Starship Troopers

Mar 03, 2011

Dan rated it

Shelves: christmas-2010, sf, 2011

Against his family's wishes, Juan "Johnnie" Rico joins the Mobile Infantry and the war against the Bugs. Will he make it out alive?

Yeah, I don't really know what to think about this book. I picked it up solely because it was an inspiration for one of my favorite books, Old Man's War by John Scalzi. While the writing was very good, there was never an "I can't put it down" moment. I'd say ninety percent of the book was Juan Rico's military life. There wasn't a ...more

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Apr 18, 2008

Paul Dura rated it

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Starship Troopers is listed amongst the recommended books by the United States Air Force for a reason. For those who plan on pursuing a military career, this book exhibits the very ideals upon which our current military standards are based. Camaraderie, Sacrifice, and Responsibility are more than mere words to the protagonist. The distinction between a fighting man and a soldier is made. The distinction between a superior rank and a true officer is made. Johnny Rico is a soldier in more tha...more

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Pamr I agree with Paul about the words Camaraderie, Sacrifice and Responsibility being more than mere words to the protagonist. I believe that Heinlein is...more
Aug 13, 2008 03:28pm

Dr M The society could very well work if it was implemented exactly in the fashion it is described in his novel, but the transition from our current societ...more
Oct 06, 2009 03:24am

Jesse This has to be one of my favorite books of all time and I find myself agreeing with much of his philosophy throughout the book.

I just wante...more
Jun 22, 2011 12:51pm

May 13, 2010

Michael rated it

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Shelves: 1950s, science-fiction, hugo-winners, reviews-with-the-most-votes

Big nasty communist spiders are attacking Earth and all the planets it has colonized! It's a battle between man and bug, and who is to save us?

I'll tell you who! Guys with really fucking big guns, that's who! With spacesuits that make it so they can jump over buildings, and deflect bullets, and drop from spaceships to the surface of planets without getting hurt! That's who!

These guys get dropped onto planets with their spacesuits and their big guns, and they c...more

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Michael Actually, I've still only read a handful of his books, and I don't have the defense of being young :) Other than Starship Troopers, I've read a few o...more
Aug 11, 2011 09:58am

Ronald Hehe, well again I don't really know so take anything I say with a grain of salt. Like I said I've only read a couple of his books, so maybe Starship...more
updated Aug 11, 2011 12:04pm

Jan 17, 2008

Randy rated it

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If you have seen the movie- forget it. Besides the names, it shares very little with RAH's study on why free men subject themselves to a loss of freedom in order to ensure freedom for others.
This book greatly influenced me when I was a boy- and it still colors my thinking today- 35 years later.
This should be on the reading lists of every high school.

AFTERNOTE!
I would like to correct what appears to be a common misconception about the society described in Heinlein's book
...more

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Apr 21, 2007

Thomas rated it

Chock-a-block full of gung-ho jingoism, narrow minded fascist pipe dreams, and casual descriptions of institutional dehumanization as well as violence...basically everything you would expect from a book written in the perspective of a futuristic jarhead. I have never read a book in which I agreed with so little, but loved so much.

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Dec 11, 2010

Mike (the Paladin) rated it

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Shelves: science-fiction

I enjoyed this book greatly. While I certainly can't be said to agree with Heinlein on every aspect of life, politics, or theology...I do appreciate where he's coming from in this book. (Remember it's a 1959 book, before the idiotic handling of Vietnam became apparent). There are thought provoking ideas in this book even if it is considered a YA book. Agree or disagree, it's a good read.

By the way, I must say this. It's often (actually more often than not) true that a movie doesn't ...moreI enjoyed this book greatly. While I certainly can't be said to agree with Heinlein on every aspect of life, politics, or theology...I do appreciate where he's coming from in this book. (Remember it's a 1959 book, before the idiotic handling of Vietnam became apparent). There are thought provoking ideas in this book even if it is considered a YA book. Agree or disagree, it's a good read.

By the way, I must say this. It's often (actually more often than not) true that a movie doesn't live up to the book. In this case that would be like saying the Atlantic Ocean isn't exactly like Death Valley. If your only experience with Starship Troopers is the movie of that name, then you don't know anything about this book excepting the names of a few characters. The characters in the movie don't resemble the characters in the book. The universe and governmental structure in the book doesn't resemble that of the book. The main science fiction "hook" of the book isn't even present in the movie.

When you saw the movie some of you may have noticed a flaw in the soundtrack, a "whirring noise". That was Robert A. Heinlein spinning in his grave at high speed. The movie by the same name as this book is so spectacularly bad (compared to the book) I sometimes wonder if wasn't an intentional "hit piece". So...see the movie if you will, but PLEASE, don't confuse it with or miss the book. The book is a YA book, an easy and quick read...and FAR FAR superior to the travesty of movie by the same name.

