The Forever War (The Forever War, #1) in Beyond Reality

May 11, 2009 seak rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, 2009

Touted as the best sci-fi military novel ever written, I went into reading The Forever War with a lot of expectations; probably too many. Not to say that I didn't like it. I liked it a lot, I just didn't love it and I don't think it's the best military sci-fi novel ever written. I liked Starship Troopers by Heinlein much more. Where Heinlein takes a positive look at war, Haldeman uses his experience with the Vietnam war to paint a more dismal picture, not that this was the point that makes Stars Touted as the best sci-fi military novel ever written, I went into reading The Forever War with a lot of expectations; probably too many. Not to say that I didn't like it. I liked it a lot, I just didn't love it and I don't think it's the best military sci-fi novel ever written. I liked Starship Troopers by Heinlein much more. Where Heinlein takes a positive look at war, Haldeman uses his experience with the Vietnam war to paint a more dismal picture, not that this was the point that makes Starship Troopers my favorite of the two.

In the version I read, there was an introduction by John Scalzi who compares The Forever War to his own novel, Old Man's War. I can definitely see the comparisons, but I even enjoyed Scalzi's novel a bit better.

Okay, enough with the comparisons, I did actually like this book, so I'll get into the good stuff. Throughout the novel, Haldeman plays with the theory of relativity and time dilation. So, the main protagonist, William Mandella, becomes an old man of two or three hundred years old at the actual age of 25. Or is that switched. Anyway, his body is a 25 year old's. This is always interesting and Orson Scott Card plays around with this in his Ender's Game series too.

Because of this time dilation that's going on, the earth is going through many changes while Mandella is away. The portrayal of earth was done really well throughout the book. One time Mandella returns home to find earth to be a far different place than he remembers it. Food is running out and crime has become such a problem that people need body guards or at least a high powered gun if they go anyware. This causes Mandella and the rest of the company that returned home to earth to get back into the military, where there's at least some stability.

I had just a minor quibble with the way Mandella and his love interest, Potter, came together. It just didn't seem to real to me. They were not very friendly with each other and suddenly they couldn't be apart. Anyway, this wasn't a huge deal, and it still works fine for the story.

Who should read this? If you're in the mood for a war story that shows how pointless everything about war is, this is for you. It definitely doesn't celebrate war like many sci-fi and fantasy novels tend to do. This was a good story, but I didn't think it lived up to the hype and that may be it's biggest fault.

3.5/5 stars (Really liked it) ...more

18 likes · Like · see review

Sep 19, 2011 Banner rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

Just did a re read of this after almost 35 years and I have to say I am surprised at how much I still liked the book. There were some ideas in the book i didn't really care for but they were not too graphic nor did there seem to be any kind of agenda other than telling a good story.

What this book does that is worthy of it's fame; is it masterfully shows the effects of war on both the solider and the society that sends him / her to it. The alienation of the solider from his own society is skillfu ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 13, 2009 Bill rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction

“To say that The Forever War is the best science fiction war novel ever written is to damn it with faint praise. It is, for all its techno-extrapolative brilliance, as fine and woundingly genuine a war story as any I’ve read.” — William Gibson

Agreed! I like the entire trilogy too

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 30, 2009 Ken rated it liked it · review of another edition

I liked this book. Its far from perfect but still enjoyable. William Mandalla is drafted to fight a war far from home. He is only involved in 3 battles but the time away from home is a couple thousand years and everything has changed.
We see the war from his point of view. Trained, dumped onto a planet without a reason except to get the enemy. I liked that the author didnt bother with a commentary for or against the war. He was just there, did his job and moved to the next job. The only comment a ...more

1 like · Like · see review