Starship Troopers

Rating:
Summary: Four decades old and still in near-mint condition
Review: I read most of Heinlein's classic books back in the Sixties while still in high school, and I consider myself a fan of his. However, for some reason I have waited until my late forties to read what is arguably his best-known and most commented-on novel, STARSHIP TROOPERS. I think maybe I put off this book because I had heard it was a "juvenile." In fact, while I do highly recommend it for young readers, there is nothing juvenile about it.

Simply put, this is a political-social philosophy in novel form. While war action is depicted, this is a minor part of the book. Despite what one may have seen in Paul Verhoeven's 1997 film version, there is no graphic violence in the modern sense of the word, and there is no sex at all. The action is framed against the backdrop of an interstellar war between humans and an intelligent insectile alien species, but Heinlein doesn't bother to go into the whys and wherefores of the war. He shows it from the point of view of the grunt soldier unconcerned with large-scale strategy. A very large proportion of the story deals with the training of the protagonist, Juan Rico, as a recruit in the Mobile Infantry. This provides the framework around Heinlein's thematic approach to the nature of citizenship and leadership.

It is Heinlein's thoughts on these issues that have engendered controversy over the years, but I think it's important to set the record straight against the remonstrations of his detractors. The biggest hit he takes is that he is a "fascist," presumably in the sense that fascism promotes the welfare of the state above that of its citizens. In fact, all that Heinlein says is that public service is expected of all citizens--no public service, no franchise (and, if you read closely, the public service does not need to be military). It seems to me that this is exactly what some modern democratic states, such as Israel, have been doing for a long time: public service is the obligation of all citizens. Heinlein even veers into surprising modernity on some points:

1. He was into "diversity" before diversity was cool. Can you guess the ethnicity of the protagonist? He doesn't drop in on you until near the end of the book, and you'll be surprised.

2. He shows his strong aversion to sexual harrassment in the way he sets up how the sexes deal respectfully with each other in the military he envisions.

3. He does not consider the buck private to be sacrificial cannon fodder. Adumbrating the hi-tech infantryman of today, Heinlein has every foot soldier trained to exquisite expertise and outfitted with the best of combat and safety equipment.

4. His universal service for all citizens is completely ADA-compliant; he has a valued place for any willing citizen, regardless of disability. One of the highly regarded instructors in his officer candidate school is blind, in fact.

I think Heinlein's admittedly idealistic views make great reading for teenagers, and any parents interested in inculcating a sense of responsibility and duty in their youngsters could do worse than to give them a copy of STARSHIP TROOPERS--after first reading it themselves.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Top Sci-Fi Novels Ever
Review: I have read this book probably 8+ times. It ranks up there as one of my favorites. Robert Heinlein not only is creative and well ahead of his time, he also shows that he's well read. If you've read any ancient history, you'll see that Heinlein bases his future society on the principles of Sparta. All "citizens" are soldiers, all soldiers fight, and education of the younger generation is done by veteran soldiers.

I like Starship Troopers MUCH better than the Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Maybe because I get a kick out of Heinlein's conversative politics, rather than Haldeman's liberalism (I mean really, the soldiers of the future smoke grass and engage in nightly orgies?) Heinlein takes things back to basics-- capital punishment, public floggings, and NO LIBERAL WHINING! Read Starship Troopers.

Rating:
Summary: A poor man's "Forever War"
Review: I received the book while participating in a book swap years ago, but never got around to reading it, although I was familiar with other books by Heinlein. When I saw the movie, I thought, "Yep. This is one of Heinlein's stories." I dug out the book, and was very disappointed. It is a pretty good book in its own right, but having read "The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman previously - and considering it one of my all-time favorites - I felt this pales by comparison.

Rating:
Summary: Good, But I Prefered STRANGER
Review: What we have here is basically an entertaining boy's adventure story with a healthy side-helping of Heinlein's typically iconoclastic socio-political spew. His ideas are always well thought-out & intellegent (with the exception of his absurdly Skinnerian solution for juvenile delinquency), though he seems to have trouble integrating them into the narritive. Still, Heinlein keeps the story moving along briskly, & anyone who enjoys a good SF yarn should give this a shot. Better yet, pick up his STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND - a much more mature & artful book.

