What are my favorite books? Well, that is a hard question when you get down to it. There are many books I like, or even love, but naming favorites is hard. I suppose to name a favorite I need to choose ones that inspire my own creative thought. One novel that has always managed to do just that is Robert. A. Heinlein's controversial sci-fi adventure Starship Troopers. Forget the butchery that was the 1997 movie by Paul Verhoeven because the two share nothing in common.
Starship Troopers revolves around an intergalactic war between the Terran Federation of Earth and the Arachnids of Klendathu. The Terran Federation is a limited democracy that revolves around meritocratic beliefs, nationalism (or is it planetism in this case?), and extreme militarism. The only way an individual can earn the right to vote is if they've served in a military branch (which earns the title of "Citizen") while those who haven't do not receive the right to vote and are looked down upon ("civilians"). The Arachnids are a Hive based society where countless worker and warriors meet the needs of the ruling class composed of "Queens" and "Brain Bugs."
The story is told from the perspective of Juan Rico, son of wealthy Filipino businessman Emilio Rico. His father is a civilian but despite his lack of political power has amassed a great fortune and when Juan expresses interest in becoming a Citizen his father scolds him. Eventually however Juan gives into pressure from his friend "Carl" (no full name given) and high school crush Carmen Ibanez.
Military service is dependant upon intelligence and Juan hopes to make it into the Naval Academy, which is where Carmen intends to enlist. Unfortunately, Juan is not the smartest kid on the block. While Carmen happily accepts entry into Naval services and Carl makes it into Research & Development ("Starside Research & Development" located on Pluto, to be precise), Rico only manages to meet the standard for Mobile Infantry; the lowest branch. He joined to be with his friends, but from this day on he never sees them again except for few, brief moments.
Rico is soon shipped to Camp Arthur Currie where under the strict care of 1st Sergeant Charles Zim. Here Rico is trained to become an instrument of war under the harshest conditions. Training consumes most of the days, so much so that Rico along with many other recruits acquires the ability to sleep during the morning jogs without missing a beat. Public floggings of disobedient recruits, or those attempting to escape their duties is a constant event meant to keep the others in line.
Towards the end of his training Rico is shocked to discover that the Arachnids (or "bugs" as the soldiers prefer to call them) have declared war by launching a surprise bombardment that has wiped out his home of Buenos Aires. With the full tide of war pushing him, and outfitted with a fully armored mechanized combat suit Rico is prepared to engage the bugs up close and personal. The rest of the novel follows Rico's exploits throughout the "Bug War."
On its surface Starship Troopers is a basic grunt story with a sci-fi setting, but it still manages to be ahead of its time. It feels a lot like post-Vietnam era war fiction in the fact that it doesn't show glory in battle and focuses on a character who isn't too smart but gets by in a time of war. The simplicity of this story also allows Heinlein to give full attention to his innovative, and at times controversial ideas.
Aside from Heinlein's controversial picture of a militaristic society that many feel supports a fascist society (I would disagree on this...) Heinlein manages to work in military tactics and technology well ahead of his time. You want to know where the idea of strength enhancing combat suits and the ability to deploy troops by dropping capsules from orbit came from? Why, these ideas copied countless times in anime, video games, movies, and other novels all stem from Starship Troopers! But even aside from those awesome concepts Heinlein presents ideas that have taken hold in today's military. Such tactics as smash-and-burn raids, and surgical precision strikes become tactics that for the first time are fully elaborated upon in the written word and are surprisingly accurate to how the tactics are conducted today. Other technology such as night vision goggles, personal radar, and self-contained environmental suits are also laid out in great detail by Heinlein.
As a race the Arachnids set the standard for all future "humanity vs. insect race" scenarios. They have a hive based society. Where there is a central intelligence class (Queens and Brain Bugs in this case) and a lower class which consists of warriors and workers. The Arachnids also exploit their ability of fast reproduction. Aside from being sentient (the Arachnids of Heinlein's book have built spaceships and utilize plasma based weaponry) the Arachnids really exploit the fact that they're insects. Rico speculates at one part that if they kill 10,000 Arachnid warriors in a day and lose a single member of the Mobile Infantry it is a loss for humanity because in the Arachnid hives wait Warrior eggs that will hatch to meet demands. A human Mobile Infantryman takes eighteen years to mature and two years to train. In this way Heinlein really goes in-depth on "What advantages would a sentient insect race have over humans if they were at war?"
Story is probably where Starship Troopers falls short, being a fairly routine military coming of age chronicling the adventures of the protagonist and the horrors of war. In short: The ideas and concepts of the novel overshadow the story. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this book and its characters, but when comparing its basic plot to some of the novels it inspired, such as Ender's Game, it doesn't hold as much strength...But as an exploration into the mechanics of science-fiction is unmatched. The way Heinlein speculates the future of war is phenomenally well done and having the story told from the perspective of a protagonist who is essentially a common grunt really drives home how extraordinary the events and technology are by with a simple worded narrative.
I highly suggest picking up a copy of this book and throwing aside any knowledge of the 1997 movie. The movie simply uses the names of characters and slaps on the title "Starship Troopers" but never will you see a less accurate interpretation of a book. This is sci-fi warfare at its finest and its ideas are just as impressive now as they were in 1959.
So sit down, read, and enjoy.
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Reviews with images
Why do some consider this satire?
A day in the many lives of a soldier fighting in a war against the Bugs with his platoon(s), always on the bounce, learning and growing through each experience.What a gem this was to read. Arrived on Friday and thoroughly consumed by Monday. Reads like a first-person retelling of Juan Rico's life as soldier (Mobile Infantry Division) in the Terran Federation, the story beginning shortly before he signs up.The universe in this novel is not entirely made up, earth is real, many historical moments mentioned and discussed are real and often used as philosophical examples. Most of the pages are spent deep in Juan Rico's head, and Heinlein does a magnificent job of narrating Rico's thoughts and experiences in a beautiful way.The controversy. Yes it does seem to promote militarism. The book describes civilians as "happy" but spends roughly zero words actually delving into the life of a civilian, nor is there any dialogue between one. Most references, if any, to civilians were in the short few pages before Juan Rico signed up to join the Federation and was a "civilian" himself.This book shows the pride, determination, and fears of the individual soldier throughout his journey. Something that may be forgotten when the only focus is the pride and determination of the masses. I greatly enjoyed reading it and very glad I discovered it (despite a publication of 1959..).Oh, and, the wear and tear in the photos are 100% mine! It was perfect when it got here :)