********************* Update *************************************

They have been playing this thing (the movie by the same name as this book)on several TV channels lately AD NAUSEAM...it seems to be on almost every time I check the listings on the idiot box. So since there seems to be a new push to legitimize this grotesque cinematographic attempt at "science fiction" I'm forced to revisit my review here. Yes this is a YA or as it was called at the time a "teen" book...but it's a good one. Let me emphasize again, the movie doesn't even resemble the book except in that the "enemy" vaguely resembles the one in the book (the movie uses 6 legged "insect" type life forms the book refers to them as "arachnids" giant spider life forms) and they use some of the same character names. But the world the novel takes place in, the actual characters, the nature of the government, the way the military works...it's all different, they even get the heart of the actual story wrong. For that matter the relatively minor "romance" angle is silly and will mislead. This movie is terrible, please don't confuse it with the book. This is one of those movies that "ticks me off" in that I liked the book and this thing takes the book's title and gives us a perversion of that story.

(less)

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Feb 21, 2010

Manny rated it

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Shelves: science-fiction

Appalling piece of militaristic propaganda. But it has plenty of energy, and I also found it useful for annoying my (Quaker, pacifist) parents when I was a teenager. And I'll at least say this much for it: it's a great deal better than the movie.

_______________________________________________

Take 2. The above may be reasonable enough, but I'm not doing the book justice. With all its faults, I simply loved it as a 14 year old, and I'm in no way alone there. Why is it...more

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Manny Matt, those are interesting points, and I like the shaky-cam/Private Ryan comparison. The funny thing about Heinlein is that he pursues both threads s...more
Feb 22, 2010 09:48am

Mohammed Manny wrote: "Matt, those are interesting points, and I like the shaky-cam/Private Ryan comparison. The funny thing about Heinlein is that he pur...more
updated Feb 23, 2010 03:45pm

Jul 17, 2008

Jesse rated it

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Shelves: sci-fi

If you're expecting a carbon copy of the movie in print form, you're in for a bit of a surprise. Heinlein was one of the greatest science fiction writers of his time, possibly one of the best ever - not the sort to write the cheesy jokes and poor dialogue the Hollywood version spouts. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the film, as an action-adventure film, but the novel from which it derives is a much better piece of work.

The writing in this book is very technical. Though told f...moreIf you're expecting a carbon copy of the movie in print form, you're in for a bit of a surprise. Heinlein was one of the greatest science fiction writers of his time, possibly one of the best ever - not the sort to write the cheesy jokes and poor dialogue the Hollywood version spouts. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the film, as an action-adventure film, but the novel from which it derives is a much better piece of work.

The writing in this book is very technical. Though told from a first-person perspective, it gives more of the feel of a narrated third-person observation. The action is fast-paced, the conflicts are well-fought, and the reader is never disappointed, but a sense of detachment definitely forms. Heinlein does go into great detail on the futuristic technologies, exemplified by the description of a Mobile Infantry mechanized armor suit, solidifying the story's claim to the title of science fiction; at the same time, a fair job is done displaying the personal struggles that are all too real to any person of any time, and allow the reader to truly relate. The author even adds his own bit of personal experience to the novel, as one can clearly draw from his descriptions of recruit training that Heinlein was at one time processed through the military himself. At one point in the writing, he directly addresses the read with a comment that if you have never been through boot camp yourself, he doesn't expect you to understand - and having been through Army Basic myself, I can tell you he certainly got it right.

At the time of its release, Starship Troopers was one of the most controversial writings imaginable. That's because it's far less an action-adventure story than it is an intellectual political science debate. Many, many times in only a few hundred pages, Heinlein goes into great detailed explanations of the system of government employed by the Terran Federation, and compares and contrasts with many previous systems, including 20th century America. The controversy lies in the negative connotations: he repeatedly calls all 20th century governments failures, and at one point directly insults the very principles of democracy. Especially due to the circumstances of the time (1959, Cold War in full swing), many could have viewed his words as socialist, unpatriotic, or even treasonous; nevertheless, every point he makes is backed by a logical argument, all of which make a great deal of sense.

All in all, a great piece of work by a brilliant man; contained within is enough varied content to satisfy the adventure-seeker, the military man, the tactician, the logician, the political critic, and the typical sci-fi reader, whether die-hard or casual.(less)

