The Forever War by Joe Haldeman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Forever War
Book Review: Completely engrossing
Summary: 5 Stars
Politically relevant, well written (and I usually am not a fan of first-person writing), and even genuinely funny at times. Also a great book for anyone who watches Star Wars or any other sci-fi fare and says "Oh come on, physics wouldn't allow for that."Book Review: Dated
Summary: 3 Stars
I don't get the hype. It was OK, but its not even close to the reviews on its cover. I think if you were contemporary to the war in Vietnam, this book would be more relevant (particularly if you were a hippie). One measure of the quality of a fiction book to me is the number of times I'll re-read it over the years. This is a one timer.Book Review: Don't know what all the hype is about
Summary: 3 Stars
I read The Forever War because it was listed on Amazon as one of the best books of 2009. Truly I don't know why. I like science fiction and this was just so-so. The ending made all the reading at least worth it but I would not recommend it. Its difficult to follow, does little to develop the plot and the characters come and go to quickly for you to care about them. There is a graphic sexual scene that degrades women. It has little to do with the story and lets hope that is not what future military careers hold for women.Book Review: Fantastic Classic Science Fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
Written by Vietnam War veteran Haldeman, The Forever War won both the the Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1975), the Locus Award for Fiction Novel (1976)**, and the Hugo Award for Best Novel (1976). Critics consider The Forever War one of the quintessential pieces of American Science Fiction because it stands the test of time. Ironically, The Forever War came close to never being published; as the author notes in his introduction to the edition I read: "It was rejected by eighteen publishers before St. Martin's Press [which at the time did not publish adult science fiction] decided to take a chance on it" (xv).
The Forever War, an allegory of the Vietnam War, focuses on the tale of William Mandella, a physicist and physics teacher who as been drafted into the United Nations Exploratory Force (UNEF) through the Elite Conscription Act of 1996. Each person drafted into the UNEF was considered a genius within his or her field; only the best and the brightest would serve in this new army that was put together to battle an alien force, the Taurans, that had been encountered when time travel through time dilation, which is allowed by Stargates (not the kind of Stargates we think of from the television series) and collapsar jumps between portal planets.
The novel follows Mandella, from Private to Major, through 1143 years of Earth Relative time, which only seem like months to him. While he is in space and jumping from planet to planet, he ages only months as the Earth ages decades, even centuries and in the few times that Mandella makes it back to earth after being in space, for him, a relatively short time, sweeping changes occur--the population explodes, billions are without jobs, the monetary system is replaced by trading in Ks or calories, everyone is armed, has body guards, of lives in idyllic communes that are sporadically and devastatingly raided by armed men, and "veterans" of the interstellar war are displaced and not necessarily treated as heroes to the point where they "re-enlist" based on false promises that are quickly nullified by a change in orders.
Haldeman's novel is a powerful study of not simply the devastating effects of war on the combatants but its strains on the economic and political systems as well as the social structures of cities and nations as a whole. Above all, The Forever War is a powerful look at the human psyche and an exploration of human resilience. After reading this novel, I understand why it won so many awards. While The Forever War certainly speaks to the time it was written, it clearly speaks to our time now by touching on issues that come around again (or perhaps never really leave us).
**The Locus Award was presented for Best Novel from 1971 to 1979; in 1980 they changed the award designation to Best Science Fiction Novel.**
Book Review: Fantastic Military Sci Fi
Summary: 4 Stars
"Forever War" follows genius/warrior William Mandella as he chases aliens across the universe and time. Joe Haldeman's novel is held up as one of the earliest and perhaps best military sci fi novel of all time. He delivers an exciting and intriguing story of future war while laying to bear some important societal issues of the post Vietnam-era, although these issues raised could apply to any war-time era.
Whereas Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" only barely masks his treatise on war-time values within a science fiction setting, Haldeman is much more effective at building a foundation of a strong narrative and layering on issues of sex, gender, age, societal evolution and other themes.
I'm not sure I can add more to the pantheon of reviews and descriptions of this book. I really enjoyed it and would rate it stronger than "Starship Troopers" and in a similar vein (but not quite as good, honestly) as John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" series.