Homework: Space Malfeasance

Here come the ten-percenters!

Space Malfeasance
Edited by Spearman Burke

Ten Percenters in space, the dirtbags, the malcontents: they’ll be out there, goldbricking like they’re getting paid to do it. Stories about the E-4 Mafia, the Sham Shielders, Airman Schmucketelli, the Lance Criminals. Some are heroes, some are complete idiots. Y’know, all the reasons your First Sergeant is on his second liver. If the aliens only knew what was coming, would they have surrendered so easily to mankind? Stories your commander reads every morning in the military police blotter...in spaaaaccceeee!

Opens: 12/21/24
Closes: 02/23/25
Contracts: 03/08/25
Publication: 04/04/25

Sure, sure, but what’s the homework?

First, let’s be perfectly clear. We are looking for military science fiction, not stories about conventional forces loosely based on some nefarious trash you pulled during the Global War on Terror (unless you give everyone rayguns, then we can talk).

A few years ago I watched Kelly’s Heroes over the Christmas holiday. I wondered what the story might look like in outer space. Malcontented Space Marines pulling a heist? That would be awesome! This was the genesis of what would eventually become the short story “Blood Redeemers” in the Giant Freakin’ Robots anthology.

With that in mind, here are some other examples you could mine for ideas for this anthology.

Stalag 17

And before you say it, yes Hogan’s Heroes as well. We would also include Sgt Bilko. In this case we are referring to The Phil Silvers Show not the 1996 film.

Though the antics above lend themselves to comedic storytelling, that isn’t exclusively what we are looking for. For instance, who doesn’t love the malcontents of the Dirty Dozen?

There are frankly any number of WWII films that meet the criteria. We could spend all day listing them and debating their relative merit, but we’re not.

Reading wise there a number of fine examples of work that fit the tone of Space Malfeasance.

• Strange Company by Nick Cole. Stack bodies, get paid, get to the ship. This book is best described as the Black Company in space and I love it.

“If you can survive Reaper Platoon in the Strange, then Ghost or Dog Platoons will get you for their own. Best to steer clear of the freaks in Voodoo, kid.”

• Commissar Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell. Possibly the best series of books out of the Black Library. Ciaphas Cain is a 40k Flashman, but more noble than he would care to admit.

  

• Phules Company by Robert Asprin. After being court-martialed by the Space Legion for ordering the strafing of a treaty-signing ceremony, multimillionaire Willard Phule receives his punishment: He must command the misfit Omega Company on Haskin’s Planet. Sounds like our kind of guy!

  

  Those of us who spent any time in the military know someone whose performance in the field was impressive, yet whose deplorable conduct in garrison left them in a perpetual state of nonjudicial purgatory. Put a phased plasma rifle in their hands and tell us their story.

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