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Feb 03, 2008

Andrew rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is one of the books on the Navy Reading List, and since there was a copy of it lying around the office I started reading it one day, got interested by it, and ending up buying a copy to finish it. Basically, this is one of those books that's interesting moreso then it is good, in my opinion. A couple of quick notes on the book. First of all, even though this seems like a Science Fiction novel, it really is a military book. You could easily get rid of all of the science fiction elements of t...moreThis is one of the books on the Navy Reading List, and since there was a copy of it lying around the office I started reading it one day, got interested by it, and ending up buying a copy to finish it. Basically, this is one of those books that's interesting moreso then it is good, in my opinion. A couple of quick notes on the book. First of all, even though this seems like a Science Fiction novel, it really is a military book. You could easily get rid of all of the science fiction elements of the book (spaceships, giant bugs, different planets, robotic suits), reset everything in a contemporary setting, and still be left with virtually the same story. I'm guessing that since this book was originally published in 1959 (when Sci-Fi was hot) they gave it a futuristic setting just so that it would sell more copies to the young adults a book like this is geared for. The bulk of this book is about the military: basic training (boot camp), OCS school (officer candidate school), the decision to enlist in the first place, the difference between being an officer and an enlisted man; these all are the main focus of the book. The science fiction elements, such as the raids on bug nests on alien planets and the robotic suits the soldiers wear, are really just afterthoughts relegated to the very beginning and ending chapters. To switch to more contemporary setting all you'd really have to do would be to replace the bugs with human opponents, and the futuristic technology with contemporary technology for the strikes, while leaving everything else pretty much the same. Secondly, this book is very corny and idealistic. A lot of the dialog has a very corny 50's quality to it (such as when Mr. Rico, after being away from women for so long during bootcamp, goes on liberty for the first time and starts an inner monologue about how women are these magical, mythical types of creatures). Plus, everything in this book is very convenient. Mr. Rico starts off as a civilian who joins the military against his families wishes just because his best friend is joining as well. While in boot camp, the day he was going to quit just happens to be the day he receives a letter from an old high school teacher he never liked much before (and whom he thought never liked him) telling him how proud he was of him and how he too served in the military. Right before he leaves for OCS Mr. Rico has a reunion with his father, who it turns out enlisted after he did and was mad at him for enlisting originally because he was ashamed of himself for not enlisting when he was younger. Plus, everything in the novel is paints the military in the best light possible. The officers in this book are all men who work insanely long hours and miss meals just because of how dedicated they are to the military (all senior enlisted and officers in this book are workaholics dedicated to nothing but making their recruits/soldiers and themselves the best they can possibly be). Additionally, this book has several philosophical arguments in favor of only letting people who have served in the military have the right to vote (as they do in the books setting), since, according to the book's argument, only people who would risk their own personal welfare for the overall good of the state could objectively choose the best leader for said state. Plus, there are arguments in favor of pre-emptive war, arguments about why war is necessary, arguments in favor of physical punishments (in schools and armed services), arguments for having all officers do the dirty work of being soldiers rather then just being chaplains or legal officers (for example), and arguments in favor of making the military as tough to get into and as easy to get out of as possible. Which makes it interesting to read the book from a modern perspective, since today's military is very easy to get into (with continually lowering standards) and very hard to leave once you enlist (you can't really request to leave, so your only way out is to pop on a drug test, or something of that nature), and most officers still primarily have just a specialty (rather then having to be soldiers first). While we've never had a democracy where only military men can vote, it's been proved time and time again that military dictatorships (governments where the military is in control, although not democratically) are destined to fail eventually. As for pre-emptive warfare, needless to say that hasn't worked out too well recently. Basically, a lot of this book reads like a well-disguised military propaganda campaign, which while interesting is too one-sided in the arguments and points it tries to make (never really letting counter-arguments be heard but just reinforcing why it's ideas are considered right) to be considered good. Plus, after reading the book I do have one major problem about the science fiction element, which is the use of giants insects in place of more human-like opponents. A lot of the horrors of war that can be inflicted by both sides don't really apply here, since rather then killing/capturing/and perhaps even torturing flesh and blood people (or close to that), the soldiers here are instead just raiding a bunch of sub-human insect-like creatures. A more gutsy book may have had more humanoid creatures as the race at war with Earth, but since this book conveniently makes the opponents sub-human and without any motive other then simply killing us and taking our planet, it gives the novel a very simplistic black and white feel. If you're are looking for a nuanced and frank look at military life and the military in general, look elsewhere. However, if you simply want a "hoorah, lets blow up some giant insects!" Joe-Army type of novel that's a cross between an Army brochure and a summer blockbuster, Starship Troopers should be right up your alley.(less)

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Feb 14, 2010

Kat Kennedy rated it

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Shelves: sci-fi-alicious, kat-s-book-reviews

I watched Starship Troopers first. I found it amusing, gory, action based and fluffy. When I read the book I wondered if the directer/script writer had read the same one I had. Turns out that he never finished this book and made the story up as he saw fit. Suddenly everything made sense to me.

As far as pacing and plot go, you won't find any of that here. There isn't much of a plot to this book and the story arc, so to speak, is more like a low lying limbo poll. Straight and sho...more

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Sep 20, 2007

Jacob rated it

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this was not the most mind-blowing sci-fi book i have ever read, but like other heinlein novels, it quietly worked its philosophy and forced me to consider the ideas which it was presenting. What is remarkable about this book is how relevant it remains. More than any other book, this one reminded me of the role and priveledge of the writer. Heinlein doesn't necessarily have to tell you his own opinion. He has characters and teachers hash out certain viewpoints which, philosophically, are ext...more

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Apr 20, 2007

Otis Chandler rated it

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Shelves: fiction, sci-fi, thriller

Sometimes you just need a quick fun book. I read this over Easter weekend, and loved every second. I loved the movie too, but the book was better.

This book really wasn't intellectual, but it did make one interesting point. In the book you can only vote if you have gone through and graduated from military training. This prevents the uneducated and uncommitted citizens from voting. While this is a bit extreme, I might be of the opinion that there should be some more barriers to vo...more

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Feb 10, 2008

Jenny rated it

Recommends it for: no one

This was terrible and not interesting at all. This book is for people who are interested in the nuances of military training and organization as it has a very remote relationship to science fiction. I guess *technically* it takes place in the future and in space but this is such a minor part of the book that it shouldn't really fall into the sci-fi category. As I entered the last 50 pages, I seriously considered stopping reading. I was confused by the military ranks and didn't care about any...more

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Nick Deherrera why do you not like this book... I understand it takes place in the future and its a war against giant space bugs but it is an interesting book. Perso...more
Dec 04, 2009 08:41am

