FOREVER WAR by Joe Haldeman

I read this book years ago shortly after it came out. It stunned me then and left an lasting impression. Recently, I came across a graphic novel version and me being me, re-read it. Again, the invention blew me away.

So, what’s great about this canon of the SciFi genre?

At the forefront are the themes. There are several interwoven ideas here that make up the unique nature of this novel. An initial impression will tell you this is a story about space travel and the relativity effect. This means that for the ship’s occupants and the novel’s protagonist, time passed on a mission is far less than time back on earth. This leads to so many great ideas. First is the fact that encounters are gambles since the enemy may have progressed beyond the technology of earth; or vice versa.

Another outcome of this relativity effect is that society back on earth changes whilst the attitude/behaviour of those on missions hasn’t. This leads to cultural disjuncture between those involved in the military and society back home. In fact, this becomes an important plot point of the novel and, as such, is woven seamlessly into the overall story.

A third dimension is the war itself, both the horrors and the effect on the combattants. This is the inner journey for the MC but also the change in culture from being in the military.

A key question is whether Haldeman aimed to make this story a parable of the effect of combat on members of the armed services. How the experience alienated (get that!) those involved from the civilian culture from which they come.

Regardless of all the details, IMHO, Forever War is a story telling tour de force where all the different elements are interwoven such that you couldn’t take anything out without damaging the whole. It comes as no surprise it won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1975, the year after its publication.

Quite some achievement.

P.S. It is said that the book reflects Joe’s experience in Vietnam. Is this a case of ‘writing what you know’, then?