The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

I originally planned on reading "The Accidental Time Machine" (also by Joe Haldeman) but realized the long reserve list was going to keep me from getting it anytime soon. As an alternate I selected "The Forever War", a sci-fi novel notatble for winning both the Nebula Awared (in 1975) and the Hugo award (in 1976).

Many readers consider "The Forever War" a rumination on the author's experience in the Army during Vietnam. Certainly his cynical look at military bureuacracy and training are reflective of that, as are the questions raised regarding why people go to war. At it's heart, "The Forever War" is the story of a soldier experiencing both the rigors of combat and the disconcerting return to civilian life. In that regard, the larger themes do transcend the trappings of the genre and allow for it to be read like similarly literate war novels ("All Quiet...", "Catch 22", "Fallen Angels", etc.).

One hump that readers will need to get over is that the first part of the book takes place in 1997 (remember, "The Forever War" was published in 1974). There's a number of things the author got wrong. Another hump is the kind of creepy and stilted take on sexual relations the author trots out - and then keeps going back to. I know that Stonewall, Roe v Wade, the pill and the sexual revolution were on everyone's mind in the early 70s, but for me the author's preoccupation with sex distracted from the otherwise high-minded issues he set out to address.

I could see this being a good pick for teen boys who are interested in a smart science fiction/anti-war novel. I'll probably still give "The Accidental Time Machine" a shot when my copy comes in too.