Rating: 
Summary: Starship Troopers fascinating but flawed
Review: The reviews here prompted me to reread ST and Joe Haldeman's _The Forever War_. ST is one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read. It has forced me to examine my views on the nature of freedom and duty, the social consequences of those views, and the relationship between the military and society. This slim volume raises a great number of important and intriguing questions. However, it is terribly limited. First, it isn't a novel, but, for lack of a better term, a fictionalized scenario, like the what-if pieces in Tom Clancy's non-fiction. There is no characterization and little plot. The book is a description of an imaginary army and its values. Which is fine, and useful, but not to be confused with literature. This is where _The Forever War_ is greatly superior - ST's Johnny Rico is a device for making political observations, while FW's William Mandella is a person. As a political tract, ST is at best half thought-through. We don't see the civilian world of the book, partly because Heinlein's concern is with the military, but mostly because he hasn't considered the implications of what he espouses. While I agree with much of Heinlein's criticism of contemporary society and share his views on military reform, I think that in practice his values of self-sacrifice would fall victim to his notion that political power grows solely from the barrel of a gun. Haldeman, working from almost exactly the same plot elements, shows more political and social sophistication. We see the military-industrial complex needing an enemy to maintain growth and power, and manufacturing such an enemy from materials at hand. We also see how the military and the wider society shape each other in response to the other's needs. However, FW was intended as a critique of Vietnam-era America, and it's much easier to criticize than to attempt to posit a solution, as Heinlein does. Having read the two, I pulled out S.M. Stirling's _The Stone Dogs_ for a re-read. I think Heinlein's Federation could look a lot like the Draka, Stirling's South Africa-as-superpower. In both, the Citizen class are educated, upstanding, courageous paragons of virtue living attractive, prosperous lives based on a commitment to military service. Stirling shows us the slave labor and butchery of dissidents behind the pretty picture: with Heinlein we have to figure it out for ourselves.
Rating: 
Summary: Read the book first, see the movie second (or not at all)
Review: I'm ashamed of American movie makers... they DESTROYED a perfectly good book.. I notice some people upset at the fact that it's not "SF" enough for them. Give it a rest, it was meant as a political statement, if anything, and he used SF to sell it. Great book, a lot less violent than the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Starship Trooper - Revisited
Review: I've recently re-read this book (again) and I'm delighted to see the resurgence of popularity of this book; this just has to be my all time favourite of this Heinlein's period SF for kids (with the possible exception o "Have Space Suit Will Travel" - I'll make up my mind one day) It's been criticised as being "too gung-ho" and the political philosophy behind the story is certainly severe; but it's one of the few intelligent descriptions of war and soldiers that I've come across. This reads as a very "Politically Correct" book in some lights, deliberately non-sexist, non-racist which is remarkable for it's time - as another reader commented earlier. The most remarkable section of the book, for me, is the description of basic training "Boot Camp" which will ring true for anyone who has been in the services; the "calculated frightfulness" and overheard frailties of NCO's is well observed as is the apparent mildness of authority when training is "finished". Originally written for children - teenage boys really - it has enough substance just below the surface for most ages.
Rating:
Summary: Should be required reading as a condition of sufferage
Review: A friend mentioned that this was an incredible book, and being a fan of "Stranger in a Strange Land" for nearly 2 decades now, I dropped my reading list for a Sci-Fi space escape... I forgot it was Heinlien; low and behold some of my favorite stomping grounds, a provocation of social values, moral values WITH analyses, all in the sterile environment of Science Fiction. Myself, being flung left of center, Starship Troopers reminded me of some of my more conservative "core" values regarding freedom, service to man, and duty... A Klingon's paradise. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I could cite chapter and verse that which Hollywood wouldn't dare touch (Their very own "31 crash landings" by which to avoid controversy)... but, "Hey!", I'm there for the F/X. Starship Troopers will make you think... and fan the fires of disagreement; this is a good thing. The usage of Sovereign Franchise as a form of government, the challenges to our "unalienable rights" (very poignant), the forwarding of duty as the application of "survival" toward the "group", and Heinleins "59" analysis of the end of the XX'th centuries social and judicial woe's was a prophetic indictment of the status quo. I didn't agree with the RAH's whole doctrine... Then again it wasn't a doctrine was it? It was a novel. A science fiction novel... put out as a model of a utopian society, I don't believe that was RAH's point. Let Starship Troopers stir the settled detritus of your social value system and leave you feeling like your back in college spoiling for moral debate... Then ask yourself "What's the point?".
Rating:
Summary: So it's a nazi book after all!
Review: I truly loved this book, a challenging combination of action adventure novel and philosophical tract. I didn't agree with everything -- certainly not the idea that corporal punishment is a cure-all -- but I have always felt that society is a product of history, of cumulative sacrifices and thus can never be handed to the next generation free of charge. However, now we know that this idea is nazi, thanks to Paul Veerhoven and his Hollywood idiots.
Can you imagine the nerve -- he put Doogie Howser in an SS uniform just to make the point!
Well, it isn't the point.
I hope everyone reads this book, and *thinks*.
I shiver to think of what Kevin Costner is doing to "The Postman."
Rating:
Summary: Great book, full of ideas!
Review: I enjoyed the movie and it led me to reread the book after 30 years. It is a great book filled with ideas that force one to think and yet is still enjoyable fiction, a superb story, well told. The book is much much better than the movie. It this kind of book that got me interested in science fiction in the first place.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic, thought provoking book. Truly a classic.
Review: What can you say about a book that resonates so clearly with common sense? Most people of a liberal bent are attacking the political ideas as "facist", to the point that I've seen the term "right-wing" applied in the newspaper reviews of the movie. RAH's idea that the franchise is purchased with service (not combat service mind you, which most of the half-wits seem to miss) is not far removed from Thomas Payne's statement, paraphrased, that freedom is purchased each generation with the blood of patriots. How about holding people responsible for their actions? What a concept! In an age where only 20-30% of the electorate bothers to vote (how many of you bothered to even find out if their were any ballot issues this Nov 4?) perhaps the vote should be earned; maybe then we'd have some people who knew the true cost. Bottom line, the book was not only a great read, but helped mold some political ideas that have lasted (in this reader) over 25 years.
Rating:
Summary: excellent and a possible prediction of our future
Review: I thought Starship Troopers was a creative and thoughtful book. I thought it had powerful characters and a barren, alien setting where noone has been before.Altogether, Starship Troopers was an exotic sci-fi novel.
Rating:
Summary: An ageless science-fiction hit!
Review: For those who know that science-fiction is more than just having fun with what the future may have in for you... I read this book for the first time some twenty years ago, and still enjoy it and discover new things in it!! By the way, since I have the French translation (excellent), the French title reflects a song written by a famous French singer. A perfect match, maybe even better than the original: Etoiles, garde-à-vous...
Rating:
Summary: Predictable plot; interesting philosphy.
Review: Heinlein is only sometimes up with the best in his science of the future. However, he is the best at putting up a political/social philosophy, and seeing where it leads. This time he uses the idea of citizenship (voting) as something that is earned by federal service, and throws in a war against aliens to stress the philosophy, and the people who think they believe in it. The plot is predictable, but the philosphy and ideas are intriguing. This is not the best job Heinlein did with this type of approach, and this book's origin as a juvenile book are obvious. But it is a good read. Do not judge it by the movie.
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