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Title: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman ISBN: 0-06-051086-2 Publisher: Eos Pub. Date: 02 September, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.48 (212 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: TERRIFIC
Comment: I was somewhat taken aback by the style of this novel at first. After reading a few dozen pages, however, I could clearly see why this book is considered classic military science fiction. This is a fascinating contrast to Starship Troopers.
Haldeman's style is terse and effective, seasoned with a sly sense of humor throughout. The protagonist, William Mandella, is a likeable military everyman with whom a reader readily identifies. The battle scenes are particularly well done, allowing a reader to easily follow the action without the confusion that would plague a less skillful account.
The Forever War is notable for its exploration of the temporal effects of faster than light travel, i.e., Mandella's tours of duty last hundreds of years on earth, while for him, only a few years pass. Mandella goes forth to battle, having no idea what type of home will await him in the unlikely event that he survives. Eventually, Mandella is rendered a human anachronism, a veteran in command of troops he can barely understand.
The parallels with Vietnam were mostly lost on me, as I'm too young to relate, but the theme of coming home to a world one no longer recognizes is more than ably developed. Another theme that gets a lot of play is that of the unintended consequences of social engineering as Earth's society "evolves." Some of the changes to Earth that Mandella witnesses are disturbing, many are humorous, and the final chapter is extremely unusual and thought-provoking.
More than just a cold military fantasy, The Forever War has a surprising emotional impact as well. Best of all, Haldeman makes his points with subtlety and humor, not by nailing them into your skull. A terrific read that I would recommend to anyone without hesitation.
Rating: 4
Summary: A Classic for a Reason
Comment: While not a perfect novel, Forever War is an interesting and thoughtful book that interweaves two primary ideas. The first is the question of how relativistic time-dilation would affect our ability to fight war on an interstellar scale. Haldeman deals with this by envisioning a war that takes place over an equally long span of time, with central command structures designed to plan over centuries and future technologies that retrain soldiers who find themselves living long past their contemporaries.
The second primary idea in Forever War is very simple: war is hell. He writes detailed accounts of battle with unknown aliens from the soldier's perspective, and in doing so portrays war as the ugly business that it is. As an aside to this, he also asks the question, When we don't understand our enemy, how confident can we be that the war we're fighting is a just one?
In addition to treating these themes well, Haldeman's writing kept me engaged from beginning to end, and regardless of subject matter this is the ultimate litmus test that any book must pass. I would definitely recommend Forever War.
Rating: 5
Summary: Praise from the adoring masses.
Comment: What can I say that other people haven't? This is a fantastic book full of interesting characters, an intriguing story, and a good dose of hard science. Stop reading amazon reviews and start reading Forever War right now!
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Title: Forever Peace (Remembering Tomorrow) by Joe Haldeman ISBN: 0441005667 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Forever Free by Joe Haldeman ISBN: 0441007872 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 31 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: A Fire upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge ISBN: 0812515285 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 1993 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Armor by John Steakley ISBN: 0886773687 Publisher: Daw Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1990 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein ISBN: 0441783589 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1987 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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