Rated NC-18 (Nerdy Content from an 18-year old): Joe Haldeman's The Forever War
Intro
Intro
The epoch is the mid-1960’s. The Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, the British were invading once again (with a lot less military), and US and USSR decided to take their petty quarrels outside the atmosphere. But alas all was not perfect in the world because, as if The Cold War hadn’t had enough men who sold their souls, hell decided to set up shop in a little corner of Southeast Asia called Vietnam. The legacy of this tragic event would impact those both at home and on the battlefield. The aforementioned legacy can also be felt through pop culture with goodies such as Apocalypse Now; Platoon; and Full Metal Jacket. However it’s not just film but also literature where this impact can be felt, and here is where we’re greeted with The Forever War, which merges the two most popular subjects of its day: space, and the Vietnam War. To which this text can be summed up as “APOCALYPSE NOW... INNNNN SPAAAAAACE”.
Summary
The story takes place from a First Person Perspective that chronicles the narrative of William Mandela, who is drafted to do battle with an alien enemy light years away. Much of the elements of the Vietnam War are present here including young soldiers drafted at a young age; brutal training; a hawkish government that goes to war based on a misunderstanding; macabre imagery; not being able to distinguish civilian from soldier; over-the-top propaganda about the enemy; hostility being met at home as well as on the battlefield; pacifist movements; and so on.
Critique
At first, this may seem like a fairly typical war story, but it does distinguish itself from other forays into the topic. Besides the introduction of new elements such as hi-tech weaponry and interstellar travel, there also the concept of time dilation in which because of said interstellar travel time flows a lot differently. Centuries can go by on Earth while the soldiers in the conflict only age several years and it adds an interesting dynamic to the plot as it creates a far different world that the protagonist has to adapt to. It also cares to explore the effect of the war at home as well as on the front lines as there is plenty of struggles to be found long after his first engagement. Character relationships are complex enough that they’re not one-dimensional and cliche, but simple enough that they don’t interfere with the main story, and it does well in balancing both drama and action so that it’s not all big explosions, brutal combat, and testosterone pumped action (actually some of the troops are female so you can throw in a little estrogen as well). Another interesting element is that as mentioned before the story chronicles Mandela’s rise through the ranks instead of portraying him as just another grunt all the way through, which presents him with new challenges that keep the narrative fresh and entertaining. The only drawbacks are that the exposition can be confusing at times and that there could be just a little bit more action. But the biggest offender is false advertising because The Forever War doesn’t seem to understand the concept of “forever war”. The synonyms for “forever” include “eternal”; “ever-lasting”; and “endless”. The text is only over 250 PAGES AND FOR THE RECORD, THE WAR DOESN’T LAST FOREVER!!! Mindless rant aside it should do little to detract from what is a thoughtful allegory on the barbarity of modern conflict.
My Grade ‘65/’73 (for those of you who aren't history nerds, ‘65 and ‘73 are the years when American troops landed in and left Vietnam)
