The Forever War

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Summary: Number one on my list of SF novels that should be filmed
Review: Although Haldeman's new middle section give the book a much darker tone (one that I'm not sure I completely like), this book is still one of the greatest sci-fi novels ever written. It stands the test of time so well, which is the greatest measure for SF. This book should be filmed, but hopefully the result would be better than the awful version of "Starship Troopers" that Hollywood produced in 1997.

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Summary: And to think this book was writ in the 70s...
Review: I'd read the bits that showed up in magazines (Analog?) but had never read the entire thing until yesterday. It was fruitless to try and put it down. As another reviewer pointed out, the ideal antidote to the ST-era books. Amazing.

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Summary: Top notch sci-fi
Review: I've read TFW many times and am always moved. As a twenty year army veteran and 3 year 'Nam vet, I know a little about war. TFW is good. I've read some of the reviews that want to compare The Forever War with Starship Troopers (another excellent sci-fi effort that I have read over and over). There is no comparison. Both are great in their own way.

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Summary: Great!
Review: It was accidental that I read the book. I didn't have any big expectation. And what a surprise! it's a great sf-book! It has me dragged along! It's a good stuff for a movie!

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Summary: A fantastic book that leaves you completley satisfied!
Review: When I read the reviews I had to have this book. I am a big fan of science fiction and I am also currently serving in the Army. I must say this book is a total science fiction fans heaven. Haldermans views on the future are strange but not impossible. If you like science fiction even the least bit you should give this book a try, I totally love it!

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Summary: A true Science Fiction Classic
Review: I have reread THE FOREVER WAR so many times, starting with the novella installment WE ARE VERY HAPPY HERE, that I feel almost a kinship with Mandella. Haldeman shows us some of the physical and emotional pain he experienced in Vietnam before a serious injury took him out of that dark place. Many have compared STARSHIP TROOPERS and ARMOR with TFW, so I'll add my two cents. Steakley's ARMOR comes almost as a balance point between the jingoistic, hyperpatriotic ST, which mirrors the America Heinlein grew up in, where the "Good War" just ended, and TFW, which as I mentioned, is a "vietnamization" of the genre. Prior to Haldeman, Space ships were phallic symbols of power, and the military's might laid all to waste before it. After Haldeman, post '60's political attitudes became acceptable in a hard military science fiction context, where previously liberals were confined to fantasy and humor. TFW will always stand on its own as a classic, but can shed insight on other books in comparison.

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Summary: Still the perfect antithesis to Starship Troopers
Review: Amazingly enough, I first came across this book in 1984, when it was assigned by some enlightened member of the Dept. of English faculty at the United States Air Force Academy, of all places. Having previously read Starship Troopers and having frankly reveled in its portayal of interstellar war as a glorious pursuit, I was at first put off by the obvious Vietnam allusions and antiwar sentiments of this work. Upon further examination, gained mostly through age and perspective, I find this a far superior work (no disrespect intended to the late Mr. Heinlein). Prior to hearing the professor's lecture in which he recounted Haldeman's Vietnam experience, it was apparent that this book had been written by one who had been there and seen the horrors of war up close and personal (I, of course, had not). I was particularly impressed and touched by the use of relativity to unequivocally emphasize the fact that the few survivors of the war could (literally and figuratively) never go back home again and they must make the best of the life they build for themselves after. Finally, this version of the book, with the original restored middle section, merely improves on this unforgettable work of Mr. Haldeman's. The fact that it is the sole reading assignment I remember from my Air Force Academy days (along with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence) is faint praise. A true classic in the genre of science fiction and a masterpiece of cautionary literature.

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Summary: Excellent science fiction with vision
Review: The war in this book takes place over thousands of years. The battles are fought on different planets and all must yeild to the speed of light when traveling through space. With each landing technology changes, society changes and the quesiton of battle dives deeper and deeper into the human soul. I first read this at a young age and found it a little diffuclt to get through, but I've since read it again and was amazed.

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Summary: One Great Novel
Review: I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a Sci-Fi Novel so much! My interest was piqued due to reviews of how it reflected The Vietnam War....and it (the book) delivered!

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Summary: Believable. Within the bounds of theoretical science.
Review: I read this shortly after it was first published back in th '70's so my memory of the details of the book are a bit rusty. But, the fact that I recall not only the title but the author after this long shows the impact it's had. One of the first sci-fi's that actually dealt with general relativity as a consequence of distant space travel. Our hero, Private (at the start) Mandella survives his way through this interstellar war and the military ranks as well as a constant culture shock each time he returns from his campain battles. Want to get a taste of what it's like to travel a few thousand light years, fight a savage battle on an alien (in more ways than one) world, then return to an Earth that has aged a millenium since you first left? Read the Forever War!