Classic, "Historic" SF, but not a satisfying read

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	• The Forever War Joe Haldeman Eos, 2003 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 298 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Sci-Fi war story written by an actual veteran

Most of the main themes of this book were taken from the authors reactions to changes in his homeland during his absence. At first reading, you would not think this was about Vietnam if only because the story takes place on planets far from earth and in a more and more distant future. Because Mandela travels so close to the speed of light, to and returning from battle, every time he returns to earth everything has changed drastically thus making him a living anachronism. It is easy to see how Vietnam veterans could feel the same way.

I got into this only because I have read a lot of Vietnam non-fiction. The battle scenes are realistic and Mendela mostly stays alive due to luck, which is the case in most Vietnam non-fiction.

A great read that I could not put down. I would highly recommend this to any sci-fi or Vietnam enthusiast.

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The Forever War changed my life

This review is not so much about Joe Haldeman's fantastic book "The Forever War" as it is about what the book did for me. I was 14 the first time I read the book(in 1974). Did I like it? WOW! YES!! I would have to say that it was probably the single most influential event in my adolescence that made me take a powerful interest in the sciences (Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, etc.). This book vastly broadened the horizons of my imagination and curiosity. I have re-read this book more than any other book in my life (I am now 45), and in retrospect I can see similarities between Major Mandella and myself way beyond coincidence. I was unaware of this fact until now, while writing this review, reflecting on my life and the decisions and choices I've made over the years. The good Major had a "major" part in making me who I am (Implying that I used the character as a role model while growing up). I even see similarities between my Wife and Marygay Potter (the Major's lifelong love), Implying that not only did I want to be like Mandella, I wanted a wife like his too, not in the physical sense but in the emotional and conceptual sense, moral fiber, ideals, personality and so forth). In fact, it so touched my life, all of it, that now 31 years later I am buying a copy for my son to read in hopes that it will do for him what it did for me. It should be required reading in schools. Read this book! You'll be glad you did for years to come.

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Classic, "Historic" SF, but not a satisfying read

If you are simply looking for a book to read in and of itself, then The Forever War is either going to hit or miss for you. The younger you are, the more you'll like it. The sex/drugs stuff goes a long way towards titillating younger readers, even if its mostly left to the imagination.

If you're a Science Fiction reader, particularly Military Science Fiction, then this is one of those books you simply ~have~ to read, because its part of the SF "canon". It doesn't mean you're going to like it completely, but since every working author today has likely read it, then you should to if only to better appreciate their work. If you like David Drake, you need to read this, as well as Starship Troopers for that matter. Heinlein himself liked this book very much, and told Haldeman the same (according Spider Robinson in the book "Requiem").

I'm in my 30s, a peacetime veteran, and I found it to be kind of uneven. The main premise of the book - relativistic effects causing space traveling soldiers to age slowly while the society that went to war changes dramatically in their absence - is solid, and works well, if a bit underexplored (in the original version).

However, there's very little character depth - Starship Troopers was bascically a Juvenile, but those characters seemed much more fleshed out that than these. There's a lot of combat "grit", but a lot of the battle scenes are less than thrilling to read. The "climactic" battle went on for several pages longer than absolutely necessary.

As for the "future" aspects of the book - you can safely ignore the anachronistic references to space travel in the 1990s - just think "its the future" and it works.

So, to recap - if you want a "fun read", look elsewhere. If you are in interested in Science Fiction, its a Mandatory read - but lower your expectations somewhat.

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Riveting.

As an allegorical tale of a soldier who departs his native soil (and in this case, an entire time period), The Forever War is an engaging look into the mind of a soldier. Haldeman's experience as a Vietnam veteran lends an authenticity to the story that draws the reader into the world of alien warfare.

The battles with Tauran forces are nearly incomprehensible to the reluctant soldier and the world he returns to after decades (and centuries) of separation are baffling as well. Combined, they make for a powerful story of displacement.

My only complaint arises with the ending of the story, where the comparison to Vietnam breaks down and Haldeman implicitly asserts that there is no difference between the Communists and American forces. This, however, was brief and did not subtract substantially from the quality of the work.

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reviews: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, page 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

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