The Forever War - Joe HaldemanYoung William Mandella has been conscripted by the UN in humanity's war against the Taurans.
However, due to the nature of interstellar travel and Einstenian rellativistics, he only ages months while on Earth centuries pass.
The book is divided into sections called "Private Mandella", "Sergeant Mandella" and so on, chronicling his climb up the ranks -- more from luck than skill or leadership. Eventually he and his true love, Marygay Potter become the "oldest" active combatants.
Mandella has trouble fitting into society, because of the changes in language, ethnicity and sexuality over hundreds of years, which to him, feel like only four.
Eventually he is reunited with Marygay and they begin a life together.
This book is sometimes considered an antiwar response to Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers; it has also been said the book is the author's narrative of his Vietnam war experience with a Sci-fi veneer.
I enjoyed it very much, and I am on the lookout for A Separate War, by the same author, which tells Marygay's story of the time she was separated from Mandella.
UPDATE Oct 20th, 2008:
Ridley Scott has acquired the film-rights to Joe Haldeman's magnificent, Hugo-award-winning classic science fiction novel, The Forever War.
Via Boing Boing
ISBN 0-312-29890-0
No comments:
Post a Comment