Michael Aside from the reviewer not liking the book, I am perplexed that she found it to be a work that "shouldn't really fall into the sci-fi category."...more
Dec 05, 2010 09:19pm

Mike Jenny I couldn't agree more. Sad part is I loved the movie. This book was just terrible. If I can also add to your review is that the whole book is vi...more
Sep 01, 2011 03:08pm

Sep 23, 2010

Isil rated it

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Shelves: a-ete-lu-hors-ma-bibli, science-fiction, space-opera, usa, xxe

Etoiles, garde-à-vous !commence sur une scène où l’on découvre le jeune soldat Juan Rico en pleine action. Mais très vite, le roman enchaîne sur le passé de Rico qui va quitter la voix toute tracée que la fortune de ses parents lui assure pour s’engager dans l’armée. On découvre alors un monde dans lequel la citoyenneté et notamment le droit de vote ne s’obtiennent que par le service militaire. Il s’agit d’un roman d’initiation dont la narration est à la première personne.

Ce début o...more Etoiles, garde-à-vous !commence sur une scène où l’on découvre le jeune soldat Juan Rico en pleine action. Mais très vite, le roman enchaîne sur le passé de Rico qui va quitter la voix toute tracée que la fortune de ses parents lui assure pour s’engager dans l’armée. On découvre alors un monde dans lequel la citoyenneté et notamment le droit de vote ne s’obtiennent que par le service militaire. Il s’agit d’un roman d’initiation dont la narration est à la première personne.

Ce début où Rico nous raconte le pourquoi de son engagement est remarquable pour ses questionnements. En effet, la philosophie morale est un cours que suivent tous les élèves et on y voit très rapidement transparaître une critique de notre société moderne laxiste, qui pousse à réfléchir sur notre société.

Ensuite, c’est l’entraînement militaire proprement dit auquel on assiste. Le lecteur a le même niveau de connaissance que Rico et donc notre compréhension se fait au rythme de sa formation. On y voit une vie dure voire terrible pour les moins endurants, mais aussi un monde de fraternité et de solidarité. Si cette partie m’a semblé parfois un peu longue, ces longues descriptions d’entraînements sont encore une fois entrecoupées de réflexions politiques, philosophiques ou morales toujours très intéressantes, ce qui finit toujours par sauvegarder l’intérêt du récit.

Ainsi, on va voir la progression de Rico à l’intérieur de l’armée. Mais la fin est un retour à l’action avec la guerre contre des créatures sans notion d’individualité chère à l’humain, qui est l’exact opposé de la société imaginée par Heinlein.

Finalement, dans ce récit, les Arachnides, espèce extra-terrestre ennemie proche des insectes, sont peu présentes. Il ne s’appesantit pas sur la guerre ou sur les batailles. Il s’agit à mon sens plus d’une réflexion sur un certain nombre d’aspects moraux. Ce que j’ai trouvé le plus réussi, justement, c’est que Heinlein pousse à la réflexion plus qu’il n’apporte de réponses. Son monde, méritocratie parfaite où seuls les militaires peuvent voter mais où les droits individuels de tout individu sont respectés, est trop beau pour être vrai et à l’occasion, une idée un peu simpliste transparaît (comment ai-je survécu à un chien qui n’a jamais été puni et qui est pourtant parfaitement obéissant? Voilà un grand mystère si j’en crois les théories développées par le professeur de philosophie morale de Rico) et pourtant, il y a le plus souvent une vraie profondeur dans ce roman qui est tout ce qui pour moi fait la bonne science-fiction, celle qui est une ouverture sur la réalité du monde que nous connaissons. (less)

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Mar 05, 2011

Gavin rated it

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No doubt that if you're looking at this review, you have probably seen the movie of the same name...not a bad movie, but not a good one either. I read this one in high school after having seen a green placard on I-90 that said "Movie Location: STARSHIP TROOPERS."

I thought that was pretty cool...not many cool things happen in South Dakota, so having a pretty desent (I thought at the time) movie shot in our Badlands made me even more interested in the book. Sometime later, ...moreNo doubt that if you're looking at this review, you have probably seen the movie of the same name...not a bad movie, but not a good one either. I read this one in high school after having seen a green placard on I-90 that said "Movie Location: STARSHIP TROOPERS."

I thought that was pretty cool...not many cool things happen in South Dakota, so having a pretty desent (I thought at the time) movie shot in our Badlands made me even more interested in the book. Sometime later, I bought a copy at a used bookstore. From the first few pages I was hooked. Yes, there is a bunch of militaristic propaganda and you probably could write a pretty interesting dissertation about all the -isms that populate the thoughts and actions and messages within the pages. But I was a kid when I read this, and I didn't really care about all that...all I cared about was reading scenes of carnage and battle and bug guts.

But these scenes never really came. There are some moments of battle, a few others ruminated about from the older generations, but mostly this novel is about courage and what it means to sacrifice your personal life in the name of citizenship.

At the time of the reading, I never really thought about this. I was born in the good 'ol US of A and therefore had automatic citizenship. But now, I wonder what it would be like if America had a mandatory military enlistment. I like to think that I would be brave enough to enlist and serve my country. My family has a very strong record of military service: my grandfather in WWII, my father and a few uncles in Vietnam, an older brother served in Desert Storm, and another currently serves and has seen action in Afghanistan. I am proud of all these family members...but still, I wonder if I had to serve could I?

