The Forever War By Joe Haldeman - A Soldiers' Story That Stands The Test Of Time

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

Prior to reading Forever War, I had only read one other of Joe Haldeman’s novels. I'm afraid I didn't care for that one, and to avoid further discussion, I will decline to reveal the title. However, when I talked about that book with a friend, he told me I shouldn't give up on the author because he is an amazing writer and teller of stories. My friend recommended Forever War as an example of great Sci-Fi writing. So, as I was between books, I thought it would be a good time to take care of an obligation to myself and to my friend.

From the moment I opened this book and all the way through to the end, I was mesmerized by the story, the characters, and the sheer excellence of this amazing work of Science Fiction.

If you are a Sci-Fi fan and haven't read this, you are doing yourself a disservice. This novel, nearly fifty years old, is a classic work. It follows the military life of a physics student turned soldier, William Mandella, through his training and combat experience as a member of the UNEF Army. It is a compelling tale of a man who wants to go home but may not be able to continue to live his life the way he expects. While he serves a total of four years of his life, the travel from assignment moves at relativistic speeds and as we know, when someone travels at those speeds, time passes very quickly for those who are not along for the ride.

Physics student William Mandella is conscripted as a member of a task force for the United Nations Exploratory Force to fight in a war against an alien race known as Taurans after presumed attacks by them on human colonist ships. Mandella undergoes intense training and is deployed to numerous places in the galaxy. While the ships that transport soldiers from one battle to another are very fast, traveling at relativistic speeds means that a lot of time passes off the ship than onboard.

The first deployment for Mandella's group lasts two years from his point of view, but for the return to Earth, 27 years pass. In those times, there are drastic developments in technology, but there are also societal changes that are shocking.

Mandella is part of the war for only four years of his life while centuries pass at home.

The principal character, William Mandella, is an intelligent man who is made into a warrior. He isn't obsessed with killing but is merely doing a job he’s been trained for. He is quite resilient in that he understands his situation concerning time dilation, and what it might do to him. However, the time he spans outside his relativistic travel changes so drastically, he sometimes has a hard time keeping up with all the changes. He takes everything in stride as he moves forward, but still maintains his own identity. He wants all the things a professional soldier wants, but most of all, to come home alive to a world and to the woman he loves. We see most of the story through Mandella's eyes and the thoughts he has and so we get a combat veteran's view of life in and out of the military and observations of the social and political situations as they evolve over the period of a thousand years.

My favorite point of plot in Forever War is how it illustrates the changes society goes through over a period of time. At one point, Mandella goes home and has a difficult time recognizing nearly everything he encounters. The changes are so extreme and bizarre that he finds he no longer can exist. He finally returns to the military because it is what he has become familiar with.

It is no spoiler to say this tale is a metaphor for the Vietnam War. The author himself is a veteran of the Vietnam era, so the story is sad and tragic, but there are also moments of hope.

Personally, the theme that stood out the most was how soldiers were regarded when they returned home. In the book, they are not treated well as they return to an Earth that has become a social and political ruin. Many are just trying to survive in an economy that is in shambles. When he feels as if he has been alienated from his home planet, Mandella, along with Marygay, re-enlists. As is typical of the military, after being promised to be assigned as instructors on Luna base, they are switched back to a combat unit and sent off to fight once again.

Another thing that stood out to me was how Forever War and Starship Troopers (the book by Robert A. Heinlein, not the film) have some things in common. Both are a soldiers’ story that can give one a better understanding of what it means to fight in a war and then try to survive, not only in combat, but when returning home and having to adapt to all the changes one faces.

My takeaway from The Forever War is to show how one can never return home. Nothing stays the same and life is full of change.

Forever War is a classic work of sci-fi that holds up well and will speak to readers today. If there is a must-read list, this book should appear at the top. It has everything a fan of military sci-fi would enjoy, and I think many of those who have served would also appreciate what is in these pages.

Mandella's tale is great on every level.

It is brilliantly written because it is easy to understand and relate to. It is a fairly fast read at 236 pages, but at the same time, there is a lot of amazing story packed into that small space.

