After 3 movies made from this book and the computer game, one looses his perception of what was original. So I re-read the book again. Let me tell you this: the book and the movies or the game have got almost nothing in common. Really the movies are pretty fascistic :) The book is less. Obviously the book is very much militaristic:) :) Military fascism? Well ok maybe...:)
One again has to judge this book from when it was written. It is quite an old novel re-printed many many times. At the time when it first appeared (in 1959) these views may have represented the majority the book intented to reach. Pulp fiction era rich after seemeinly sucsessful Corean War with everyone alive very much aware of the WWII and the Cold War. Those days were immensely militaristic and more and the writer probably merely reflects the reaction to those days of a common WASP American :)
One again has to judge this book from when it was written. It is quite an old novel re-printed many many times. At the time when it first appeared (in 1959) these views may have represented the majority the book intented to reach. Pulp fiction era rich after seemeinly sucsessful Corean War with everyone alive very much aware of the WWII and the Cold War. Those days were immensely militaristic and more and the writer probably merely reflects the reaction to those days of a common WASP American :)
Another book that should have been judged by its time - an era of pulp fictions, but similar to the good fate of a minority of those , has emerged from there to last. It has been reprinted many many times. Mr. Heinlein has many times been critized of his opinions from his books for racism (remember Sixth Column), pro-sexism (remember stranger in a strange land:)) and etc. Forget the film and game version, original book version of Starship Troopers have an important mid-eastern character:) :)
Double Star is classic Heinlein. Fun to read. Reminds maybe of classics like Prisoner of Zenda in plot, but still original in a lot of scenes like the adoption of the main character to local Martian clan...
Double Star is classic Heinlein. Fun to read. Reminds maybe of classics like Prisoner of Zenda in plot, but still original in a lot of scenes like the adoption of the main character to local Martian clan...
Steenless Steel rat books are fun to read. This one is no exception. Mr. Harry Harrison is a very good writer that adds wit and humour to his plot, and that makes this book easily enjoyable. These books were never intented to last, they were pulp fiction when first printed and popular at that time. But then we have reprints after reprints of Mr. Harrison's books which shows that he has a style that catches the audiance. I frankly would buy everyone of his books that I can reach and enjoy reading them :)
I loved the book when I first read it. I read it several times again. The story is about a crook gambler in a tight situation who is hired by a representative of a world in desperation. The rep wants money to buy weapons for his world, but needs more money and he goes to the gambler to get more. Eventually the gambler end up in this world where man fights for existence against every living creature native to the world against mankind. The book shows many aspects of Mr. Harrison's wit with best good humour you would expect from him.
I frankly enjoyed the book immensely. I haven't read the sequel yet, but the first book really makes good reading to search for the second one. The book goes from dedective story to articial intelligence, to aliens like elves and hippies to hive live existence of a biomachine society that threatens the humanity. There are moments of high unbeleivable scenes, but then this is a space opera, where things travel that way :)