This thought is what I believe to be the essence of STARSHIP TROOPERS. And at the tender age of seventeen, I never really understood these psychological implications. Even as a man in my twenties I never understood this. It has only been with the birth of my son that I have really gained an appreciation and deeper insight into the real world of war. Do I want my son to be a soldier? I really don't know. Is there a cause worth fighting for? No doubt. Is there a cause worth killing for? Again, I'm not sure. I know how I felt after 9/11, but that bloodlust has tapered off, and I'm back to not really knowing if violence through patriotism is a good thing.

Perhaps because I am even writing this review and struggling with these questions is evidence enough that STRASHIP TROOPERS is a phenomenal piece of literature. Perhaps.

All I know is this: If an alien species eradicated a portion of the world while attempting a hostile takeover, I'm glad that there are men and women that are ready to serve faithfully, while others, like me, remain lost in philosophical debate.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

(And thank you to all the veterans, in all wars, for their service to our country.)
(less)

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Apr 08, 2009

Lucas rated it

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Where do I even begin? For starters, I should let the reader know that I'm not basing my score on the politics of the book (as laughable as I think they are) but on the plot of the book, or rather the complete lack of a plot in the book. While things do happen, some of them pretty big, Mr. Heinlein has seen fit that we should not be party to any of those things. Instead, he saves the most loving descriptions for daily life at boot camp. Seventy, yes seventy, pages of a two hundred-odd page book ...moreWhere do I even begin? For starters, I should let the reader know that I'm not basing my score on the politics of the book (as laughable as I think they are) but on the plot of the book, or rather the complete lack of a plot in the book. While things do happen, some of them pretty big, Mr. Heinlein has seen fit that we should not be party to any of those things. Instead, he saves the most loving descriptions for daily life at boot camp. Seventy, yes seventy, pages of a two hundred-odd page book are dedicated to boot camp. Within those pages we learn the importance of food, and being able to sleep in any condition. Thrill to the excitment of marching into the middle of nowhere! You will weep and wail along with the officers when you hear them lament the fact that they are compelled, nay forced, to flog their men when they misbehave. Honestly, you could watch the beginning of Full Metal Jacket and skip reading that whole part and save yourself some time, and be more entertained in the meantime.

Next you're treated to an extended flashback where a teacher (who is quite obviously channelling the author) lectures his students (representing the reader) about the major reason for the downfall of society in the past (today!). What one overarching reason is responsible for the collapse of society? Massive energy crisis? Economic collapse? Political anarchy? WRONG!!! It's because people listened to psychiatrists and didn't spank their children enough! The secret to an orderly society is corporal punishment, and lots of it! It does make me wonder about the particular proclivities of the author, but that's neither here nor there.

So now that our main character, Johnny Rico, is a full-fledged soldier we can finally get to some action after half the book is already finished, right? No. No, no, no, a thousand times no. You will not see action in this book that is advertised to be about killing gigantic outer space bugs. Instead, you will be treated to the doldrums of a soldier that isn't busy killing things. Guard duty! Sleeping! Maintaining weapons and space armor! Dinner and its various protocols! Even his time off gets more detail than all the fighting Rico participates in combined! The typical description for a battle will go like this: "We dropped on this planet to smash things up. Boy, what a mess that was. This guy died. These ones got hurt."

Then Rico goes to officer training school where we get more detail about learning things! And another lecture from another teacher to his students about why soldiers should be the only ones to handle government affairs! Then we get told how battallions are broken down into platoons and squads and such forth! Finally we get to the end which turns into one of the biggest anticlimaxes I've ever had the misfortune of reading. You'll get what feels like five hours of blabbing about setting up patrol and coordinates streamed endlessly at you, some thrilling detail on hypnotically suggested sleep, and then a blessed five seconds of actual confrontation with something! Then it's over before you even know it started. The end.

I realize that the life of a soldier is probably pretty accurately portrayed in the book, days upon days of boring drudgery with a few moments of life-and-death craziness, but that doesn't necessarily make for a particularly interesting book. At least not the way it's depicted here.

Don't be fooled by the first ten pages of the book, which actually contain more action than the other hundred and ninety. What you're getting when you get this book is only one step away from a military training manual, only with some references to outer space and aliens tossed in along with a couple crazy rightwing ravings as the chocolatey syrup to go on top of the whole crappy sundae. Don't fall for the hype, pass on this book.

