but am a military buff and military fiction fan, both fantasy and sci-fi. I enjoy the hard-nosed soldier with common sense depiction in these books and films. The archetype doesn't really vary much, soldiers are soldiers, some die, their fellow soldiers mourn them and they move on. I think that's one of the things I like about the depictions. I suggest a few book series if you like these types of stories: Gaunt's Ghosts by Dan Abnett set in the Warhammer 40k futuristic universe The Black Company by Glenn Cook, set in a dark fantasy world Stiger's Tigers by Marc Alan Edelheit set in a fantasy world where a lost Roman legion founds an empire Old Man's war by John Scalzi, set in the future Forever War by Jon Hadleman set in the future The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell, which is more of a space naval series but very good Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson set in a gritty fantasy world- this is a massive series
