Starship Troopers

By Robert A. Heinlein

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B003WOECYQ
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: NEL

Customer Reviews

Interesting experiment (look up Rodger W. Young) on the net.

As with any good sci-fi, the story and descriptions of the latest gadgets are important; however, this is just the window dressing or vehicle to carry a message or concept to you without sounding too preachy. This book is not fascist like the movie. It suggests that people should be responsible for their actions and have a stake in what they make decisions on. Never did it say that these people were smarter or better, just that when you have a vested interest, your decisions tend to work, or you will pay. I was intrigued by the process that Johnny Rico was going through in the story. The movie does not phase me as it looks like cartoon hype. But the book was too close to home. I hope my memory is flawed, as I remember every one of the people types that he described. I think the volunteer Army today is closer to the book than in the Vietnam era, where conscripts looked at it as slightly preferable to prison. I know that this story is not about the military, but it is too real to be ignored as just a story. You could have floored me when, after watching the movie, I found out there were no naked women in the book. Dizzy Flores must have had a great Swedish doctor. This could have been a genuine attempt to update the story; however, it distracted from the original purpose. Basically, after school, Johnny Rico is whisked into the military by peer pressure and finds out if he is more than just the factory owner's son. While going through boot camp, he learns about different cultures and the intricacies of military life. Naturally, he makes mistakes and learns from others' mistakes. As he grows, he learns what makes the world the way it is. I will not contrast this book with the movie because I think you enjoy the story more if you find out what happens as it unfolds.