Rating:
Summary: Forget the Movie...
Review: The book is a definite contrast to the movie. While the movie is an adrenaline-filled battle, the book mainly focuses on Rico's life in the military and the social environment of the world he lives in. If you like sci-fi, you'll like this one.

Rating:
Summary: At times interesting, but confused and boring...
Review: I probably should have read the book before watching the movie and the excellent TV series. I guess it's my fault...but I still found a lot of problems with the book that I probably would have noticed anyway.

First, there's not much character development. You think that maybe, just maybe, Heinlein might give us a set of characters which to identify with, but no -- he kills off (or simply forgets about) friends/acquaintances of the main character, Johnnie Rico, before they get a chance to develop into story "regulars."

Secondly, Heinlein's writing style is confusing here. Or, perhaps, it wouldn't have SEEMED so confusing if he had kept the ENDLESS "battle" scenes interesting. I don't know about you, but it's hard for me to keep focus when I'm bored or bogged down by endless details. One minute Heinlein will take the story one direction, then he'll retract and go back on it. I just don't understand it.

Also, there isn't much of a storyline to begin with. While Heinlein, naturally, is a very inviting writer (the only redeeming value is the way he makes you feel as if he were conversing with you personally), there is no concrete plot here, and almost no frame of reference -- oh, and did I mention he threw a massive bug war in there somewhere? You would hardly be able to tell. Aparently Heinlein doesn't know that story comes first, lectures and political views second (not the other way around). This book doesn't seem like an attempt to tell a story, rather an excuse for R.A.H. to share his ideas with us. Again, story first, political views second. To see a decent example of a good way to write a story, look at any work or horror author Stephen King -- sure, he throws his political views in, and as much as I disagree with his liberal standpoints, I admire him for making the plot top priority. If R.A.H. had this knowledge of proper story structure, he clearly hasn't displayed it here.

On the upside, as I said earlier, Heinlein's natural narrative is inviting and interesting despite aforementioned negatives. His future world is valid and interesting, as are his political views. This is the saving grace of the book -- Mr. Heinlein makes some valid points here. If you're a liberal and afraid of the truth, you may not like this book at all. But if you want some interesting insight into the mind of an obviously conservative writer and his ideas, read on. Just be prepared for some incoherence.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best!
Review: Starship Troopers is one of the all time great Sci-Fi/Military novels ever written, in my opinion. The depiction of military life and the true insight into DUTY will touch anyone who reads it. The theory of service for citizenship is intriguing as well, I wonder what percentage of today's youth would volunteer for service under those conditions...

Rating:
Summary: Realistic science fiction warfare
Review: There are only 2 books that I've read that present any kind of realistic interpretation of an interstallar army (as opposed to navy) - this book and Haldeman's Forever War. (and I've read a lot of SF) If you liked Troopers, I would recommend reading Haldeman's book.

Why is this book good? It feels right. Anyone who's watched an episode of Star Trek and thuoght to themselves, "what kind of military would allow this?" will appreciate the fact that these people are indeed soldiers, and they are fighting to protect the Earth from alien invaders.

Others have commented on the analogies to the Vietnam war. That's a little before my time, but I can assure you that this is a highly entertaining book in its philosophy as well as its action, irrespective of its status as a parable. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: These are the real "Troopers"
Review: Forget the travesty of a movie that "Starship Troopers" became a few years ago. The book is the real deal. Amazingly, though written over forty years ago it has aged very well. The most effective scenes are in the military training, which ring quite authentic to anyone who has served. The battle scenes evoke a vivid imagination that the movie version simply could not capture. What this novel really portrays is the society that Heinlein obviously wished he lived in. It is a much more honorable, ordered and duty-bound society than our own. Some might call his vision fascist, but ask yourself, is it really any worse than Bill Clinton's America?

Rating:
Summary: Service? Duty? Honor? Country?
Review: While this is certainly a science fiction classic and a great read simply as that, its real value lies in its treatment of duty. Heinlein ties duty in as the counterpart of freedom and then proceeds to examine the various parts of duty within the context of the struggles in the story. Honor is the slice of character that requires duty to be fulfilled - no matter the cost - the WHY; service is HOW duty is fulfilled; and country is to WHOM service is owed. He never says these things. He merely shows them in the context of the action in the story.

As for the movie - don't waste your money. It stinks and ignored what makes this book great: its examination of DUTY.

Kelly Whiting