Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Starship Troopers is science Fiction at its best. I say that this is science fiction at its best because Heinlein does not focus on discussing the future technology such as "Chimenski drive" or the space suits that the soldiers use. Rather, Starship Troopers is more Heinlein's exploration of how society would function under a different set of rules, with different priorities. Starship Troopers explores a world where franchise is limited to veterans of military service, government imposed capital punishment and lashings are commonplace, and where a common enemy to the human race is a major focus of human effort.
Heinlein introduces us to the Federation and the war against "the bugs" through a single narrator: Juan "Johnnie" Rico. Starship Troopers takes us through Rico's last days in secondary school, joining the Mobile Infantry, basic training at Camp Currie, a few military operations (called "drops", for the Mobile Infantry), officer canditate school, and, briefly, the final battles of the war against the bugs.
I do not mean to stress the threat of the bugs (an alien race). It is not clear that the Federation emerged out of the conflict with the aliens. Heinlein does not really tell us a great deal about the origins of the Federation (though he touches on the failures of previous governments - such as the failure of the U.S. style constitutional democracy), and while having a constant enemy and constant war would explain the type of government, Heinlein never overtly states that the Federation emerged because of the fight against the bugs. Rather, Starship Troopers presents the form of government as a superior alternative to a constitutional democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, and other forms of government. Heinlein presents this message primarily through teachers Rico meets in secondary school and officer candidate school. We also learn some about life and rule in the Federation through Rico's commanding officers.
Heinlein explores issues such as child-rearing and discipline, punishment, the franchise, rights and obligations, and other areas of government and the human experience.
By setting the scene in a future time with an alien enemy, Heinlein can explore things such as only allowing veterans of military service the right to vote, whipping soldiers and civilians for making mistakes or committing crimes, and imposing capital punishment upon those who commit more serious offenses: all without offending the reader. Because the reader's suspension of disbelief is heightened because of imagining future technology, space travel, and an alien enemy, the reader can live with a society that imposes these things. Again, like other good science fiction (such as Fahrenheit 451, 1984, The Sparrow & Children of God) the author sets the scene in an unfamiliar world, but uses the backdrop to explore universal concerns of the human condition.
An enjoyable scene concerns a dialogue between the teacher and his students over child rearing. The teacher, in expert Socratic fashion, fleshes out his position on teaching a child, by analogizing housebreaking a puppy. The teacher ends his lesson with the following:
"I do not understand objections to 'cruel and unutual punishment. While a judge should be benevolent in purpose, his awards should cause the criminal to suffer, else there is no punishment--and pain is the basic mechanism built into us by millions of years of evolution which safeguards us by warning when something threatens our survival. Why should society refuse to use such a highly perfected survival mechanism? . . . .
As for 'unusual,' punishment must be unusual or it serves no purpose." He then pointed his stump at another boy. "What would happen if a puppy were spanked every hour?"
"Uh . . . probably drive him crazy!"
"Probably. It certainly will not teach him anything. How long has it been since the principal at this school last had to switch a pupil?"
"Uh, I'm not sure. About two years. The kid that swiped--"
"Never mind. Long enough. It means that such punishment is so unusual as to be significant, to deter, to instruct. . . ."
Interestingly, the characters are not sadistic or cold. In fact, Rico and his fellow soldiers-in-training, are distraught after a member of their group is hanged. Rico also witnesses the commanding officers of his training group troubled by having to administer a whipping to a soldier for striking an officer. Heinlein presents the harsh punishment like a parent who tells a child, "this will hurt me more than it hurts you" before spanking a child: as a necessity for learning. While I do not subscribe to this type of thinking, I will admit that Heinlein presents his position compellingly and well.
Starship Troopers contains some great quotes and, if you're in the military or thinking of joining up, some very good, rousing text sure to inspire you and spur you on.
I highly recommend this book.
I have not seen any of the movie renditions of Starship Troopers, but have heard that some are quite good. As with most, I expect Starship Troopers the novel is better than any film adaptation of it.
Other Reviews
- Read my review of Malcolm Gladwell's Blink here.
- Read some of my thoughts on the implications of Blink which came to me while reading Moore's Watchmen here.
- Read some of my thoughts on Alan Moore's Watchmen here.
- Read my review of Harvey Pekar's The Quitter here.
- Read my review of Michael Crichton's Airframe here.
- Read my review of Steve Martin's The Pleasure of My Company here.
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