Starship Troopers

Rating:
Summary: A Classic....But Barely
Review: Here is the grandaddy of military scifi. On a lark, Johnny Rico enters military service upon graduating from high school. After going through a brutal and exacting basic training course, he becomes a Mobile Infantryman and is thrown into the fray of an interstellar war. The enemy is an intelligent and tenacious arachnid species known as "The Bugs".

When you think about it, this book could easily have been a flop. A large portion of the novel takes place in classrooms and in the inner thoughts of Rico. Despite this, Heinlein manages to keep a quick pace. He also gives us much to mull over. Some issues he presents include who should be in charge of society, should the army's role be given to Naval forces,are military drafts good, and how should we choose military officers. There is much food for thought here.

In my opinion though, there are some faults that nearly make me want to take away a star. The author doesnt really explain why his "veteranocracy" (only military veterans can vote or hold office) is the perfect form of governance for mankind. After exploring the issue in some depth, Heinlein finally just posits its best because it works. Thats a pretty big leap considering the concept has never really been tried yet! I also have issues with the author's future military structure. Rico's army has almost no logisticians or people allocated to staff work. All officers are combat leaders who take on support/staff work as a secondary role. So a Divisional supply officer will actually command a combat force. I cant see how this could work. Imagine this supply officer trying to sort out a munition distribution problem when he is knee deep in a combat action and with almost no ordnance techs to assist! This future army is certainly highly automated (they move about in powerful and computerized armored suits) and this may allow for such a structure. Still, I am skeptical. Finally, there is officer selection. One cant be a Mobile Infantry officer without first experiencing combat. While this is a laudable hurdle, I think its impractical. The author hints that there had been no major combat actions for some time before Johnny is sent out to fight the Bugs. Seems to me, this army runs the risk of running out of qualified officer candidates! Imagine if the old USSR had this as a requirement to be an officer. Where would they find combat vets in say 1972 when the last time the Red Army was in the field was 1945?

I reviewed the movie a few months ago and sort of panned it for making this future society into something Mussolini (or maybe Hitler even) could have been proud of. Some of the other reviewers reinforce this too. Its really not there. The general populace in the novel seem to have the basic civil liberties we do (except voting rights). On a less touchy point, the book develops an interesting (if minor) sub issue regarding the tensions between Rico and his father. In the movie, Verhoeven kills off Rico Sr in the beginning. Heinlein lets him live and meet up with his son towards the end of the book. I fully understand movie directors have time constraints that force them to shave out such things. Still, I would liked to have seen this sub-plot survive.

This is an excellent story. There are some minor blemishes but in the end its a novel that has stood the test of time.

Rating:
Summary: Prophetic
Review: I don't want to wite a review that is as long as the book, so here's what I say. Although, by todays standards this would be a novella, this small book is packed with action and social commentary. When the fall of western society is explained down to the root cause, it realy makes you think, and then realize that the issues that we see now, were foretold by Heinlein decades before they happened. A brilliant book.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Heinlein and among his top five
Review: Post-2004 USA elections, one could classify this a "Red" book. But really the only critics who see therein crypto-fascism, totalitarianism, bla bla bla are the Leftist, liberal-progressive, "Ain't a-gonna study war no more" types. Like Verhoeven and the Hollywierd producers that corrupted Heinlein's message in the movie adaptation.

Heinlein describes exactly what the welfare-state One-Worlders have been trying so hard to do to the West for the past three generations. He no doubt was laughing grimly in the grave after 9/11, muttering "I told you so." That any illegal alien can sneak into the USA and get a drivers' license or vote is another example of the craziness which he campaigned against.

One of Heinlein's core messages is that citizenship and its attendant rights should belong to those who defend one's civilization, indeed one's very species. Cowards and pacifists need not apply -- they can just go pick up their dole check. But vote? Forget it.

If you read no other Heinlein (betcha can't read just one!), make sure it's this one.

Rating:
Summary: more of an exposition than a novel
Review: If this were properly made into a movie I would select Robert Altman (MASH) to direct as it is his perfect forum. This book has no real beginning and no ending per say. It is more of an essay examining society and proposing a better way to manage it.
The main character Juan Rico is simply used as a tool to examine Heinlein's points on society. Heinlein exposes most forcefully his points of view on everything from disipline to the military, to politics or simply the nature of man. There are some pretty exciting battle scenes, which move the story along, but mostly it is about ideas. Even if you disagree with the ideas be glad he's presenting them. Too often in society we shy away from generating ideas and it's a loss to all of us. This book was called controversial. I find it a sad day when presenting an idea is controversial. Just to be clear, I myself found his ideas interesting but I also found them idealistic and unrealistic in it's lofty goals. However I'm glad I read it and I'm a better person for it. As far as comparing the film to the book I would say that I recognize a line or two from the book but the movie is more of Aliens meets a bad war movie, but it was a decent popcorn film. It's not the book and that's OK too. Just read the book if you really want to know why Starship Troopers is so interesting a read!

