The genre for this book is very specific: military sci-fi. I’d seen that specific genre referenced before when browsing for books, and it never sounded like something I would be interested in. Despite that, I decided to go ahead and read Starship Troopers. I’m glad I read it, because it seems to complement the movie very well. The movie is obviously more action-oriented, where the book really only has one significant action scene involving the bugs towards the end of the book. The rest of the book is full of military minutiae. Detailed accounts of Johnny Rico’s boot camp, and the protocol and ranks of the Mobile Infantry. This stuff was only slightly interesting to me, but it will be nice to have that stuff in mind for reference when I go to watch Starship Troopers the movie again. There are lengthy discourses by a few characters in the book, that seemed an excuse for the author to just begin detailing a political manifesto of sorts. The books theme is really just a thought experiment in alternative government. The country has citizens that can only become so by volunteering and serving a term in the armed service. Only by successfully completing a term in the military does one get the ability to not only be elected, but is only then given the right to vote. The reasoning here is that this will have proven an individual’s worth in that he has VOLUNTARILY put the needs of the many above and in front of his own needs. There are some interesting discussions on corporal punishment being necessary to forming morality in humans, and duties vs. rights, but I felt mislead as to the content of the book. I mean, right on the cover it says “The controversial classic of military adventure!”. This was no adventure. It should have read “The controversial classic of military structure and alternative government theory!” Then I would have put the book right back down. Eh, I picked it up for $2.00 at a used book store. I wouldn’t read it again or recommend it to anyone. I’d prefer to watch the movie. Now if I HAD to either read the book or watch the movie SEQUELS, well, then I would choose the book.
