There's so much greatness in The Forever War that it's almost surprising to find how accessible it really is. Indeed, one of the many pleasures of the book is finding how unpretentious and straightforward it is; it sets out to tell the tale of a soldier in an intergalactic war, and does so, and along the way it ends up becoming something far more complex than it seems to be at first. What I mainly remembered aboutThe Forever War was the way it emphasized Mandella's isolation and increasing alienation from the Earth, and how much that paralleled not only the experience of Haldeman and other soldiers returning from Vietnam, but indeed, many soldiers who struggle to re-adjust to everyday civilian life. And while Haldeman's tale is one that finds humanity progressing through the millennia, ultimately, it's a story about a man from the past who sees his race leaving him behind as he struggles to keep them safe, and that's heartbreaking, powerful stuff. But the battle scenes are no less effective, if only for the sheer chaos and confusion that Haldeman conveys in every one. These are not stereotypical war stories, with heroic sacrifices or inspiring speeches; they're filled with violence and mayhem, where death comes without warning, or men die before we realize it, or a battle ends up changing in front of our eyes into something different. Mandella doesn't survive because he's a great hero; he survives through luck and chance, and once again, it's hard not to hear Haldeman the veteran speaking through this experience. But for as much as The Forever War speaks to the life of the soldier or the state of the country after Vietnam, it does that will still being a fantastic story - a classic piece of sci-fi that's both exciting and thought-provoking, all while creating an intriguing character that allows Haldeman to do much more than just tell a war story. And the fact that he does all these things while making it to easy to get into and read is just further testament to the greatness of this book and its enduring legacy.
- Josh Mauthe
- Josh Mauthe