The Forever War

Joe Haldeman

3/21/2000

William Mandella is drafted into the army to fight the Taurans, aliens who were responsible for humans dying in space. Collapsars have been discovered, making it possible for humans to travel throughout the galaxy in short subjective times. Those same time frames were relative to Earth time frames. His first battle had him away from home a couple years. Twenty had passed by the time he returned to Earth.

He, along with battallions of other men and women, learn to use futuristic weapons and protective suits that can kill as easily as preserve. They travel in space conditions that press them with two gees and then move into weightless surroundings. They learn little about their enemy even when they try to capture some.

As a military novel, this one is pretty good. It is not particularly to my taste. I have heard many positive opinions about this book. There is an abundance of military thinking, maneuvers, and situations. This is not what I want in a novel. The underlying secondary story between William and Marygay helped. Unless you like military novels as well as science fiction, you can forego this book.

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