In Robert A. Heinlein’s controversial Hugo Award-winning bestseller, a recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the Universe—and into battle against mankind’s most alarming enemy…Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have … could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids.
Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job…
“A classic…If you want a great military adventure, this one is for you.”—All SciFi
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It’s by Admiral Bob – a futurist who is always spot-on as well as entertaining. An excellent read.
Been reading since I was 11. Duty, Honor, Country.
This book is an example of a truly GREAT novel that was destroyed on the big screen. If you saw the movie you will be astounded at how much the novel is unlike the movie.
There are major policy and political thoughts in this Novel that are VERY thought provoking
One of my guilty pleasures is comparing books to their movie adaptations. I picked up Starship Troopers, never realizing that it was originally a book, wanting to do the same. Aside from some very basic concepts and character names, the book is a completely different animal. There are a handful of action scenes, but the book is focused on Johnnie Rico, from his point of view. He begins as a privileged, upper class academic, but chooses to go on a different path by joining up in the armed services. You watch him evolve into a great soldier, as he is taught, trained and inspired by his instructors and superior officers, both in the classroom and in the field of battle. I also very much appreciated the dynamic between Johnnie and his father throughout. This book is fun, original and a solid read.
Finally got around to reading this Hugo-winning novel. Opens in medias res with an exciting action scene in which the main character, Johnny Rico, rampages around an alien city in a mech suit. Rico is MI, Mobile Infantry, the most dangerous arm of the military services. After the opening chapter, the story goes back in time and follows Rico through his Spartan-style training. In Heinlein’s future world, military service is the only way to gain citizenship and the right to vote. Most people, Rico’s capitalist father included, seem to be happy to do without. Rico is inspired to join up by one of his school teachers, a veteran who preaches the “might is right” doctrine. It’s hard to tell whether the author has his tongue in his cheek, or whether this is his general world view. Anyway, Johnny makes it through training, then participates in the first disastrous battle with the alien bugs. The humans slowly learn how to fight the bugs, and the final chapters describes a mission to capture a “brain bug”. It’s fun spotting the linkages with the movie adaptation. In many ways, the movie improves upon the book, combining minor characters and making the bugs far more terrifying. A good book, especially when the author isn’t dumping masses of exposition.
I’ve loved this book since I was 12. Re-reading it recently for the first time the misogyny came through loud and clear, despite women being in parts of the service. It’s from the 1950’s, so just set that aside and enjoy it for the story it is.
one of my favorite authors. i’ve read this book several times
Starship Troopers is the archetypal military sci-fi book . . . and yet it’s far more concerned with the politics and philosophy of its setting than so many of its successors. The action is almost an afterthought. The book also has a rather odd story structure that can take some effort to get into. But it is worth the effort, and though Heinlein often takes a different view of society than many of us do today, I still find myself wishing that more authors were willing to grapple with the questions and issues that Golden Age sci-fi authors so often threw themselves at.
This book is a classic for a reason. Heinlein shows you a world, and from the first glimpse you want to know more about it and spend more time there. I loved this book.
Where’s the sci-fi? Hated this book.
Written in 1959, this was one of the first future war stories written realistically in the first person. I still have that original, yellowing paperback. You can still see why Heinlein is considered the master of SF. Should be read by every SF aficionado!
A classic military scifi. I read it in my teens, a lifetime ago and it has always stayed with me. I was very disappointed in the movie, so please, if you saw the movie but haven’t read the book, read the book, now! You will be glad you did.
Fantastic Story that puts any of the movies made in its name top shame. RAH was a great author writing books that were thought provoking and enjoyable.
Sci-DI from the 50’s still far out. A classic
Heinlein’s classic space warfare plays out powerfully. You relate to the characters like you’re in a suit following them down. Excellent read, especially considering the age in which its written!
An incredible action-packed space adventure. This story laided the foundation for most of the modern vision of military sci-fi. Please do not be fooled by the horrible movie franchise some studio tried to make of this. Those movies are an awful ripoff of this wonderful story of growth, perseverance, and determination.
You’ve seen the movie – now read the book !
Robert A. Heinlein’s last juvenile novel, Starship Troopers is a coming of age book that covers the career of Johnny Rico as he graduates from high school and joins the Mobile Infantry. It’s an easy read for kids and the YA market. Like his other juvenile novels, Heinlein slides some education into his books, this time covering delinquents, duty, and responsibility.
Please note that the book is better than the movie. Directory Paul Verhoeven has said that he never read beyond Chapter 2 and hated the book. They totally missed Heinlein’s political subtext (namely that voting is important; the franchise should be earned by you personally) and instead substituted an almost comic book fascist government. That’s something that Heinlein would have hated with a passion and might have killed him, but he was already dead.
So, aside from the initial situation and the character names, the book is quite different from the movie franchise and can be read afresh.
Heinlein was a master. I have enjoyed his books since I was a teenager.
Bought electronic because I read in paperback and want to keep in archives regardless of what happens to my paper books.