3 ms·

I don't think the author of this post ever actually read Starship Troopers, I imagine they've only seen the movie, since the book is hardly pro-war.

rmah 11y ago
I don't think the movie was pro-war either. It was, imo, a satirical in flavor.
- doktrin 11y ago
  The movie was deeply satirical, but the book wasn't (either that, or the satire was well masked). For instance, Haldeman (the author of Forever War) is on record stating that Starship Troopers glorifies war, and he's not the only one.
  - shepardrtc 11y ago
    The book was definitely satire. Heinlein doesn't come right out and say how absurd the whole thing is, he lets the reader figure that out. I guess some don't. Edit: Just because you think I'm wrong with saying Starship Troopers was satire doesn't mean you should downvote me. Also, read this: http://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2012/11/the-joke-is-on-us-the-two-careers-of-robert-a-heinlein/ http://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2012/11/the-joke-is-on-...
    - justin66 11y ago
      > The book was definitely satire. Heinlein doesn't come right out and say how absurd the whole thing is, he lets the reader figure that out. I guess some don't. Everyone's entitled to their interpretation but you're getting downvoted because you come across as kind of a douche when you state things this way. The notion that Starship Troopers was an antiwar satire is rare enough that you can't really link to a Locus story advocating it and then, boom, drop the mic. Successful writers who knew Heinlein, from Haldeman to Pournelle, have always characterized the book in a very different way.
      - shepardrtc 11y ago
        I made another comment saying that it was satire (without the douche-iness), and it got downvoted, too. So its just disagreement. When I initially read the book, I expected it to be pro-war. In fact, I just wanted to read a SF book about aliens and robotic suits. But after I was finished, I was very surprised by it being satire. Sure, if you look at it from a completely superficial perspective, it looks like its espousing the views of a military-oriented society, but if you examine what's being said, it becomes clear that its criticizing it. Let me be clear, though, I don't think Heinlein is criticizing the individual soldier. I think he sympathizes with them the most. But he takes the idea of a military-run central government to an extreme to examine what it would be like. And while reading the novel we get to examine it from the perspective of those most affected by it. And guess what... Everything is miserable. Heinlein celebrates people who would give themselves up to fight for other people, but he shows that war itself is absurd and terrible.
        justin66 11y ago
        > I made another comment saying that it was satire (without the douche-iness), and it got downvoted, too. So its just disagreement. This is kind of superfluous to the discussion but I'm trying to be constructive here, honest: all three of your comments on this story might lead one to believe that you are an enormous bag of douche. Reexamine your use of terms like "common misconception" and "quite clear" as an exercise. > completely superficial perspective See, you're doing it again with the douchiness. I mean, the story links to an interview with a well-respected science fiction author (who has won so many Hugo and Nebula awards that it's like they are shooting them at him with a t-shirt cannon and who also teaches an SF class at MIT discussing Starship Troopers) and he disagrees with you about the book. Do you think he's just being superficial? I mean I guess it's technically possible that he just hasn't thought about the book as much as you have... Acting as if the people who disagree with you just don't get it is making you look a little silly. That's what the downvotes are about.
        shepardrtc 11y ago
        > completely superficial perspective I was being very literal. And I wasn't referring to the author in particular.

rmah 11y ago

I don't think the movie was pro-war either. It was, imo, a satirical in flavor.

doktrin 11y ago
The movie was deeply satirical, but the book wasn't (either that, or the satire was well masked). For instance, Haldeman (the author of Forever War) is on record stating that Starship Troopers glorifies war, and he's not the only one.
- shepardrtc 11y ago
  The book was definitely satire. Heinlein doesn't come right out and say how absurd the whole thing is, he lets the reader figure that out. I guess some don't. Edit: Just because you think I'm wrong with saying Starship Troopers was satire doesn't mean you should downvote me. Also, read this: http://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2012/11/the-joke-is-on-us-the-two-careers-of-robert-a-heinlein/ http://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2012/11/the-joke-is-on-...
  - justin66 11y ago
    > The book was definitely satire. Heinlein doesn't come right out and say how absurd the whole thing is, he lets the reader figure that out. I guess some don't. Everyone's entitled to their interpretation but you're getting downvoted because you come across as kind of a douche when you state things this way. The notion that Starship Troopers was an antiwar satire is rare enough that you can't really link to a Locus story advocating it and then, boom, drop the mic. Successful writers who knew Heinlein, from Haldeman to Pournelle, have always characterized the book in a very different way.
    - shepardrtc 11y ago
      I made another comment saying that it was satire (without the douche-iness), and it got downvoted, too. So its just disagreement. When I initially read the book, I expected it to be pro-war. In fact, I just wanted to read a SF book about aliens and robotic suits. But after I was finished, I was very surprised by it being satire. Sure, if you look at it from a completely superficial perspective, it looks like its espousing the views of a military-oriented society, but if you examine what's being said, it becomes clear that its criticizing it. Let me be clear, though, I don't think Heinlein is criticizing the individual soldier. I think he sympathizes with them the most. But he takes the idea of a military-run central government to an extreme to examine what it would be like. And while reading the novel we get to examine it from the perspective of those most affected by it. And guess what... Everything is miserable. Heinlein celebrates people who would give themselves up to fight for other people, but he shows that war itself is absurd and terrible.
      - justin66 11y ago
        > I made another comment saying that it was satire (without the douche-iness), and it got downvoted, too. So its just disagreement. This is kind of superfluous to the discussion but I'm trying to be constructive here, honest: all three of your comments on this story might lead one to believe that you are an enormous bag of douche. Reexamine your use of terms like "common misconception" and "quite clear" as an exercise. > completely superficial perspective See, you're doing it again with the douchiness. I mean, the story links to an interview with a well-respected science fiction author (who has won so many Hugo and Nebula awards that it's like they are shooting them at him with a t-shirt cannon and who also teaches an SF class at MIT discussing Starship Troopers) and he disagrees with you about the book. Do you think he's just being superficial? I mean I guess it's technically possible that he just hasn't thought about the book as much as you have... Acting as if the people who disagree with you just don't get it is making you look a little silly. That's what the downvotes are about.
        shepardrtc 11y ago
        > completely superficial perspective I was being very literal. And I wasn't referring to the author in particular.