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Rereadable heroic fantasy/sci fi - The Forever War (S.F. Masterworks)
Was £7.99 Now £7.19
New From £7.19
Used From £1.87
- Author: Joe Haldeman
- Type: Paperback
- ISBN: 1857988086
- Publisher: Gollancz
Synopsis
"Today we're going to show you eight silent ways to kill a man." The first line of this 1974 sf war story still grabs hard: The Forever War, winner of both Hugo and Nebula awards, is a fine choice to launch Millennium's "SF Masterworks" series of classic reissues. Future soldier William Mandella's service in the interstellar "Forever War" chillingly echoes Vietnam, where Joe Haldeman was severely wounded and won the Purple Heart. Afterwards, many real-life veterans found themselves distanced and alienated from US society: thanks to starflight's time dislocations, Mandella returns from weeks or months of combat duty to an Earth which after centuries of change is no longer his home. Though armed with increasingly futuristic weaponry--laser fingers, nova bombs, stasis fields--the infantry still suffers the long agonising waits, the sudden flurry and horror of battle, the shock of loss in a futile war without glory or glamour. But there's still room for tenderness, and for a satisfying ending as the cruel equations of relativistic time finally work in Mandella's favour. Incidentally, this is the first full British edition. When The Forever War was serialised, the magazine editor vetoed one section; it was omitted from the 1974 novel and is now restored. Highly recommended. --David Langford
Reviews
Having read other reviews I was expecting more from this. Although the concepts and science are interesting, it was not as good as others.
My favourite sci-fi so far is Farside Cannon by Roger McBride Allen.
Mr. Peter J. Lewis
I really enjoyed this book-it really reflects how space exploration/planetary conquests will take place. It makes rewriting the laws of physics and travelling for light years believable without needing to explain too much. The characters and the environments they inhabit are believable. There is not an overwhelming amount of in-depth technical information into why things work and how, which would no doubt slow the pace of the story right down. The situations the characters end up in are very believable as is the 'political' aspect of the story. A great read! Defintely ranked alongside Enders Game and Old Mans War.
P. Entaban
You may think this unfair - but I really enjoyed the book. Its very good. Why 1-star?
Because the jacket is not numbered. Because the jacket is completely different to the rest of the series. So????
Well this is an SF Masterworks collection. You can buy this specific title (and most other SF masterworks titles) in many places which I will not name here with a non-SF Masterworks jacket. I am collecting the full SF Masterworks list (and REALLY enjoying the books as I go along).
Now, after committing to spend circa £500 on the full list only to find halfway through that the publisher decided to start making these un-numbered yellow efforts REALLY winds me up? Maybe OCD but man, when you got a whack of shelves packed these nicely numbered gems and then - wha?! no numbers?! GGGGGRRRRRRRRR
I was really NOT impressed when slotting this (and "The Stars My Destination" by Bester) between the other SF Masterworks books I've collected. Seriously, what's the point of generating excitement about the SF Masterworks collection and then deciding to print these funny yellow jobs half way through?! So yeah - complete waste of money for the fanatical collector of the SF Masterworks list. To get the old jacket new is like £21 from a greedy independent speculator?! What the heck is the publisher doing!!!
Bring back the original numbered jackets please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
descriptor (Surrey, England)
I would recommend The Forever War to anyone, regardless of whether or not they like "hard" sci-fi. A heart-pumping depiction of war that not only has a message but a great human story. The plot revolves around Private William Mandella, who is drafted into an intergalactic military conflict as absurd as anything in Catch-22. But in a truly great twist, travelling at light speeds means that whenever he returns to Earth, first decades, then centuries have passed. The future depicted for Earth is bleak but utterly believable. This book really makes you feel for the "hero", who is stripped of everything he holds dear. Every time you think things can't get any worse for him, they do. It is this portrayal of a man slowly losing touch with the world around him that makes The Forever War a true masterpiece. So much better than the quasi-satirical Starship Troopers - THIS is the novel Hollywood should have made! And apparently it will be made - with none other than Ridley Scott at the helm!
Eric Ian Steele
This book revived my love affair with science fiction, but anyone who likes a good novel, regardless of genre, should read The Forever War. There is too much on the internet about the plot. Just buy, read and enjoy!
Mr. Clive Pilley