I found Forever War to be entertaining, engaging, and emotionally charged.'

Highest Recommendations!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Joe Haldeman began his writing career while he was still in the army. Drafted in 1967, he fought in the Central Highlands of Vietnam as a combat engineer with the Fourth Division. He was awarded several medals, including a Purple Heart. Haldeman sold his first story in 1969 and has written over two dozen novels and five collections of short stories and poetry. He has won the Nebula and Hugo Awards for his novels, novellas, poems, and short stories, as well as the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Locus Award, the Rhysling Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. His works include The Forever War, Forever Peace, Camouflage, 1968, the Worlds saga, and the Marsbound series. Haldeman recently retired after many years as an associate professor in the Department of Writing and Humanistic Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Gay, live in Florida, where he also paints, plays the guitar, rides his bicycle, and studies the sky with his telescope.

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Ares by Jayson Adams - The First Expidition To Mars Is Plagued With Strife

 

Ares by Jayson Adams

I learned about Ares from a Facebook ad that kept popping up on my timeline. I was further spurred on to read by the book's description. It promised a fast-paced tale of murder and intrigue on the first mission to Mars. No less, it promised a story set in the Cydonia region of the Red Planet, a place of much controversy and speculation.

I read this book in just a few days, finding it to be an amazing story that moved so fast, I just did not want to stop reading. It is a great tale with well-developed characters. There are moments of great tension and several fun and scary plot twists. Anyone who loves Sci-Fi space opera or a really good mystery story would enjoy this story. It is full of political corruption, starting at the top levels of two space agencies driven by greed. Nothing is certain in the plot and there are surprises on nearly every page.

The first mission to Mars is led by Commander Kate Holman, that is until she is unexpectedly relieved of command and replaced by the mission's security officer as ordered by a NASA deputy director. This happens almost as their vessel is descending for a landing on Mars. Kate learns that their mission has gone from one of exploration and discovery to one with a military objective.

Kate and most of her crew are a little perplexed by the security officer, who makes a trek to the "face on Mars" to retrieve something. What he finds could be anything, evidence of life, alien artifacts, or maybe a rare new element previously unknown. Kate can only speculate about what the officer has found.

Astronauts are killed and their habitat begins to experience malfunctions. One crew member says the mishaps result from a Martian curse that will continue to plague the mission until whatever the security officer has found is returned to its original resting place. Kate continues to seek more plausible explanations for the problems that keep cropping up.

When she finally learns the nature of what has been retrieved, she understands why some would kill to protect the secret. It is decided her, and what is left of her crew must return home to expose the corruption she has uncovered. Unfortunately, the odds are against her as she is forced to fight against some very powerful forces, determined to keep the secrets in the darkness.

Kate is a great, strong female character who has studied, worked, and sacrificed much to earn her position, commanding the first Martian mission only to have it ripped away from her. But she doesn't just step aside quietly and relinquish. She knows she is in the right and is determined to get her command back and lead a successful mission. This is very important to her.

She does have a few skeletons in her closet, and she has a hard time stopping the old bones from rattling. Much of what causes her pain is some misconceived ideas she has of an incident that occurred on previous mission.

Her determination and her ability to survive the obstacles in her path are all she has, and she takes full advantage of her resources to thwart the plans set against her.

The author has created a great character in Commander Kate Holman, and I would enjoy reading more about her exploits in future books.

My favorite plot point in Ares was how Commander Kate was able to find ways to deal with her problems so well. She had a lot stacked against her. She had personal problems, family problems, problems with the mission, problems with the crew, and, of course, there was the nearly insane way the antagonist just wouldn't give up. I couldn't imagine balancing everything she faced, but the author did a fine job getting his principal character through it all.

My takeaway from Ares is how it demonstrates perseverance can take one a long way to deal with seemingly impossible situations.

Ares is a great story. I was fascinated and entertained all the way through. The action is pretty well non-stop through the entire book and there are several twists and turns in the plot to hold the reader's attention. The science, for the most part, is plausible, and the spaceflight depicted is also to be admired. There is intrigue involving both space agencies that exist now. I recommend Ares for anyone who enjoys a good, fast-paced sci-fi tale.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

At age sixteen, Jayson dreamed of starting a software company and retiring by twenty-five. He achieved his dream just before thirty, working for the likes of Steve Jobs and selling one of his start-ups along the way. Five years later, he returned to computers with another start-up. He currently works at Google.

