James Heard
Explorer
Harry Turtledove would be a good place to start if you haven't read him. If not exactly science fiction it all mostly follows the military bent of your listed reading before. I'd recommend his Colonization series, his new juveniles aren't bad, and his Videssos series' (which are fantasy, sort of, but not really) could occupy you for many hours.
If you've never read Dan Simmon's Hyperion series, at least the first two books, you should. I even like some of Simmon's other work, like Carrion Comfort, but a lot of it is horror and I'm always a little wary of recommending horror.
I also like Steven Gould, as an author that doesn't seem to be very popular, and John Scalzi's Old Man's War should be out in paperback by now too. For absolute, possibly out of print page-turners, I might look for books by Steve Perry set in the universe he created himself and including The Man Who Never Missed. If you can find them in used book stores they'd likely be pretty cheap, lightweight, and you'll be able read them and toss them aside in a day or so. These authors should either have very few books on the shelf or be found in used book stores.
SM Stirling and Eric Flint are usually capable of writing books that don't suck, or at least don't suck until the very end of the series. Everything by Jack McDevitt has been recommended to me and is on my reading list (which seems similar to yours), but I haven't had the time. John Ringo occasionally makes me want to hit him with a heavy piece of wood across the back of the neck and shoulders, but he's got a lot of books in paperback and even as much as he annoys me he's a proficient writer.
I've got no clue if they're out in paperback, but CJ Cherryh's Foreigner series is excellent. All of her books are excellent, in fact, so I heartily recommend them.
If you've never read Dan Simmon's Hyperion series, at least the first two books, you should. I even like some of Simmon's other work, like Carrion Comfort, but a lot of it is horror and I'm always a little wary of recommending horror.
I also like Steven Gould, as an author that doesn't seem to be very popular, and John Scalzi's Old Man's War should be out in paperback by now too. For absolute, possibly out of print page-turners, I might look for books by Steve Perry set in the universe he created himself and including The Man Who Never Missed. If you can find them in used book stores they'd likely be pretty cheap, lightweight, and you'll be able read them and toss them aside in a day or so. These authors should either have very few books on the shelf or be found in used book stores.
SM Stirling and Eric Flint are usually capable of writing books that don't suck, or at least don't suck until the very end of the series. Everything by Jack McDevitt has been recommended to me and is on my reading list (which seems similar to yours), but I haven't had the time. John Ringo occasionally makes me want to hit him with a heavy piece of wood across the back of the neck and shoulders, but he's got a lot of books in paperback and even as much as he annoys me he's a proficient writer.
I've got no clue if they're out in paperback, but CJ Cherryh's Foreigner series is excellent. All of her books are excellent, in fact, so I heartily recommend them.
