The Forever War Books

Pros: It remains a landmark in science fiction.
Cons: The book was less than I expected on almost all counts.

The Forever War< i>, by Joe Haldeman, 1974< b>The collapsar network has opened the wide reaches of the galaxy to humanity, but when colonist ships are destroyed by aliens it becomes necessary for mankind to defend itself. The most ...

Pros: Clever central theme
Cons: Dull, weak characters, tries to do too much

Science fiction attracts a lot of criticism that it rightly deserves. Oooo controversy, I can just see the comments now, but hear me out. There are huge tracts of science fiction which concoct fantastic explanations for this that and the other impossible ...

Pros: This is classic science fiction; beautifully written
Cons: Dates are a little strange, with a galactic war starting in 1996

"You have never really lived, until you have almost died. For those who fight for it, life has a flavor that the protected will never know..." Author Unknown "There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is ...

Pros: Engrossing storyline, excellent characterisation and carefully constructed themes
Cons: Heavy use of 'real' science can be off-putting.

“We hear war called murder. It is not: it is suicide.”

Ramsay MacDonald, Former Prime Minister of Great Britain

War is a violent and brutal business, according to The Forever War. Yet because it is so...

Pros: Good insight into the mindset of war, a savage swipe at politicians and the military.
Cons: Readers without a science background will have trouble with its logic

Time travel or time dilation stories always make me rise up on my hankles a bit, due to the problems paradoxes create. If you went back in time, and had sex with your mother...and so on, and so on.

This is one novel, however that takes the...

Pros: Engrossing, likable characters, and who doesn't like science fiction based on the Vietnam War?
Cons: It has lost some of the freshness over the years, as its innovations have become archetypes

So I heard great things about this 1970's science fiction novel called The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman. I've read some of his other stuff, including Forever Peace, his 1998 thematic sequel, and enjoyed it. I heard that it was breathtaking,...

Pros: Hard science, good characterization
Cons: Very "gloomy", feels quite "low-tech"

Make no mistake about it, The Forever War was written as a reaction to the Vietnam War, updated to sci-fi setting. EVERYWHERE you'll see parallels to the Vietnam war, from the confused beginning of the war to the sudden cessation of conflict and...

Pros: Good science fiction story.
Cons: Not the classic it claims to be.

I mostly picked this book up on a whim, not due to it being acclaimed a sci-fi classic ( read: no one but other geeks has heard of it ), or any of the other accolades pointed its way.

Doing this perhaps allow me to think of it just as a...

Pros: Characterization, vision of the future
Cons: None

What if time was significantly different for space travelers than is for those on Earth? That's what happens in this oustanding novel by Joe Haldeman. The Forever War is my first trip into the world of Haldeman. He certainly doesn't disappoint. The ...

Pros: Excellent Book.
Cons: None.

OK, I admit I finally got around to reading this book. I felt it was my duty, since I've read Starship Troopers, Armor, and Redliners, along with a variety of others in this genre. After all, this is an award winning novel and considered a...

Pros: Interesting Story, Easy to read
Cons: none

I read this book because I was told it was the counterpart, or opposing view, to the terrific story "Starship Troopers" by Robert A. Heinlein. I am glad I did. Although the title Implies that this is a story about war, I felt that the...

Pros: comfortable dialogue, enjoyable characters
Cons: i would have loved a series in this...

Ironically, I first read this book while in Army Basic Training. The book was written after Haldeman returned from the Vietnam War and he'll be the first to acknowledge that a lot of the feel and emotion came from his experiences there. This was the...

Pros: style
Cons: none

Joe Haldeman has nailed it with this one. He wrote it after his tour of duty in Viet Nam and it shows. I spent two years in South East Asia and as I read the book I couldn't help thinking "Been there. Done that." over and over. He writes about...

Pros: One of the best sci-fi novels out there
Cons: None!

This book was handed down to me from my paperback junkie father and came highly recommended. It is a quick read because, as they say, you can't put it down. The character(s) are real, the story is believable, captivating, and beyond creative. I have read...

Pros: well done
Cons: none I can think of

This book does a great job of illustrating the ironies and the brutality of war against an interstellar backdrop. The time dilation idea highlights the endless and repetitive struggle of the soldier. Definitely a very hard book to put down! I gave a...