And yes, the movie is better. It's stupid and fun. The book is just stupid.(less)

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Kaion I skimmed a few choice pages after being bored by the first 40- so thanks for your concise (well compared to the novel) rant assuring me that it's not...more
Feb 21, 2010 04:05pm

Sarcophagus A quick note. Dubois is not inherently channeling the author. The teacher is channeling the society. Heinlein wrote a long series of novels, the ideol...more
updated Jan 03, 2011 09:29am

Ronald I have to agree with Sarcophagus on this one. It's fallacious to assume that Heinlein was preaching from a soapbox with this book as many of his books...more
Aug 07, 2011 01:16pm

Sep 26, 2008

Nicolas rated it

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Shelves: anticipation, dystopie, guerre, space-opera, rayon-fantasy-et-sf

Donc, ce livre raconte la vie d’un jeune soldat des étoiles, qui va se battre, et dévaster les adversaires de l’humanité, pied à pied, comme il se doit pour un fantassin (ce qui est son honneur et sa fierté). Sous la vibrante histoire du jeune militaire qui gravit, pied à pied, les étapes de la vie du soldat, on ressent toutefois comme l’ombre d’une angoisse, une espèce de message qui transparait dans les cours de philosophie et de morale qu’il suit tout au long de sa vie. Serait-ce le fantôme d...moreDonc, ce livre raconte la vie d’un jeune soldat des étoiles, qui va se battre, et dévaster les adversaires de l’humanité, pied à pied, comme il se doit pour un fantassin (ce qui est son honneur et sa fierté). Sous la vibrante histoire du jeune militaire qui gravit, pied à pied, les étapes de la vie du soldat, on ressent toutefois comme l’ombre d’une angoisse, une espèce de message qui transparait dans les cours de philosophie et de morale qu’il suit tout au long de sa vie. Serait-ce le fantôme d’une critique de la société moderne, qui se cache dans la dénonciation d’un antique vingtième siècle tout pourri ? N’y aurait-il pas, dans ses discussions avec ses instructeurs, un début de dénonciation de l’armée telle qu’elle existe, de son rôle et de ses attributions ? Ce questions restent posées tout au long du roman et, c’est sa force, même après, ce qui force le lecteur (moi en l’occurence) à se demander si l’armée est bien ce qu’elle prétend être. Lorsqu’on constate que la fédération terrienne a émergé suite à la prise du "pouvoir" par des vétérans qui se sont organisés en milice, ne faut-il pas y voir comme une dénonciation des dictatures militaires ? Mais toutes ces questions ne doivent pas ôter à ce roman sa beauté simple en apparence, et pourtant terriblement complexe. On se sent pris par la vie de ce soldat, embarqué dans des combats, toujours aussi épiques, qui laissent pourtant un goût désagréable dans la bouche, celui du sang des innocents qui passaient par là. Et jamais, jamais, la question du pourquoi n’est évoqué, ce qui est tant mieux puisqu’on n’est pas ici dans la critique de la décision, mais dans la critique de l’action militaire : pourquoi attaquer d’une manière plutôt qu’une autre ? Et pourquoi tuer à un moment donné ? Bref, un bouquin à lire absolument, pour plonger dans les tripes d’un soldat, mais également pour s’interroger sur les raisons de l’existence de toutes les forces armées.

<h4>Un peu de débat contradictoire</h4>
Evidement, lancer un avis comme celui-là suscite la controverse, dans laquelle a plongé FrK, vieil habitué des lieux.

Je ne veux pas relancer un vieux marronier, mais je doute que la seule lecture de Starship Troopers permette de classer Heinlein dans les anti-militaristes. Le second degré est difficile à juger, surtout quand on lit le reste de sa production (Une porte sur l’été, le Chat passe-muraille ou Double Etoile, véritable pamphlet politique). ST n’est pas à mon sens antimilitariste, d’abord à cause du passé militaire de Heinlein, ensuite à cause d’Héritage perdu (in Trois pas dans l’éternité) où il prône l’action de force inéluctable contre le régime nazi,et de ses vues sur l’éducation (le scoutisme, etc..). Par contre, là où je rejoins les défenseurs de l’optique antimilitariste de ST, c’est qu’il règle effectivement quelques comptes avec le haut commandement, et se place volontairement dans une optique de 00 pour montrer (dans la bataille de Klendathu, par exemple) le décalage entre les stratèges et la réalité du terrain. Effectivement, on peut dire qu’il transpose là le système militaire américain. C’est d’ailleurs aussi l’organisation des armées qu’il critique, et sa pléthore de cadres, calquant sa vision "idéale" d’un régiment sur celle de la Légion Etrangère. Le plus intéressant dans ce bouquin tient plus dans l’approche politique (pamphlétique, d’ailleurs) de la citoyenneté que dans d’hypothétiques vues pro ou antimilitaristes. C’est cette citoyenneté "au mérite" qui tire le plus le bouquin du côté soit (au choix selon le lecteur) purement inégalitaire et dicatorial (la joyeuse critique de la démocratie en est un exemple à la fois jubilatoire et qui fait froid dans le dos), soit carrément 4ème degré. Mais je ne suis pas sûr qu’Heinlein use du second degré dans ce bouquin. Les dimensions philosophiques qu’il contient sont souvent contradictoires et les valeurs exhaustées sont le mérite, l’honneur et le devoir.(less)

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Sep 23, 2008

Melissa Rudder rated it

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Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers did nothing for me. Its cover advertises controversy and boasts of the exciting journey of Johnnie Rico through the intergalactic military camp of the future. It sounded promising; unfortunately, I was not awed or entertained. If anything, I was pleased the novel was a quick read so that I could more readily set it aside.

To follow a character through the ups and downs of boot camp and warfare and to revel in his victories and sympathize with ...moreRobert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers did nothing for me. Its cover advertises controversy and boasts of the exciting journey of Johnnie Rico through the intergalactic military camp of the future. It sounded promising; unfortunately, I was not awed or entertained. If anything, I was pleased the novel was a quick read so that I could more readily set it aside.