Rating:
Summary: Political ramblings with a point
Review: Before I begin my tirade I'd like to say that I love this novel. I'll admit that I'm not a sci-fi fan and never really have been which doesn't really make me a good judge in ranking it under the said genre. The book is purely a political and philosophical discourse simply placed in a fictional setting. The story, while entertaining is not the point. This book would be better placed wherever its compatriots like the Candide of that immoral and illogical "philosophe" Voltaire lie on the shelf.
That said I'd like to remind the reader, as another reviewer rightly said, THIS IS NOT A MANIFESTO! It's not a utopia nor is it the wellspring of human progress. The society scantily described is a wholly practicle one. It's not filled with notions of human "rights" but rather of privledges and duties. This future world is not perfect as many assailents have pointed out. In the book one of the teachers points out that protests against the government's chosen form "is loud and unceasing." Hardly a facist society if the people are allowed to freely express their opinions in public. They are, as most people who dislike this book, "parlor pinks."
The most controversial section is probably the first philisophical discourse in which the old supposition that "violence doesn't solve anything" is easily tossed aside as a pathetic and wholly ignorant view from a historical standpoint. One of my favorite lines is Mr. Dubois' retort: I'd advise them to conjur up the ghosts of Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. Hitler can referee. And the judges may well be the Dodo, the great Auk, and the Passenger Pigeon."
Truly this book simply lays out questions and gives answers open to thick and deep-rooted discussion. If anything it really just presents truths people don't like hearing since they find it wholly quaint or barbaric. The discussion on natural right would also be of interest. The only inalienable right that was not disproved was that of the pursuit of happiness since that is wholly a mental happening which in Heinlein's day they didn't yet fathom ways of manipulating or creating.
An excellent work of political philosophy and very thought-provoking which was the intent of the book on its young audience. On a final note about its anti-communist bent supposedly sprung from the era, Heinlein actually commented on its efficiency as regarded the Arachnids. He said it GENETICALLY SUITED THEM. Humans are by nature individualistic to a degree. That is why it doesn't suit us. Heinlein's world was not utopian by any standards but that was adressed as well. It was as good as life could get based on our limitations and beautifully portrayed at that. GREAT READ!!!

Rating:
Summary: Starship Troopers
Review: Starship Troopers is about Johnie Rico and his life in a future federation. He joins the Mobile Infantry and is constantly wrestling with the question of why he fights and what he is doing with his life. While he is in the Mobile Infantry, the federation goes to war with a species of arachnid like aliens from another planet. Robert A. Heinlein kept many parts of the book very exciting and interesting. Unfortunately, he also made many parts of the book very dull and boring. This was especially true with the conversations with some of Johnie's teachers. On the other hand, these scenes are very important because they help the reader to understand the setting. Johnie is constantly finding new strengths within himself. Although the book is set in the future, after the United States' government has collapsed, Johnie's strong character, courage, and determination remind me of a hero that you would see in a movie about World War II. Overall, I really did like the book. The boring parts all came together and were worth some of the boredom once I had read the exciting and suspenseful conclusion to the novel. I still think that the novel could have been improved a great deal if the author had just spent the first chapter laying out the setting. Instead Robert A. Heinlein spent pages upon pages writing out very boring discussions between Johnie and his History and Moral Philosophy teachers that feed the reader the setting slowly and bit by bit. Overall, the book was pretty good. If you can get through the dull stuff, the ending will be worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Star Ship Troopers...not what you expected
Review: The book Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein was an overall ok book. It was definitely not what I expected when I saw the action packed movie. It had some tidbits of action but those were overpassed by the tremendous amount of conversations. The novel has little developed plot pionts and is mostly the main character's life, with all its ups and downs. I didn't prefer the novel and if someone asked my opinion whether or not they should read the novel, I would tell them not to because it just seems to take too long to read. I felt I would never finish the book because the pace was simply too slow. I believe that it makes a much better movie where there is action and suspense.

Rating:
Summary: Read the book it is not like the movie
Review: The book and the movie of Starship Troopers share very little, save the name, in common.

The movie offers very, very, very little of the rich detail and thought behind this book. The only real "action" is in the very first part of this rather short book. Although it may not be "Atlas Shrugged" or "Aria Kalsan" it has a lot to offer. The rest of the book is a discourse on the nature of citizenship, among other virtues.

If you are expecting a bug hunt, look elsewhere. But if you enjoy thinking about and reading different viewpoints then this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Prescient Novel
Review: The first chapter of this book blew me away: a vivid matter of fact account of a future battle- in all its glory and horror. (This chapter alone showed me how great the movie could have been.) Although the vivid details of soldiers and their battles in modern warfare are incredible, I think the highlight of this book are the History and Moral Philosphy lectures. While I dont agree with everyhing in them, it's amazing how using history and logic, Heinlein could not only describe our modern day societal problems, but also point to potential solutions with such directness. His characters laugh at our problems wondering why we're so dumb not to fix them, and sometimes the reader must wonder the same thing.