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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I don’t know how I’ve missed reading this novel. Loved it.
This is the book that paved the way for military-themed sci fi for all future generations. It is thought-provoking and more than once I’ve found it informative while re-reading it, noting a new slant of what Heinlein wrote and how it applies to our world 60+ years later.
I ready this book after watching the movie, which was good albeit campy. This book was so much better. It goes so much more in depth into a futuristic militaristic world. This disturbing world that differentiated between citizens and civilians made some pretty coherent points. Good scifi is meant to create these dilemmas, which is why this book is one of my favorites.
I read this book over 50 years ago and still think of it from time to time. It’s a great adventure story. Heinlein was an excellent story teller. This is one of his best. It does have some controversial ideas that appeal to conservative folks but he does not let them get in the way of the story. If military science fiction is your thing, get this book.
Thought provoking ideas about war, government and society. A somewhat slanted Cold War world view.
Classic SciFi at its best.
I engaged in a lot of war protests in the 60s… and I, also, read a lot of science fiction. Good science fiction included Heinlein. Heinlein was a military man, but he was able to write about military life and about warfare in a way that demonstrated pride and military values. Yep…action, pride, and the willingness to put yourself in harm’s way to protect others. True science fiction and always worth reading!
Interesting in a cerebral way.
It’s a classic. In a way it’s like Orwell’s 1984. You need to read it with a knowledge of what tech was known and available at the time it was written to fully appreciate it.
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Have always loved this story. It actually trys to give the reader a correct inside understanding of the thoughts and feeling of a grunt.
Classic Heinlein
After reading a couple other books by Heinlein, I was both shocked and energized by Starship Troopers. Who would’ve thought that Heinlein would write military sci-fi? It has a hard SF edge, running through military training and leading into combat against a truly overwhelming foe. The element of refusing to surrender is truly motivating. There is great storytelling and the characters are very real (some you love, so you hate, and you enjoy doing both). Highly recommended!
This is Heinlein’s best political philosophy book disguised as space opera. Too bad the script writers for the movie completely misunderstood the book and did a hack job.
Ok. This is a phenomenal military tactic story besides being a great science fiction. With good science and not so much the fantasy. I recommend this book.
Yes, Heinlein was politically a right wing conservative, but he could write science fiction as well as anyone out there. He was one of the creators of modern science fiction, and he could write an entertaining story while making you tihink. You might not agree with him, but he will take you along on the trip through his story anyway. It is hard to find a ‘bad” Heinlein novel, and Starship Troopers is among his best. For the record: yes, I am a Heinlein fan!
Heinlein as always is a master of good story telling. This is an action packed story with interesting political concepts tucked neatly throughout without being heavy handed.
Great book. Read several times from different points in life.
I found the film adaptation of this book a bit better than the book itself. However, this is a classic, and Heinlein’s description of the training of the troopers has a remarkable honesty to anyone who has been through basic training in the service.
Classic science fiction action story, and even the outrageous philosophy is thought provoking. Good thing that most kids reading it at an impressionable age are only interested in the story.
Classic Heinlein, one of his best. This and Haldeman’s Forever War are good bookend novels.
Excellent, much, much better than the movie. Read it yarns ago. One of his best.