Computers were always Jayson's creative outlet, the screen a "blank slate." He now channels his creative energies into writing compelling science-fiction.

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The Kuyper Rogue by C.P. Schaefer - Sci-Fi Adventure Worth Reading!

The Kuyper Rogue by C.P. Schaefer

I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

What attracted me to read The Kuiper Rogue was the book's description. The author set the story on Saturn’s moon, Titan. I don't recall ever reading a story set on that particular world. The concept of a large research station, in this case, Gaia 3, got my attention and spurred me to download and read this book. I enjoyed the story for the most part. It is a combination of several concepts, including Hard Sci-Fi, Post Apocalyptic, Space Opera, Thriller, and Adventure. The action starts in the very beginning and as the story unfolds, the tension ramps up to a fever pitch.

I enjoyed this story and recommend it for those who are looking for an entertaining story. The characters, for the most part, are believable and well written.

Astronomer Will Vandolah, is part of a crew who live and work in a living ecosphere known as Gaia 3. It is a delicately balanced environmental microcosm that requires constant attention to details to sustain life. When that balance starts to break down, numerous problems arise, and the crew works feverishly to analyze and solve the problems. As they work, Will discovers a very large comet moving toward Saturn. As the comet approaches, it has properties that cause mayhem with Saturn's rings, and causing the release of deadly radiation causing even more problems in Gaia 3.

Will finds that the object, a very long-period comet, will pass close to Earth. In the meantime, Gaia 3's crew begin to show signs of delirium that grows into all-out insanity as the effects of the strange radiation manifest. The comet not only affects the people in the biosphere, but it also causes problems with communication with Earth.

The Gaia 3 commander and what is left of the crew decide that they must leave Titan and travel to Earth to warn them of the effects it will have on the population.

I enjoyed the characters Schaefer created for this story. They are developed well enough to feel like I was reading about real people.

Will is an astronomer who is searching for celestial objects, but not having a lot of luck. Then he stumbles on to the find of enormous size, moving through the solar system. He determines the object has come unusual properties and, in his research, determines it is a long-period comet that has passed through the solar system before.

Soon, he finds himself facing situations he has no previous experience with and has to use his wit and creativity to survive and save as many of his crew as he possibly can.

Fortunately, he has the help of his mother, Gaia 3's commander, to help. 

Margaret Vandolah seemed to be the principal character in this story, even more so than Will. She is tough, smart, and knows her business. While the problems mount in the station, she not only has to make sure the crew take care of their specialties, but she also has to do a lot of improvisation and keep those who are still functioning alive and doing their jobs. The breakdown of the biosphere and the radiation make her tasks almost impossible, and she has to come up with creative ways to solve the problems.

My favorite point of plot in Kuyper Rogue is the world building the author used as the backdrop for the characters. Gaia 3 is an amazing place, but it also depends on everyone doing their part to keep the delicate balance needed to sustain life. If one person doesn't take care of their system, other systems begin to breakdown and fall like dominoes.

Therefore, my takeaway from this story is how everyone needs to do their part to protect the environment they live in. In the case of this tale, it is a small, delicately balanced place that requires constant attention. But I think that perhaps, the author was also addressing not only the microcosm of Gaia 3, but he also wants the reader to think about the environment in the macrocosm of the planet we live on.

The Kuyper Rogue is a solid and entertaining story. I think any Sci-Fi Fan would enjoy. Part of the blurb from the back of the book describes it as a "high-octane techno-sci-fi adventure rooted on sound, hard science. It is a stellar showcase of the terrible power and the sublime complexity of the human experience."

I look forward to C.P. Shaefer's future novel, Western Lights.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

C.P. Schaefer is an American writer and Engineer. He has been a Structural Engineer in private practice for over forty years and written two science fiction novels called The Kuyper Rogue and Western Lights.

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