I like to think I’m no longer a stranger to military sci-fi. I recently wrote a review of Forever War, and since then, I’ve been indulging in research about the genre. My next foray led me to Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, and to be honest, I don’t know which story I liked better. Let’s get into the review.
You might be familiar with Starship Troopers. Published in 1959, the story originally appeared in two parts in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Heinlein produced the story in only a few weeks after hearing about the suspended nuclear tests in the US. Set in the future, the story follows Juan “Johnny” Rico, a young Filipino man who enlists in a mobile infantry. The infantry is part of a larger military organization that belongs to the Terran Federation. This federation is an interstellar government fighting aliens known as “Bugs.” For most of the story, Johnny ascends certain ranks in the fight against the alien species.
This book was just as much fun to read as it was to research. In the past, critics spotted that the story criticized the military that it conveyed. Critics also touched on topics of race, gender, and fascism within the story as well. But I think what I find interesting the most is the focus on the development of technology against the development of humanity. Heinlein seems to do this with his work quite a bit.
While reading, I noticed that the story focused less on the battle against the archanid aliens and more on the development of technology in the military. Becuase of this, the heart of the story comes from this criticism of militarism as well as the development of technology in war. After I finished reading, I saw evidence of this sentiment in other military sci-fi. In a sense, this story laid the blueprint for what was to come.
I also enjoyed the characterization in this book. While going through the book, the story spent time developing indvidual personalities. Looking back, it feels like military sci-fi runs into danger by not doing this. However, Heinlein also continued to lay the blueprint for this as well. It made the writing much more enjoyable for me as I went on.
All in all, I was glad I picked up this book. If you have any military science fiction suggestions, feel free to put them in the comments below and leave a like!
Before you go, just know that I write book reviews every week! My quest to read more Golden Age science fiction continues, and I’m excited for what lies in store. Stay tuned this week for another blog post. Happy reading!
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