To follow a character through the ups and downs of boot camp and warfare and to revel in his victories and sympathize with his failings, it’s nearly essential that you like him. Or, for the opposite effect, hate him. I neither liked nor hated Johnnie. I was completely indifferent as to his plight. It just didn’t seem like he had much of a character at all. Maybe Heilein left him underdeveloped because he was going for a sort of Everyman approach. If he was, it was ineffective. If he wasn’t, it was still ineffective.

Next, the novel seemed to be constantly moving to a climactic ending that it never reached. Sure, the last chapter was a nice wrap-up and finished a nice cycle to connect it to the beginning of the story (and I do love that structuring), but all the training for warfare and battle and the one great war scene was cut short and lacked any real action. Johnnie spent pages and pages training, but the reader never gets to see him master what he learned. It’s like watching the Karate Kid practice that Crane Kick for an hour without seeing his victory at the end.

Admittedly, my predisposition toward war did not especially jive with the ideas that Heinlein’s book seems to present. When I read a war book, I wanna read The Red Badge of Courage or some equivalent that critiques the devastation of war, rather than pages and pages of dialogue in which characters argue for a state ruled by soldiers, support a "colonize them before they colonize us" policy, and praise cruel and unusual punishment. It all seems to scream satire, but when the dialogue is compounded by the author’s apathetic treatment of death the dreams of satire fade away. (Apparently the movie satirizes the book, but I haven’t watched it yet.)

So maybe if my vision of the perfect future included military rule, maybe I would like Starship Troopers. But it doesn’t. And I don’t.

I picked out this quote but I’m the wishful thinker that it insults:

“Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms” (Colonel Dubois).
(less)

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Jul 11, 2011

Lafcadio rated it

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Recommends it for: Doogie

Shelves: fanscifree, suite

Done. This seems to be an extensive discourse on military philosophy and rationale for chain of command. The main character is likeable enough to follow him as he works his way through the ranks, figuring out why things are done a certain way as he goes, but that is the extent of the story. I've read and liked a lot of Heinlein, and this one currently sits at the bottom of the barrel.

2011 edit - I'm giving it another chance.
I'm about halfway through, and it's better than I w...more

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Mar 15, 2008

Jason rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

I wanted to like this book, but there was so little plot. The little plot that was given was only a segway to a rant on military living or very thinly vealed social commentary. I don't mind science fiction having social relevance, but it should no be so blatantly presented as a teacher's class room lecture. The book is only 200 pages long and I would say only about 45 pages of it had anything to do with a plot. The rest was a continuous rant. I didn't disagree with all of the authors object...more

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Mar 10, 2008

Garrett rated it

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Recommended to Garrett by: Joe

Disclaimer: I'm not a sci-fi guy (hence fewer stars than this book really deserves). That said, this was really quite enjoyable. Heinlein does not focus on the rocket ships and moon men, but instead tells the story of a man's military experience from new recruit on. Heinlein mentions the futuristic technologies and situations almost in passing, so the more important (and universal) themes take center stage. He considers military philosophy, the role of the government, the role of the soldier, ch...more

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Dec 14, 2011

James S.a. rated it

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Originally posted at www.the-expanse.com

I've been wanting to do this for a while. Write a series of book reviews of the books that had the most direct influence on my writing, and on The Expanse series in particular. Hopefully, this is just the first.

Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein:

Starship Troopers moved onto my nightstand a couple of days ago. I always have a nightstand book, and it tends to be something I've read before. I'll read a few pages while my w...more

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Mar 25, 2009

Ramsey rated it

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An excellent book on the study of Human nature and societies. Unlike the Hollywoodised film adaptation, the novel keeps action scenes to a minimum. In truth, most of the military activities come across as dull, and indeed the the protagonist, Juan Rico, seems to share that sentiment. Coupled with the fact that every chapter opens with some proverb or words of wisdom, this book definitely surpassed my expectations of space adventure. Throughout the novel, Juan Rico experiences flashbacks and enga...more

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Mar 10, 2009

Arthur rated it

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Shelves: liked, sci-fi, stand-alone-read

Interesting book

This is the first book of Robert A. Heinlein that I have read. It is quite interesting and rises a few moral and political questions, such as public flogging, which I interpret as a physical punishment for those criminals who exercise violence against their victims. Also, when reading about Basic and "chewing out", it reminded me of my own "experience". The description of soldier's life in Basic is very realistic. However, after I have finished to re...more

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Jan 08, 2009

Grant rated it

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It’s a classic! So I’m told. The boy in me likes to climb up out from under the covers once a year or so to nix another seminal sci-fi classic off the list of Things To Read Before I Die. Usually - I’m being honest here - I’m a little disappointed. But dagnabbit! this one seemed to have potential.

First of all, there’s the movie. I rather enjoyed Paul Verhoeven’s cheese-ball-o-fun from 1997. Lit up with the sparky charisma of thespian Denise “Wildthing” Richards, this little rom...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Will Thomas rated it

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Shelves: robert-a-heinlein

This is the most recent time I've finished this book. I first read it decades ago.

