The Forever Whine

The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman, was recommended to me on the strength of my appreciation for Robert A. Heinlein's military sci-fi masterpiece, Starship Troopers. Seeing as how that book has never been unseated from my #1 slot for its genre (and I've been devouring classic and contemporary sci-fi since I read 2001: A Space Odyssey at the age of 10), I was anxious to get my mitts on The Forever War. Since it hasn't been consistently in print since its first publishing, that wasn't an easy task, so when I saw it at Coles for $4.99, I was a happy camper. However, by the time I hit chapter four, to continue the camper metaphor it was the equivalent of discovering I'd accidentally pitched my tent atop an underground swamp, and then it rained for four days. But it came highly praised, so I finished that sucker, and now bring my findings to you.

The plot is pretty basic (not that there's anything wrong with that), and follows young draftee William Mandella as he fights a war whose purpose remains uncertain. It's also a hyperspace war, which means that William may travel between solar system for a subjective three months, but twenty-five years will have passed on Earth - so even if he survives combat, he may never see his family or any civilian friends again. Matters become even more discouraging for William when he and his girlfriend, Marygay, are promoted and assigned to different ships. This overarching story is punctuated by occasional combat situations, learning how much things on Earth have changed since William's departure, and talking about how much he hates the military.

I think I may have liked this book were I alive during 'Nam, a hippie, or politically correct. As such, The Forever War had nothing to offer me. Author Haldeman is a Vietnam veteran, this book was inspired by that experience, and every page oozes with related baggage. Alternating between being a protester's ultimate revenge dream (in this army, everyone's a conscript...but only the elite are drafted), a bizarre and ridiculous portrayal of how to run a military (more on that later), and tackling some sexual discrimination issues with a "Ha! Now you know how it feels!" that's about as subtle as a Margaret Atwood novel or an episode of House, this book didn't make a very good case for why so many people think it's the best sci-fi novel ever. The hardest part about reading to the end was not being able to conjure up any sympathy or respect for hero and narrator William. He bitches in a shocked and offended fashion any time it appears that military discipline may be required of him and then wonders, when he's given command, why his company is so unhappy and mutinous. Could it be, perhaps, because their military has no concept of what a military is, requires no (self-)discipline of any sort off the battlefield, encourages morale by having the troops disrespect their superior officers by shouting "Fuck you, Sir!" every time they're dismissed (the logic behind becoming a happier, more confident grunt by being taught and encouraged to hate your CO eludes me - standard troop unity involves hating the sargeant but loving the Old Man), supports them getting drunk and stoned on a regular basis, organizes orgies, and doesn't seem to mind when commanding officers voice their uncertainty, lack of knowledge, and fears to their subordinates en masse? Yes, I realize this is a 'Nam commentary, and as my husband pointed out, something was obviously very wrong with the American military at that time as the reported percentage of Vietnam veterans with severe psychological problems outstrips veterans of any other American war significantly. At the time Haldeman wrote this book, the accepted number was %30, a finding which a number of studies have reduced to 18% over the current decade; there are lots of factors in play here. However, the paradox of any "personal experience" story is that it always leaves the question of how much of that account is trustworthy and how much is tainted by, well, having actually experienced it. The first American-involved war I'm old enough to remember watching on TV is Operation Desert Storm, so I can't throw anything into the ring in this regard. What I can throw down is the criticism that it's hard to feel for a character who makes no effort to improve the situation he's been forced into, rejects such bourgeois concepts as personal growth, and comes across as childish, thoughtless (literally; I don't mean 'insensitive'), and, frankly, stupid. If William Mandella is an accurate representation of America's intellectual elite, that country's screwed.

On top of all that, The Forever War isn't even well-written. I'd put its quality of writing somewhere around that of one of the bad Star Wars novels, for example any part of the "Jedi Academy" trilogy, or early Stephen King. Yes, I know it's a first novel. I'd probably be more generous here if it weren't for all the fawning adoration directed online toward this particular first novel, from formal sci-fi reviews and one inexplicable Hugo to personal websites - it's pretty disingenuous (and oxymoronic) to label any first novel a "masterpiece". I can't help but wonder if this book is so popular because it's a "human cost of war/war is hell" story, and we're just supposed to like those. I know this is cynical, but in my experience it's just not socially correct to dislike such stories. They're powerful! They tell it like it is! Do they? None of that really matters in the end if they're plain old bad or mediocre art elevated above their levels by how popular their ideology is. Starship Troopers has nothing against the military as an institution, and for a lot of the detractors I've spoken with or read this suggestion that it's not only okay but necessary for the soldier profession to exist - and that it can even be a noble calling one can take pride in - is a foundation for criticism.

It makes perfect sense to me that Starship Troopers is required reading for American officer candidates and The Forever War is not. Starship Troopers lays out a complex, thoughtful, rational and perhaps attainable model for soldiers and militaries to aspire to. Also, it's really well-written. I suppose one could argue that The Forever War should be taught as an example of what never to do in the army; I mean, William may very well be the worst fictional officer in print. The literally insane captain from Lieutenant Hornblower has nothing on this guy.

On a side note, it seems in retrospect that the abominable film version of Starship Troopers was written by someone who really preferred The Forever War, but wanted to market it under a more famous and respectable title or just couldn't get the rights. I've long wondered what the point of making that film the antithesis of its namesake book was - perhaps this is a clue.

Andre, the floor is yours - I am exceedingly curious to have your five cents on this book, and the case for calling it a sci-fi masterpiece. In particular, I'd love to hear from someone who likes it, but who can express that appreciation with something more useful than "this is the best book eeeeeever!!!! It's so deep, man!". That would be you. :)