Robert A. Heinlein has been my favorite author since I was 12. The first of his books that I read was Have Space Suit, Will Travel, and it was my favorite book for decades. Of all of Professor Heinlein's novels, this is absolutely the worst story-telling he ever did. But it is some of his best preaching. And it was one of his most controversial (That is saying something!) and one of his best-selling....more

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Feb 06, 2012

Carl Duzett rated it

· review of another edition

Starship Troopers was a fantastic book. It's considered one of the foundational works of military scifi, and with good reason. It's pretty much the definition of the genre: a completely military perspective of future warfare, with the scifi elements mostly serving to support the military adventure. It makes for a little bit harder scifi, which is never a horrible thing in my book (or this one).

But with that being said, this book isn't good simply because it's got lots of military stu...moreStarship Troopers was a fantastic book. It's considered one of the foundational works of military scifi, and with good reason. It's pretty much the definition of the genre: a completely military perspective of future warfare, with the scifi elements mostly serving to support the military adventure. It makes for a little bit harder scifi, which is never a horrible thing in my book (or this one).

But with that being said, this book isn't good simply because it's got lots of military stuff, and guns and spaceships. It's great because it asks really thought-provoking social questions, such as: what is the cost of having a military? What does it do to the people in the military, and what kinds of things does a society have to do in order to support one? Probably the headlining question for this book is this: What if, in order to be a citizen and vote, you had to serve in the military? In order to vote, you'd have to put your life on the line for your country.

Then people have to really ask themselves: do I care about my vote? Do I really care about what my country does to me, or for me, or to others? Or is it just a spectator sport?

The Teddy Roosevelt gladiator quote certainly comes to mind as I'm trying to articulate that theme.

Very little of the book, in the end, actually has any action or battle sequences. Most of it is just the main character's military life, from enlistment to boot camp to his first outfit to his last. And the fact that Heinlein could make one man's military career a compelling, thought-provoking drama with actually very few action chapters holding it together is a huge testament to this work's worth.

Yes, I just called it a work. You're darn right I went there.

Lots of the book is taken up by his boot camp and what he remembers from a cultural history teacher in high school, which is to say that a lot of the book is taken up by the process of becoming a soldier-—what's asked of you, what you must learn and who you become as a person and whether that's worth it or important-—and by Heinlein's social grandstanding.

Yes, grandstanding. I don't think Heinlein means for us to look at this uniquely crafted society and think “Wow, this raises all kinds of questions!” There's a little bit of a sense of “Hey, wouldn't it be awesome if everything were like this?” It's not as ambiguous as I'd like, there, because it's kind of unfair to climb aboard the soap box and talk about politics and social issues within a fictional world that you've completely made up from your own head. It's unfair ground—-you can be like, “Hey, the proof is right here in the story! See what happens?” Because the story is, actually, not real.

But for as emphatic as that last paragraph looks, with all the exclamation points and italics, I'm really just venting about a general practice that isn't really that big of a deal in Troopers. I still think Heinlein's grandstanding, but I will say that it's slight grandstanding, or small grandstanding, or whatever adjective you use to mitigate the weight of that particular noun.

What keeps this book from 3.5 range, in my opinion, is a kind of lackluster plot. I just said that the character's military adventures are incredibly compelling, but I don't think that's plot so much as just darn good writing. My problem comes from when every single character that the main guy meets or likes or looks up to ends up all coming back into his life at the end of the book, all working on the same team together. It feels like the beginning of a TV series, honestly. And for such classy writing and such interesting, probing ideas, that strikes me as particularly campy.

So, Troopers is still a classic book (even after I read it!), and the stereotypes that come to mind when you think about a book called Starship Troopers do total and complete injustice to it. It's got real literary worth. Unfortunately, its somewhat mediocre plotting keeps it from being one of my all-time favorites. (less)

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Dec 06, 2011

Aaron rated it

· review of another edition

So, I decided to go back to reading the Sci-fi "Classics" - meaning, those books mostly from the 50s and 60s that are considered influential. I've knocked out many of them over the years - Foundation, Hitchiker's Guide, Ender's Game - and I very much enjoyed "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" from Heinlein. And since "Starship Troopers" is on many, many Top 10 lists of all time I decided to read it.

So, yeah, I liked it. It is pretty slow in parts but always ...more

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Nov 18, 2011

Heatherwilliamson rated it

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This book is a classic written near the peak of Heinlein's career, and wraps a lot of his personal and political philosophy into a thundering good adventure story. Don't even THINK the awful movie with this name is in the same class!!
The protagonist is a Brazilian teenager named Johnny Rico--the choice of nationality is quite prophetic, considering how long ago this book was written. Prophetic too, is the military technology, much of which can now be found in U.S. arsenals today. One item ...more

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Sep 06, 2011

notyourmonkey rated it

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Shelves: 2011-read, childhood-reread, library, scifi, alexandriasffbookclub

Oh, man. How did I miss the poorly-disguised political ranting when I read this in seventh grade? Heinlein has, like, a fleet of axes to grind. And some horses to beat. And some soapboxes to stack to the sky.

If you can navigate around the creepy paternalistic politics and dehumanization of women and the valorization of a particular brand of masculinity above all else (which you need, like, a supercomputer GPS to dodge), I grudgingly admit that this is a ripping good yarn. I can see wh...more

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GCHS Readers: Rowland	1	5	Jan 24, 2012 07:35am

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